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

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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]

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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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leaves, woven together with a rope of cocoanut fiber. Her sleep was calm and sound, but when Solosolo bent over her, he saw that the mat beneath her cheek was wet with tears. He wakened her tenderly, and for a moment the young girl lay sobbing in her lover's arms. Then she whispered a message to her most beloved attendant, and fled into the silver moonlight. The last of her sorrow seemed to drop from her, as they ran like a pair of woodland fauns, filling the air with soft laughter. Once away from the island Solosolo sang, and Falealili joined with her crooning voice, and the waters seemed the silver path of their dreams. Reaching the cave, and securing the pawpaw, Solosolo took in his arms the slender body of his sweetheart, and swam with her under the water. The passage was dark and dangerous, and sixty feet through to the cavern. But Solosolo was clever and striving, he at last reached the cave. It was blacker than a long charred copra skin, this lonely ’ gulf of a cavern, but Solosolo guided her to the soft mats he had laid for her, and there these brown children slept until morning. Falealili was happy in her cave, and every night Solosolo came with taro, cocoanuts, pigeons and breadfruit, and told her of the falai he was building on another island. In time, they left the friendly hiding place and went to live in the beautiful new falai, where they were happy ever after, for the brown children are truly immortal in their land of romance and beauty, as well as in their love. Catherine Stembridge, '28. (Awarded second prise Nods and Becks Literary Contest, 1926.) A Visit to Louisa M0 Aleott9s Home During a whirlwind visit to the interesting vicinity of Boston I became s o satiated with the events of Revolutionary history that in Concord one day I almost missed one of the happiest experiences of my life. I had read ‘‘Little Women” something over four times, so it was with a feeling of happy anticipation that I walked with a small group of people to the steps of Miss Alcott’s home. [20]