Editor: Apisalome Rabo Delana I Illustrator: Gary Fox I Narrator: Apisalome Rabo Delana I Vosa vaka-Viti translator/editor: Adi Elisapeci Samanunu Waqanivala I Cultural advisor: Adi Elisapeci Samanunu Waqanivala I Co-publisher: Grow Vuna Initiatives Ltd.
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Vosa vaka-Viti
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Vosa vaka-Viti.
Tikotiko kina ena dua na gauna makawa sara, e dua na veibuni o Damu kei Ravula.
Ena dua na yakavi, ni rau lesu tiko mai na vakacakau, rau sota sara kei na qase o Samu. Ratou sa mani laki vakayakavi ka vakayagataka vata sara na nodrau lewe ni noke.
Ni oti nai vakayakavi … sa tatau sara o Samu … ia sa sureti rau talega na veibuni … Ia me rau kua ni berata yani na 6 na kaloko ena yakavi ni siga lokuci.
Wawa toka o Samu ena yakavi oya … rau berabera na veibuni … kania kece sara na kakana sa vakarautaka tu …Taura na nona moto ni cocoka … ka siro sobu yani i batiniwai me laki cocoka ni bogivula tiko.
Rau qai yaco yani … sa lala tu na vale nei Samu … ka sa vo tu ga na sui ena loma ni kuro vakaviti … Rau sa mani lesu tale … ia sa mositi rau lo toka na ka e vakayacora o Samu … Rau sa mani nakita na veibuni me rau sa laki vakabuto taka mada na rarama ni vula … me drava kina na nona laki cocoka o Samu.
Rau vakarautaka sara eso na vakalolo me kena baca … ka vakakina na dai ni vula … ka rau mai tekivu laga toka yani na meke me rau kacivi Adi Vula sobu mai kina …
“Dididi o Damu kei Ravula … Mai na lomadrau me rau vakamatea na vula … Kemu sivaro ra Vula … Kemu sivaro ra Vula”
Tekivu siro mai o ra Vula … ka kania na vakalolo … Ia, sa vakarau tale tokaga e rua na kitu … e dua e sinai toka kina na waitui … me bokoca vakadua na matai Tinai Rai … kei na kena i karua … e sinai toka ena lolobo kei na wai … me rau na vakayagataki ruarua.
Ena nodrau a vakaraici ra Vula tokaga ni se cuvara tiko na vakalolo … ea mani veisautaka cala kina o Ravula na makubuna nai sogo ni kitu ka tawa toka kina na waitui …
Rau waraka tale vakalailai me wele o ra Vula ena nona cuvara toka na vakalolo … rau duri vataga ena dua na gauna ka virika yani na matai ra Vula … Kidacala o ra Vula … Salavata kei na nona sa biuta na dai … ka calati koya na kena i vakabiri … tekivu me sa nawa lesu cake e maliwa lala.
Ia, rau a viriki koya tu ena kitu cala na veibuni … ea lauviri o Adi Vula ena kitu ka sinai tu kina na lolobo … sega ni waitui.
Sudra cake vakatotolo sara tale ki lomalagi o Tinai Rai … ka laki dredre kelakela tu mai ni sa cala na nodrau i naki na veibuni … Ia sa kabi dei tu e matana na we ni nodrau kitu lolobo o Damu kei na makubuna o Ravula … ka se tavutonotono tokaga ena matai Adi Vula e dai.
English
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English.
Once upon a time, long long ago, there lived a grandmother called Damu and her
grandchild, Ravula.
They met an old man called Samu, as they returned from the reef, one evening. They,
then shared a meal with Samu from what they gathered and filled their fishing-basket
with from the reef.
Samu bids his farewell ...after having dinner....at the same time inviting the two .....For
the two not to be late for the 6 o’clock on the day agreed upon.
Samu waited that evening .....the two were late to arrive ....he ate all the food prepared.....Took his fishing spear .....he descended to the waterfront with his spear,
during the moonlit night to spear fish.
When they arrived .....there were no more food left at Samu’s house.....all that was left
were bones inside the Fijian pot.....So they returned....yet they were silently hurt by
what Samu had done.....
So grandmother and grandchild planned to cast a dark shade over the moonlight....to
muddy Samu’s plan to go spear fishing.
They prepared some [Fijian] delicacies as bait.....to also use to bait the moon.....so they
started chanting to call Adi Vula down.....
“D...d....d....Damu and Ravula.......Deep within, they wish to kill the moon.....Here’s
your delicacy oh Moon....Here’s your delicacy oh Moon”
The Moon began to descend ... and ate the [Fijian] delicacy.......There were two coconut
shells ....one was filled with seawater.......to blind Tinai Rai.......and the second one......was filled with mud and water....to be both used.
As they watched the Moon bending over the delicacy .....Ravula, the grandchild incorrectly exchanged the lid for the coconut shell which contained the seawater.....
They waited for a while the Moon delved into the delicacy.....they both stood up at the
same time as they threw into the Moon’s face........
The Moon was shocked......As it left the trap ......which it missed as it began to return to space above.
Grandma and her grandchild had thrown the wrong coconut shell ...... Adi Vula had
been thrown with coconut shell filled with mud......and not seawater.
Tinai then quickly rose to the sky ......and smiled at the two as their plans were
foiled.....
However, today, one can see the dotted marks of bag of mud, on Adi Vula’s
face thrown by Damu and her grandchild Ravula.
