198 JOHN FRASER. 



away for the home of this chief. 9 He had a sister named Ma- 

 taiva. x ° His family name was Sifo. When they arrived at their 

 destination the chief was ill of fever. He was taken up to the 

 house in a state of unconsciousness. L L In a few days he was better, 

 and then Sina said to him, ' Is it true that your household are 

 birds?' 'Quite true,' he replied. He then said to his sister, 'Call. 

 the members of our household.' Then she called out : — 



Assemble, O ye birds of the land ; 

 Assemble, O ye birds of the sea ; 

 Assemble, O ye birds of the east ; 

 Assemble, O ye birds of the west ; 

 Descend from above, ye birds of the sky ; 

 Ascend from below, ye birds of the deep. 



The house was soon filled with flocks of different kinds of birds. 

 Then said the chief to Sina, ' Select for yourself any bird you 

 please, and dismiss the others ; their din distresses me.' She chose 

 a young pigeon. 1 2 Tingilau had assumed that form. x 3 The bird's 

 leg was tied with a string and fastened 14 toa perch, which was 

 placed in the sleeping apartment of Sina and her husband. In 

 the night the pigeon cooed. Sina said to her husband, ' My dear, 

 tell your sister to shut some of her eyes.' So he said to his sister, 

 'Shut your eyes ; Sina is terrified.' The lady became angry, and 

 closed all her eyes. The bird again cooecl, whereupon Mataiva 

 sang : — 



O Sifo, awake, O Sifo, awake 

 To the voice of the pigeon there cooing' ; 

 No pigeon is there, 'tis a man I declare ; 

 Is it not Tingilau there wooing ? 



Sina became angry and said to her husband, ' Tell your sister 

 to have done talking, and to go to sleep.' His sister was offended 

 at this rebuke ; she held her peace, and was soon asleep. 



The pigeon again cooed. Sina arose. The bird had changed 

 into a man. Tingilau had resumed his own form. 1 3 Off went the 

 couple and arrived, unpursued, at the home of Tingilau. 



Note. — The tale goes on to say that, when Sifo awakes in the 

 morning and finds his wife has fled, he is in great distress, but 

 meets with only ridicule from his sister for having rebuked her 

 watchfulness. It winds up with a poetic call to bring the best and 

 sweetest breadfruit for the reciters. While they enjoy their feast,. 

 any one who pleases may take up the song and carry on the tale. 



T. Powell. 



1. The f fau ' is the Samoan hibiscus tree ; ' tafiio ' is the stump of the 

 tree, and ' onga ' is a log or detached portion taken from the tree. There 

 is probably some esoteric and sexual meaning in the names Tafitofau and 

 Ongafau. These names are not uncommon in similar Samoan poetry. 



