(Melanesia is one of the three large groups of islands in the Pacific Ocean that are collectively known as “Oceania". The islands lie northeast of Australia. Melanesia comprises the islands of Fiji, New Caledonia, New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.)
nce upon a time there were no oceans. There were only deserts and vast open spaces, green fields, rocky patches and mountains. People fished in the rivers and lakes. If they wanted to go swimming or boating, that is where they went.
But somewhere near the bottom of a steep hill was a tiny little pool, well hidden among the bushes that grew there. It was so small that you could easily jump across it. The water of the pool was a clear blue. A woman who lived nearby discovered the pool accidentally one day when she came near the hill to collect firewood. As she looked at the pool in surprise and saw the clear blue water, she remembered that she was thirsty. She tried to drink the water but found it salty. But although she did not feel like drinking the water she rather liked the taste of salt and guessed it would make her cooking tastier. Just then she had nothing to carry the water in. So she went back home. But she returned the next day with a pan and carried the salty water home. She cooked a stew with the same water and waited to see what her family would say.
“What wonderful stew!" said her husband. “How come it tastes so different today? What did you put into it?"
“Mama, the stew tastes lovely," added her first son. “It’s very different from your usual cooking. I wonder why."
“I can see nothing different," said her second son, “it has the same carrots, turnips, potatoes, beans and pieces of meat. Why does it taste so different?"
“I really can’t say. It tastes the usual to me," said the woman.
She had already made up her mind to keep the pool a secret. She did not want other prying eyes discovering it and taking the special water away. She was afraid that her naughty sons would mess about in the pool and make the water dirty and tell the entire village about it. So she told them nothing. But she continued to go to the pool every day and fetch a pan of water for her cooking. She took care to go there at a time when no one was around. She also took a piece of cloth with her the next time and covered up the pool and put stones on the edges so that the cloth might not blow away with the wind.
