IN the old days on Tonga, there lived a ruler who was very cruel, so much so that his subjects dreamt of overthrowing him. Many talked about it but finally a courageous man decided to do something about it. He organized his followers and developed a plan of action, but before he could make his move he was betrayed by a close associate. The cruel ruler learned of the plot and had the man arrested, to be killed along with all his family to leave no none behind to avenge him.
One of the brave man’s daughters would certainly have been killed along with the others if it had not been for the generous and bold efforts of a young man who took a liking to her. It so happened that the young man was himself a chief of another clan and was a friend of the brave man who was to be killed. He despised the cruel ruler as much as anyone, and he held a secret. Only he knew about the cavern of Hunga.
The cavern was a wonder of nature. It had small cracks to let in light and air, but the only opening large enough for a person to get through came up from the ocean. He found it quite unexpectedly while fishing the reef and decided to keep its whereabouts to himself in the event he may need a hideout someday.
The young chief, in love with the imperiled daughter, decided to use the cavern to hide the woman he loved. The truth was, he had been in love with her for some time but had not made his feelings known. Now, with her life in jeopardy, he had no choice but to act.
He rushed to the woman and told her there was no time to lose. She would certainly be killed but he had a means of escape. She must trust him. Without thinking, she took his hand and the two fled into the jungle, moving swiftly but quietly to avoid those looking for them. They made their way to the beach where he told her to hold her breath, then they dove under the water and swam toward the entrance to the cavern.
The woman did not know what to expect, of course. She had no knowledge of the cavern, so imagine her surprise when they surfaced into the sanctuary. Her life was to be spared, her deliverer had arrived. The young man told her to wait there; he would bring her food and water until the time arrived to make their escape.
Each day the man lived in the village and made his presence known to as many as possible. From all the commotion it was clear that the cruel ruler had every man out looking for the missing woman, and the young man did not want to act suspiciously. He performed his normal work, then snuck out to the cavern whenever he could, taking the woman sustenance but also mats to lie on, sandalwood oil, fresh clothes and anything else he could to make her more comfortable.
The day of deliverance had arrived. The young man told his friends that he was taking a canoe to Fiji, and anyone who wished to join him could. They asked if he would take a wife first so that she could accompany him to the new place, to which he said no. When they paddled past the spot on the reef where the cavern was, he suddenly dove into the water. His companions thought something had fallen overboard and he went to retrieve it, but when he did not return after a few minutes they grew nervous. Had he drowned? Should someone dive in to look for him? Just then, the man surfaced with his lover. Imagine the surprise among the others. One person went into the sea and two came out. Since they had no knowledge of the cavern, they had no explanation for the appearance of the woman, someone they knew well but thought was dead along with her family.
The canoe made haste to Fiji before anyone could realize what happened. The couple married and stayed on Fiji for two years until news came that the cruel ruler on Tonga had died. They returned to Tonga and the young man claimed the throne. They lived a long and happy life.
BC Cook, PhD lived on Saipan and has taught history for 20 years. He currently resides on the mainland U.S.
BC Cook
