Hersha Laneab tells the story of Letao, the trickster. His version is notable for the latest twist the story offers. It has been traditionally told that he left the Marshalls for the Gilberts. Later, in the 1970s, story-tellers were recounting that Letao then left the Gilberts for the United States but had no luck with his tricks in the States because the ripalle were too smart for him. In the latest version, we see a further change: Letao goes on to the States and his tricks make the ripalle smarter. In other words, the ripalle are who they are today thanks to Letao. So the Letao story now has a punch line that reflects both the Marshallese humor and a bit of cynical cultural pride.
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Hersha Laneab tale |
