SOME FOLK-SONGS AND MYTHS FROM SAMOA. 81 



of reeds 21 and he heard his father saying 'Reed,' 21 reed, split 

 open; I am Talanga; I am going to work.' Then the reed opened 

 and Talanga went down. The boy came and said, ' Reed, reed, 

 split open ; I am Talanga ; I am going to work.' The reed split 

 open, and the boy went down. He heard his father saying, 

 * Rock, 2 T rock, split open ; I am Talanga ; I am going to work.' 

 The rock split open and Talanga went down. The boy came and 

 said, ' Rock, rock, split open ; I am Talanga ; I am going to work.' 

 He went down and saw his father working. There were planta- 

 tions of taro and other things there, but there was no taro up 

 here in those days. The boy saw a swamp-apple 2 2 and took it up. 

 He was not yet observed by his father. The boy saw the smoke 

 of the fire of Mafui'e, who was getting ready some food. He bit 

 a piece out of his apple, and threw it at his father. The father 

 thought it was a bird which had dropped the piece of apple. Then 

 he threw the apple. His father looked round at the boy and said, 

 ' How did this boy come here ? he is going to be troublesome.' 

 He asked his father, 'What is that smoke yonder 1 ' He answered, 

 { That is the fire of Mafui'e ; don't make a noise, or presently both 

 of us shall be killed by Mafui'e ; why should we die?' The boy 

 said, 'Not at all; I'll go and get some fire from his oven.' The boy 

 went and snatched a brand, tapped it [to make it burn brighter], 

 then threw it down, and put it out. This he did to aggravate 

 Mafui'e; again he snatched another firebrand, threw it down, and 

 put it out likewise. Again he went ; then Mafui'e called out, 

 'You there ! where do you want to take the fire to 1 you come too 

 often; if you are able, take that large firebrand there, if you want 

 to make a fire.' He pointed to a very large firebrand. He at 

 once took hold of the large firebrand and was about to carry it 

 away, when Mafui'e, seeing that the boy was strong enough, called 

 out, ' Leave that fire! 2 :! leave it !' He left it. Then he went to 

 the home of Sa-le-Fe'e; 24 there was a woman there, Si'i-si'i-mane'e, 

 whom Mafui'e was in the habit of visiting. Ti'i-ti'i went there, 

 and the girl married him. He was about to take the girl away; 

 Mafui'e heard of it, and was angry ; he shouted 'Stand! stand ! 



F— September 2, 1891. 



