Mortlock Memories

By: Michael Silverstein

Kids playing 'Cat and Mouse' on the beach

I loved playing with the locals in the Mortlock islands.  They are so kind and fun, I would never want to leave (except if I had to go to school😉).  My favorite friend was a boy my age named Mulani.  There was also (weirdly enough) Tarzan!!!!  (Not the Tarzan, of course, just a boy called Tarzan!).  We buried Mulani and Tarzan helped. When Mulani finally got out of the sand, we were already playing cat and mouse, which is when all the kids hold hands in a circle. Then you select a person to be the cat, and one to be the mouse.  The mouse starts in the circle, while the cat stays outside.  The cat tries to break into the circle to get the mouse.  The 'circle' can let the mouse out/in if the cat is out/in with him. It goes on until the mouse is touched by the cat.

After a few rounds I have to go back to the boat for lunch, but I say, "I'll come back!"  It was like that for the two and a half weeks we were there before we left.  I was really sad when we left the lagoon.  Leaving is always hard, but the good thing is, making friends is easy!