Gare Ruhuruhu

na kuli Mary Cleah Koe

The Hunter

by Mary Cleah Koe

I nau doko kulia chika kuli, a kulina chika gare mahutu vatania chika gare ruhuruhu. Gare ruhuruhu nia e taovi vava haravia i tasi, vatanira i atina mi dalena, mana gare mahutu nia e taovi konina la chika komu bai longa. Mana gare ruhuruhu nia hia mauri na ruhu mana vavane, mana gare mahutu nia he tataovi kacho moi vale.
Oru oru mi chika bongi mana gare ruhuruhu nia e bai la chuchukuna koe daka ba ni ruhu. Ma tahuna ka ba me ngasira na kau mara ba. Tahuna ra ba ba mana kau nira ra halatia chika bolo vachi lava, mana gare nia e kalahaia bai vale. Ma tahuna ka chau i vale, me hora, sui me ukusia, me koe vani atina mi delana, mara bitia, me kidi. Mara hani naulavi mara makuru.
E dangi mai la roporopo, mana gare ruhuruhu nia e lela sahe bai longa la komuna gare mahutu. Tahuna ka chau bai vale mana gare mahutu nia e koe vae, “Roporopo dou.” Mi he koe, “Roporopo dou.” Sui me kuli tatea i hia ka labusia chika bolo vachi lava, mara bitia mara hania. Mana gare mahutu nia e koe vae, “Dou.” Sui mana gare ruhuruhu nia e bulo bai la komuna overa i atina mi dalena.
Oru la rukanina a bongi mana gare ruhuruhu nia ngasira na kau me ba ni ruhu laka. Tahuna ka ba mana kau nira ra halatia laka chika bolo vachi. Sui mi he resia na taena hunu i pita la sala me rei hala me resia chika livana lava i tohu la hai me halavia. Tahuna ka halavia, me daua chika hunu lava pui, me sivo me taho vatania a bolo bai vale. Me chau vale, mara horara mara ukusira mara bitia. Sui mara valisuana gilu nie kidi mara hatia mara vanga naulavi mara makuru.
E dangi mai laka la toluna bongi mana gare ruhuruhu nia lela sahe bai longa laka la komuna gare mahutu. E ba moi ni ba kuli tatea sava ka tahoa tahuna ka ba ni ruhu, ma tahuna ka kulia vania gare mahutu nia mi hia e kovae, “Dou.” Mana murina a gare ruhuruhu nia ka bulo mana gare mahutu nia e koe vae, “A molana bongi gare nia e mai ni kulia vaniau na sava hia ka tahoa tahuna ka ba ni ruhu. Me tani hila palau chika maleho. Lua i ai, ka ropo daka ba madaka ruhu hana laka.”
E dangi mai laka la vatina bongi mana gare ruhuruhu nia e ba ni ruhu laka. Ma tahuna ka ba me resia chika livana lava i tohu la hai, mana hai nia e taovi la gegena kolo. Sui moi ba me halavia, e halaha ba ba me chau i tohu, me rei sahe ba la livana, mana mata lava ka rei mai lalo la livana, mana gare ruhuruhu nia e sivo me choho bai vale. Ma tahuna ka chau vale me kovani atina mi delena mara sahe sui vale mara taikoku.
Mana mata nia e sivo me ba murina na gare ruhuruhu nia ba la valena, ma tahuna ka chau bai vale, me talua ba uluna la machapa me notovira ba a gare ruhuruhu vatania atina mi dalena. Mana gare ruhuruhu nia e koe vae vania, “e loamu a vanga?” Mi koe, “Taiha.” “E loamu a bolo mana hando?” Mi koe, “Taiha.” Ra tatea molana maleho vania, mi he koe, “Taiha.”
Gare ruhuruhu nia e tatea vania molana maleho, mi he tani loana. Mana suisuina maleho gare ruhuruhu ka tatea e dalena baka vaivine, mana mata nia e langaiti me koe, “Eo.” Mana gare ruhuruhu nia e koe vae, “Dou, do pitu, mi hami dami onionia vaniho.”
Mi nana baka nia e ba la uta me oli kake, tahoa ra vanga na uta, mi chila i vale. Sui me ago vanga hara me ago vanga hana dalena, mara vanga. Mana gare ruhuruhu nia e agosai chika maleho dalena ni talua i ai. Sui mara talua i lalona, mana mata nia e mai me poli galia, maruka pipili, maruka ba ruka ba maruka pipili sahe lalona chika livana.
Asana livana nia i Sampulu Palulu, mana vaivine nia e taovi ai. Me ge vasua e ruka i dalena baka gare, mi hia naka ge chuchura Rauni Mata. Me sui go kuli.

I will tell you a story, the story of an old man and a hunter. The hunter lived below, near the sea, with his wife and children, and the old man lived above, alone in his own little village. The hunter lived to hunt and to brag, but the old man lived a quiet life.
One day the hunter went up the bush to hunt. He called his dogs, and off they went. As they went along, the dogs got hold of a big wild pig, and the man carried it home. He arrived home, roasted it, carved it, and then called for his wife and kids. They made a motu, cooked their food, ate in the evening, and went to bed.
Early the next morning the hunter strolled up the old man’s village. When he came to the house, the old man said, “Good morning.” The hunter replied, “Good morning,” then he explained how he had gotten a big wild pig and they had eaten it last night. The old man said, “Nice.” Then the hunter went home to his family.
On the second day, the hunter called his dogs and went hunting again. As they hunted, the dogs got hold of another big wild pig. After that, the hunter noticed some lizard droppings on the road. He looked up and saw a big hole in the top of a tree. He climbed up, grabbed a very big lizard, brought it down, and carried it home along with the pig. When he got home, they roasted them, carved them, and built a motu. They waited for the food in the motu to cook, then they took it out, ate a very nice evening meal, and went to bed.
Early the next morning, the hunter strolled up the old man’s village again. He only went to explain what he had taken home from his hunt. The old man politely replied, “Nice.” But after the hunter had gone, the old man said to himself, “Every day that man comes to tell me what he’s taken home from his hunt, but he’s never given me a single piece it. Hmm, leave it for later. He’ll go hunting again tomorrow morning.”
Daybreak came on the fourth day, and the hunter went out to hunt. As he went along, he saw a big hole in the top of a tree, which stood by a river bank. As soon as he saw it, he went to climb the tree, and he climbed and he climbed, all the way to the top. He looked inside the hole, and there was a big snake looking back at him. He scampered down the tree and ran home. When he got home, he told his wife and kids, and they all hid in the house.
The snake came down and followed the hunter home. When he reached the house, he stuck his head in the door and stared at the hunter and his family. The hunter asked him, “Is it food you want?” But the snake said no. “Is it a pig and money that you want?” But the snake said no. They showed the snake everything, but the snake said no.
The hunter had showed him everything, but the snake didn’t want any of it. Finally, the hunter showed him his daughter, and the snake nodded and said yes. So the hunter said, “Alright. You wait, and we’ll get her ready for you.”
The girl’s mother went to the garden, pulled taro, took food from the garden, and came home. She made them a meal, with special food for the daughter, and they ate. And the hunter made something for his daughter to keep.Then they gave her to the snake. He came and wrapped around her, and the two of them rolled away. They rolled and rolled and rolled inside a hole.
The name of that hole is Sampulu Palulu, and the girl lived there. She bore two sons and raised them as the Snake Tribe. The end.

If you would like to contribute art for this story we would love a picture to go with each of the 10 lined sections, each one being a page in a book.
Please send any art to the BTLG in Buruburu.

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Gare Ruhuruhu

Gare Ruhuruhu

na kuli Mary Cleah Koe

Gare ruhuruhu nia e tatea vania molana maleho, mi he tani loana. Mana suisuina maleho gare ruhuruhu ka tatea e dalena baka vaivine, mana mata nia e langaiti me koe, “Eo.” Mana gare ruhuruhu nia e koe vae, “Dou, do pitu, mi hami dami onionia vaniho.”

Asana livana nia i Sampulu Palulu, mana vaivine nia e taovi ai. Me ge vasua e ruka i dalena baka gare, mi hia naka ge chuchura Rauni Mata. Me sui go kuli.

If you would like to contribute art for this story we would love a picture to go with each of the 10 lined sections, each one being a page in a book. Please send any art to the BTLG in Buruburu.

If you would like to contribute art for this story we would love a picture to go with each of the 10 lined sections, each one being a page in a book.
Please send any art to the BTLG in Buruburu.