Iki ne kai he kuma he mate pipili.
“The king who became food for the rats while he lay in hiding.”
A cautionary historical saying recalling a Niuean king who reportedly hid from his people during a famine and died alone and forgotten — a warning that a leader who abandons duty and people in hard times will themselves be abandoned by history.
— Traditional Niue Wisdom, Niue
Source: Traditional Niuean historical proverb referring to King Pakieto (reigned circa 1770), recorded by Taoga Niue, the national culture and heritage trust of Niue (taoganiue.nu)
More Proverbs from Niue
If you keep your bush knife sharp, you will clear yourself a bigger plantation.
Staying motivated and keeping your tools and skills ready leads to greater reward — steady effort expands what you can achieve.
When you speak with authority, make sure you follow through with actions.
Words carry real weight only when they are backed by matching deeds — a call for integrity between what a person says and what they do.