The Father Rock

This traditional Ni-Vanuatu legend was related to me by George Loren Wowodal, an elder and son of a chief from the small island of Wala, off the North-Eastern coast of Malacula. He took my family and I around his island, telling us its history and myths - of how a man had once thrown a javelin across the strait to land on the neighbouring island; of the two caves from which the sun and the moon had once emerged; of how, when Europeans brought firearms, men would sit on a fortifying rock and shoot at the light of the cooking-fires which shone on the next island over; of how his father, who had tasted human flesh in his childhood and claimed it to be "better than chicken" had been drafted for jungle-fighting in South Asia in WWII. And he told us this story, of the Father Rock, a flat, low coral slab which the waves break over on the shoreline, and how it once traveled to the island of Ambae and back.

The Story of the Father Rock:
A Legend from Wala Island, Vanuatu
Retold by Bradley Clements, 2004

The night was calm. Only the low rumble of swell on the shoreline creased the tranquility of Wala Island. Aviti woke her sister, Maliti, who rose reluctantly.
"What is it?", she asked sleepily.
"Now is a good time to collect the shellfish from the Father Rock", replied Aviti. The girls left the hut and walked carefully through the jungle of Wala Island. They descended the coral cliff which surrounded the island and walked across the beach to the Mother Rock from which they crossed the coral slabs. They held their grass skirts above the water as they waded out to the large flat Father Rock. By the starlight they could see five large cowrie shells in a water-filled hole in the side of the rock. Aviti tried to reach them, but the entrance of the hole was to small for her hand to fit. Maliti also tried, but in vain. After a long time they gave up and sat on the rock.
Suddenly, to their great surprise, the rock leaped up and began running out to sea!!! The two girls sat terrified as the Father Rock ran farther and farther out to sea!
"Look!” cried Maliti pointing to the far horizon the rock was racing for. A silhouette like that of a huge thunder cloud was rapidly approaching. Soon, however, it became apparent that it was an island and the rock was hurrying towards it and it appeared to have no intention to stop. The island got closer and closer, then suddenly ... WHAM!!! The Father Rock hit the shore with such a force that the two girls flew off, landing hard on the sharp coral stones of the island. They got up, bleeding from their fall, saltwater dripping from their fuzzy, black hair and their dark skin covered with goosebumps from the chilly sea breeze.
They peered at the Father Rock, but it was still. They tried to move it, but nothing they did could make it budge so they sat of the beach and cried themselves to sleep on the island of Ambae.
The next morning Maliti shook Aviti awake telling her she was hungry. The two sisters wandered up the jungley slope until they came to a clearing. Two ladies were there and the sisters overheard them talking. "Look at my husband's pig. See how fat it has grown? Soon we all have a feast and everyone can admire its great size and taste!" Still talking the two ladies walked away.
"We must wait here. I have an idea to get food for us", said Aviti. Soon after the lady who had been talking reappeared with a basket of coconut meat. She dumped its contents on the ground before the pig which began to eat. The lady turned and left. Aviti whispered, "Quick, Maliti! Follow me." She ran at the pig which squealed and ran in fright. The girls scooped up the coconut meat and ate it.
They used the same method to collect their food twice a day and the pig grew thinner and thinner. The lady was very worried about it and after about a month she decided to hide and see if the pig ate its coconut. Sure enough the two sisters ran out and chased the pig away then sat down to eat the coconut.
Anger welled up in her and she charged out and chased them away. As they ran Aviti grabbed two chickens off the path and Maliti scooped up an arm full of yams from a pile next to a house. They raced down to the shoreline at the place where the Father Rock stood silently. The girls began to cry. Aviti suddenly stood up and threw the yams and chickens onto the rock and cried, "Oh, Father Rock! We give you these gifts and beg you to return us to our home, Wala Island!"
For what seemed like an age the rock showed no sign of life. But then it suddenly leaped up and they sprang on top of it. The Father Rock again rushed across the sea. "We are going home!” the girls yelled together. Soon Wala Island was coming nearer, nearer...

This is the story of the Father Rock.