The tree, with its little pale-skinned passenger, safe in her cosy, dry nest, and protected by the shade of the branches, drifted and drifted. Finally, it was washed ashore, upon the golden sandy beach of an island, one in a group of a thousand islands.

Dark-skinned natives fishing in the coral pools soon discovered the castaway and, as they had never seen a baby with such pale skin, took her to their Chief. The Chief stared at the tiny, helpless baby and he too was amazed at the colour of the baby's skin.

Then he noticed the baby's small twisted arm!

Never having seen a pale-skinned child before, he assumed that all pale-skinned people had a twisted arm, and that this baby was no less perfect than any other of her type. The baby looked at the fierce Warrior-Chief and smiled! Then she started to chuckle and the softie Father-Chief smiled. A look of happy disbelief washed over the tattooed face, and he rose to his feet.

He held the child high, for all to see.

  "The Sea is pleased with us," he told his subjects, "and knowing that I have five fine sons but no daughter, it has sent me a very special little girl ... to be my daughter!

This child is now my child, and I gratefully welcome her to my family! She is my 'Daughter from the Sea.'

I will love and cherish her forever!

Thank you mighty Sea, for choosing me to receive this most precious and most welcome of gifts."

***

Sadly, the lush green islands, with their abundance of fruits and wildlife, were not peaceful islands. Constantly the inhabitants of one island would attack another, in short niggling raids. The fighting never resulted in outright winners: just painful injuries and, far too often, death. By the time that the Chief's daughter had grown to be a young woman, all of her brothers had been killed or severely crippled, in 'the wars'.

One day, without warning, her peaceful, sleeping village was attacked again: this time it was deadly serious. A large band of well-armed invaders, led by the Chief of the biggest and most populated island, had arrived under the cover of darkness. The two Chiefs met in combat and the village Chief was seriously injured, and forced to surrender.

The victor arrogantly brandished his spear as he straddled his bleeding victim, and boasted to his frightened captives.

"I am the best fighter in all of the islands. I will kill your Chief! I will kill all of my enemies! I am invincible, nobody can defeat me!"

"I can ... and I will!"

A clear firm voice instilled its presence, on the assembly huddled in the dusty clearing.

It was the wounded Chief's daughter!

At first, the braggart pretended not to hear the voice of a mere woman, but, taunted by his laughing men, he was soon forced to accept the challenge: they fought in hand-to-hand combat.

It was one-sided. True to her word, using her good arm, nimble feet, and agile brain against his showy brawn and slow-witted bravado, she quickly avenged her father's defeat.

The news of the unusual contest, and its unexpected result, soon spread throughout the islands and, with the help of her disabled father, she used her newly-won fame to stop the fighting, unite the islands and create a life of peace and prosperity for all.

A few years later the Chief died of his injuries and his daughter was created the first ruler of all of the islands. She devoted the rest of her life to the welfare of others, regularly visiting her subjects, settling their disputes, and continuing the peace and prosperity that they now cherished.

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