By: Garry Fourman

On a mild morning during my final weeks in Fiji, I visited a small fishing village, gathering material for a project on how storytelling can be used effectively in teaching. I sat on a beach with an elder under rustling coconut trees, watching the tide. The warm air carried the scent of sea and earth, and the ocean breeze moved like a gentle whisper onto the shore, as if the island itself were preparing to speak.

“Let me tell you,” the elder began, his eyes sparkling in the morning light, “how our people first learned to tell stories.” His voice was calm, taking on the gentle rhythm of the waves, and he began a tale not just of his ancestors, but of story itself.

“Long, long ago, in the days when the world was still being formed, Degei, the mighty serpent god, ruled the skies and seas and shaped the islands of Fiji with his powerful coils. Not long after, his companion, a giant white hawk named Turukawa, laid eggs in a nest at the base of a mountain on the largest island and abandoned them.

When Degei returned to the islands, he was surprised to find the abandoned nest and eggs. He protected them for many days. From the eggs hatched tiny, beautiful humans. He nurtured them as they grew and multiplied. Degei provided them with an abundance of fish, roots, vegetables, and fruits, as well as the trees and plants they needed for food, shelter, and clothing. He also gave them coconuts, pineapple, and kava. Once Degei saw that the people were strong and happy, he flew to the Nakavadra Mountains to rest.

From afar, Turukawa saw how the people had flourished under Degei’s care. She returned to the island and circled high above the mountain calling ‘come, come, come.’ When the people had gathered on the beach at the foot of the mountain, she landed on a high cliff and spoke:

‘I bring you three gifts.

I give you the skill to ask questions so that you may always be curious about your world.

I give you the ability to solve problems so that your questions may be answered, and you will grow and move forward.

And finally, I give you the art of storytelling so that you can share knowledge with future generations.’

The people’s eyes sparkled with wonder, as they embraced these gifts.

Thus,” the elder concluded, “knowledge began to thrive among us.”

He looked at me, a quiet smile on his dark, weathered face. His story was finished, but my understanding was just beginning. In that moment, I saw my project clearly: it would be an exploration of Turukawa’s three gifts in the modern world: for the curiosity, the problem-solving, and the shared narratives that still bind people together. It all started here, on this beach, with a story about the first story.

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Garry Fourman, a freelance writer, teacher, trainer, and volunteer, served as an English Language Fellow sponsored by the U.S. Department of State at Fiji National University. He studied linguistics and German literature in Marburg, Germany, and later earned a PhD from the University of Cincinnati. He was the founding chair of the Language Department at Columbus State.