JUST BEFORE DAWN, THE YOUNG MAN CAME BACK. HE PERCHED IN THE COCONUT TREE AND WAITED. SOON ENOUGH, THE MAIDENS CAME ALONG. THEY WENT TO THE HIDING SPOT IN THE SAND. ONE TAIL WAS DUG UP AND THEN NO MORE. THE MAIDENS SEARCHED FRANTICALLY IN THE SAND FOR THE MISSING THOLON, BUT IT WAS NO USE.

ALTHOUGH SHE DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE THE OTHER, THE ONE WHO STILL HAD HER
DOLPHIN TAIL FINALLY LEAPED INTO THE SEA AND SWAM FOR THEIR UNDERWATER HOME JUST AS THE SUN BEGAN TO RISE ABOVE THE HORIZON. THE STRANDED DOLPHIN-MAIDEN REMAINED IN THE SAME PLACE BENEATH THE COCONUT TREE CRYING.

THE YOUNG MAN CAME DOWN FROM THE TREE, APPROACHED THE GIRL PRETENDING NOT TO KNOW WHY SHE WAS CRYING. HE OFFERED HER HIS HELP AND THE SHELTER OF HIS HOME. BECAUSE SHE HAD NOWHERE ELSE TO GO AND KNEW NO ONE IN THE
VILLAGE, THE MAIDEN ACCEPTED THE YOUNG MAN'S OFFER OF HELP. SHE WENT WITH HIM TO HIS HOME.
EVENTUALLY, SHE GAVE UP HOPE OF RECOVERING HER THOLON AND MARRIED THE YOUNG MAN.

THE MAN WAS VERY KIND TO HIS WIFE. HE OFFERED HER EVERYTHING SHE WANTED AND GAVE HER LEAVE TO ALL OF HIS PROPERTY. ONLY TO ONE PLACE, DID HE FORBID HER TO GO BECAUSE, HE TOLD HER, IT WAS A
SACRED PLACE AND TO GO THERE WAS TABOO.

MANY YEARS PASSED AND THE COUPLE BORE A DAUGHTER. IN ALL THESE YEARS THE WIFE NEVER VENTURED TO THE SACRED PLACE, BUT SHE ALWAYS SECRETLY WONDERED ABOUT IT. FINALLY, ONE DAY, WHEN THE MAN WAS GONE FISHING, SHE COULD NO LONGER RESIST HER CURIOSITY AND SHE WENT TO THE SACRED PLACE. HERE, SHE FOUND HER THOLON, WHERE HER HUSBAND HAD HIDDEN IT SO MANY YEARS BEFORE.

SHE PUT THE THOLON IN THE WATER TO REPAIR ITS WRINKLED AND DRIED UP FORM. SHE THEN WENT TO THE SHORE, PUT ON HER DOLPHIN TAIL AND JUMPED INTO THE SEA. NEAR THE REEF, SHE FOUND HER HUSBAND'S
CANOE AND SHE LEAPED SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE OUTRIGGER
BEFORE SHE HEADED OUT INTO THE OPEN OCEAN. AT THE SIGHT OF THIS, HER HUSBAND KNEW SOMETHING WAS AMISS AT HOME. HE QUICKLY SAILED FOR HOME ONLY TO FIND HIS DAUGHTER WHO TOLD HIM HER MOTHER HAD GONE TO HER HOME TO VISIT. HIS GUCHIG-WIFE NEVER RETURNED.

LET'S HAVE ANOTHER BETELNUT (BOU) BEFORE WE CONTINUE. DO YOU HAVE ANY
LIME (WECH), OR ANY PEPPER LEAVES (GABUY)?

RETURN TO VISITS 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, OR 6

CONTACT JEANNE