Legends of the Wailuku Part 2

"Why," she exclaimed, "you must not stay on this rock! Can't you see the waters above here are high? When the rains come you will be washed away and drowned. It is not safe!"

Paoa stood upon the little plot of pili gra.s.s as he answered her. "No, I will not go away, for no matter how high the waters come they shall never cover this spot."

From that day Paoa's word has held true. No matter how high the Wailuku rises, it never has covered the little plot of pili gra.s.s which still grows on the long, low rock at the river's mouth.

MAUI AND THE ALAE BIRDS.

Maui, the eldest son of the G.o.ddess Hina, lived with his mother and two brothers in the cave behind Rainbow Falls, in the Wailuku River Gorge, a short distance mauka of what is today the town of Hilo. Often the brothers would go fishing in the harbor.

At this time the Hawaiians knew nothing about fire. All their food was eaten raw. Occasionally Maui had found in his various wanderings some bits of cooked banana and pondered over their delicious flavor. He could not understand what had been done to them until one day he came upon a group of little alae birds cooking bananas over a fire.

He was so amazed at the scene that the birds had plenty of time to put out their fire and take wing before he could bring himself to action.

This only aroused his ambitious nature and he vowed he would learn the secret of fire.

In the days that followed he devised many cunning schemes to trap one of the alae birds, but they, too, were cunning and carefully refrained from building any fire when Maui was near. Once or twice while he was out fishing he had seen white puffs of smoke among the trees and knew the birds were preparing a feast, but he could never reach the place in time to catch any of them.

One day he thought of a clever trick and took his brothers into his confidence. They fixed up a kalabash covered with tapa to resemble a man and placed it in the middle of Maui's canoe. Then the two brothers took their seats at either end of the canoe and paddled out into the harbor while Maui ran back and concealed himself in the woods.

Soon the alae birds came circling overhead and Maui heard them say, "At last we can make our fire and have a good feast. Maui and his two brothers are out for a day's fishing."

Quivering with excitement, Maui crouched in his hiding-place and waited. Soon he heard the birds talking quite near him and, peeping out, saw them pushing fresh bananas into a blazing fire. Rushing into their midst he caught one of the birds.

"Tell me how you make fire or you shall never go free!" he demanded.

At first the bird was sullen and refused to answer, but at Maui's rough treatment resorted to trickery and replied, "Rub two taro stalks together and you shall have fire."

Holding the bird closely, Maui did so, but only little drops of water came from the stalks. Very angry, Maui punished the bird again and demanded the truth. Helpless and exhausted, the poor alae told Maui to take two hau sticks and rub them together.

Maui found the hau sticks, but fearing the bird was not telling the truth, he rubbed its head with one of the sticks until a drop of blood trickled out, staining the tuft of feathers on its crest. But the bird persisted in this statement, so Maui began rubbing the sticks together. Little sparks appeared and caught fire to the dead leaves on which they fell.

Overjoyed at his discovery, Maui set the bird free. But to this day every alae bird wears the symbol of punishment for telling its secret--a tuft of red feathers on the top of its head.

MAUI'S KITE.

Maui, the great demi-G.o.d of Hawaii, was restless. Time hung heavy on his hands. Uneventful days of quiet had fallen upon the land.

Adventure seemed to be in hiding, and no exploit invited to service this active youngster's shining spear or magic club. Idleness grew more and more unbearable.

Now Laamaomao, G.o.d of the winds, dwelt not far above Rainbow Falls in the beautiful gorge of the Wailuku and to him Maui confided his discontent. The old fellow admitted that times were dull. Not for a long time had he been called upon for blasts from his greater windpot, Ipunui. On the heels of this remark came inspiration, and he suggested that Maui fashion a large kite. He, Laamaomao, would see to it that a suitable wind be forthcoming and excitement sufficient to break the dull monotony of too peaceful days.

So Maui set about the construction of an enormous kite. His mother, the G.o.ddess Hina, made for him a beautiful and strong tapa, and twisted fibres of the olona into a stout cord. From the rich red wood of the koa expert and willing hands put together a graceful frame, and in due time the big plaything was ready. Laamaomao, having fathered the idea, manifested a keen interest in the proceedings and had his windpots in readiness for the initial flight.

Calling Ipuiki, smaller of his two windpots, into action, Laamaomao directed a steady, gentle breeze up the gorge against the breast of the great kite, cautioning those who held it to be in readiness to let go at the proper moment and reminding Maui to have a care lest the olona cord slip through his hands.

Gracefully the birdlike thing rose into the brilliant turquoise sky--that same sky which today so enchants the malihini--and as it tugged at the line, dipped, rose again and circled about, the thrill of it came down the cord to Maui's hands and his delight knew no bounds.

Often in the quiet days that followed did Maui amuse himself with the big kite. As he grew more familiar with its handling the impetuous demi-G.o.d would ask Laamaomao for winds from Ipunui and glory in the tussle his kite gave him when buffeted by these stronger blasts--even though wise old Laamaomao was careful to moderate their power.

Sometimes Maui would tire of his sport and, drawing its cord through a round hole in a rock which lay in the center of a small lake near the wind caves, would leave his kite to its own devices while he slept.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Drawn by Will Herwig. Paradise Eng.

Old Laamaomao, the Wind G.o.d, Admitted That Times Were Dull.]

On one such occasion Laamaomao, having received an order for a great storm, forgot all about Maui's kite and turned loose his most powerful wind from Ipunui. All night long it howled through the creaking trees, driving the rain before it in lashing sheets. Stout as it was, the olona cord with which Maui's big kite was moored could not long withstand the strain and finally parted, leaving the kite to the mercy of the winds. Tossed madly about in the storm, it was carried far across the flank of Mauna Loa and dropped into the sea off the sh.o.r.e of Kau.

Now Puuanuhe, the much-dreaded lizard-woman, made her home on the sh.o.r.es of the Kau desert, and to her ears had come the wonderful story of Maui's kite, fanning an already hot jealousy of the young demi-G.o.d and his doings. Puuanuhe was the only creature of those days who had fiery red hair, and her temper was none the less caloric.

So when she saw this strange object floating in the water near her home on the morning after the storm she recognized it as Maui's kite.

Chuckling in vicious satisfaction at this chance opportunity to make trouble for the handsome son of Hina, Puuanuhe hid the kite in the rough hills back of Hilea.

Great was Maui's surprise and consternation when he found his kite gone. He at once set out in search of it. Days pa.s.sed without trace of it, but one day news came to him that Puuanuhe had been seen with a large kite. He knew it must be his, as there was none other so big.

Arriving at Hilea he discovered the hideous red-headed lizard-woman, who admitted she had found his kite, but refused to enlighten him as to its whereabouts. This same creature had lured many a poor fisherman to death on the rocky coast of Kau, and Maui thought it high time to put an end to such a pest, so he killed her.

Once more he took up his search for his beloved kite and soon found it cleverly hidden in the hills. Ironically he named the spot Puuanuhe, and returning home with his precious toy he fastened it securely to its moorings again.

Even today you can see the immense kite, now turned to stone, just as Maui hauled it in for the last time and left it. It is seventy-five feet long and about forty-five feet wide, narrowing to eighteen feet at one end. At the narrow end is a crystal-clear lake, very deep and smooth as gla.s.s. In its center is a large, round stone projecting above the surface with a two-inch aperture in the middle where Maui used to make his kite string fast.

Near this lake are the two windpots, Ipunui and Ipuiki, and a little way below are three very distinct foot-prints, each fifteen inches long, showing where Maui stood while flying his great kite.

MAUI'S FISH-HOOK.

Maui, the powerful young demi-G.o.d who dwelt with his mother, the G.o.ddess Hina, in the great cave behind Rainbow Falls, had succeeded in so many hazardous undertakings, and had the welfare of his people so much at heart, that he resolved upon what was to be his greatest deed of prowess and beneficence.

Now Maui had a magic fish-hook which he cleverly used while fishing with his brothers. Maui was very sly and quick, but he was never a good fisherman. He would sit in the canoe and drag his hook through the water, catching no fish himself but snagging those his brothers caught and laughing merrily at their bewildered expressions when they pulled in their lines and found nothing.

They distrusted Maui, for he would never let them see his hook, yet they knew it was shaped differently from theirs. It was more complicated and had a double barb, while the common fish-hook had but one. But his brothers could never catch him at his tricks.

At last they no longer allowed him to accompany them on their fishing trips, as he took all the fish and honors, and they all knew--Maui included--that he did not deserve them. So Maui would go alone to the bay, but the hook remained idle in the bottom of his magic canoe which, as related in the legend of Kuna, he drove from the sh.o.r.es of the Island of Maui to the mouth of the Wailuku with two sweeps of his paddle.

While drifting about Maui watched some of his people who were not blessed with magic canoes, and considered the hard paddling required to send them through the water.

One day as he sat in his canoe watching another pa.s.s by, evidently on its way to a neighboring island, the demi-G.o.d wondered if it might not make things easier to have all the islands joined together, so people could travel to any part of the kingdom without the laborious canoe voyages.

Calling a meeting of Hawaii's chiefs and strong men Maui informed them of a plan to draw all the islands together. He told them he would need their help in pulling the islands, but no matter how hard or how long they pulled they must never look back to see how much was being accomplished until the islands were firmly joined together.

The men solemnly promised to obey Maui and at once proceeded to their new task. The island now known as Maui was selected for the first attempt. Maui fastened his magic fish-hook into that part of the land nearest Hawaii, and at his command the strong men and chiefs paddled with all their might. Slowly the island moved behind them.