written by Alaiseä F. Iosefa
illustrated by Joy Goodenow

Vaea and the King of Fiji

Many years ago in the islands of Sämoa there lived a handsome giant named Vaea. He was very strong but gentle. Stories about him were told all over the Pacific. When Tui Fiti, the king of Fiji, heard about Vaea, he became jealous and decided to travel to Sämoa to destroy him. His warriors prepared three outrigger canoes and they sailed towards Sämoa.

One evening while Vaea was up in the mountains he saw Tui Fiti and his men arrive. He waited until midnight when Tui Fiti and his men were sound asleep in their canoes. Then he came down the the harbor, picked up the canoes with the men still inside them and put them on top of the trees.*

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*This story is the origin of the expression Taeao i uluulu o lä'au, 'morning on top of the trees', which is used by taking chiefs to refer to situations in which one really has a problem

In the morning, Tui Fiti woke up, saw the ground far below him and became frightened. Soon Vaea appeared and then Tui Fiti saw how huge he was, he begged him to spare their lives. In return he said he would give Vaea anything he wanted. Vaea knew that Tui Fiti had a beautiful daughter named 'Apa'ula so he asked for her to be his wife. Three warriors went to Fiji to get 'Apa'ula. When they returned Vaea kept his word and put their canoes back in the water.

'Apa'ula lived with Vaea as his wife until one night when she heard her father preparing to return to Fiji. While Vaea slept, she slipped away and returned to Fiji with her father. Months passed and a baby boy was born to 'Apa'ula but her father was angry and killed the baby so that there would be no Samoan blood in Fiji. 'Apa'ula was so sad that she ran away and went back to Sämoa.

Vaea missed 'Apa'ula so much that by the time she returned his body had turned into a mountain. Before his head turned to stone he told her it was too late and she should return to Fiji and her people. 'Apa'ula stood at the foot of the mountain and cried and cried. To this day there is a mountain near Apia called Mt. Vaea** and at the foot of this mountain flows a river called Loimata o 'Apa'ula, 'Tears of 'Apa'ula'.

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**The grave of Robert Louis Stevenson is located on the top of this mountain.

Vaea & Tui Fiti

O Vaea sä nofo o ia i Sämoa. O Vaea o se tagata mauäluga tele ma le läpo'a. O ia fo'i o se tagata 'aulelei tele ma le mälosi. Sä 'a'ave tala o le mälosi ma le 'aulelei o Vaea, ma na o'o lava 'i le atu Fiti ma le Tui Fiti. Ona malaga mai lea o Tui Fiti ma lona 'auva'a e sä'ili 'iä Vaea e fasioti. E taunu'u mai Tui Fiti o alu Vaea 'i le mauga. Sä fa'alogo Vaea i le 'autü o le malaga.

Na taunu'u atu Tui Fiti ma lona 'auva'a i le taulaga o Apia 'ua pogipogi ma 'ua goto fo'i le lä. 'Ua leva le pö ona momoe ai lea o Tui Fiti ma lona 'auva'a i totonu o lätou va'a. Sä sau Vaea i lenä itü pö ma si'i 'uma va'a ma tu'u i luga o uluulu o lä'au. Maua ai le alagä 'upu fa'a Sämoa. ''O le fesilafa'iga i uluulu o lä'au.'' 'Ua malama le taeao ona feala lea o Tui Fiti ma lona 'auva'a, peita'i o lätou va'a 'ua i luga o tumutumu o lä'au.

Ona 'aioi atu lea o Tui Fiti 'iä Vaea, e fa'asaoina o lätou olu. Ona fai atu lea o Vaea ia 'aumai lona afafine o 'Apa'ula e fai ma ana avä. Sä 'auina e Tui Fiti ni tagata se to'atolu e 'aumai 'Apa'ula. Sä taunu'u mai 'Apa'ula 'i Sämoa ona 'avea ai lea o ia ma avä a Vaea. Sä mavae ni nai aso ona fai atu lea o Tui Fiti 'iä Vaea o le'ä lätou toe fo'i 'i Fiti ma le to'ilalo.

Sä fia alu 'Apa'ula e toe fo'i ma lona tamä. Ina 'ua o'o i le pö ona sola ai lea o ia 'i le va'a ma sosola ai loa 'i Fiti. Ina 'ua mavae ni mäsina ona fänau ai lea o 'Apa'ula. Peita'i na fasioti e le Tui Fiti le tamaititi, ina ia 'aua ne'i au le gafa mai fafo. Sä o'otia le loto o 'Apa'ula ona toe fo'i ai lea 'i Sämoa 'iä Vaea.

E taunu'u atu 'Apa'ula 'ua liu mauga Vaea 'ae toe lava o lona ao e le'i liu mauga. Sä tilotilo ifo Vaea 'iä 'Apa'ula ma lona loto 'ua o'otia. Sä ia fai atu 'iä 'Apa'ula e toe fo'i 'i Fiti i lona tamä ma ona tagata. Ona tagi ai lea o 'Apa'ula. E o'o mai lava i nei ona pö o lo'o tü se mauga i Upolu. O le igoa o lea mauga o le ''Mauga o Vaea''. I le tumutumu o le mauga o Vaea o lo'o tanu ai se tasi Tusitala ta'uta'ua e igoa 'iä Robert Louis Stevenson. I lalo i le 'auvae mauga o lo'o tafe mai ai se vaitafe. O le igoa o lea vaitafe, ''O loimata o 'Apa'ula.''

Long ago, even before there were any people in Sämoa, a rat lived all alone on one of the islands. One day he couldn't find any more food to eat on that island so he decided to go to another island about 80 miles away. However, the poor rat couldn't swim in the rough water so he climbed up on a rock near the ocean and cried. An octopus swam by and heard him crying. When the octopus asked why he was crying the rat told him and asked the octopus to take him across to the other island. The octopus hurried over and told the rat to climb onto his head. The rat held on tightly while the helpful octopus did all of the work.

They finally reached the other island and the octopus anchored close to a rock so the rat could jump off. As the octopus waved goodbye the rat began to laugh. When the octopus asked why he was laughing, he said ''Feel your head.'' The octopus reached up and found rat droppings on his head. He was very angry but he was unable to chase the rat on dry land so he swam away. The octopus tried very hard to get his head clean but to this day his head has brown spots on it. Even now the octopus is still angry at the rat and Samoan fisherman catch octopus by using a rat-shaped shell called Ma'a Tau Fe'e.

Fe'e Ma Le 'Isumu

Sä iai se isumu sä nofo i se tasi motu o le atu Sämoa. I le tasi aso 'ua oge le motu ma 'ua leai ni ana mea e 'ai. Ona tonu ai lea 'iä te ia e tatau ona alu o ia 'i le tasi motu e tusa e 80 maila le mamao 'ese atu, 'ätonu e maua ai ni ana mea e 'ai. Ina 'ua o'o 'i le tasi afiafi, ona alu ifo lea o lenei isumu ma tü i luga o se papa latalata ane 'i le sami ma tagi ai. Sä fa'alogo mai le fe'e i le tagi a le isumu ona sau ai lea o ia e sä'ili le mea e alu atu ai. Sä va'aia e fe'e le isumu o tagi fa'anoanoa lava o ia. "O le ä le mea e te tagi ai?" o le fesili lea a le fe'e 'i le isumu. "'Ua 'ou fia alu 'i le motu le lä 'ae lë mafai ona 'ou 'a'au." "Lava lenä tagi 'ae oso maia e ti'eti'e i lo'u ulu tä ö e momoli 'oe", o le tala asofa lea a le fe'e. Sä alu loa le malaga a lenei 'auali'i.

'Ua toeititi lava o'o 'ae fai loa e le isumu lana fe'au mamao i luga o le ulu o le fe'e. Taunu'u loa 'i le matäfaga oso loa isumu i lalo 'ae 'ämata ona toe taliu 'ese atu fe'e. Sä pä leo telë le 'ata a lenei ali'i 'ämioleaga o isumu. "O le ä le mea 'ua 'e 'ata ai?" fesili atu lea a fe'e. 'Ae tali mai 'isumu, "Tago i lou ulu po'o ä na mea o iai." Sä tagotago ifo loa fe'e 'i lona ulu, ma 'ua leaga 'uma ona lima i le fe'au a le ali'i o isumu. Sä matuä ita tele fe'e i le mea 'ua faia e isumu 'iä te ia. Peita'i e lë mafai ona alu atu o ia i luga o le pa'u mätü e tuli le isumu. I nei ona pö, e fa'aaogäina e tagata faifaiva Sämoa le ma'a e  föliga mai o se isumu e mäunu a'i fe'e. E ta'ua lea o le pule tau fe'e. (Ma'a tau fe'e)

Tui Fiti traveled from Fiji to Sämoa. Find these islands on the map.

Latitude is measured north and south of the equator. Longtitude is measured east and west from Greenwich, England. Find the longitude and latitude for Fiji and Western Sämoa.

What degree of latitude is the equator?

Find the 180 longitude line. What is another name for this line? What day is it in Fiji when it is Wednesday in Sämoa?