Rarotonga
p. 23 · Read in the full issue
A "Miracle" Play In
From Our Own Correspondent
Rarotonga, Feb. 12.
ON February 3, the combined London Missionary Society’s district organi sations staged their annual nuku in the
mission grounds at Ngatangiia village.
A nuku may perhaps best be described as a bowdlerised version of the mediaeval “miracle” plays, and as such usually con tains a number of unrehearsed effects which add, if not to the comfort of the actors, then certainly to the amusement of the audience. Fortunately, however, they do not, like the ancient plays, last eight days.
At Wednesday’s presentation some half dozen scenes were enacted from Old Testament history, each village contri buting one item, several of which being in the vernacular and highly pantomimic were rather difficult to follow.
At a nuku given a few years ago one of the actors was assigned the part of an angel who descended from heaven. For this purpose a length of wire had been secured to the top of a coconut tree and the actor, complete with traditional
feathers, took up a position aloft to await his cue. At an arranged signal jr.hose below slacked away on the line ami the “angel” started earthward. To the delight of the spectators his descent grew faster and faster. Winded and dishevelled, the wretched “angel” croaked his message and was then jerked skywards again!
At last week’s display, however, there were no highlights or fallen angels—at least not of the feathered variety.
Twenty-six Nauruan scouts, whose ages ranged from 13 to 17, returned to their homes from Melbourne at the beg inning of March after a two months’ visit to Australia. They attended the Cor roboree which was part of the recent South Australian Centenary celebrations.