STORY OF TUITTONGA AO E'E

Chief Ao E’e lived on Mount Lagi. This chief had many concubines. There came the day when Aoe’e said to his people and his concubines, "I want you to remain here while I go on a walk down below."

So, the chief went down and walked about. He met a married couple by the names of Sigaga’e and Sigagaifo and their daughter. It was the custom of this couple, as soon as they got up in the morning, to carry the girl pickaback. Wherever the couple went, the mother carried the girl on her back.

The couple were wont to go to torch fishing at night. Chief Aoe’e noticed that the girl could be put down, but that she was still riding on her mother’s back, So the chief said to the parents, "Please, Sigaga'e and Sigagaifo, won’t you let your daughter come on a walk with me?" The couple replied, "Very well." They put the girl down and she went with the chief. The girl’s name was Sina-i-fafaga-i-le-tua, because of the mother's carrying her pickaback and not being at liberty to put her down.

The chief and the girl set out on their walk. Before long, Aoe’e desired to make the young lady his wife. He had no wish to return to his village, but wanted to marry the girl. Finally the lady conceived by the chief. The day came when Aoe’e said to the lady, "Wait here; I will go and visit my people; then I will return and marry you." The lady replied, "Very well."

The chief went up to his village. When he reached there, he fell sick. It was his longing for the lady that made him ill. The sickness consisted in his inability to lie in any other position except flat on his face; he could neither turn over nor lie on his side. It was all caused by his longing for the lady.

Sinaifafagailetua gave birth to a girl. She named her Sina.

One day the lady and her child went to take a bath in the pool called TaiOoONonua. (This pool is still on top of the rock to seaward of Laie’s house in Aga’e.) The woman saw two boys - they were brothers - who came running along to draw water in the pool where she and her child were bathing. The woman said to the boys, "Say, there are many other places where you can draw water; do you have to come and bother us in this spot where I and my child happen to be?"

The older boy started to cry. His name was Totasi. He wailed thus, "I, Totasi, and my brother, Tolua, have come to draw water in the Tai-o-Nonua to relieve the sickness of our chief who can neither turn over nor lie down on his side facing the land." The lady replied, plied, "What’s that you say?" Then the second boy wailed, "The two of us, Totasi and I, Tolua, have come to draw water in the Tai-o-Nonuato relieve the sickness of our chief who can neither turn over nor lie on his side, facing the land."

The lady went with her child to her parents. She said to them, ^"Alas, I met some boys and they said that Chief Aoe’e is very ill." The parents replied, "Well go and visit your child’s father and introduce his daughter to him. Present him with these two fine mats the Matumaivai and the Alavatualua - to celebrate the girl’s presentation. Take the Alavatualua to dress in it and the Matumaivai, to carry your child in."

So, mother and daughter set out to visit the latter’s father. They met with the concubines who were drawing water to alleviate the’ chief’s sufferings. The lady and her child were parched with thirst, so the lady begged, "Please, let me have some water that I and my child may drink." They gave them a couple of coconut water bottles to drink from. The lady said, "Don’t give me this foul water, but let me have water from bottles that are properly corked." The concubines replied that the water was restricted to the chief, but the lady retorted that, the, it was restricted to her use, too. Thereupon, they gave the lady some water.

The lady with her child then proceeded to the place where the chief’s sympathizers had gathered. They had to find room among the crowd, as there were too many helping hands surrounding the chief. They were seen by Aoe’e's mother, whose name was Tae-o-i-lagi. Old Taeoilagi wept and said, "Sinafafagailetua, loosen that child of yours and let me lift her up and carry her on my back and, please, let me have the Alavatualua mat in which you are dressed and the Matumaivai mat, you carry your child in."

Chief Ao E’ e heard her call the name of Sinafafagailetua. Immediately the sick chief turned over. He had completely recovered because of the arrival of the lady. His illness had been caused by his longing for her. The lady and her child, accompanied by Aoee’s mother, then approached the sickbed. The fine mats - the Matumaivai and the Alavatualua - were then given, one to each of Aoee’s talking chiefs.

Aoe’e took leave of his people and his concubines and determined with Sinaifafagailetua. The concubines he dispersed into the mists of the heavens and Sinaifafagailetua remained his sole wife. The Matmaivai and the Alavatualua are now the fine mats of the Tuimanu’a. Aoe’e was one ‘of the first kings of Manu’a.