Iai le ulugali’i e igoa 1 i ā Tafitofau ma ‘Ogāfau, ma le lā fānau e to’asefulu ma le tasi. ‘0 tarna ‘uma e to’asefulu sā fa’aigoaina ‘i ā Tui, ma Tui, ma Tui, ma Tui, ma Tui, ma Tui, ma Tui, ma Tui, ma Tui, ma Tui. Ma lo lātou tuafafine e to’atasi, ‘e igoa ‘i ā Sina. ‘E Iona sefulu le tama’ ita’ i ‘ o Sina i le fānau, ‘ a e la’ itiiti ai le ui’ i e igoa f o’ i ‘ i ā Tui.

Sā nonofo lenei ulugāli’i ma le lā fānau i le pitonu’u e lata i le matafaga. ‘O lea fo’i pitonu’u, ‘e sāvilivili pea i aso ‘uma, ma e ‘avea ma nofoaga e fiafia 1 i ai gogo e felelei solo ai ma fa’atifa āga’i ‘i le sami. ‘Ua ‘avea le va’aia pea o gogo i le pitonu’u, ‘ua fai ma mea ‘ua fiafia ai Sina ma Iona tuagane la’itiiti e ō ‘i fafo o le fale ma tau-fetuli āga’i ‘i mea o lo ‘o felelea’i ‘i ai gogo. ‘E le gata ‘i lenā, ‘a ‘ ua fai fo’ i ma Smio a Sina ona usupō i taeao ‘ uma e matamata ‘ i vāega o le lagi o lo ‘o felelei mai ai gogo, fa’apea fo’i ma vāega o le vaomatua o lo ‘ o Sga’ i atu ‘ i ai.Na o’o ‘i le tasi taeao, ‘a ‘o nofonofo Sina ma matamata ‘i le felelei mai o gogo, sā ia va’aia le gogo sina e tasi o lo ‘o filo mai ai i le fuifui gogo uli o lo ‘o felelei mai.

Sā mogea tino o Sina i le mimita ‘ina ‘ua ia va’aia le gogo sina, ‘aua ‘o le taimi muamua lea ‘ua ia va ai ai ‘i se gogo sina. ‘E le gata ‘i lenā, ‘a ‘ua fa’ate’ia fo’i ia i le mafai e lenei gogo sina ona felelei fa’atasi mai ma gogo uli. Sa tu ‘i luga Sina ma mctno’e atu ‘i le mea o lo ‘o lele mai ai le gogo sina. Sā ia va’aia le ‘ila’ila mai o fulu papa’etna o le gogo sina ina ‘ua suluia e ‘ave mālolosi o le lāoso i lenā taeao. Na lele latalata mai le gogo sina ma fa’atifa ifo ‘i ā Sina, ona toe lele fo’i lea ‘i luga. Sā va’aia e Sina, ‘ua toe lava ‘o le gogo sina o lo ‘o felelea’i i ona luga, ‘a ‘ua felelei ‘ese gogo uli. Na lagona e Sina Iona mana’o ‘i le gogo sina ina ‘ua ‘umi ona felelea’i le gogo sina ma fa’atifa mai ‘i ā te ia.

Sā taumafai fo’i Sina e pu’e mai le gogo sina ‘i ona lima. Peita’i, sā nā ‘o na tifa ifo o le gogo sina ma toe lele ‘ i luga, se’ ia o’ o ‘ ina lele atu 1 i le togāvao, ma ‘ua le toe iloa atu e Sina. Sā tagi Sina ‘ina ‘ua lele ‘ese lana gogo sina, ma 1 ua ia mana’ o fo’ i ‘ ina ‘ ia maua mai le gogo sina lā te nonofo. Sā fa’apa’ū ifo ‘i lalo Sina ma fa’anoanoa ai ‘ona ‘o le gogo sina. Na iloa mai e ona tuagane, ona ōnai lea ‘ua fesili ‘i ā Sina po ‘o le a le mea ‘ua tupu. ‘A e sa tali atu Sina e ō e su’e mai lana gogo sina ‘ua lele atu ‘i le togavao. Sa toe faiatu fo’i Sina, ‘ā fai e le maua mai lana gogo sina, ‘o le’a na le toe maua se fiafia i Iona ōlaga ‘ātoa. Sā popole tuagane o Sina ‘ona ‘o le faigata o le mea ‘ua tagi atu ai lo lātou tuafafine. ‘A e ui ‘i lea, sa latou faia pea le mea o lo ‘o mana’o ai lo latou tuafafine. ‘O le mea lea na lātou faiatu ai ‘i ā Sina, “Sau ia ‘oe, lo matou tuafafine, ‘e ui lava ‘ina faigata le mea ‘ua ‘e tagi mai ai, ‘a ‘o le’a matou o ‘uma e su’e mai lau gogo sina. ‘A e tautuanā mā ‘oe, Sina, ‘ia ‘e nofo pea i le fale, ‘aua ne’i ‘e alu ‘i fafo ma tauvala’au ai. ‘Ā fai matou te tuai mai, ‘a ‘ua ‘e fia’ai, ‘a iai mea’ai o lo ‘o sili i luga o le
tali tali o le fale.”

Sa fiafia tele Sina 1 le tonu ’ua faiatu e ona tuagane, ‘aua ‘a tonu o le vave ona maua mai lana gogo sina e ona tuagane. Ma sā alu ane loa Sina ‘ua nofo nā ‘o ia i le fale, ‘a ‘ua ō ona tuagane ‘uraa e su’e mai lana gogo sina. Sa fa alautata i i le togāvao le sa’iliga a le ‘auuso e to’asefulu. Sā lātou maulu i lalo o fa1 apuloulou ma fa’ atafatafa atu ‘ i 1 autafa o pupulā’ auX.
Tetele. Sa latou a’ea mauga ma ifo vanu ‘ona ‘o le sa’iliga lava o le gogo sina a lo latou tuaf af ine ‘ o Sina. ‘ A e paga lea, sa latou fiu e sā’ ili le gogo sina, ‘ a e sa le mafai lava ona lātou maua. ‘Ua ‘avea fo’i lea ma ala ‘ua fa’a’umi’umi ai le lātou sāiliga, ma ‘ua tuai ai ona latou fo’i ifo e va’ai lo lātou tuaf af ine o lo ‘o nofo na ‘o ia i le fale. ‘A ‘o le tama’ita’i ‘o Sina, ‘ua fiu fo’i ia e fa’atali mai ona tuagane. Ma ‘ua o’o ifo ‘i ā te ia le fiu e nofonofo to’atasi. ‘0 le mea la ‘ua tupu nei ‘i a Sina, ‘ua tauau ina ‘ uma Iona mana’o i le gogo sina, ‘a ‘ua oso a’e Iona alofa ‘i ona tuagane. Ma le isi mea, ‘ua ‘uma fo’i ana mea’ai, ma ‘ua tatau nei ona ia alu atu ‘i fafo o le fale e sa’ili nf ana mea’ai ma tauvala’au ona tuagane. ‘Ua galo nei ‘i ā Sina fa’atonuga ‘uma na faiatu ai ona tuagane ‘ona ‘ua fa1 atetele ane Iona fia’ai. ‘0 le mea lea na ia alu ai ‘i fafo o le fale, savali loa āga’i ‘i le togāvao. Sā ia tau fano atu fua’aina o la’au ma ‘ua ia ‘ai ai. Na ‘uma lea, ona ia savali lea ma tauvala’au ona tuagane.
Sā ia vala’ au, “Tui ma Tui ma Tui ma Tui ma Tui ma Tui ma Tui ma Tui ma
Tui ma Tui.”

Tālōfa e, ‘e leai se tasi na tali mai, ‘aua o lo ‘o mamao ‘ese le mea o lo ‘o iai ona tuagane. sā ia fa’aitiiti teisi atu ‘i luma, ona ia toe
vala’au fo’i lea, “Tin ma Tui ma Tui ma Tut ma Tut ma Tut ma Tut ma Tui ma
Tut ma Tui.”
Na lagona ane e le sau1 ai e igoa 1 i a Tuiletafu’ e le tauvala1 au a Sina, ona ia tali ane lea, “‘0 a’u lenei, sau ‘i ‘inei.”
Sa le toe fa’atali Sina, ‘a ‘ua memo’e loa ma le fiafia ‘i le mea o lo ‘o tali mai ai le tagata. Sa mcmo’e Sina ma Iona manatu ‘o se tasi o ona tuagane lea ‘ua tali mai ‘ i ā te ia. ‘A e tālōfa e, ‘o le’taimi lava na ia taunu’u ai ‘i le mea na sau ai le leo, na oso ane ai le sau’ai sa lafi i tua o le lā’au ma pu’e loa Sina. Sa te’i Sina ‘ ina ‘ua pa’i atu lima tala-tala o le sau’ai ‘i Iona tino. Sā ia tagi ‘ina ‘ua ia va’aia foliga ‘aule-aga ma taufulufulua o le sau’ai. Ma sā ia autafiti solo i Iona fa’ali’i, ma taumafai e tatala ‘ese lima lapopo’a o le sau’ai. ‘A e sā nā ‘o na ‘ata fa’amaela lava o le sau’ai ma fa’apea ana ‘upu, “Ha! ha! ha! ‘ua maua la’u mea’ai o le afiafi.”
Sa leai se ‘upu na tautala ai Sina, ‘a ‘ua na ‘o na tagi ma māfaufau ‘i ona tuagane. ‘A ‘o le sau’ai, sā ia tago atu ‘i ā Sina ‘ua si’i ‘i luga
ma savali loa ‘i Iona fale tele. Sā ia tu’u ‘i lalo Sina i le ‘ōgātotonu
o le fale, ma faiatu ‘i ai. “Nofo ‘i lalo e va’ili ‘utu o lo’u ulu. Ma ‘o
le’ā ‘ou le ‘aia ‘oe, ‘a ‘o le’ā fai ‘oe ma a’u āvā.”
Sā nofo ‘i lalo Sina, ‘a ‘o le sau’ai ‘ua ta’oto nei ma ‘aluga atu Iona ulu taugā’ele’elea ‘i vae o Sina. Sā tago ifo Sina ‘i lauulu māfiafia o le sau’ai ‘ua seluselu i ona tamatama’ilima. Ma ‘o lauulu o le sau’ai, ‘e le gata ‘ina ‘u’umi ma totoso solo ane i totonu o le fale, ‘a e māfiafia fo’i e pei ni maea. Sa lagona e le sau’ai le fiamoe ‘ona ‘o le mātematega o tamatama’ilima o Sina o lo ‘o seluselu ai ona lauulu, ma sā i’u lava ‘ina moe ai. Sa ta’agulugulu tetele le sau’ai ‘ina ‘ua gase lana moe. Ma sa manatu loa Sina, 1 ua tatau ona f o’ i ane ona tuagane 1 i lo lātou fale ma ‘ ua tatau fo’i ona crrei nei e su’e mai ia. ‘0 le mea lea na fa’ alototeleina ai Sina ma ‘amata loa ona toe tauvala’au ‘ i ona tuagane. Sa ia seluselu loa le ulu o le sau’ai ma vala’au, “Tui ma Tui ma Tui. ma Tui mg Tui.ma Tui ma Tui ma Tui ma Tui ma Tui.”

‘A ‘o’tuagane o Sina, na taunu’u ta’ito’atasi ane ‘i lo lātou fale ma itū’āigā gogo sina ‘ese’ese. Sa lātou le vā’aia le tino o Sina i le fale,
ona lātou toe ō lea e sā’ili mai lo lātou tuafafine. Na sese le itū o le togāvao na sā’ili ‘i ai Sina e ona tuagane mātutua e to’aiva. ‘A e na ‘o Iona tuagane la’ititi na alu atu sa’o ‘i le mea o lo ‘o iai le fale o le sau’ai. Na lagona e le ui’i ‘o Tui le va’alau mai.a Iona tuafafine, ona ia tagi lea ma vala’ au atu fa’ apenei:

Na lagona mai e Sina le tagi a Iona tuagane la’itiiti, ona ia tagi lea i Iona fiafia ma vala’au mai ‘i a Tui fa’apenei:

‘Aue, Tui e, sau Sau 1 i le fale
Na 1 ou vala’ au
‘A e oe mai ‘o ‘0 Tuiletafu’e ‘0 lo i le fale, ‘ua ta gagase,
‘ i ā Tui ma Tui, le tasi Tui, le moe nei, o tofa i o’u vae nei.
Na fa’alogo Tui la’itiiti ’i na ‘upu a Sina, ona ia mcmo’e atu lea ’i le mea o lo ‘o tagi mai ai Iona tuafafine. Sā va’aia e Tui le sau’ai lapo’a o lo ‘o ta’oto Iona ulu ’i vae o Iona tuafafine. Sā fefe Tui i le ulua’i taimi na ia va’aia ai le tino taufulufulua ma fōliga ‘auleaga o le sau’ai. ’E le gata ’i lenā, ‘a e sā ia va’aia fo’i le falala o la’au o lo ‘o i fafo o le fale pe ‘ā feula mai gutu o le sau’ai i lana ta’agulu. Sā māfaufau loa Tui ‘i se togafiti e fasioti ai le sau’ai. Sā ia iloa atu lauulu māfiafia o le sau’ai o lo ‘o ta’atitia solo mai totonu o le fale.
Ma sā ia alu atu loa ‘ua fili lauulu o le sau’ai ma noanoa i pou ‘uma o le fale. Sā ia tago atu fo’i ’i Iona tuafafine ‘ua fa’atu ’i luga, ma tāmono’e loa ‘i fafo o le fale. Sā lā ō atu ma tutū mamao mai, ma mātamata ’i le sau’ai, po ‘o le ā sana mea o le’a fai pe ‘a ala a’e nei.
‘ A ‘ o le sau1 ai ‘ ua ‘ āmata nei ona migoi Iona ulu ina ‘ ua leai ni vae na ‘aluga ’i ai Iona ulu.
Na vave ona ‘ uma le ta’ agulu a le sau’ ai ina ‘ ua liliu atu Iona ulu,
1 a e pei o lo 1 o taf uti atu e seisi ona lauulu. Sa ia toe liliu ane ‘ i le isi itū, ma fa’alogoina ai lava le mea e tasi. Sa ita tele le sau’ai ‘ina 1 ua na iloa ‘ ua noanoa ona lauulu ‘ i pou o Iona fale. ‘ 0 le mea lea na ia autafiti solo ai, ma ‘ ua ia taumafai fo ’ i e tu ’ i luga. ’ a e tālōfa e,’o le taxmi lava na ia tu ane ai ‘i luga, na ia toso fa’atasi mai ai i ona lauulu pou ‘uma o Iona fale. Ma sa ‘avea lea ma mea ‘ua pa’ū ifo ai le
fale ‘atoa ma tanumia ai le sau’ai, ma ‘ua oti ai.
Na iloa e Sina ma Tui ‘ua oti le sau’ai, ona lā tamcmo’e fiafia
lea e su’e mai isi Tui e to’aiva o lo ‘o latou tausu’e Sina i le isi itū
o le togavao. Na la maua latou ‘uma, ona latou toe fo’i f ~iaf ia fa’atasi ai lea ‘i lo latou fale.

There was a couple by the name of Tafitofau and Ogafau who had eleven children. The first ten were boys who were all named Tui, and Tui and Tui, and Tui, and Tui, and Tui, and Tui, and Tui, and Tui, and Tui followed by their only sister named Sina. Sina was the eleventh child.

This couple and their children lived near the end of the village by the seashore. This part of the village was always very breezy, and was the seagulls’ favorite place to congregate in the sky. They soared on the winds, and glided over the ocean. To view the gogo became a favorite pastime for Sina and her brothers who would leave the house and chase underneath the seagulls that were flying above. Sina especially loved to wake up in the earliest hours of the morning to watch the sky, and determine the point from which the seagulls began their flight, and discern where in the forest they were flying to next.

One morning, while Sina was watching the seagulls flying overhead, she noticed a rare white seagull flying among the other black seagulls.

She felt a chill throughout her body, since this was the first time she had seen a gogosina (white seagull). She was equally surprised that his white seagull could fly together with the black seagulls. She stood up and ran towards the point where the flight of the gogosina began. She saw the white feathers of the gogosina shine as the rays of the morning dawn reflected upon it. The gogosina flew downwards towards Sina, and then flew back high into the sky. Sina noticed that it was only the gogosina flying above her, and that the other black seagulls had flown away. Sina desperately longed for the gogosina as it circled above for a while and dipped its wings, diving closer to her. Sina even tried to capture the gogosina with her hands. Unfortunately, the gogosina glided towards her, but then flew up again and off into the forest where Sina could no longer see it. Sina cried as her gogosina flew away, for she had fallen in love with it, and wanted to catch and even marry the gogosina. She then fell upon the ground, saddened by her longing for the gogosina. Her brothers saw this and asked Sina what had happened. Sina replied, begging them to please go and search for the white gogosina who had flown away into the forest. Sina declared impetuously that if they could not find her gogosina, she would never find happiness for the rest of her life.

Sina’s brothers were very worried because their sister cried unceasingly, and had imposed a very difficult, if not impossible, task upon them. Nevertheless, they did as their sister requested, for they loved her and wanted her to be happy. For this reason, they said to Sina, “Come, our dear sister. Even though you have given us a difficult task, we will all go and look for your gogosina. But remember Sina, please stay home. Do not go out and call for it. If we are late in returning and you are hungry, there is food on the top shelf of the house. You do not have to go out,” they reminded her in stern warning.

Sina was so happy with her brothers’ decision, hoping they might bring her gogosina back soon. So Sina went home and stayed alone in the house while all her brothers went to the forest to look for her gogosina. The trail through the forest led the search for the ten brothers. They crawled under thick bushes and next to large wild trees. They climbed the high mountains, and down the valley in search of the gogosina for their sister Sina. Unfortunately, while they searched endlessly, they could not find the gogosina. The search took a long time, and delayed their return to check on their sister who remained alone at the house. Sina, too, was becoming impatient, since she had waited a long time for her brothers, weary of being left alone, and becoming hungry. Eventually, Sina began to lose interest in the gogosina as she became more concerned for her brothers who had been gone for such a long time. When she looked for food and could find none, she realized she must leave the house to find something to eat, and to call out for her brothers.

Sina had forgotten the careful instructions her brothers had given her, especially because she was getting hungry. She went outside her house and walked straight towards the forest, where she started to pick fruits from the trees, eating them as she walked along the path in search of her brothers. As she walked, she called out to her brothers, crying “Tui and Tui and Tui and Tui and Tui and Tui and Tui and Tui and Tui and Tui.”

Alas, her brothers were very far away, and did not answer. She then walked a little further and she called again, with greater urgency, “Tui and Tui and Tui and Tui and Tui and Tui and Tui and Tui and Tui and Tui”

As she walked alone in the forest, the sau’ai (evil giant spirit) named Tuiletafu’e had been watching her and listening as Sina when she called her brothers. Setting a trap for the unsuspecting girl, he responded to her without revealing himself, “Here I am, come here.”

Sina did not hesitate, but ran happily towards the location of the voice, assuming it was one of her brothers. But, to her shock and dismay, the moment she reached the spot where the voice came from, the sau’ai who had hidden himself behind a tree jumped out and captured her. Sina was terribly frightened when she felt the coarse and greedy hands of the sau’ai on her body. She cried when she saw the ugly face and the hairy features of the sau’ai. She struggled in fear and anger as she tried to free herself from the grasp of the large hands of the sau’ai. But the sau’ai only laughed mockingly and said, “Ha ha ha, I have found a delicious morsel of food for my supper!”

Sina did not utter a word but only cried and thought of her brothers. The sau’ai lifted Sina up and walked towards his big house. He placed Sina in the center of the house and told her, “Sit down and look for lice in my hair, and I will not eat you. Instead, I will make you my wife.”

Terrified, at this thought she considered worse than death itself, Sina sat down and did as she was told as the sau’ai laid down upon her and put his smelly head on Sina’s legs. Sina touched the thick hair of the sau’ai and combed it with her fingers. The hair of the sau’ai was not only long and dangled around the inside of the house, but it was also as thick as a rope. The sau’ai felt sleepy because of the touch of Sina’s fingers combing through his hair, and soon he fell asleep. The sau’ai began to snore loudly as he fell into a deep sleep. Sina worried, and thought her brothers should have returned home, despite that they were still on their way looking for her. Certain that they were near, Sina began to feel confident and bravely called out again to her brothers. She continued to comb the hair of the sau’ai while calling, “Tui and Tui and Tui and Tui and Tui and Tui and Tui and Tui and Tui and Tui.”

Sina’s brothers had arrived at home individually with different kinds of gogosina. When they did not see Sina at home they left at once to search for their sister. The nine older brothers went off in the wrong direction of the forest to look for her. But the youngest brother went straight to the place where the sau’ai’s house was located. The youngest of the Tui’s heard his sister’s call then he cried and answered like this:

Sau Fuga Sina, Sau Fuga Sina! Come Sina, Come Sina,

O le tama fafine o le feagaiga, The daughter of the covenant,

Na e tagi i le laumanu o le gogosina, You cried for your gogosina,

E te manamea i nai ona tifa, You take pride as she glides

Ifo manu, a’e mauga,  Through the valley and up the mountains

O au manu na ae ta alu ita, Those are your birds and I will go

Ne’i ta pa’u , ta lili’a, In case I fall and am lifted

Sina heard the cry of her youngest brother and she cried with joy and called out to Tui saying these words:

O Aue, Tui e sau ‘i le fale, Oh, Tui come to the house

Sau i le Fale ua ta gagase, Come to the house I am tired

Na ou vala’au ia Tui ma Tui, I called out to Tui and Tui

Ae oe mai ‘o le tasi Tui, But only one Tui answered

O Tuiletafu’e lea moe nei,  Tuiletafu’e is sleeping here

O loo tofa i o’u vae nei He is sleeping on my legs

The youngest Tui heard these words of Sina, and instantly ran towards the sounds of his sister crying. He was horrified when he saw the big sau’ai with his head laying on his sisters legs, and especially afraid when he first saw his hairy body and the ugly face. It was equally frightening to see the movement back and forth of the trees each time the sau’ai breathed in and out when he snored with a frightening, thunderous noise. Tui concentrated as hard as he could for his very young years, and finally thought of a way to kill the terrible giant. He saw the thick hair of the sau’ai scattered all over the house.

While the sau’ai slept and snored, he braided sections of the sleeping, snoring sau’ai’s hair and tied one braid to every pole of the house. When he was finished, he stood his sister up, and they ran out of the house together. They went as far away as they could, and then stopped and stood still, waiting and watching to see what the sau’ai would do when he awoke. Finally, the sau’ai started to move about when he sensed, in his sleep, there were no longer Sina’s soft legs underneath his hairy head.

He abruptly stopped his snoring when he tried to turn his head, and suddenly felt as if someone was pulling on his hair. He then turned towards the other side and felt the same sensation. The sau’ai was very upset when he saw that his hair was braided to the poles of his house. Seeing this, he reacted violently, thrashing about as he tried to stand up. But as soon as he stood up, he pulled all of his hair and with it every single pole of his house. This caused the whole house to come crashing down upon him, which buried the sau’ai and immediately killed him.

Hearing this noise behind them, Sina and Tui knew the sau’ai died. They were not concerned any more as they ran happily to find the other brothers who were still searching for Sina on the other side of the forest. Soon enough, they found one another, and all returned home together happily. Thankfully, Sina realized how much she loved her brothers, and would never again risk them for the childish love of a gogosina.

 

Note: HTC Fofo Sunia, in “Sina and her Lover- the Gogosina”, in Samoan Legends of Love and Courtship, pp 6-9, tells a different version of this story. Here, Sina’s brothers collaborate and cooperate to rescue her from the giant, in the same clever manner, but thereafter, return to the forest to seek the gogosina so that Sina and the bird can marry. Sina is obviously unlike most girls, since, in this version she is the equal of her brothers, if not unsurpassable, in games and sports, and becomes erotically attached to the gogosina who instantly returns her passionate gaze, and, in the end, is married to her.