An explanation of the landslips on the steep hills at the back of Nikaura

This is a story about a Teleriko which flew from Paama (the next Island, ten miles away) and settle in a garden. The men had planted taro in a garden and as it was ripe they were pulling it. The Teleriko came also and pulled taro. It cried,

“Hey… I pulled…. taro….. the fire has scorched my mouth. It has been in it for a long time and I am nearly dead. I cannot see you.”

They saw it shouting and they said,

“how can we destroy it?”

and they though they would dig a hole.

This they did, then two men went into it. Each bent his bow and took it down into the hole. They cut the big leaves of the giant taro, and covered the hole. They waited and saw the Teleriko fly from Paama and settle in the garden. The Telerko had four eyes – two in front and two behind. One man took his bow and shot the back eye, and the arrow came out of the front one ‘ the other also shot a black eye, and the arrow came out of the front eye.

The Teleriko came out and cried,

“U-wi-i-i-i-i-h. They have mortally wounded me. I will fly and settle on the big leave banyan tree at Pialai.”

It died there, and its bones fell, and made a hill of mould at the root. The flood water flows past this to the sea at Wele, and it is called Wolowo, the land which slips and slips for ever.