- A Kastom Story about Turtles from Rendova Island and Marovo Lagoon

This is a favorite kastom story told to children by the people of Rendova Island and Marovo
Lagoon. It was told to the authors by TDA member and Tetepare Island Ranger, Mr. John
Kennedy Soapi of Berozzi Village, Rendova.

Teacher’s Note: Kastom stories can be used in many ways. The teacher can tell the story to
his/her students (in English, Pijin or local language) and then lead a discussion about the issues
raised. Another option is to assign roles to the students and have them act the story out. This is
especially useful if the students know the story well. Feel free to use other kastom stories that
you or your students know.

Turtle and Swampy Hen

One fine day, the coucal bird, or Mozu as he is known to the Lokuru people of
Rendova Island, gave out a great cry “Caoow, caoow” to call all the birds together to
crack nuts, as it was the ngali nut season. Swampy Hen, or Bisa as he is known to
Lokuru people, or Bichere as he is known to Marovo people, heard the cry from his
home by the seaside and decided to follow.

All the birds followed Mozu up the bush road. As they traveled, they passed an old
woman walking to her garden with a walking stick. Further along, Swampy Hen
noticed a nice bunch of ripe bananas in a tree. He thought to himself:
“What nice bananas, I would really like to eat some”.

Suddenly, Swampy Hen had a great idea of how he could get to those nice ripe
bananas without the other birds knowing. “I have something in my eye and must
stop for a while,” he told the other birds. “You go ahead without me and I will catch
up”.

Swampy Hen watched as the other birds passed along the bush road and
disappeared around the corner. Quickly he flew up into the banana tree and began
to eat the sweet, ripe bananas.

Meanwhile, the old lady had begun working in her garden further down the road “I
must go and check those bananas up on the hill, they were almost ripe last week.”
When she arrived at the banana tree she saw Bisa eating the bananas and was very
angry. She shouted and threw her walking stick at Swampy Hen and broke his leg.
Then she threw him with his broken leg into the river!

Poor Swampy Hen. He floated down the river with his broken leg. What would he
do? He must find someone to help him. As he floated, he met a fish.

“Please, can you help me Fish? An old lady caught me eating her bananas and broke
my leg. Can you fix it for me?”

“I am sorry,” replied Fish. “I cannot fix broken legs.”

Poor Swampy Hen continued to float. He was now down the river and out in the
shallows of the ocean, where he met a reef shark.

“Please Shark, can you help me? An old lady caught me eating her bananas and
broke my leg. Can you fix it?” he asked.

“I am sorry,” said Shark. “I cannot fix your leg.”

Swampy Hen continued to float. Now he was very far out at sea, and very worried
about his broken leg. Finally, he met a turtle.

“Please Turtle can you help me? An old lady caught me eating her bananas and has
broken my leg. Can you fix my leg for me?” asked Swampy Hen.

“Why yes,” replied Turtle. “I can fix you leg. But first you must give me something”
he said.

Swampy Hen looked at all his possessions, but nothing seemed to satisfy turtle. At
last, turtle said. “I only want only one thing and that is the nice beads from your
neck.” These beads are known as “evengo” to Lokuru people.

Swampy Hen was very happy, and gave Turtle the beads. He was so happy to have
his leg fixed he also gave one piece of advice to Turtle.

“If you hear a banging sound of paddles hitting the side of a canoe, you should
not worry because it will be women paddling a canoe out at sea. But, if you hear
nothing, you should dive very deep, because it will be men coming in a canoe and
they will catch you.”

Turtle was very happy to receive this advice, and he swam back to his home in the
sea. Swampy Hen returned to his home at the seaside with his good leg.

Many days later, Turtle was out in the sea and he heard the banging of paddles
on the side of a canoe. He remembered Swampy Hen’s advice and stayed near the
surface. The women admired him and said to each other.

“Look at the mighty turtle in the sea.”

Later that evening when the women returned to the village, they told the men about
the mighty turtle they had seen. The men, knowing that the turtle would make a
great feast, decided to play a trick. The next day when the women went out in the
canoe, the men crouched down inside where they could not be seen.

Turtle heard the banging of paddles on the canoe once again and stayed at the
surface. When the canoe came close, the men jumped out and grabbed him.

They tied poor Turtle up with bush rope and took him back to the village, where
they put him in the big meetinghouse, close to the seaside. There they tied him to
the king post and left him, ready for the big feast that would follow.

Now this was in the days before string bands, or pop music, and the villagers began
a very big sing sing before eating. Soon, Swampy Hen, whose home was near the
meetinghouse at the seaside, heard all the singing. He decided to see what was
happening and made his way up to the village. First, he had to pass through the
meetinghouse, which was very dark. As he made his way through the meeting
house he stepped on Turtle.

“Oh, my friend,” exclaimed Swampy Hen. “What has happened to you? Why are
you tied up in the meeting house?”

“The men tricked me,” replied Turtle and he began to cry. “What will become of
me? Oh, I am going to die!”

Swampy Hen said, “Do not worry, my friend. I will find someway to help you.”
Swampy Hen continued up the road until he came to the big sing sing. He decided
to use his special powers to help his friend turtle. And so he began to sing in
Marovo language.

“Tupu. Tupu. Ulia moatu,” which means in Marovo language, “Turtle, Turtle,
loosen the ropes”. Inside the darkened meetinghouse by the seaside, the bush ropes
holding Turtle to the king post began to fall off.

“Tupu. Tupu. Hamba hore,” sang Swampy Hen, which means in Marovo language
“turtle, turtle, go down to the sea”. And Turtle began to make his way to the water.
Suddenly, a man at the sing sing said “I think we must check on the turtle so we can
prepare him for the feast”. When the men returned to the meetinghouse, they saw
the bush rope on the ground. They ran down to the water just in time to see Turtle
swimming out to sea.

The men were very angry. One said, “I heard someone singing to release the turtle
up on the hill.” So the people ran back to the village and saw Swampy Hen. They
knew it was him that had sung with his special power and released Turtle. They
were very angry and threw stones at Swampy Hen, chasing him into the bush.

That is why today, you will not see Swampy Hen by the seaside, he is now a bird of
the middle bush. And it is also why Turtle has beads in his neck.