Category: Story

My first ebook in Tongan: The Hungry Little Mouse

Published on by Hema Fifita1 Comment

As promised, I have finally uploaded my first ebook onto youtube. This has been such a labour of love made only possible with faith that the Tongan Language School (Sydney) had in me. The goal was to make an engaging resource that our digital kids today would like. My kids gave it the two thumbs up so iʼm hopeful that you guys will to.

Tips on how to use this as a resource:

  1. Please share with all your family, friends, and Tongan language teachers you know.
  2. Play it for your kids or nephews & nieces, and practise speaking
  3.  If you can, mute it and read it allowed. Iʼm sure your voice will be much more better than mine.
  4. Get your kids thinking in Tongan or English with some questions like what do you think is going to happen? Ko e hā meʻa ʻe hoko mai? What do you think happens to the mouse at the end? Ko e hā meʻa ʻe hoko ki he kumaá?
  5. Learn the days of the week by asking sequence questions What did the mouse eat on Monday? Ko e hā meʻa ne kai e kumaá he ʻaho Mōnite?

Did you like it? Share your thoughts

Ka ʻi ai ha tō nounou pea kātakiʻi pe au. Hangē ko e lau ko e feinga pe maʻae fānau ke nau maʻu ha loto fiefia ʻo kau ai mo ha ako ki he lea faka-Tongá.

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Fuaʻamotu and the white horse

Published on by Hema FifitaLeave a comment

This is the story of how Fuaʻamotu got the nickname, the white horse. Ko e tala eni ʻo e hoosi teaʼ ʻa ia ko e hingoa fakateneteneʼ ʻa Fuaʻamotu.

hoositea

Fuaʻamotu, a town in Tongatapu has the unusual nickname of hoosi tea’ which means the white horse. According to oral stories, this name came about during the time of Tungi vaivai, either the father or grandfather of Queen Saloteʼs husband, Tungī Mailefihi. He had a brother who lived in Fuaʻamotu and who would often ride his white horse to visit Tungī vaivai in Mu’a. On one of these occasions, Tungī vaivai heard the trotting steps of a horse and he asked his minders who was that trotting towards them.

Ko hai ‘ena ‘oku patupatū mai? his people replied “Ko e hoosi teaʼ”
Who is that trotting towards us? his people replied, it is the white horse. That is how Fuaʻamotu came to be known as ʻThe white horseʼ town.

Ko e tala ʻo e hoosi teaʼ

Ko e hingoa fakateneteneʼ ʻa Fuaʻamotu ne faʻu ia he taimiʼ ‘o Tungī vaivai ʻa ia ko e tamaiʼ pe ko e kuiʼ ʻa Tungī Mailefihi. Naʻe nofo ha tangataʻeiki ʻi Fuaʻamotu pea naʻaʼne faʻa ʻaʻahi ange ki Muʻa ʻo vakaiʻi ʻene taʻokete ko Tungī vaivaiʼ. ʻI he ʻaho e taha ne fanongo ʻa Tungī vaivai ki he patupatū ʻo pehe ʻange ki heʻene kau tauhi “Ko hai ʻena ʻoku patupatū mai?” Ne tali e kau Muʻa “Ko e hoosi teaʼ”. Aʻu ki he ʻahoʼni kuo ʻiloa hingoa fakatenetene ʻa Fuaʻamotu ko e hoosi teaʼ.

(Anyone who wants to correct my Tongan composition please feel free to do so.)