Anna Head School - Nods and Becks Yearbook (Berkeley, CA)

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A Romanice of the Southern Seas YERYTHING is beautiful in the far-off Tongan Isles of the Southern Seas. The earth is beautiful, and life, and love most beautiful of all, for there the chubby brown men work and play as children, untaught and unafraid. There tall, graceful palms wave arms of friendly assurance, and vines trail their heart- shaped leaves about the falais of the happy people. In these isles are great caves, in which “beautiful spirits come and go, shadowing the pinnacled walls with their elusive colors. They are limestone caverns, the floors hidden by the depth of peacock blue and jade green waters. One of these marvelous caverns is hidden beneath the shoulders of a great cliff, and can only be reached by swimming under water through a dark and difficult passage. Only one brown man knew of the existence of this, the most beautiful of all the caves, for the secret was closely guarded by the adventurous youth who aspired to the hand of the lovely Falealili. Falealili was the daughter of the Big Chief of the island of Vauvau. To him came in council all the village and family chiefs, for he was the highest councilor of all. Inside the big falai, the chiefs squatted in two semi-circles, one within the other, while the great chief occupied the open section. The village chiefs, in the inner row of the semi-circle, sat on two or three mats, and talked in low tones. When the family chief began speaking the rest were hushed in respectful silence. Malifi told of his daughter, Falealili, the Lovely One, for whom he made great plans. The chief of a neighboring island had a son of the same rank as bewitching Falealili, and also strong and wise. He should have her hand in marriage. Rut Falealili was reluctant, for she loved another and would not hear to her father's plans. She secluded herself, with only her ten lovely maidens to attend her. “What can I do?” asked the father, whose heart was very tender toward this flower of his heart. “Has no one a suggestion?” [ 18]

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Oetavioius Monday Eliza Monday worked for us, And with her always came, A little bright-eyed lump of coal, Octavious, by name. She had five others, (two were black And three were brown like gravy.) Called Kicket, Kate, Henry, Buck, Jessie, and Octavie. 1 le’d rock in a chair and chew on a bone, W hile Eliza stood by with a frown. Young niggah, I'll tie dat bone to de ehaih, So voir won’t swaller it down. Now don yo’ bo’d’a yo’ saf, Miss Anna, I'll get Kate to take care ob'.dat baby. Wha’ aril yo’, Kicket, Kate, Henry, Buck, Jessie, and Octavie?” Eliza Monday’s dead and gone; Altho’ as black as night; God gave her happiness and love, And a soul of lily-white. • They all are dead ; they all are gone; Even the inky baby. “Wha arh yo’ Kicket, Kate, Henry, Buck, Jessie, and Octavie?” I 17] Frances Thompson, ’26.

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“Have the young chief, Vaiusu, bring presents, many and rich, for girls are won by presents.” Malifi agreed to try this plan, and the meeting ended. In the beautiful valley where Falealili had retired with her damsels there was dancing and singing and playing. But Falealili was weeping in her falai. Why grieves Falealili? She weeps for the loss of her lover, Solosolo, the upright and manly, the son of a prophet. But he carried no chieftain’s blood, so Malifi banished him southward. O weep not, Falealili, for Solosolo is coming, is coming to make you his, so weep no more, Fair Maiden! Away from his loved one, Solosolo grieved. A friendly messenger one day brought him the news that Malifi, the stone-hearted chieftain, would force his fair daughter to marry Vaiusu, son of a great chief. O beautiful Falealili! O wretched Solosolo! Then he remembered the beautiful, colorful cavern. None other knew of its existence. Ah ! there was a place he could hide her. Should he go after Falealili? Yes, despite all danger he would do it, and hasten, for in one day, in only twenty-four hours, she would become the wife of another. First, he must make the cave ready. He spent some of his precious time fashioning a sailboat and a strong flat paddle. A kindly wind then blew him straight to a grotto near the cavern, where he concealed them. Sixty feet he swam under water then rose in the glorious cavern. An exclamation of awe dropped from his lips, for he had forgotten its powerful beauty. He carried mats for the floor, and cocoanuts and bananas for food. The day was nearly sped when, at last, the great cavern was ready. O beautiful Falealili! O hopeful Solosolo! In the sheltering darkness he crept to the falai of his loved one. How pretty she was in her slumbers, with her hand-maidens all about her! Her long wavy hair lay in loose tangles around her head and soft brown shoulders. Her only cover was a thin blanket of glossy pappia [ 19]