The Hawaiian Romance Of Laieikawai Part 33

CHAPTER XXVII

In this chapter we will tell how Kahalaomapuana went to get Kaonohiokala, the Eyeball-of-the-Sun, the betrothed husband of Laieikawai, and of her return.

After Kahalaomapuana had laid her commands upon her sisters she made preparation for the journey.

At the rising of the sun Kahalaomapuana entered inside Kihanuilulumoku and swam through the ocean and came to The Shining Heavens; in four months and ten days they reached Kealohilani.

When they arrived they did not see Mokukelekahiki, the guard who watches over Kaonohiokala's wealth, his chief counsellor in The Shining Heavens; twice ten days they waited for Mokukelekahiki to return from his garden patch.

Mokukelekahiki returned while the lizard was asleep inside the house; the head alone filled that great house of Mokukelekahiki's, the body and tail of the lizard were still in the sea.

A terrible sight to Mokukelekahiki to see that lizard; he flew away up to Nuumealani, the Raised Place in the Heavens; there was Kaeloikamalama, the magician who closes the door of the taboo house on the borders of Tahiti, where Kaonohiokala was hidden.

Mokukelekahiki told Kaeloikamalama how he had seen the lizard. Then Kaeloikamalama flew down with Mokukelekahiki from the heights of Nuumealani, the land in the air.

As Mokukelekahiki and his companion approached the house where the lizard was sleeping, then said Kihanuilulumoku to Kahalaomapuana, "When those men get here who are flying toward us, then I will throw you out and land you on Kaeloikamalama's neck, and when he questions you, then tell him you are a child of theirs, and when he asks what our journey is for, then tell him."

Not long after, Mokukelekahiki and Kaeloikamalama thundered at the door of the house.

When the lizard looked, there stood Kaeloikamalama with the digging spade called Kapahaelihonua, The Knife-that-cuts-the-earth, twenty fathoms its length, four men to span it. Thought the lizard, "A slaughterer this." There was Kaeloikamalama swinging the digging spade in his fingers.

Then Kihanuilulumoku lifted his tail out of the water, the sea swelled, the waves overwhelmed the cliffs from their foundations as high waves sweep the coast in February; the spume of the sea rose high, the sun was darkened, white sand was flung on the sh.o.r.e.

Then fear fell upon Kaeloikamalama and his companion, and they started to run away from before the face of the lizard.

Then Kihanuilulumoku threw out Kahalaomapuana, and she fell upon Kaeloikamalama's neck.[71]

Kaeloikamalama asked, "Whose child are you?"

Said Kahalaomapuana, "The child of Mokuekelekahiki, of Kaeloikamalama, of the magicians who guard the taboo house on the borders of Tahiti."[72]

The two asked, "On what journey, my child, do you come hither?"

Kahalaomapuana answered, "A journey to seek one from the heavens."

Again they asked, "To seek what one from the heavens?"

"Kaonohiokala," replied Kahalaomapuana, "the high taboo one of Kaeloikamalama and Mokukelekahiki."

Again they asked, "Kaonohiokala found, what is he to do?"

Said Kahalaomapuana, "To be husband to the princess of broad Hawaii, to Laieikawai, our mistress."

Again they asked, "Who are you?"

She told them, "Kahalaomapuana, the youngest daughter of Moa.n.a.lihaikawaokele and Laukieleula."[73]

When Mokukelekahiki and Kaeloikamalama heard she was their own child, then they released her from Kaeloikamalama's neck and kissed their daughter.

For Mokukelekahiki and Kaeloikamalama were brothers of Laukieleula, Aiwohikupua's mother.

Said Kaeloikamalama, "We will show you the road, then you shall ascend."

For ten days they journeyed before they reached the place to go up; Kaeloikamalama called out, "O La.n.a.lananuiaimakua! Great ancestral spider. Let down the road here for me to go up!! There is trouble below!!!"

Not long after, Great ancestral spider let down a spider-web that made a network in the air.

Then Kaeloikamalama instructed her, saying, "Here is your way, ascend to the top, and you will see a house standing alone in a garden patch; there is Moa.n.a.lihaikawaokele; the country is Kahakaekaea.

"When you see an old man with long gray hair, that is Moa.n.a.lihaikawaokele; if he is sitting up, don't be hasty; should he spy you first, you will die, he will not listen to you, he will take you for another.

"Wait until he is asleep; should he turn his face down he is not asleep, but when you see him with the face turned up, he is really asleep; then approach not the windward, go to the leeward, and sit upon his breast, holding tight to his beard, then call out:

"O Moa.n.a.lihaikawaokele--O!

Here am I--your child, Child of Laukieleula, Child of Mokukelekahiki, Child of Kaeloikamalama, The brothers of my mother, Mother, mother, Of me and my older sisters And my brother, Aiwohikupua, Grant me the sight, the long sight, the deep sight, Release the one in the heavens, My brother and lord, Awake! Arise!

"So you must call to him, and if he questions you, then, tell him about your journey here.

"On the way up, if fine rain covers you, that is your mother's doings; if cold comes, do not be afraid. Keep on up; and if you smell a fragrance, that too is your mother's, it is her fragrance, then all is well, you are almost to the top; keep on up, and if the sun's rays pierce and the heat strikes you, do not fear when you feel the sun's hot breath; try to bear it and you will enter the shadow of the moon; then you will not die, you have entered Kahakaekaea."

When they had finished talking, Kahalaomapuana climbed up, and in the evening she was covered with fine rain; this she thought was her father's doings; at night until dawn she smelled the fragrance of the _kiele_ plant; this she thought was her mother's art; from dawn until the sun was high she was in the heat of the sun, she thought this was her brother's doing.

Then she longed to reach the shadow of the moon, and at evening she came into the shadow of the moon; she knew then that she had entered the land called Kahakaekaea.

She saw the big house standing, it was then night. She approached to the leeward; lo! Moa.n.a.lihaikawaokele was still awake; she waited at a distance for him to go to sleep, as Kaeloikamalama had instructed her.

Still Moa.n.a.lihaikawaokele did not sleep.

When at dawn she went, Moa.n.a.lihaikawaokele's face was turned upwards, she knew he was asleep; she ran quickly and seized her father's beard and called to him in the words taught her by Kaeloikamalama, as shown above.

Moa.n.a.lihaikawaokele awoke; his beard, the place where his strength lay, was held fast; he struggled to free himself; Kahalaomapuana held the beard tight; he kept on twisting here and there until his breath was exhausted.

He asked, "Whose child are you?"

Said she, "Yours."

Again he asked, "Mine by whom?"

She answered, "Yours by Laukieleula."

Again he asked, "Who are you?"

"It is Kahalaomapuana."

Said the father, "Let go my beard; you are indeed my child."