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| Jekaro ej waḷ�k j�n utak in ni ilo iien eṇ ej jañin rup im jepeḷḷ�k im waḷ�k kwaḷini. Ṃokta, jej kakilen utak eo, bwe ñe eṃṃan joñan, jej jepe im e�uti, k�udpake, im kietake jidik. Aolep iien ad jekaro, ilo jibboñ im jota im jet iien ilo raelep, jej jep utak eo jidik ill�k jidik, im bar�inw�t kietake bwe en jab idaak bwijen. Eḷaññe eraane-b�k��n, kii� eiien an kajokkor. Aolep jibboñ im jota, ej iien eakto jekaro im k�kk��l jeib. El�ñ men jekaro emaroñ oktak ñani. Jemaroñ k�matte im ewaḷ�k jekajeje (eṃṃan ñan limen niñniñ). Elañe eto ḷ�k w�t ad k�matte enaaj waḷ�k jek�ṃai. Bar juon, elañe jenaaj k�tḷ�k jekaro eo bwe en p�d jilu raan, enaaj erom jimañūñ—d�n in kadek eo limen ri-Ṃajeḷ. Ñe eto ḷ�k w�t an p�d jimañūñ eo enaaj erom penk�. Jekaro ej bar b�k jikin iij ilo ii�k pilaw�. Men kein rej kwalok im kalikkar joñan an ḷap an ni jipañ ri-Ṃajeḷ. |
| Jekaro comes from coconut shoots before the time when they haven’t yet broken and separated and small coconuts have appeared. First, we examine the shoot, so that if it is the right size, we trim and bind it, peel off its end, and bend it down a little. Every time we tend to the task of drawing coconut sap, in the morning and evening, and sometimes at noon, we cut the coconut shoot a bit each time, and we also bend the shoot down to prevent the sap from drowning its navel. (In other words, to prevent the sap from seeping back into the shoot and destroying the project.) When it is “ready for a bottle,� that is the time to put a bottle on it. Every morning and evening the jekaro should be unloaded and the bottle renewed. Many things can be made from jekaro. We can boil it to become jekajeje (a good beverage for babies). If we boil it longer it becomes jekṃai (coconut syrup). Also, if we let jekaro stand for three days, it will become jimañūñ—the alcoholic beverage of the Marshallese. If it stands longer as jimañūñ, it will become vinegar. Jekaro also takes the place of yeast in making bread. These things show and make clear how important coconut trees are in sustaining the Marshallese. |
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