The Story of Tepete

The story of Tepete / told by Leluo-marua,
Nikaura, Epi

[This tells of an old woman (a monster) who came out from Lokalie and went along to the place of Mansing's people.]

Certain women said to this old hag,

"You go down to the sea with our children,"

and she went down with the children. She took a pandanus leaf mat, dipped it in the sea, and spread it out to bleach in the sun. She went to the children who were with her and said,

"My children, let us bathe."

After they had swum they went up, lay on the mat, and went to sleep. While they were sleeping the old woman (monster) tucked them in, and rolling them up in the mat put them in her basket and carried them up inland. The mothers of the children asked her, saying,

"Did they go up with you?"

She said,

"They went up above Maverakoa; I spoke to them, but they would not obey me."

Their mothers asked the old woman (monster) again,

"Did they go up with you?:

She said,

"They went to Purukoli; I spoke to them, but they would not obey me."

They asked a third time,

"Did they go up with you?"

She said,

"They went to Lokalie."

The old hag then went to her house and left the children in the pandanus leaf mat in the house, telling one of her sons that he should watch them.

"I go to get cooking leaves. When I go don't you blow the conch shell."

While she was away the sons blew the conch. The children awakened, fled, and climbed up a coconut tree. They all went up one tree. The hag heard the conch and came home seeking the children, but could not see them. She said,

"Where have our shrimps gone?"

She came and asked her son.

He said,

"I will drink at your breast, and afterwards I will tell."

His mother said to him,

"You tell me now, and afterwards you will drink at the breast."

Her son sang saying:-

" la neno

Romalilio, Romalilio

O lilu re kurempiavi

O kiraravi sito maru, Okile

koma Romalilio, Romalilio

u-u-uum"

["These children

Romalilio, Romalilio

you will not bind with long bark thongs.

You will gaze at a coconut leaf,

you will see your food Romalilio."]

The old hag searched with her eyes in the coconut, and saw them up in the leaves. She climbed up, and they took the old coconuts and pelted her, and she fell. Again she climbed, and as she came up they took another coconut and pelted her. They pelted her till the old coconuts were finished. Then they took the hard half ripe nuts and pelted her, but she did not die. They took other half ripe coconuts and pelted her till they were finished. Then they took the young drinking nuts and pelted her till they were finished, one only remained. One of the children called Tepete took this remaining nut to pelt her, but a bigger boy said,

"Give it here, I will pelt her."

Tepete said,

"Oh no, I will pelt her."

They argued among them until the small one Tepete took it and pelted her, and stunned her. She fell and lay on the ground.

Now they sent a small red ant (keru) to go down and bite her. It bit away, but bit to no purpose; then they sent down a black ant (iluali) to go down and bite her, but to no purpose. Then a grey any (lai) went down and bit her, but to no purpose. Then a small black, fighting ant (kereke) went down and bit her in vain. Then a bull-dog ant (ki) bit her and killed her.

Now the boys saw she was dead and came down to the ground and fled and went to their mothers. The mothers of the children asked them,

"Say where have you been?"

They replied,

"Together with that old woman we went to the sea. She spoke falsehoods to us, telling us to bathe. When we had finished bathing she spread the pandanus leaf-mat, and we went and lay on it. She rolled us up in the mat, and we went and lay on it. She rolled us up in the mat and carried us up to her home. She left us in the house and went to get cooking leaves. Her son blew the conch, we heard and we fled. We went and climbed up in a coconut. She tried to follow us , and we pelted her and killed her. We fled, and we returned home."

(A child born when the parents are aged is now called Tepete.)