07/15/2024 | 8m 31s | Video has closed captioning.
When a prince is cursed to become an eel and has to win the love of a beautiful woman to become human again, he gifts her with his body in the form of a coconut palm tree in a seductive display.
Aired: 07/15/24
Expires: 07/14/26
Hanuj.
Hanujakia rogrog on Sina ma Tinirau.
Once upon a time, frigate birds were guardian ancestors.
From their lofty place in the sky, they could see when a human was overfishing and when a storm was coming!
On the day of this story, Tinirau was being greedy again.
Oh, Tinirau was a very greedy man.
So the ancestors cursed him to become an eel.
Now Tinirau had to wait, and wait, and wait, for Sina to love him.
Long ago, on the island of Rotuma in Fiji, there lived a girl called Sina.
Song composers compared Sina's beauty to the light of a full moon.
Sina carved weapons from the hearts of trees, hunted wild boars, and befriended sharks.
Oh, Sina loved playing with sharks.
but one morning, she met a stranger.
What is your name?
Aaah!
Eww!
Is your name Ugly?
Oh, come on... Be nice to me!
I took more from the ocean than I needed and now I'm cursed.
Only Sina's LOVE can change me back into a prince again!
But you're so ugly!
Because you think I'm just an eel!
What are you then?
A prince!
I'm Sina!
I have white skin.
And I'm beautiful.
I'm Tinirau.
Son of a Fijian chief!
Do you love me now?
If you stop being greedy, then maybe.
Sina lingered because the eel was fun.
When Sina told her brothers that a big black eel was flirting with her, they were very angry.
They asked her to lure the eel to shore so they could meet him.
Do you love me Sina?
I don't know...I'm so confused.
Take me home with you.
Bury my head and a niu tree will sprout.
Use every part of me to sustain yourself.
Husk my coconut and you'll see two eyes and a mouth.
Open my mouth and drink my water.
And when you do, you'll be kissing me.
When everyone was sleeping, Sina snuck out to husk the coconut and to look for the eel's two eyes and mouth.
Oh how Sina longed to see Tinirau again.
Is your name Ugly?
Tinirau!
Tinirau!
Tinirau!
Ma ta' ma maria ma ofsia.
