Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 26, 1915.djvu/188

 178 Collectanea.

As to the Malio (land crabs) they also have their portents. Behold, it is just as if they also acted like chiefs, they have their days, which are like the (days of) sprinkling or washing of a king, for even if it is a hot day it does not prevent the gathering together of the Malio, but it is rain and fine alternately, because these are portents of the Malio, just as those days were his appointed portion and share. It is not known also what its origin is or whose child it is ; only the name is known Maholagi (malio of the sky). Behold, they suppose that it comes down from the sky. Consider also that the Malio is known only in the six months of the Vaipalolo, but the space during which it is not known is not like that of the Palolo.

As to the story about the Maliolagi, it is very surprising how sensitive and angry it is at any disrespect, just indeed like a chief. Behold (its custom) if its foot steps on some evil thing (filth) it breaks off" that leg ; it has no desire to be legged with a leg like that. Of what use is a leg which is polluted because it has stepped on filth? Very surprising is the wisdom of the Maliolagi in its great hatred of evil things. It crawls from the forest inland on the day of its second appearance (tofilofilo) and goes at once to the sea to bathe, after which it returns to the forest inland. That is the story. Very wonderful also is the wisdom of the Palolo and its rapid growth. I suppose they are born on the eighth day after the moon is visible at dawn ; that they are young (folk) on the ninth day, and adults on the tenth day. Behold Usunoa is the day on which it is first seen. Motusia, the day when it is scattered ; Tatelea, the day on which its body is complete, and then it is seen no more.

Seasea, is a tree (Eugenia sp.) by which the time of the coming of the Palolo is reckoned. When it fruits tl\e Palolo is got. If it has not fruited, then the time for Palolo has not come.

These are the stars for the Vaipalolo (the wet season). O le Tulalupe (the perch for a pigeon) ; the Lii (the Pleiades) ; Tolugamauli (? three moons); Tuigalama (torch of candle nuts) ; Taulualofi (a pair in the circle of chiefs) ; Tauluatuafanua (a pair from the land at the back) ; Saliatoloa (the scooping out of the wild ducks) ; Toloamaoni (the true Toloa) ; Luatagata, that is two men, Felo (twins) and Mea (thing) are their names (Castor and