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English version

English version of the story 

In English, this story by Lesieli Kupu MacIntyre is:

The fono

page 2

Lika, Nuku, and I are watching TV in the lounge.
Nena comes in.
“Do you want to come to the fono?” she asks.
“I’m tired,” says Lika.
Nuku and I keep quiet.
We just want to watch TV.
Nena returns to her room.
I go to Nena’s room.
“Sorry, Nena! I’d like to go to the fono with you.”

page 3

“Good, ‘Alipate,” Nena says. “Quick! Get ready and we’ll go.”
I quickly put on my good clothes,
comb my hair, and go to Nena’s room.
Nena is wearing her best dress.
“You look awesome, Nena,” I say.

page 4

We arrive at the school hall.
I unfold our mat, and we sit down on it.
“Good morning.
Can I sit with you on your mat?”
I look up. A man wearing a grey tupenu is smiling at me.
“Of course!” we say.

page 5

In a few minutes, I hear, “Excuse me!”
And a lady sits on our mat.
I move over to make room.
“Excuse me!”
“Excuse me!”
I count the people sitting on our mat –
“One, two, three, four, five!”
Phew, it’s crowded!”
I squeeze close to Nena to make room.
Nena smiles at me.

page 6

The leader of the fono comes in.
He greets the crowd.
“Good morning, everyone.”
The man on our mat says a prayer.
Then we all say the Lord’s Prayer together.
Then the leader of the fono reads out the monthly news.

page 7

I feel hungry and thirsty.
But I keep quiet.
The fono is finished. We are ready to go.
One lady gets up from our mat.
She gives me a banana.
Another lady gets up.
She gives me a big red apple.
Then the man gives me a mango.
“Thanks for sharing your mat,” he says.

page 8

At home, I put the mango in the fridge.
“This is for Mum.”
I cut the big red apple into four pieces.
I cut the banana into four pieces.
I give Nena a piece of banana and a piece of apple.
“Nena, this is for you,” I say.
“This is what’s left.”
I call my brother and sister.
“Lika, you’re the eldest, this is for you.
Nuku, you’re the youngest, this is for you.”
Together, we eat our banana and apple.
“Yum! Delicious!”
Nena smiles happily at me.
“Good, ‘Alipate,” she says.


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