THE COCONUT TREE

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22465, 28 July 1938, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE COCONUT TREE

(By Noela Cunningham; Rarotonga)

In the days of long ago, says an island story, the world was inhabited by only three people, two men and a woman. One of the men, Romo was his name; was a handsome, lithe, young warrior, with whom beautiful Ina was greatly in love. Now Tere (the other man) was also in love with Ina, but, alas! his appearance was such that no one could IbVe" him. His'body was that of a; snake, but his ugly wizened head was the head ■ of a man. Mad with rage and sorrow Tere begged Ina to kill him and bury his remains in the garden outside her home. Wonderingly, Ina obeyed, and the body of Tere was reverently lowered into the earth. Time passed, and Ina and Romp lived happily together, when, one day, as Ina was working in the garden she spied - a little shoot peeping through the earth. It was on the very spot where they had buried .poor Tere. Day after day she watched it growing; year folyear as the long snake-like trunk stretched towards the sky *nH the feathery leaves topped the

hard, fibre-covered nut on which can still plainly be seen the eyes, nose, and mouth of Tere. whose spirit had returned as a tree to live in the world for evermore. Now the coconut trees are. the most valued of all tropical plants, for they provide food, drink, and clothing to the natives of the islands wherein they grow. The strong fibre-covered nuts supply food and drink all the year round, and the dried flesh is made into copra,- from . which we. ..get soap, glycerine,, coconut oil, and many other ~ valuabfr products. Last year in Pehrhyn, the northernmost island in the Cook group, the natives lived for several monthsentirely on coconuts and fish, for the schooners had been delayed and supplies were running low. From the broad leaves baskets and hats are plaited and roofs are thatched. This thatching will last for three years without having to be renewed. The wood is carved into many useful bowls.. The bark is burnedand turned into charcoal. The cleaned shells are used for dishes and; are also made into many quaint and ' pjretty , buttons, buckles, and bracelets. So it is easily understood why the coconut tree is so highly valued, as it has been proved time and time again to be such a wonderful friend to man, - ■ .. i