Parrot to the Rescue in Samoan by Mia Bowen Copyright © 2014. All Rights Reserved
	Jack and Lisa were on school holidays, but it hadn't been a fun holidays yet. It had been raining every day!
"Look!" cried Jack, pointing out the window. "Finally the sun is out!" "Why don't you go on a picnic? You can spend all day outside," suggested Mum.
	First they went down to the shed to find Pita. "Tālofa! ‘O fea a tātou ō ai nei?" squawked Pita.
"Tātou ō ‘i le vaituloto mō lā tātou pikiniki," replied Jack.
	"Tātou ō ‘i le vaituloto!" squawked Pita. And with a big flap of the wings, he was off leading the way up the path.
"‘Ua vevela," said Lisa, wiping her face with her hand. "‘Ua ‘ou mana‘omia se mea e inu." "‘Ua ‘ou fia inu fo‘i," said Jack. "‘O fea le vaitīpolo?"
Suddenly, something large swooped down from the sky towards Lisa. Lisa screamed, "Auoi!! Fesoasoani! Fesoasoani mai ‘iā te a‘u!"
It was a ferocious magpie and she was on the attack. She thought they were too close to her nest.
"‘O le ā mea ‘ua tupu?" cried Jack in alarm. "Alu ‘ese!" shouted Jack, flapping his arms around his head as the magpie targeted him. "‘Ole‘ā ‘ou fesoasoani atu!" squawked Pita. He chased the magpie high up into the tree, while Jack and Lisa disappeared down the path.
	They ran and ran and ran until they were out of breath ... "Slow down!" cried Lisa. "I think we're lost! I can't see the way to the lake any more."
Lisa looked up into the sky and saw Pita flying above. "Fa‘atali, Pita!" called Lisa. "‘Ua mā leiloloa! ‘O fea le ‘auala? ‘Ua mā lē mauaina."
	"E mafai ona ‘ou su‘eina mō ‘oulua!" squawked Pita as he zoomed down through the trees and along the path. "Mulimuli mai ‘iā te a‘u!" he screeched.
"Alu lēmū!" puffed Jack. "E lē mafai ona mā felelei pei o ‘oe! E tatau ona mā ui atu ‘i le togāvao," he called.
"‘Ae ā le vaituloto lale!" cried Lisa.
"Fa‘afetai mō lau fesoasoani, Pita!" said Jack. "E lē āfāina," replied Pita, preening his feathers in embarrassment.
	They sat down beside the lake and started to set up their picnic.
First, they started with some fruit. Pita called out as his favourite food appeared out of the backpack ...
"... ‘o se peach, ‘o ni strawberries, ‘o ni apricots, ‘o se fa‘i, ‘o se moli ..."
"... ‘o ni cherries, ‘o se pear, ‘ ‘o ni vine ..."
Pita eyed all the food with interest as it was placed on the picnic blanket. "‘Ua ‘ou fia ‘ai lava. E mafai ona ‘ou tofo ‘i le keke lenā?" he asked, bobbing his head towards a slice of fruit cake.
...............	"‘Aua ‘e te ‘aia!" said Lisa, grabbing the cake. "‘Ua tumu ai loi." She tried to brush all the ants off. It was difficult. "‘Ua fia ‘ai loi ..." said Jack. "Ma e fiafia ‘i keke." "‘Aua ‘e te lua popole!" squawked Pita. "‘Ou te fiafia ‘i keke ‘ou te fiafia fo‘i loi!" Lisa raised her eyebrows at Jack. "Ugghhhh!" laughed Jack and Lisa together.
"Le falaoa!" squawked Pita. "Na ‘e manatua le falaoa?" "‘Ioe," replied Lisa. "E le‘i galo ‘iā te a‘u." Pita happily grabbed a chunk of bread in his beak.
"E iai sau sisi?" asked Jack. "‘O lea lava! ‘A lea," replied Lisa as she pulled it out of the backpack. "‘Aumai fo‘i ma se naifi fa‘amolemole," he added. "Fa‘afetai," mumbled Jack through a mouthful of cheese and bread. They all ate for a while, chatting and laughing together.
"‘Ua lava lenā?" asked Lisa. "E toe ‘avatu?" "Leai ... ‘Ua tīgā lo‘u manava. Masalo ‘ua fai sina tele," said Jack. "Leai!" squawked Pita. They all laughed.
They spent the rest of the afternoon climbing trees, exploring and running around.
The sun was starting to get very low in the sky. "‘Ua fai sina tuai," squawked Pita. "‘Ioe, ‘ua tatau ona o tātou ō loa ‘i le fale," said Jack.
They packed up their things and headed home down the path away from the lake .... tired, happy and not the slightest bit hungry. Soon they could see the roof of their house through the trees. It was good to be home.
...............	Magpie was happy to be alone again. She was even happier when she discovered some bread they had left behind.