Stories From Kiribati

Japanese soldiers were in Kiribati during World War 2. They forced people to work for them.

In one occasion, a soldier pointed his gun to an I-Kiribati who was not cooperating. The soldier warned, “Get to work or I will shoot you!”

The man replied, “Once you shoot then I will kill you!”

The villagers were sitting on one side of the mwaneaba (hall) while the medical team was on the other. It was the time for registration. People, one at the time, went forward to the nurse who was sitting at her table. She was very smart in asking and writing the names in her book. 

“Aram taiaoka (name please)? .. okay .. Bongi ni bung (date of birth)? .. okay” and her pen ran smoothly and swiftly as she wrote in her book. Then she would call for another person in E...

My seven year old daughter was watching her mother eating her meal of boiled breadfruit and salt fish. All of a sudden, she asked her mom, “Kamai berona bwa kanau!”

I thought my ears went wrong so I listened carefully if she would ask again … and she did, “Mummy ngka berona bwa kanau!” this time she was actually pointing to the seed of the breadfruit.

Well, I laughed … ‘cos it sounded funny and strange. But I knew why s...

People decided that, at confession, they would say ‘fell from the bridge’ instead of ‘adultery’. They did so because their old priest got fed up of hearing them saying ‘adultery’. Knowing nothing of the change, the priest was then happy that nobody committed adultery any more.

Things went fine for weeks, but then the priest became suspicious. He began to get fed up again, this time, with ‘fell from the bridge’.

&...

As a teacher entered the classroom, her students started complaining and telling on Tioti - one of their classmates. “Miss, please, put Tioti’s name on fatigue or detention. He deserves punishment for what he has done!”

“Why should I? What did he do wrong?” the teacher asked.

“He’s a stealer. He stole a buraa (bra) … Miss Reei’s buraa!” the kids reported to the teacher.

The teacher looked around for Ti...

[It was during a wrestling match held on one of the outer-islands]

The sports commentator announced the names of the next wrestlers, “Ruuka versus Marabu”. The two young men walked into the field, tied their lavalava tightly and began pulling and pushing each other.

“Who is going to win the match?” the crowd watched this battle with excitement.

All of a sudden, Ruuka sent out a loud fart which surprisingly blew his opponent onto the ground. Laughter ...

Two fishermen (old man and his neighbour) went out fishing on an outrigger canoe when a storm broke out. As the storm eased, the fishermen lost sight of their island. After days of drifting without seeing an island, they became helpless and hopeless so they finally decided to pray for help from heaven; “You say our prayer because you are a faithful christian,” said the old man.

The man agreed and began,”Dear lord, have mercy on us and please bring us back to our islan...

“People were sad because of you!” the missionary told his wife.

“Why? What did I do wrong?” inquired the wife.

“You’ve never started the hymn in the church. You ain’t like the wife of the missionary who recently worked here. That’s what people said!” replied the missionary. “They also said that they were so unlucky to have a missionary whom his wife couldn’t start the hynm inside the church”

“Well...

Motiimoa, a church deacon, led a sunday prayer service in his village. People bowed their heads, closed their eyes and listened cautiously to the deacon.

"Let us pray," the deacon spoke loudly, "Heavenly father, thank you for the love and care you have given us. I went fishing yesterday, and luckily caught seven huge yellowfin tuna. But I didn't want my family to selfishly consume all the fish by themselves because I wanted to share your love to other people. So I cut up the biggest tun...

One day a doctor came to Abemama Island to carry out medical inspections to the public. He and his team of three nurses sat inside the mwaneaba (hall) waiting for anyone. But nobody had courage to go forward as the people were too shy.

The doctor encouraged the crowd, "Abemamans, we came all the way from Tarawa to offer you medical inspection and help. Don't be shy. Our team is experienced and we aren't new to every part of the body. If you are sick, please come forward."

But Abe...

A new missionary was invited to a funeral feast held in his village. Before his arrival, the MC (Master of Ceremony) of the feast reminded everyone to keep quiet and pay respect and attention to the missionary when he came.

Half hour later, the missionary - looking holy and formal - arrived with his wife. Everybody began to settle and pay attention.

"Come over the missionary! Sit there on the mat with your wife." the MC called out.

After washing their feet with water set for...