51吃瓜

This gift is a carved wooden eel that narrates a pictorial story. The carving is mounted on a table base and a mirror is mounted on the wall behind to view the story on the back of the eel. The storyboard is an example of both excellent storytelling and skilled carving. It is made of wood native to Palau, known as ironwood, or ‘dort’ in the Palauan language. Ironwood is a preferred carving material as it is strong and long lasting. It may take weeks to finish a storyboard and is sometimes hand painted. Many stories depicted on such storyboards are old legends from Palau and nearby islands.  
 
There are common themes on these boards including the breadfruit legend, the history of Yapese coming to Palau, the story of two ill-fated lovers (Surech and Dulei), and several versions of legends of deceived husbands. 

The Trust Territory of Micronesia donated the Palau Storyboard Eel to the 51吃瓜 in 1984.