The Story of Eigigu
The Story of Eigigu's Tree
There was once a woman who lived with her husband and three
daughters onNauru. The woman's name was Eigigu and this also was
the name of her three daughters. Her husband's name was Gadia. One
day, the woman was working when the eldest of her daughters called
out to her and told her that her first menstruation had begun.
Thereupon, the mother told her the girl to go to her father, Gadia,
and ask him for the customary ornaments to wear. So the eldest
daughter did as her mother, told her. Soon after, the second
daughter also called out to her mother, and her that she had begun
to menstruate for first time. The mother spoke to her as she had
done to the eldest girl, and sent her to obtain ornaments from her
father. A little time afterwards, the third and youngest of the
daughters called out to her mother and informed her that she also
had attained puberty. But the mother was angry now, and scolded the
girl so that, instead of going to her father to get her ornaments,
she went away sadly towards the beach. But as she was going she
found a seed lying in her path. She continued to water it regularly
and it grew taller and taller, until, at last, it reached the sky.
Then she climbed up it; as she climbed she broke off the branches
beneath her so that no one else could climb up after her.
At last she reached the sky. There she found an old blind woman
who was cooking toddy. She sat besides her, watching, and presently
she took one of the coconut shells and drank it contents. The old
blind woman, feeling among her shells could not make out why there
seemed to be one missing, but she did not suspect that anyone was
there who could have stolen it.
Then Eigigu took another shell and drank the syrup in t hat
also. Afterwards she drank the contents of yet a third. When she
had missed three of her coconuts, the old woman realized that there
must be someone nearby who was taking them, and she determined to
catch this person. Eigigu did not realize her danger but continued
to catch this person. Eigigu did not realize her danger but
continued to drink up the syrup in one shell after another. Now,
there were no less than thirty shells of toddy syrup, and Eigigu
was just about to drink from the thirtieth shell when the old woman
seized her wrist and held her fast. Then Eigigu became very
frightened and promised that she would serve the old woman all her
life, if only she would release her. But the old woman was
obstinate, and said, 'No, you shall wait until my three sons come
home'. Then Eigigu pleaded again, and said that she would cure the
old woman's blindness. To this the old woman agreed. Eigigu then
muttered a spell and blew into the old woman agreed. Eigigu the
muttered a spell and blew into the old woman's eyes. She blew from
them lizards and all varieties of insects, and, when they had all
come out, the old woman expected her sons to return, she told
Eigigu to go and hide herself in a large clam shell which lay
nearby, and exhorted her not to move on any account, lest one of
her sons should discover her.
Eigigu did as she was bid and, no sooner was she hidden, the old
woman's eldest son arrived. His name was Ekwan (the sun). When he
came to where his mother was sitting, he looked about him and said,
'I smell something new!' But his mother pretended that she was
still blind and said, 'You are hungry, you had better go somewhere
and find someone to eat'. So Ekwan went away to seek food
elsewhere.
Soon afterwards, the old woman's second son arrived. He was
called Debao (the thunder). He too sniffed at the air and said to
his mother, 'Mother, I smell something new!' but again the old
woman pretended to be blind still, and said to him, 'You are
hungry, and you better go and look for someone to eat'. So Debao
also went away.
At last the old woman's third son arrived. He was called Maramen
(the moon). He also said, 'Mother, I smell something new!' Then she
answered him saying, 'Go and look inside that clam shell over
there'. So he went to where the clam shell was, and opened it and
inside he found Eigigu. He pulled her out from her hiding place.
Then his mother raised her eyelids, which she had kept lowered in
her pretended blindness, and said to Maramen, 'Look at my eyes, I
am no longer blind. That girl cured me'. Then she told Maramen that
he was to marry Eigigu, and to care for her well because she had
given his mother her sight. So Maramen married Eigigu, and at night
you may still often see them. Maramen holding Eigigu in his arms
(the old moon with the young moon in his arms). You can also see
the steam rising from the coconut shells in which the old woman is
cooking her toody syrup, for this is the clouds in the sky. The old
woman's name is Enibarara.