text
by Veronica Leasiolagi-Lualemagafaigä Barber
andAlaiseä Fa'alafi Iosefa
illustrated by Joy L. Goodenow
O
mea e lë fa'atusatusaina i a'a o le lä'ua.
What
kind of roots don't have an end.
O
gafa o tagata.
Family
roots.
O
le tagata e sau mai uta o auleaga; a o'o mai i le a'ai'ua lalelei.
A
person who was ugly when he came from the mountains and became
handsome when he reached the village.
O
Talo, Ufi, Ta'amü.
Taro,
Yam(s), Giant taro.
O
le mauga e fai lana 'ava sinasina.
A
mountain with a long white beard.
O
le afu
A
waterfall
O
le 'au uso e to'atele 'ae lë iloga së e tüpito.
Many
brothers who don't know who's the oldest.
O
vae o le tanoa palu 'ava
Legs
of 'ava bowl
O
le mea e läpotopoto i le ao 'ae mäfolafola i le pö.
A
thing that is round during the day and flat during the night.
O
le fala moe.
A
sleeping mat.
O
le toeä'ina ma lana fa'afafa.
An
old man that stands outside with a load on his back.
O
le fa'i
A
banana tree.
O
le ä le mea e 'ai ma feanu?
What
eats and spits at the same time?
O
le 'ausa'alo
A
coconut grater.
O
le tamäloa ulusinä e nofo i luga o le aupä 'ae o'o lona ulu
i le lagi.
A
man that sits on a wall with long white hair that reaches heaven.
O
le asu o le umu.
Smoke
of the umu.
O
le 'au uso e to'afä, e misa le to'alua, 'ae pupula le to'alua.
Four
brothers, two who fight and two who watch.
O
le fale afo lau.
A
Samoan house.
O
le tagata e sau i uta i le vao puanea, ma o'o lava i tai i le
moana sausau.
Someone
who comes from the forest and goes all the way to the deep ocean.
O
le paopao.
A
canoe.
O
le teine e fai lona sakete 'ae leai sona 'ofu äluga.
A
girl with a skirt on but no blouse.
O
le salu tü.
A
broom.
O
le ä le mea e pä'e'e i le ao 'ae puta le pö?
What
is skinny during the day and fat during the night.
O
le ta'inamu.
A
mosquito net.
O
le ä le mea e fä ona pou ma lona taualuga malö?
What
has four posts and a hard roof?
O
le laumei.
A
turtle.
O
le 'auali'i e to'alua a fetägisi ona potopoto mai lea o tagata.
Two
who cry and the people gather.
Lali
po'o le, Foafoa
Big
wooden gong or conch shell.
O
le tamäloa vae tolu ma lana fa'afafa.
A
3-legged man carrying a bundle.
Tuläfale
ma lona to'oto'o ma lona fue.
Talking
chief with staff and fly wisk.
'Au
uso e to'alua o lo'o tau 'ave lo lä'ua tamä.
Two
brothers who carry their father.
O
le 'ali ma ona vae e lua.
A
wooden pillow with two legs.
O
le va'a o lo'o tafea i le sami 'ena'ena.
A
boat that floats on a brown sea.
O
le ipu tau 'ava.
A
'ava cup.
O
le ä le manu e lë tilotilo 'i le lagi se'iloga lava e o'o 'i
le aso e pë ai?
What
animal doesn't look up to the sky until the day it dies?
O
le pua'a.
A
pig.
To the teacher:
Children love riddles and they are good for
the development of creative thinking. The riddles in this book
introduce elements of Samoana and will be fun for all of the
children in the class.
Suggestions:
1. Ask the Bilingual-Bicultural Office for the kit which contains
many of these objects and allow the Samoan children to tell
the rest of the class about them.
2. Using common object have the children
make up their own riddles in their native language and/or English.
They can make a similar book by cutting pictures from magazines.
Remember that the value of riddles is that
they encourage divergent thinking so always allow multiple answers.
