Ko e Tatali kia ʻIení
“Ko e hā naʻe hoko kiate aú?” ko e fehuʻi ia ʻa ʻIení.
“ʻOku mau saiʻia ke ʻi he Palaimelí; ʻoku mau fiefia hoʻo ʻi hení foki” (Children’s Songbook, 256).
ʻI he ʻā hake ʻa ʻIení, naʻá ne fanongo ki he hiva ʻene fineʻeikí. Ko e “ʻOku Ongo ʻa e ʻOfá.” Ko e hiva Palaimeli ia ʻoku manako taha ai ʻa ʻIení! Naʻá ne kamata hiva fakataha mo ia.
Naʻá ne talaange, “Kuó ke ʻā!” Naʻá ne malimali pea tō ha loʻimata mei hono fofongá. Ne vakai atu ʻa ʻIeni ʻoku tangutu mai ʻene tangataʻeikí ʻi hono tafaʻakí. Naʻá hā fiefia mai foki.
Ne talaange ʻe he Fineʻeikí, “Kuó u hiva e hiva ʻokú ke manako taha aí he ʻaho kotoa pē.”
Naʻe malimali atu ʻa ʻIeni—ka naʻe langa hono ʻulú. Ko hono moʻoní, ne felangaaki kotoa hono sinó tautautefito ki hono tuí.
Naʻá ne toe sio fakalelei takai holo naʻe ʻikai ke Ne ʻi ʻapi. Naʻá ne tokoto ʻi ha mohenga ukamea ʻi ha loki faikehe. Hili iá peá ne sio atu ki ha neesi mo e ʻū mohenga ofi mai. Naʻá ne fakakaukau, “ʻOku pau pē ko ha falemahaki eni.”
Naʻá ne fehuʻi ange, “Ko e hā e meʻa ne hoko kiate aú?”
Ne mata mamahi ʻene Fineʻeikí. “Naʻá ke ʻi ha fakatuʻutāmaki kovi ʻaupito.” Ne tō ha matapā ukamea ʻiate koe. Kuó ke ʻi he falemahakí ʻi ha uike ʻe ua, ka te ke sai pē koe.”
Uike ʻe ua! Naʻe fakakaukau ʻa ʻIeni, “Mani, ko ha fuʻu taimi lōloa ia ke mohe ai.” Ko e meʻa fakamuimui taha pē naʻá ne manatuʻí ko ʻene ʻi he ʻapisiasí, ʻo akoako ki he polokalama ʻa e Palaimelí …
ʻOiauē, ʻikai! ʻA e polokalamá!
“Kuo fai e polokalamá ia?” Ko e fehuʻi ia ʻa ʻIení. Ne ʻikai faʻa tatali ki ai ʻi ha taimi lōloa! Naʻá ne manako he hiva mo hono ngaahi kaungāmeʻá.
Ne malimali ʻene fineʻeikí mo kalokalo hono ʻulú. “ʻIkai, ʻoku teʻeki ke fai ia. Ne fakakaukau e uōtí ke toloi ia kae ʻoua kuó ke ake ke ke lava ʻo kau atu ki ai.”
“Moʻoni?”
Ne talaange ʻe he Tangataʻeikí, “Ko e moʻoni.” “Ne kole ʻe he kau Palaimelí kotoa ki he pīsopé ke tatali. Naʻa nau fie maʻu ke ke ʻi ai. Naʻa nau ʻiloʻi hoʻo vekeveke ki ai he taʻu ní.”
Naʻe fiefia ʻa ʻIeni ke ne lava pē ʻo kei kau atu ki he polokalama Palaimelí. Ka naʻe pau ke ʻuluaki feinga ia ke sai. Pea ko ha taimi lōloa ia. Naʻe pau ke ne kiʻi nofo ʻo kiʻi fuofuoloa ʻi he falemahakí. ʻI he faifai peá ne foki ki ʻapí, ne teʻeki ai pē ke ne lava ʻo lue pe vaʻinga.
Ka naʻe ʻaʻahi mai hono ngaahi kaungāmeʻá kiate ia. Ne ʻeke ange ʻe ʻIeni kiate kinautolu fekauʻaki mo e akó mo e lotú. Pea naʻa nau ʻeke ange pe naʻe foki fakakū mai.
Naʻá ne talaange kiate kinautolu “He ʻikai lava kae ʻoua kuo sai ange hoku vaʻé. ʻOku teʻeki ke u lava au ʻo lue.”
Ne ʻosi atu ʻa ʻOkatopa pea hoko mai ʻa Nōvema, pea māmālie pē e ʻalu ke sai ange ʻa ʻIení. ʻI ha ʻaho ʻe taha, ne fakaafeʻi ia ʻe hono ngaahi kaungāmeʻá ke ne ʻalu ange ke nau sio faiva fakataha. Ne tokoniʻi ʻe he fineʻeiki mo e tangataʻeiki ʻa ʻIení ia ke ne aʻu ki ai.
Naʻe ʻeke ange ʻe Chaís, “ʻOku kei mamahi pē ho vaʻé?”
“ʻIo,” ko ʻIeni ange ia. “Ka ʻoku fakaʻau pē ke sai ange he ʻaho kotoa.”
“Kuó ke lava ʻo lue?” Ko e fehuʻi ia ʻa Chaís.
“ʻOku ʻikai ke u ʻiloʻi,” ko ʻIeni ange ia.
“Tau kiʻi ʻahiʻahi angé,” ko Chaís ange ia. Naʻá ne tokoniʻi ia ke ne tuʻu ki ʻolunga. Ne tuku māmālie hifo ʻe ʻIeni hono vaʻé ki lalo. Ne ngaue hono sinó ki muʻa. Naʻá ne kei tuʻu pē! Ko ʻene fuofua manga ia hili ha māhina ʻe taha! Ne pasipasi e taha kotoa.
“Te ke lava leva ʻo foki mai ki he lotú!” Ko Chaís ange ia.
Pea ko e moʻoni ia. Hili pē ha ngaahi uike siʻi, ne ʻikai toe mamahi e vaʻe ʻo ʻIení. Ne toʻo leva ʻe he kau toketaá e simá pea fakatui ha ukamea ki hono vaʻé. ʻI heʻene aʻu ki he Sāpaté, ne hoko e taimi ki he polokalama ʻa e Palaimelí.
Ne lue ʻa ʻIeni ki muʻa ʻi he falelotú he lolotonga e houalotu sākalamēnití. Naʻá ne tuʻu hangatonu hake ʻo malimali ki heʻene fineʻeikí mo e tangataʻeikí. Lolotonga e hivá, naʻá ne hiva ʻi he leʻo lahi taha te ne lavá. ʻI he taimi ke lea aí, naʻá ne tuʻu ʻi he maiká ʻo vahevahe ʻene fakamoʻoní. Naʻá ne houngaʻia koeʻuhi ko hono ngaahi kaungāmeʻa ʻi he Palaimelí. Pea naʻá ne fiefia ke kau atu ki he polokalama Palaimelí.●