 The pattern of settlement that is believed to have occurred is that the Polynesians spread out from the Samoan Islands into the Tuvaluan atolls, with Tuvalu providing a stepping stone to migration into the Polynesian Outlier communities in Melanesia and Micronesia.An important creation myth of the islands of Tuvalu is the story of the "te Pusi mo te Ali" (the Eel and the Flounder) who created the islands of Tuvalu; "te Ali" (the Flounder) is believed to be the origin of the flat atolls of Tuvalu and the "te Pusi" (the Eel) is the model for the coconut palms that are important in the lives of Tuvaluans.The stories as to the ancestors of the Tuvaluans vary from island to island.