'I am going to talk about the Rat and the Octopus.'
'So, the Rat and the Octopus... One day, the Rat said:'
'"I am going to have lunch at my Mum's!"'
'So he started to cut himself a boat: first he took a stem of wild taro ...'
'... the one which grows in the bush, you know,'
'... those huge taros with huge leaves.'
'He cut his boat out of it, doing everything just like for a real canoe.'
'Finally he put it out and started to paddle his way,'
'... when some birds saw him and cried out "Let's go together!"'
'"That's OK for the two of you", said he, and both took their seat in the boat'
'Should he see one (bird), he would take him aboard; should he see another one, he would take him too...'
'He took so many of them, that his boat became small:'
'his boat was sinking!'
'Other birds came to ask "Let's be together!"'
'but he exclaimed "Too narrow is my boat!"'
'And he would go on saying "Too narrow is my boat!"'
'"Very well", said the birds, "Go on your way! As for me, when Dad comes back, I will tell him everything!"'
'And they began to sing like this:'
'Dad shall come ~ I shall tell him let the wind blow ~ the wind blow and when you go back ~ when you go ...'
'The Rat felt seized with fear'
'and exclaimed "Okay! It's alright, come in, you may come aboard!"'
'Takes them on board, carries them along ...'
'Then he saw other birds again shouting at him "Let's all be together!"'
'And the Rat repeated once again "Too narrow is my boat!"'
'and they went on like this... The birds started to sing again:'
'Dad shall come ~ I shall tell him let the wind blow ~ the wind blow and when you go back ~ when you go ...'
'So the Rat replied: "It's alright, come aboard! Come in, we shall be together!"'
'So they went down to join the others; they did so again and again ...'
'... until the boat became really too small for them all.'
'When he invited a new bird, he would pretend everything was fine, and would just take them aboard...'
'They were having their lunch on board, and were paddling on and on until they went out into the open sea.'
'Now... the Rat said "Let someone replace (me) to man the boat!...'
'... As for me, I am going to have lunch."'
'The Hawk answered "I can come and take your post!"'
'So the Hawk went down to man the boat,
'and the Rat went up to have lunch.'
'But as he went, he saw a piece of yam belonging to the Hawk, and ate it.'
'Yes, he ate it. But the trouble is, this yam was red yam.'
'Once he had eaten it all, he came back saying:'
'"Let us come back and take my post again!"'
'The Hawk said "Perfect! You come back and take your post ...'
'...for now it is my turn to have lunch!"'
'The Hawk went down and realised his food had disappeared.'
'He went "Hey! The birds have eaten all my food!"'
'They replied all together "We do not know who ate it!"'
'He replied "Come on, all of you, smile! Smile so that I can see your teeth,'
'(and know) who ate my food.'
'This is because this yam was red yam.'
'So they all smiled, and the Rat too got ready to do so.'
'When the Hawk looked at him, he saw the yam, ...'
'... small particles of the yam which had got caught in his teeth.'
'He said "So it's you who ate my piece of yam!...'
'... I am going to prick and make a hole in our boat!"'
'The Hawk clenched his claws into the taro stem,'
'and tore it apart, letting the sea water in.'
'The boat was sinking! Yes, the Rat's boat!'
'The birds flew away, all of them; and the Rat began to swim.'
'And the Rat swam, swam, swam, swam'
'... until he saw a shark: "Hey, Shark", said he, "take pity on me!"'
'The shark replied "But who have you been with?"'
'So on he went; and after swimming a little further, he saw the Turtle.'
'"Hey, Turtle", said he, "take pity on me!"'
'The Turtle replied "But who have you been with?"'
'So he swam further on and saw the Dolphin: "Hey, Dolphin", said he, "take pity on me!"'
'The Dolphin replied "But who have you been with?"'
'So he swam further on and saw the Octopus: "Hey, Octopus", said he, "take pity on me!"'
'"Alright" said the Octopus, "come sit on my shoulders!"'
'So (the Rat) sat up on his shoulders, and was carried away.'
'From time to time, he would see the bald head of the Octopus:'
'Every time the waves hit it ...'
'... it would change from black to white, it was full of colours.'
'When the Rat saw this, he burst out laughing.'
'"What are you laughing at?" asked the Octopus.'
'The Rat replied "I am laughing at those small leaves which are floating on the sea."'
'As they swam a bit further on, he started to laugh again!'
'"What did you laugh at?" the Octopus asked.'
'I am watching the wavelets which are swinging us up...'
'... and down and up again, this is why I am laughing.'
'"Well, that's alright.", said (the Octopus).'
'And on they went again, until they finally reached the shore; this is where the Octopus was dropping the Octopus [Rat].'
'In a single leap, the Octopus [Rat] went to sit on the shore, on a rock,'
'and said "Hey, Octopus! What did you think I was laughing at ...'
'... while we were on our way here?'
'and he added "At your bald head! I was looking at your bald head...'
'... changing its colour from black to white.'
'Actually, I was laughing at you!"'
'The Octopus went mad with anger, and wanted to kill him!'
'The Rat began to run towards the bush ...'
'The Octopus took a branch of ironwood to strike the Rat with it,'
'he ran towards the bush'
'and threw the branch of ironwood at him.'
'The branch struck the Rat's backside!'
'Our Rat went on running, with that branch of ironwood (behind him)...'
'... until he finally entered the bush.'
'Nowadays, you can see rats, you can see their tails,'
'how they look just like a branch of ironwood.'
'This is why rat tails are so stiff:'
'... it recalls how the Rat was speared by the Octopus.'
'Nowadays, both are enemies: rats and octopuses hate each other.'
'Suppose you throw a rat down into the sea:'
'if there is an octopus right in the same place,'
'you will see the octopus jump at it, seize it and shake it.'
'Since that moment, they have been hating each other until today.'
'This is the end of this story.'