Ko e Fakatātā Koví
“[Te u taukaveʻi e moʻoní]. [Te u taukaveʻi e totonú]. ʻE falala mai ai ʻa e ʻEikí” (Children’s Songbook, 85).
“Hei, sio mai ki hē.” Naʻe toʻo hake ʻe Siaki ha laʻi pepa ne tāpelupelu mei hono kató. “Naʻá ku maʻu ia ʻi ha makasini ʻi he popngipongí ni.” Naʻá ne fakaava hake ia pea fakaʻaliʻali ange ia kia Tēleni.
Ka naʻe lava pē ʻa Tēleni ʻo tala ʻoku ʻikai ko ha meʻa ia te ne fie sio ki ai. Naʻá ne hanga kehe ʻo ne pehē ange, “ʻOku ʻikai ke u fie sio ki ai.”
Naʻe hiki e ongo uma ʻo Siakí peá ne faʻo e laʻi pepá ki hono kató. “Kiʻi pēpē.”
Naʻe ʻikai tokanga ʻa Tēleni ia ki ai.
ʻI he aʻu ʻa Tēleni ki ʻapí, naʻá ne tokoni ki heʻene faʻeé ʻi hono ngaohi ha mā ki heʻenau maʻu meʻatokoni efiafí. Naʻá ne toho atu ha sea ki he funga kānitá, pea naʻe haʻi ʻe he Fineʻeikí hono ʻēpaní.
Naʻá ne pehē ange,“Fineʻeiki, ʻi heʻeku kei ʻi he ʻapi ʻo ʻIení, naʻe feinga hono kaungāmeʻá ke fakaʻaliʻali mai ha fakatātā ʻo ha taha ʻoku ʻikai hano vala. Naʻá ku hanga kehe au peá u mavahe mei ai.”
Naʻe tuku hifo ʻe he fineʻeikí ʻa e poulu toú peá ne fāʻofua kia Tēleni. “Ko ha fili lelei moʻoni ia. Malō ʻaupito hoʻo talamai iá.”
Na‘e pehē ange ʻe Tēleni lolotonga ʻene fakatokalelei e mahoaʻá mo hiki e toú ki he funga kānitá, “ʻI he pō fakafāmilí ko e meʻa ia naʻá ke talamai ke faí.”
“ʻOku ou fiefia ʻi hoʻo manatuʻi iá. Ko e fuofua taimi ia kuo fakahā atu ai ʻe ha taha ha fakatātā kovi?”
Naʻe kamokamo pē ʻa Tēleni.
“Sai, ʻoku ou fiefia ʻaupito hoʻo fakahā mai ia kiate aú. ʻOkú ke ʻiloʻi te ke lava pē ʻo fehuʻi mai pe talamai ha meʻa pē, ko ia? Tatau ai pē kapau naʻá ke fai ha fili ʻoku kovi, te u kei loto pē ke u ʻilo koeʻuhí ke u lava ʻo tokoni. He ʻikai te u ʻita.” Naʻá ne ʻai ha kiʻi meʻi mahoaʻa ki hono ihú.
Naʻe malimali ʻa Tēleni mo ueʻi hono ihu pani mahoaʻá. “ʻIo. ʻOku ou ʻiloʻi.”
Hili e maʻu meʻatokoni efiafí he pō ko iá, naʻe pehē ange ʻe he Tangataʻeikí, “ʻI he ʻahó ni naʻe feinga ha taha ke ne fakaʻaliʻali kia Tēleni ha fakatātā kovi, ʻa e faʻahinga fakatātā naʻa tau talanoa ki ai ʻi he pō fakafāmilí.”
Naʻe vave ʻa e hikinima hake ʻa Liná. “ʻOku ou manatuʻi ʻetau talanoa ki aí!” Naʻe ʻikai lahi feʻunga ʻa Tala ke ne manatuʻi ha meʻa, ka naʻá ne kamokamo mo ia.
“Ko e hā leva ʻa e meʻa naʻá ke faí?” Naʻe fehuʻi ange ʻe Sōnia kia Tēleni.
Naʻe talaange ʻe Tēleni, “Naʻe ʻikai ke u sio ki ai, peá u mavahe mei ai.”
Naʻe kamokamo ʻa e fineʻeikí. “ʻOku mau fiefia ʻaupito Tēleni ʻi hoʻo fai ha fili leleí. Pea ʻoku tau laukau ʻaki ia ʻi heʻene talamai e meʻa naʻe hokó.”
Naʻe ala atu e tangataʻeikí ʻi he funga tēpilé ke tā nima mo Tēleni. “Tangata poto ʻaupito.” Naʻe pasipasi ʻa Lina mo Tala, pea naʻe malimali ange ʻa Sōnia kia Tēleni.
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe he tangataʻeikí, “Ko ia ai ke fakafiefiaʻi ʻaki iá, ʻe ʻi ai haʻatau kiʻi kai lelei!” Naʻe kaila fiefia ʻa e taha kotoa .
Naʻe ʻalu ʻa e fineʻeikí ʻo toʻo mai e ʻaisikilimí mei he ʻaisí, pea naʻe lele ʻa Tēleni mo Sōnia ʻo ʻomai e ʻū poulú mo e sēpuní.
“Sai, tangata,” ko e lea ia ʻa e tangataʻeikí ʻi heʻene tuhu kia Tēleni mo e sēpuni ʻaisikilimí. “Ko e hā e kalasi ʻaisikilimi ʻokú ke fie maʻú?”
ʻI heʻenau kamata kai ʻenau ʻaisikilimí, naʻe pehē ange ʻe he fineʻeikí, “ʻOkú ma fie maʻu mo hoʻomou tangataʻeikí fānau, ke mou manatuʻi kapau ʻe ʻi ai ha taimi ʻoku mou hohaʻa ai pe ʻi ai haʻamou ngaahi fehuʻi, te mou lava maʻu pē ʻo talanoa mai kiate kimaua, tatau ai pē pe ko e hā. ʻOkú ma fiefia ai.”
“Pea ʻomai ai haʻamau ʻaisikilimi?” Ko e ʻeke ange ia ʻe Sōnia ʻi heʻene toʻo hake ʻene sēpuni fonu he sokoletí.
Naʻe kata ʻa e fineʻeikí. “Taimi pē ʻe niʻihi. Ka ko e lahi tahá pē ke ne fakafiefiaʻi kimaua pea ʻoku feʻunga ia.”
Naʻe kamo ʻa Tēleni ʻi heʻene fakaʻosi ʻene ʻaisikilimí. Naʻá ne fiefia foki ʻi heʻene talaange ki he fineʻeikí.