LOVENI
ma le pikiniki
I ALA MOANA

Written by Alaisea F. Iosefa
Illustrated by Deborah F. Dunn

"Ua latalata nei o le'ä tü'ua ä'oga. "Ua säuniuni 'uma tamaiti mo le tu'uaga o le summer. I le vaiaso mulimuli lava o le ä'oga na alu ai le pikiniki a le vasega a Löveni 'i le paka i Ala Moana. Sä na o Löveni lava le tamaititi Sämoa na alu i le pikiniki. Na säuni lelei lava e lona tinä se fa'alifu talo ma fa'i ma le moa sä tao 'ätoa i le 'ogäumu. Sä avane fo'i e i si tamaiti mea'ai e mäsani ona lätou 'aai ai 'a'o lätou o iai i o lätou atunu'u.

O se aso fiafia lea aso 'iä Löveni ina 'ua lätou taunu'u atu i le paka i Ala Moana. Sä tü le faiä'oga, o Miss Sakamoto ma vala'au i tamaiti e fa'apotopoto mai se i fai fa'atonuga ma fa'ailoa atu 'iä te 'ilätou itü'äiga ta'aloga o le'ä lätou ta'a'alo ai. Sä potopoto mai loa tamaiti ä'oga "Okay, everyone should participate in the games. There are the Wheelbarrel, Tug-of-War, Keep Away, Relay (boys vs. girls), Volleyball and Jump Rope," o le fa'amälamalamaga lea a Miss Sakamoto.

"Oh Miss Sakamoto, but we want to go swimming," o le vala'au atu lea a le teineititi afakasi.

"We'll do that after lunch," o le tali lea a le faiä'oga. Na 'uma mai loa le tali a Miss Sakamoto savali atu loa Löveni ma fai atu 'i le faiä'oga.

"But Miss Sakamoto, it's not good to go swimming after you eat."

"But you kids want to swim," o le tali lea a Miss Sakamoto. Na fäliu Löveni ma savali 'ese ma tautala lava ia, 'iä te ia. Sä fa'apea le tala a Löveni, "not me, I won't go swimming after I eat."

"Okay kids, let's start with Keep Away," o le vala'au lea a Miss Sakamoto.

Sä iai Löveni i totonu ose fa'apotopotoga fa'atasi ma le to'atele o i si tamaiti 'ae na töfia e Miss Sakamoto le tamaititi Filipino ma le tamaititi Säpanï e lä te taumafai e togi le polo, ma o le tagata e lavea ai, 'ua pë (out). Na pepë le to'atele o tama ma teini, 'ae totoe nei na o Löveni ma le teineititi pälagi läpo'a lava, e igoa 'iä Suzanne. O si teineititi lea e ula 'i ai tamaiti ma teineiti o le "Fat Mama." Sä togi atu le polo, ma sä lëai lava se i si o Löveni ma Suzanne na lavea ai.

"Sä 'umi tele ona fai le tauvaga a Löveni ma Suzanne, ona fai atu lea o Miss Sakamoto, "Okay, let's call it a draw."

'Ae tali mai Suzanne, "No teacher, two more minutes and if none of us is out, then it's a draw."

"Okay, two more minutes," o le tali lea a le faiä'oga. Ona toe 'ämata fo'i lea ona togi atu e le tamaititi Filipino le polo ma toe togi mai e le tamaititi Sapanï. 'Ua toeititi lava 'uma le lua minute 'ae nape loa e Suzanne Löveni. O le taimi fo'i lënä na togi atu ai e le tamititi Filipino le polo ma tau 'iä Löveni ma manumälö ai loa Suzanne. Sä ita tele Löveni ma vala'au atu 'i le faiä'oga, "It's not fair, it's not fair," 'ae o lo'o talië lava i si tamaiti ma teneiti ma Miss Sakamoto.

Sä fai atu loa Suzanne 'iä Löveni, "Okay you win because I cheated you." 'Ae tali atu Löveni 'iä Suzanne.

"Oh no, you win, but I'll win the next time." Ona toe 'ämata fo'i lea o i si ta'aloga. Sä tofitofi 'au e tä'a'alo i le volipolo, 'a'o i si tamaiti ma i si teneiti sä tofitofi 'au e tä'a'alo i le tosogämaea (Tug-of-War).

Sä tele se fiafiaga na maua e tamaiti i lea aso. Na 'uma loa fo'i le volipolo ma le tosogämaea ona toe tofitofi 'au fo'i lea e tä'a'alo i le Wheelbarrel.  Sä manumälö le 'au a le tamaititi papälagi ma lana paga, 'ae tü fä Löveni ma lana paga. "Hey! Kids, it's time to kaukau," o le 'alaga atu lea a Miss Sakamoto. "Everyone wash their hands before we eat." 'A'o asu le ipu mea'ai a Löveni na iloa atu e ia le tele o tamaiti 'ua 'ämata ona 'a'ai 'ae lë i faia se lotu fa'afetai.

Sä vala'au atu Löveni, "Hey, don't eat, we gotta say our prayers first."

Sä te'i Miss Sakamoto, ma fesili atu, "Okay, are you going to say the prayers Löveni?"

"Yes Miss Sakamoto," o le tali lea a Löveni. Ona fa'atonu atu lea e Löveni tama ma teine e moe'i'ini o lätou mata. Sä faia e 'ilätou e pei ona fai atu ai Löveni. Sä faia e Löveni lana tatalo i le gagana Sämoa.

This is the translation of the prayer Löveni said in English:

Our heavenly Father,
We thank thee, Thank you,
For the food we are about to have,
Thank you for thee, protection you
have given us doing our activities.
No one was hurt or injured,
We ask thee, to protect us during
the rest of our picnic.
In the name of Jesus Christ,

Amen.

Tatalo mäsani a tamaiti i le taimi o Mea'ai.

Mälie pule le tamä
A mätou maua ai mea lelei
O 'oe iä mätou fiafia i ai
A 'o tümau le ola nei
'Ämene.

'Uma loa le tatalo 'ämata loa ona fai le 'ai a tamaiti. Sä nofo loa i lalo Löveni ma säuni atu o le'ä 'ai. Na savali atu Miss Sakamoto ma nofo i tafatafa o Löveni. "Hi," o le fa'afeiloa'i atu lea a Löveni i lona faiä'oga.

"Hello," o le tali mai lea Miss Sakamoto.

"What were you saying when you were praying?" o le fesili atu lea a le faiä'oga.

"Oh! I thanked our heavenly Father for the food and for the protection he gave us during the games we played that no one was hurt and also asked Him to protect us during the rest of our picnic," o le fa'amälamalamaga lea a Löveni i lona faiä'oga.

Sä toe fesili atu Miss Sakamoto, "How did you learn to say prayers?"

"Sä a'o mai e o'u mätua 'iä te a'u," o le tali lea a Löveni.

"Do Samoan children know how to say prayers?" toe fesili lea a le faiä'oga.

"Oh yes! Our parents teach us to say prayers and teach us about the Bible as soon as we start to speak," o le tali lea a Löveni.

Sä ofo tele le faiä'oga i le fa'amatalaga a Löveni. 'A'o 'ai Löveni, na iloa atu e ia ni i si o tamaiti ma teneiti 'ua tämomo'e 'äga'i 'i le sami. Sä popole lava le loto o Löveni ona sä iloa lelei lava e ia, e lë tatau ona ö atu tamaiti ma teneiti e 'au'au i le sami pe'ä 'uma ona 'a'ai. Sä mälölö lelei lava o ia i lalo o se lä'au paolo ma fa'atalitali se i tö lelei lona mä'ona. 'A'o ia ta'oto'oto i lalo o le lä'au, sä tau moe'i'ini ona mata peiseaï o le'a moe, 'ae fa'alogoina loa e ia le fe'ei mai o tamaiti mai le matäfaga. Sä tü vave loa i luga Löveni ma tamo'e saosaoa äga'i 'i le sami. E taunu'u atu Löveni o lo'o tutü tamaiti ma teneiti ma tusi o lätou lima äga'i i tai i le mea loloto. Sä iloa atu e Löveni se tamaititi o lo'o taumafai e 'a'au mai i uta. Peita'i sä faigatä ona o le mälösi o le 'a'ave o le sami.

Na iloa atu e Löveni o si ana uö e igoa iä Scott o lo'o tau'e'ë mai, "Help! Help! Help!" Sä lë toe fa'atali loa Löveni, na tatala fa'anatinati 'ese loa lona ofutino ma ona se'evae tosotoso 'ae fe'ausi äga'i 'iä Scott. O le taimi fo'i lënä sä tamo'e ai Miss Sakamoto e sä'ili mai se fesoasoani. E taunu'u mai Miss Sakamoto ma le tasi ali'i papälagi 'ua taunu'u mai i uta Löveni ma si ana uö o Scott. Sä fa'afaö e Löveni Scott 'ae liliu le ulu i le i si itü 'ae lomi e ia le papätua. Sä oso le popole o le faiä'oga ona e va'ai atu e lë o mänava le tamaititi. E lë i 'umi ona fai le faiga a Löveni 'ae 'ämata loa ona tafe mai le suäsami mai le gutu o si ana uö, ma 'ämata ona mänavanava. Sä tö le mänava a Miss Sakamoto, e pei o se tagata sä tamo'e mai i se mea mamao.

Sä oso le fiafia o le faiä'oga ina 'ua fa'asaoina le ola o si tamaititi. 'Ae o le taimi fo'i lea na taunu'u atu ai le ta'avale a le falema'i (ambulance). Sä tu'u i ai si tamaititi i totonu ma 'ave loa 'i le falema'i mo ni i si su'esu'ega. Na tusi fo'i e le tasi ali'i na alu atu ai i le ta'avale le igoa o Löveni i se tama'i 'api sä i totonu o le taga o lona ofu. Na alu 'ese atu loa le ta'avale a le falema'i, vala'au atu loa Miss Sakamoto i tamaiti e fa'apotopoto fa'atasi mai. Sä fa'apotopoto mai loa tamaiti, fai atu loa le faiä'oga e täpena 'uma a lätou mea na 'aumai i le pikiniki ma säuni o le'ä lätou toe fo'i. Sä usiusita'i lelei tamaiti i le fa'atonuga a le faiä'oga.

Ina 'ua o'o atu i le mea e nofo ai Löveni, sä oso loa o ia i lalo mai le ta'avale ma fa'atöfä atu i ana uö ma le faiä'oga. Na vala'au atu Miss Sakamoto 'iä Löveni ma fa'apea atu, "Löveni, you have a nice summer and I'll see you next year."

Sä tü Löveni ma tali atu, "You, too, teacher, and may God bless you and all of my friends."

Sä tamo'e loa o ia 'i le fale. 'A'o lë i o'o lelei atu Löveni 'i le faitoto'a 'ae oso mai loa lona tinä ma fa'afetaui ma fesili atu, " 'Ua ä mai le pikiniki?"

"Mom, I'll tell you all what happened at the picnic, after I get some rest. I am very tired," o le tali lea a Löveni i lona tinä. E tusa 'ua tasi le vaiaso 'ua te'a talu ona alu le pikiniki, 'ae maua mai loa se tusi mai le meli a le 'äiga o Löveni. Sä fa'atuätusi mai fa'apea:

To the Parents of Löveni

Sä tatala e lona tinä le tusi ma lau i lana täne. Sä fa'apea 'upu o lea tusi. "To the parents of Löveni. Please bring Löveni to a ceremony to be held at the city hall on Saturday. This ceremony is sponsored by the Mayor of the city.

Mahalo!
The Mayor"

Ina 'ua o'o i le aso To'ana'i sä sulu le 'ie faitaga lanumoana o Löveni ma lona 'ofutino pa'epa'e na su'i e lona tinä. I lea 'aiga na tu'uina atu ai e le ali'i pulenu'u (mayor) se fa'ailoga 'iä Löveni. O lo'o tüsia i lea fa'ailoga (award) ni 'upu fa'apea, "Citizen of the Month."

Löveni

Sä fa'afetai atu le ali'i pulenuu 'iä Löveni mo le lavea'iina o le ola o se tasi o tamaititi i la lätou pikiniki i Ala Moana. Sä tëte'i mätua o Löveni i le fa'amatalaga a le pulenu'u, ma sä fa'atumulia fo'i 'ilä'ua i le fiafia. Ina 'ua lätou sävali mai i fafo, sä tu'u atu e le tamä o Löveni lona lima taumatau ma fa'auöuö mai Löveni, ma fai lana tala fa'apea--"That's my boy," ma lätou ö loa i le fale ma le fiafia.

Tama poto e fiafia ai le Tamä.
Tama valea e faanoanoa ai le Tinä