Mahuika's Tales No 34 The battle between men and fish (part 2)

                       Kumukumu (Gurnard) looking bloodied and fierce


Part 2

The following evening Ahu and Ahuahu's extended family were gathered at their whare. Everyone was anxious to hear the second part of the story that Mahuika had started yesterday. She promised them an unusual twist in the story so after their meal the were soon gathered around eager to hear a story that none had ever heard before. When everyone was settled she began:

"After failing to track her husband down after he had left her despite getting some clues from his gourd that spoke to her, fate stepped in and she found that she was pregnant and gave birth to a son. As she struggled to raise him on her own she prayed to the god of the sea Tangaroa, to help her find her husband.

Tangaroa and lord of all the ocean's creatures was moved by her story, so he called on all the fish of Ranginui, sky god and father of all to come to an assembly and hoards of them came. In those ancient days all fish looked very much the same but of differing sizes. Some were as large as the whale that we know is immense and some as tiny as sprats. Tangaroa so cross that the woman had been deserted by her husband and had the raise her son by herself, told the fish that they were to find the man and slay him for his cruel act. He did this without consulting the woman.

He formed them in different companies and selected a commander for each. There was the Kumukumu (gurnard), Parore (bream), Haku (kingfish), Tamure (snapper), Whai (stingrays), Takeke (garfish), Araara (trevally) Patiki (flounders) and many others but the Tohora (whale) being the largest was made supreme commander. 

Tohora ordered his own people to stay at the rear of their forces to stop a panic if the smaller fish wanted to retreat. Then they proceeded to the village where the fugitive husband was living. They could do this for at that time so long ago the fish could move on land as well as in the water . 

The Kumukumu (gurnard) were in the forefront and led the assault and took a great punishment and those that escaped where covered in blood and cried out, which resulted in the present redness of the fish and the belief that it can be heard to cry if it is caught even today. So the Parore (bream) took their place and were spattered by the gurnard's blood which is why they have dark red spots on them now. Then the Haku (kingfish) were beaten back as well and the Tamure (snapper) were too. Even the Whai (stingray) were vanquished and many other fish took their punishment until the Tohora (whales) were able to push back the men who finally gave way and fled now weakened by the valiant efforts of all the other fish. 

Tangaroa then gave a speech praising all his troops for the courage they had shown against such an enemy. He told them all they now had the right to ask of one favor of him as a reward for their bravery in achieving victory over man. They could of course collect the spoils from the battlefield as well. So the fish all looked for a souvenir of their victory.

The Whai (stingray) found a barbed spear and asked Tangaroa for a tail like it, and it was given to them. The Tamure (snapper) saw a wahaika club and asked for one of his bones to be that shape, and this was granted. Patiki (flounder) picked up a fly swat from the village and asked to be that shape in future; Takeke (garfish) wanted a spear on his nose; on and on the requests came and each fish was granted a special color, feature or shape instead of all looking alike as they were up until that time other than being of differing sizes. 

Then the fish all returned to the sea, and content that they had achieved a great victory. 

The woman when she found out that the fish had defeated the men in the village where her husband had fled to wept when she realized that she was as badly off as before. Ranginui, god of all then decided that because of this the fish would no longer have the power to come on land but would have to remain in the seas and they have remained there ever since. 

Mahuika finished the story and looked at all the listeners who were amazed and dumbfounded at the turn of events. 

"But what does it mean, Auntie?" asked Atawhai who was Tangaroa and Horowai's daughter.

Mahuika smiled at her and then said, "What do you think Atawhai?"

Atawhai shyly said, "I think the mother should have not have asked for help, but somehow managed on her own. I think she had learned her lesson when her husband left her. She knew she made a mistake but by asking the gods for help you never know if they will favor you or not".

Mahuika smiled and clapped her hands. "How well you have understood this Atawhai".

Atawhai looked round to her parents and saw that they were smiling and nodding at her with affection.

                      Takeke (Garfish) with a spear on his nose


Author's note:

I have researched these old Maori legends for some time and it has been fun converting them to tales told by characters found in the Ahu and Ahuahu saga and Mahuika's Tales that have been posted over the last three years. I would like to thank the many unknown translators of the tales found both in books and on the web and hope that more might be told in the future. For the moment then we will say "hae kona ra" (goodbye) to our Maori friends of past times particularly Ahu and Ahuahu who started it all when I met them on a beach at Gannet Island nearly 200 years ago.

Mahuika's Tales No 33 The battle between men and fish (part 1)

                            A Maori gourd

The next time Mahuika went to Black Sands she came with Ahu and Ahuahu son Aotea and his family. There was a big celebration to be held at the hot springs in the meeting house there of their family. Tangaroa and Horowai were now the custodians of the springs and were well respected. Mahuika was glad they invited Hekeheke and Maui too. When she thanked Tangaroa he replied. "We know she is your family now, therefore she belongs to us too." But if you tell us a story it must be one we have never heard before. Have you one to tell?"

I have story that I do not really understand but I will tell it to you. Then each of us can try to interpret it. So after their meal and with everyone settled in anticipation Mahuika started her story:


There was once a man a long, long time ago who was cross with his wife who when he returned from fishing was too lazy to help him carry the fish home.He saw her throw much away except for the the two or three that she would cook that day. She didn't use the fish drying rack like other women in the village but merely expected him to provide food everyday. Eventually he determined to leave her and find a better wife. So he went down to the great forest of Tane with a fire brand in his hand. There he prayed and chanted words to the gods before he went on his journey without talking to his wife.

"If my wife follows me and ask after me" he said to the trees, "Do not tell her of me being here for she is a lazy woman who wastes the food I fetch for us." The trees swayed in the breeze and agreed to his request. When he came to a stream he talked to the water too, "I am leaving my wife who is deceitful and tiresome. I work to obtain food but she throws it away and the maggots eat it. I'll shall go to find an industrious wife. If she comes after me you will know her by her loud voice. Please do not betray me." The stream gurgled its agreement.

So the man left the forest and made his way to another settlement and told the people there his story. They invited him to stay and promised to protect him.

When his wife realized he had gone she went in search of him. When she entered the forest she called out "O trees! Has my husband gone along this path?" But the trees were still and quiet so she returned home as night was falling.

The next day she spoke to everything he had touched around the house. "O fire my husband has gone, he would have taken a fire brand with him, where is he now?" But the fire just smoldered away quietly. Then she saw his drinking gourd "O gourd, my husband touched you with his lips, surely he said where he was going? What path did he take?"  But no sound came from the gourd's mouth. The she spied the clothing he had left behind "O garments you have touched his skin and covered him while sleeping surely he murmured what he planned?" But his cloak did not move at all. She found his fishing line and said "O line, you have fished with him so many time he would talk to you confidence, tell me where he has gone." but the line said naught. But his fishing line was silent. Finally she went to the entrance door and touched the framework. "O door, you knew of all his comings and goings you must know which way he went." But the door creaked no reply. The wife then threw herself on her bed and cried herself to sleep. 

In the morning when she woke she picked their water gourd to quench her thirst. For some reason the gourd who had listened her pleading with everything her husband had touched felt sorry for her, having been kissed by her husbands lips as she had been. As she drank the gourd whispered to her, "If you break me so I need never be your servant again I will show you where your husband went. I will take you to the river he crossed." 

So the woman cracked the gourd on the floor then said "When did my husband go?"

The gourd replied "He went in the morning."

So she set off carrying the gourd with her. The gourd spoke again. "You should follow him for you have news for him."

"What news is that gourd?"

"You are with child." The gourd replied with a cracked voice. 

When they reached the river the gourd again spoke, "You husband crossed the river here. Crack me again and I will take you across and lead you on."

So the woman cracked the gourd again so hard that she broke it into pieces. When they got to the other side the gourd could no longer speak and both it and the woman became lost as they were confused by the enchanted river. They wandered about aimlessly but in the end she had to return home again. After a few months she gave birth to a son so could not search for her husband any more.

She prayed everyday to the god Tangaroa asking forgiveness for the way she wasted the food her husband had provided for her. She told him of all her troubles bringing up her son without a father telling him everything and hoped that he could help her.

Tangaroa listened and decided to help her so he gathered all the fish in the world together to solve the problem.

Mahuika stopped telling the story at this point and spoke the the family who were still listening. 
"Now this is where the story changes in a way you cannot imagine. The next time we meet I will tell you what happened."

Although everyone was disappointed they could see that as many of the children had fallen asleep either on the floor or in their parents arms so they would have to hear the second half of the story another day.

Mahuika’s Tales No 30 The Sandfly and the Mosquito

                                     The Sand Fly 

Mahuika once again was at Black Sands with Ahu’s family and she noticed that Maui, Hekeheke’s husband had a swollen face and great red marks on his arms. As she was about to tell her story she said, “Once many, many years ago all creatures lived in harmony but it is said that it was Man that caused the rift between living things and ourselves.”

“The Mosquito and Sand fly have always waged war against man. Sand flies and Mosquitoes are but a feckless lot, as they are at the mercy of the winds; when winds arrive then both Sand flies and Mosquitoes fly to their birthplace where the bracken fern grows for shelter and support. A long long time ago the Ngapuhi people tell us that a new canoe of great size was made through the co-operation of all the creatures on earth. They hauled the great timbers from the forest and many men, animals birds and even insects all played their part in this work. The Sand Fly and the Mosquito were also there doing what they could buzzing around busily. Absolutely no-one was absent. 

All who took part in the strenuous hauling job were well fed, all except the Naeroa (Mosquito) and Namu (Sand fly) tribes who received nothing for their services. They were both so cross they determined to spend their lives tormenting mankind for this snub. Up to this time they had never attacked man before.  Namu the Sand fly and Naeroa the Mosquito talked together to determine how they should punish mankind. "Come friend" said the Sand fly, "Let us go now and attack the Man tribe." But Naeroa the Mosquito shook his head and said, "No, let us await the dark of night. Otherwise he will see us coming and he will be prepared."  The Sand fly was not happy, “I think we should take a mighty army so great that it will confuse them and they will be overcome." The Mosquito buzzed with annoyance: "Better it happen at night for then as we approach him if we will raise our voices he will be confused by the murmuring sounds and strike wildly at us while we are still far off. He will even strike himself while we silently dart in and attack." The Sand fly was indignant, "I can see you are afraid, Naeroa, So I will go alone without you." 

Away went the Sand fly, gathered his people together, and flew off to attack Man with his mighty army. The Sand flies swarmed around the man clung to him and bit him. But as Man felt the attack he turned to defend himself, and vigorously slapped at the army of Sand flies. Because he could see them with one slap of his hand he killed a multitude of Namu’s army. Hundreds of the Sand Fly tribe fell to their death. Those that got away, fled far from where man lived to hide in the sandy wastes and swamps by the sea where man did not go. Namu the Sand fly reported to Naeroa, the Mosquito: "We lost. Nothing remains for us but the drifting waters and the winds of desolate space for neither numbers nor bravery saved us." 

Naeroa the Mosquito and Namu the Sand Fly then sang their lament for the dead Sand Fly heroes who sought to revenge themselves on man. When evening brought darkness to the land, Naeroa the mosquito decided to avenge Sand Flies. He approached Man and buzzed in his ear and Man to ward him off kept slapping in the air, and on his face, his ears, his legs and wherever he thought the insect was. 

The Mosquitoes then approached him from a different direction with the same result, with Man merely striking himself while the mosquitoes escaped each time. During the night Man slapped himself so frequently about his ears that he became quite deaf and his anger against his enemies was great. But now that he could no longer hear, the Mosquito folk attacked him in great numbers and with ferocious onslaught. Nothing was heard save the ceaseless song of the Mosquito folk and the slapping of the hands of Man as he hit himself in vain. Morning came and the face of Man was so swollen that he could no longer see and he had great red marks where not only the mosquitoes had bitten him but where he had slapped himself as well. 

So then the Mosquito army departed having avenged their cousins the Sand Fly folk. Even today war still continues between mankind and his old enemies, the Sand Flies and Naeroa the Mosquitos. The Sandflies will attack you in their land whilst the Mosquitoes will attack you at your home.” 

Maui then spoke, “But why did they pick on me?” At this everyone laughed, but it was Hekeheke who spoke out. “You know why. I said I wanted some reeds to make a basket and when you got them for me the sand fly told the mosquitoes that you were taking their food again and asked them to take revenge.”

However as Maui still looked glum, Ahu said, “I have some ointment that should help but Hekeheke may not like the smell of it, but it will relieve the itching.”

Mahuika's Tales No 29 The Battle of the Birds

                                      The seabirds on their way

Hekeheke and Maui called their baby Tamahika after her late father whom she loved very much. This name is associated with Rotorua where the hot springs and geysers are. It was her way of showing where her family came from. No one was surprised at Black Sands because she was regarded  as one of them now as the village children all loved hearing her tell the stories and the fact that she had been adopted by Ahuahu, the chief's family as she was a friend of Mahuika. Hekeheke had not yet returned to story telling but Mahuika came often to the village to stay a few days to see Ahuahu and his family and especially to see Hekeheke who she loved as a daughter.

When she came there were family gatherings at Ahu and Ahuahu’s home with the whole family sharing a meal and afterwards telling stories.

Mahuika was always called on to tell a story and sometimes one of the other members of the family would tell one too. This night as Hekeheke nursed Tamahika in her arms Mahuika told the story of the battle of the birds. Hekeheke leaned against against Maui with Tamahika in her arms sucking contentedly as Mahuika began her story.

“A long time ago the birds of the air did not have designated areas to live. They lived where they chose and it so happened that some Kawau (cormorants) lived by the sea and found their food there and some lived on the lakes and rivers inland and fished there.

One day the salt water kawau was blown inland and found a lake that was inhabited by a fresh water Kawau. Being polite he did not fish in his lake but waited to be told he could feed there. But the invitation never came so he suggested instead that the other Kawau fly back to the sea with him and fish with him there. So the inland Kawau agreed and followed him out over the land to the sea. Immediately the sea bird dived into the sea and found a fish and offered it to the inland Kawau who swallowed it down but almost choked as it was so spiny on its back and with its fins that stood out that he regurgitated it. “Your food it terrible, it is so much better where I live.”

“What food do you eat there?” asked the sea Kawau.

“Matamoe (eels)” he replied, “They are smooth skinned and easy to swallow. Let’s go back to my place to eat instead.”

So the two Kawau flew back to the lake and when the sea Kawau tasted the Matamoe he said “This is excellent cousin. Wouldn’t it be a good idea if we both were able to fish in each other’s waters. You can have half of my territory and I can have half of yours.”

“No, I do not like the sea, I do not agree”  said the other one.

“In that case", said the sea Kawau crossly, “Before long my family and friends will take this place from you for not sharing it.”

So the sea birds and the land birds prepared to fight each other. The land Kawau managed to get the support of the Kuku (pigeon), Kaka (parrot), Tui (parson bird), as well as the Ruru (owl), Piwakawaka (fantail) and the Pitoitoi (robin) and many more.

When they were all gathered night began to fall and the Pitoitoi said that he would wake everyone first thing in the morning to prevent a surprise attack, then the Koekoe (Cuckoo) said then I will go and if I see them coming and will call Koe-ko-o-o-e so you know that they are approaching. 

At dawn Pitotoi (Robin) woke up all the land birds. Kawau (inland cormorant) went on watch from a tall tree. Then he thought he could see movement of the horizon and sure enough all the birds could hear Koekoe the cuckoo calling out Ko-ko-o-o-e from a distance. Karoro (Seagull) who was in the lead of the invading party called out "Aha, aha" as they do when he heard the Cuckoo who by then started to fly back to be with all the other land birds.

"Who will advance and challenge the enemy?" asked the land Kawau, and the Pirakaraka (fantail) said "I will" so he went and stood awaiting the advancing army flicking his tail from side to side glaring at them and taunting them with his dance. "Tei, tei, tei," he called to them and them flew back to his friends. 

"Who will speak the ritual of war to us," asked the land Karau. So Tui (parson bird) said "I will, but first let the Honge (crow) give the warning but first let Tane-te-waiora herald the sun's rising so it might shine on us. Pipwharauroa (cuckoo) can then conclude the ritual and Kuku (pigeon) make the final response. Thus all the necessary actions were taken. Ruru the owl then led them all into battle with the birds from the sea. He lifted his wooden powhenua (spear) and with his eyes blazing at the sea birds as they advanced called out mockingly, "Come on brave and gallant birds from the sea" and hooted at them. With this the Parera (duck) laughed too and went "Ke-ke-ke, ke-ker". With this jeering and laughing the Kaka (parrot) flew in, glared at the enemy flew up above them with a stone in this claws screeching "Look out, look out, haven't we warned you enough? You don't belong here," and dropped his stone on them. So the battle began but the sea birds had been humiliated by the way even the most unlikely of the land birds had laughed at them as they protected their home especially the Parera (duck) as he kept repeating "Ke-ke-ke-ker (quack-quack-quack-quacking) all the time so in the end they turned and flew away.

They returned to the sea and vowed never to return over the land again except to make their nests on the seashore nearby or islands in the ocean and have stayed there ever since."

The story really pleased the children and even Tiemi the white man who had married Houhia clapped. Mahuika then spoke to the children and said "Remember, each of us has special talents that may seem quite small but when all are used together just as the land birds did can defeat the most menacing enemy."

Then to everyone's surprise Tiemi asked if he could tell a story. Ahuahu nodded saying"Will you tell it in Pakeha talk or Maori?"

"With Houhia by my side I will tell the story in your language and she can correct me if I go wrong. Mahuika's story reminded me of a very old story from a civilisation now long gone about a mouse (kiore) from the country and one from the town, like Auckland." Here Tiemi pointed to the north where the big pakeha port town was.

"A proud and sleek town mouse (kiore) visited his poor scruffy cousin in the country. The country mouse offers the town mouse a meal of simple country fare, some fallen grain he found, and a drink from a puddle outside. His visitor scoffs at this and invites the country mouse back to the city to see how well he lives. Sure enough when in the town mouse's home the two eat like chiefs with bits of cheese, milk to drink and even pieces of fruit and they even nibbled on some cake. However their feast is interrupted by some snuffling and barking at the door and suddenly a dog (kuri) bursts into the room, sees them and chases after them so they have to hide in a hole in the wall. When the dog finally gives up and a goes away the country mouse decides to go home to the country saying "I am sorry cousin, I prefer to eat the fallen seeds and drink rainwater rather to have my head bitten off."

As Tiemi finished Houhia clapped her hands and said, "See, I didn't have to translate a word! And look my town mouse Tiemi, has come to live in the country."

Mahuika’s Tales No 28 Hekeheke tells how Maui tried to conquer death

                                          Fantail

Houhia’s time for her baby to be born was very near. However she still told the children stories when she could. One day a little boy asked “Whatever happened to Maui, Hekeheke?”

She put her finger to her lips to stop all the children chattering and then said “I will tell you but it is a sad story”. She then beckoned one of the smaller children from the back to come forward and let her sit down by her and put her left arm round her.

“Maui's final task was to try to win immortality for mankind. Hadn’t he managed to tamed the sun by catching in a net to slow it down so man would have more time to work during the day? Surely he could also tame mankind’s permanent night of death?
So he planned an expedition to set off far to the west where there was permanent darkness. He would go to where Hinenui-te-Po, the goddess of death, lay asleep. Somehow he reasoned that he had to enter into her and make her sick and upset her so much that by the time he emerged again from her mouth the goddess would never again have the power to take life away from mankind.
To fulfill this feat Maui was going to enter her womb disguised as a caterpillar crawl up through her body and emerge from her mouth. If he could do this death would never have dominion over humans. As usual on his travels a little bird accompanied him and this time it was a little tiwakawaka or fantail. The bird was there just in case Hineniui-te.Po woke up and saw the bird with a caterpillar close by she would think nothing of it.
Maui discussed the plans for this most daring feat with the bird and when the birds nodded as they do Maui took the magic Jawbone that gave him power to change himself and turned himself into the caterpillar. However the sight of Maui as a caterpillar inching his way over Hine's thigh as she lay sleeping was altogether too much for the little fantail who could not restrain a chirrup of delight and started chasing after him. With a start Hine awoke, realised the plan and crushed the helpless Maui between her thighs.

So Maui-tikitiki-a-Taranga died and so death is with us even today. Children, you must live your lives in such a way that when the people of the village say your name, they and your children and your grandchildren remember you with honour.”

The children had not heard the story before. Some were very upset.
“You are leaving us, aren’t you Hekeheke”, said one older girl.
The little girl she was holding turned around to her and hugged her tight.
Hekeheke then said “You all know I am going to have a baby. I am sure that when Mahuika comes to see Ahuahu and his family she will tell you a story when she is here. Then when I have had the baby and feel am ready to tell you more stories again I will let you all know.”

That night as she was cooking a meal for Maui her husband and herself she started to sing a Maori love song:

Maori                                                              English
Ki a koe te tau                                         To you my darling
āku mihi e.                                               my greetings
Ahakoa haere koe ki hea                        No matter where you go
maku rā koe e whai atu e.                        I will follow close behind                      
Ko taku aroha                                          My love
ka ū tonu                                                  Will remain firm

As she was singing Maui came home and hearing her, joined in:

Tēna ra e hine                                         Come my beloved
huri mai rā ki ahau e tau nei                    Turn to me your spouse here
hei, utanga atu,                                        I will support you  
E, I po.                                                     O, at night!

Laughing Hekeheke put aside the cooking and came out to greet him, rubbed noses and said, “You are bad; you know those last words were wrong. You should sing ‘E Ipo’ (meaning My darling).” 

Maui merely went with her inside and then held her, patted her bottom and breathed in the scent of her hair.

The next day Hekeheke went into labor and delivered a baby boy down at the traditional women’s birthing place in the woods. Less and less women were doing that now. Even Houhia had delivered her baby at home with Ahu and Hatiti to help her. However Hekeheke wanted to cling on to the past as long as possible. How could she be a real storyteller unless she had experienced the traditional ways of her people?


“To you my Darling” is a modern Maori love song written by Prince Tui Teka (assisted by Ngoi Pewhairangi), who wrote the song about his wife Missy. You can find the song on http://folksong.org.nz/e_ipo/

Mahuika's Tales No. 27. Ahuahu tells of Ati and Momoke

                               Momoko

Everyone was eager for Ahuahu's next story after his short story about the Rat and the Octopus.

So they all settled down again and waited for him to begin. Houhia's little toddler had tottered over to Ahuahu and had settled in his lap as he started tell the story. 

"Ati was a humble planter who lived a long time ago in the village of Arorangi on Rarotonga. One day when he went to his garden plot he discovered some of his crops were missing. So he visited his neighbors and asked if they had taken anything hoping they would say they had but forget to tell him, but they said no. He even suggested that it was their children or their animals they kept but nobody would admit to it."

"So he went away determined to catch the thieves should they return. So he hid in the bushes nearby and waited for the thief to come back. But despite waiting and trying to keep awake for several nights the thief did not return. Then one night, when there was a full moon, Ati was almost ready to doze off as he was so tired and becoming more convinced that by telling his neighbours the whole village had been warned off scaring the thief, when he heard the sound of splashing and dripping water. He glanced over to the pond that was close to his garden area and saw that it had a mysterious glow about it that was not from the moon. Then suddenly human figures began to emerge from the pool. They were almost like him except that they were white-skinned with white hair and eyelashes. He watched more in amazement than fury as they entered his garden area and uprooted and helped themselves to his kumara and other vegetables. When they had gathered enough they re-entered the pool and disappeared under its water.Ati tried to follow them but could not hold his breath long enough to stay under the water. He didn’t realize the pool was so deep and he had to give up. He then planned how he would capture these white-skins (momoke) the next time there was a full moon."

"Another twentyeight days passed and  Ati lay in the bushes again, but this time he hid near the pool and watched the momoke steal his vegetables. While they were busy he threw a net that he had woven like a big fishing net over the pool to capture the momoke.  When they saw him they rushed back to the pool and jumped in but as there were so many they broke the twine netting and all but one was able to escape. Ati, however was pleased he had caught this one and bundled up his captive still struggling in the net back to his home and made sure it didn’t escape."

"When morning came he took a good look at his captive and realised it was a woman. Not only did she have very fair skin and blonde long hair but even her eyes were pale. However as she was so beautiful he decided to make her his wife. At first she was unhappy about this especially as she could not go outside in the daytime because the sun was so bright that it hurt her eyes and burned her skin. However gradually she became accustomed to living in Ati's world keeping in the shadows and slept with him and eventually she bore him a son."

"Ati thought that they were very happy together. However, one day when Ati came home, he found her crying. She asked him if they could go and visit her parents as she wanted to show them their child. So that night the three of them went down to the pool. Ati held their son and they all took deep breaths before they dived in. Down, down they went but Ati could not hold his breath any longer and had to come again for more air with the baby. He tried again and again but still couldn’t make it. His wife however did not come back again to help them. Eventually, he gave up, and sat by the pool with their son crying and mourning for her knowing she would probably never return to the surface again. He named his son Ati've (which means separation) and sealed off the pool for ever."

Ahuahu had finished his story but went on to say “I expect if you ever go to Rarotonga you will still find a few people that are descended from Ati’ve. However it is so long ago since I was there I do not remember ever seeing anyone so fair. I do remember that the word for their descendants was momoko which meant white person.”   

Here Ahuahu laughed and corrected himself, “No I do not mean white man like Tiemi here, because as you can see that by working outside in the sun it has made him brown almost like one of us.”

Everyone laughed and Houhia bent over Tiemi the former botanist now a farmer and rubbed noses with him. Houhia then came over and talked to Hekeheke.  

"As you can see, Hekeheke I too will soon have my second baby. When is yours due?"

"Very soon Houhia, he is already telling me it won't be long", Hekeheke smiled smiled patting her tummy.

"My first one quietened down before he came, I expect yours will do the same. I do hope I have a girl this time.  My father Ahuahu said that all the women in his life have made his life beautiful so I want that for Tiemi too. But look at Ahuahu now and see how baby Tiemi has fallen asleep on his lap."

 "You don't know how lucky you are, Houhia," Hekeheke replied. 

Houhia then put her arm around Hekeheke in a pakeha gesture, "I am so sorry, I forgot that you lost your father. But you are one of our family now."

 

Mahuika's Tales No. 26 Ahuahu tells of the Rat and the Octopus

                                 Octopus inking

Hekeheke was getting more advanced in her pregnancy and instead of going to visit Mahuika at Gannet Island, Mahuika now came to visit her. When she came she sometimes stayed with Hekeheke and Maui but more often Ahuahu would insist, as the widow of his former friend Ruaimoko and chief of Rocky Outcrop, she should stay with him and his family.

This worked out well for Hekeheke as she and Maui would then be invited to spend time with Ahuahu’s family as honored guests as well, which was great privilege for them.

In the evenings after their meal they would relax and one or other of them would tell stories. One evening Ahu, Ahuahu’s first wife said to him “You never tell us stories from the island where you were born. Do you not remember them?”

Ahuahu laughed and said “Would you want to hear the stories that I remember from the time I was but seven or eight years old? Surely I could only tell them as a child would?”

They all insisted, so Ahuahu said, "Young boys remember the silliest things and the first story I will tell will illustrate this. It is the tale of the rat and the octopus."

“Rats as you know are great seafarers. Somehow they have colonized all the islands in our mighty ocean that the white men call The Pacific. How contrary that description is as we all know that the sea is not to be trusted but should be respected and by doing so we might survive its terrors."

One day a rat boarded a canoe on his travels to find a new home in Rarotonga where I was born so many weeks journey to the north east of us here. However the canoe was caught in a storm. All the human occupants were drowned when it capsized but the rat undaunted as they are, swam around trying to find something to cling on to and quite by chance scrabbled on to the head of an octopus.

“Please Octopus, take me to dry land and I will reward you,” the rat said and the octopus being a bit soft agreed. So for several days the octopus swam toward land and finally approaching an island. When the rat saw land he knew he could swim the rest of the way and jumped off and started off for shore.

“What about my reward” cried the octopus.

“I left it on your head,” said the rat as he swam rapidly away.

The Octopus reached up with one of eight tentacles to see what the rat had left him and found only a black slimy mess of rat droppings. The octopus was most upset but learned his lesson. From that day on octopus all over the world when they are approached and feel threatened will exude a great blob of black ink inherited from their ancestors to confuse the interloper and swim away under cover lest it be another tricky rat that wants a lift.”

Everybody in the whare was laughing so much that they were almost crying. Hatiti slapped Ahu on the arm and said “Now all the children will be telling that story to each other.”

Ahuahu laughing too, then said “All right then, I will tell you a different story”.

“Will it be a love story?” asked Hekeheke, “One that I could tell”.

“Perhaps, Hekeheke.” He replied smiling at her, bending over and touching her gently on the shoulder.

Ahuahu’s second story will be published next week

Mahuika's Tales No 25 Hekeheke tells the story of Tawhaki and Hapai

                                    Deep in a Kauri forest


Hekeheke knew she was pregnant now and was very happy about it. She thought that she must go and tell Mahuika because she was one of the friends she wanted to tell first. She had told Maui her husband of course and as expected he wanted lay his head on her tummy and talk to baby because he was that sort of person. She was so glad that he was her husband that each morning she wanted to shout it out loud for everyone to hear. Although they probably guessed already and Horowai, Tangaroa’s wife would be told too as they they were such great friends.
The day after she told Maui her husband she went to the meeting house as usual to tell the children a story. She was glad she had finished all the stories she knew about Maui the wilful hero of long ago as she had a love story to tell the children today. So that morning as usual with a different youngster sitting with her, she began her story:


A long time ago the beautiful goddess in the heavens Hapai came floating down to earth one night to inspect that land they could see from on high. As she wandered about unseen she saw this handsome young man sleeping in his whare (house) who she immediately fell in love with as he had such a noble appearance.  So she went up to him as he slept and lifted his covers and lay down by his side just looking at him with admiration. Went he turned over he thought that a girl from his village had boldly come to him. So he wrapped his arms around her and told her she was beautiful. Hapai was very pleased that he was so bold and confident and he thinking that she was woman of his world stroked and fondled her and so from then on they lived together. 

Their union was very happy and soon a baby was born, a little girl. Hapai was happy living on earth with Tawhaki and their baby and so she revealed to him that she was from the heavens above. He loved her so much that he didn’t see there was a problem in that until one day as their little girl was growing up Tawhaki scolded their daughter for being naughty as children sometime are. Hapai was very cross that he did this as she was upset that both she and her daughter who heavenly beings should be reprimanded by this mere human. Her motherly love was wounded so deeply that she resolved to leave her earthly husband and return to her heavenly home.

Tawhaki realizing what he had done tried to apologize but Hapai with her child in her arms climbed to the roof of their house and standing on the carved tekoteko (figurehead on gable) above the front of the dwelling said farewell to Tawhaki saying if he wished to follow her to her far-away home he must seek a secure vine or forest rope by which to ascend to the higher regions where they would be. She said that it would however be difficult for him to follow her. Despite pleading with her not to go she sailed off into the sky and vanished from view.

For a longtime Tawhaki mourned for his lovely wife and child. Then he determined to see them again, he set out to find some way to ascend to the land of the gods. He entered the great forest where the tallest trees were and looked for a tree-vine by which he might climb to the sky. There in the deep and gloomy forest as he was searching he met the guardian of the forest the old and blind Mata-kere-po, who was in fact his grandmother. She somehow survived in the dark forest with other creatures of the night but did not recognize him when he greeted her. Tawhaki could see it was his father’s mother and greeted her as such and in doing so miraculously cured her blindness. 

When he told her he wanted to climb up to heaven to rejoin Hapai, Mata-kere-po in her gratitude showed him the aka (vine) he could trust. He grasped it and shook it, and began his great climb to the upper regions. As he climbed, the old woman chanted her incantation of encouragement, the chant for his pikitanga (ascent) up the sacred vine called the toi-huarewa (rise to the summit).

“Piki ake Tawhaki
Ki te rangi tuatahi,
Ki te rangi tuarua”
 

 “Ascend on high, Tawhaki,
To the first heaven,
To the second heaven.”
 

And so on the recital went, right up to the tenth heaven where Hapai’s home should be. The high winds of the heights buffeted Tawhaki, he was blown and tossed to and fro, but he clung tightly to the secure aka vine and steadily climbed to the uppermost heaven. Tawhaki finally came to where he hoped he would find his wife. It resembled the land of earth in some respects, for there was a forest, and as he explored it he saw a party of workmen making a canoe out of a great felled tree. He joined them and when they were about to go home he offered to carry their axes to their village. He waited until they were out of sight, and he set to work on the half-finished canoe, and chopped away until he had completed the hollowing out and shaping. Then he followed at a distance from the men as they walked home. The other villagers did not take much notice of Tawhaki until they saw his joyful meeting with the beautiful Hapai, for she too lived in that village. They were all amazed, for she was a tapu woman and a high Kahurangi (chieftainess) herself.

The loving reunion of Tawhaki, Hapai and their daughter was a meeting from which they would never part again, for he remained in the celestial home. The inhabitants of that place knew he had become a god too, for he was of radiant appearance and lightning flashed from his arms showing that he was one of them.

The little girl sitting on her then turned to her an asked "Will you always tell stories to us, Hekeheke?" Hekeheke nodded and said "I will try, little one. Why do you ask?" 

The little girl then said "My mother said you would probably have a baby of your own soon."

"One day perhaps." Hekeheke replied smiling shyly.

Mahuika's Tales No 24 Hekeheke tells of Maui finding his family

                            Maui and his brothers

Hekeheke returned to the Meeting house at the same time the following week. She decided to tell the children the last two Maui stories she knew and hope that she could then go back to telling stories that were perhaps better for the children than that tricky ancestor from the earliest times when their history began that amused the boys so much but did not show how they could live their own lives with honour. Generally there were more girls than boys among her listeners as the boys often went fishing with their fathers and she wanted to tell more stories for them. Often the youngest children would want to sit with her and she loved that to happen.

.

Baby Maui grew-up with Tama-nui-ki-te-Rangi who taught him many things and over that time got to hear about the great whare (the great House of Assembly) where kanikani (dancing) and kapa-haka (music and singing) were performed.

One day he decided to go to visit this famous whare. When he got there he changed himself into a little bird, crept inside and hid behind one of the boys there to watch. Every night, before the kanikani the kapa-haka began.

Taranga the mother of four boys would then count her children so that they might be ready to join in. “Maui-taha, that is one; Maui-roto, that is two; Maui-pae, that is three; Maui-waho and that is the fourth.” But then she noticed there was another boy in the line, “Who are you?” She asked.

“I am your child too,” said Maui.

She shook her head, puzzled so she counted them again. “No, No! There should be only four of you; this is the first time I have ever seen you before.”

Taranga and the new boy argued for a long time, Maui saying the he was her youngest son and the mother saying that she had only had four sons. Finally she got angry and cried out, “Be off now with now, get out of this place for you are the child of someone else.”

Maui said, “Very well, I will go then for I must be the child of some other person. I was sure I was your child as I knew I was born by the side of the sea. I was wrapped in my mother’s hair because my mother thought me dead, and I was placed in the sea. But then I was found by Tama-nui-ki-te-Rangi, who chased away the flies and the birds, and who took the jelly-fish and the seaweed from me and who unwrapped me from my mother’s Tikitiki (topknot) and it was him who has raised me as his own child.”

Maui then continued, “Even before I was born as I was growing inside you I knew the names of my brothers; Maui-taha, Maui-roto, Maui-pae and Maui-waho and I am little Maui your last baby that you thought had died who is sitting before you now. However I will go because you tell me to for I must respect you.”

When the Taranga heard all this, she cried “No! Stop for you must indeed be my last born; the son of my old age; the son that I thought dead, for the story you tell is a story that only I would know - because of that your name shall be Maui-tikitiki-a-Taranga (Maui topknot of Taranga); so from then on Maui lived with his own family.

Hekeheke looked down and saw that the little girl that was sitting in her lap had fallen asleep with her thumb in her mouth. Hekeheke had a sudden and overwhelming desire to have a baby of her own.

Hekeheke smiled to herself as she remembered Maui and her together last night and murmured to herself “Surely it will not be long.”

Image found on http://www.mauitheshow.com/ExperienceMaui/images.php

Mahuika's Tales No 23 The Birth of Maui

Hekeheke loved being married to Maui and he with her. Once Maui finally realised he really had her as his wife he was very jealous of her especially when he found out that she continued to tell stories to the village children whenever they managed to catch her walking about the village and the children would plead with her to tell them another story about Maui (the Maori superhero, not her husband!)
Hekeheke knew how important it was for her to fit in with the life of the village of Black Sands and she spoke to everyone she met especially when she went to the hot springs which made her feel so at home as she had been born in Rotorua.
She became great friends with Horowai who was the wife of Tangaroa’s who was the man in charge of the springs now that Horowai’s grandfather had died.
Tangaroa suggested that Hekeheke use the meeting hall there to tell the children stories of the past. Hekeheke was delighted and spoke to her husband Maui that night. Maui frowned at her trying to look stern. “Who shall I get to do the cooking and who will warm my bed?”
Hekeheke tried not to laugh but said “I will find someone, let’s hope she will be as good as me”. Maui didn’t know whether she was joking or not but said no more.
Word soon got around that Hekeheke was going to tell stories for the children there and about ten children were all waiting to enter the meeting house when she arrived.
The boys said they wanted to hear about Maui. Hekeheke shook her head, “I cannot talk about my husband, he would be cross,” she said and all the children laughed.
She sat them all down and said “I will tell you about Maui when he was just a new born baby”. And so she began.

Maui was the fifth of his parents' sons but he was born so premature, so weak and underdeveloped that his mother the goddess Taranga did not think it was possible for him to survive. So weeping with utter sadness she placed her cheek against his face to say goodbye then wrapped his little dying body in a knot of her hair that she had cut off and placed his body into the surf to be left to the care of the gods of the sea.
As you know Maui’s full name that he is now known by is Maui-tikitiki-a-Taranga or 'Maui, the topknot of Taranga. As the tide was on the ebb the little bundle was washed out to sea almost certain never to be seen again. Some seaweed in the water gathered round the bundle as if to protect him and it floated away until the tide washed him back on a different shore far, far away.
There he lay on the shore with other flotsam, the seaweed and a dead jelly fish which has washed up on top of him. All this mess attracted a lot of flies. So many were gathered over the beach that Rangi-nui the old ancestor god and father of the sky ran over to see what had been washed up. He shooed away the flies and the scavenging gulls and poked at the dead jelly fish and found the baby Maui underneath really in a terrible mess but still alive.
Rangi picked him up took him to his home, cleaned him up, and placed Maui in a kete (woven basket) and hung him up from the roof supports to keep him warm and safe from harm. So he looked after him as his son and nursed him through infancy not realizing that he was in fact Maui’s own grandfather. Living with such a powerful god, Maui learned a lot and was not afraid of anybody. He grew up to be a confident and tricky person to deal not afraid of anybody. With his luck right from the start he knew that he could achieve much living with such a powerful person. Later when he became a young man he decided to try to find his mother but I will tell you about that next time.

The children were very pleased with the first story from Hekeheke got her to promise that she would tell them another tale soon. She smiled at them and said “Yes I will, but now I must go home to prepare a meal for my husband, Do you think he will eat a jellyfish?”

Mahuika's Tales No. 22 The tale of the Kiwi

                             Kiwi

Mahuika continued telling the stories to the children when they came to see her.  As it was a warm day she suggested they go into the forest which was just a short walk away. She sat them all down and then asked what animals they could find in the forest.
“Animals only come in here to hide” said one boy. Then a little girl said “birds like flowers but it is so dark and cool in here most animals cannot find what they want to eat.”
I will tell you a story about the forest then”, said Muhuika.

One day Tanemahuta one of the ghostly guardians of the forest was walking through the trees that were his children. Many were reaching for the sky when he noticed some of them were beginning to sicken as the bugs and other insects were eating them.
So he told his brother Tanehokahoka the guardian of the skies of this problem. So Tanehokahoka called all his children, the birds of the air, together and asked Tanemahuta to speak to them.
“Something is eating my children the trees," he said. "I need one you to come down from the roof of the forest and to live on its floor to help clean it up so that all my children can be saved. This is important as the trees are your home. Will you come?”
All was quiet and not one bird spoke.
His brother Tanehokahoka then asked the birds in turn.
“Tui, will you come down from the tree tops?”
The Tui bird looked up at the trees and saw the sun filtering through the leaves. He looked down at the forest floor and saw the dark cold earth and shuddered with fear.
“No, Tanehokahoka, it is too dark and I am afraid of the dark.”
Tanehokahoka then turned to Pukeko.
“Pukeko, will you come down from the forest’s tree tops?”
Pukeko looked hard at the forest floor and saw how dark and damp it was and shook his head.
“No Tanehokahoka, for it is too damp and I do not want to get my feet wet.” 
All was quiet and not one bird spoke so Tanehokahoka turned to Pipawharauroa.
“Surely you will come, Pipawharauroa?”
Pipawharauroa looked up at the trees and saw the small patches of light from the sky high above and looked over to his family.
“No Tanehokahoka, I am too busy at the moment building my nest.” 
Everything went quiet again and still no bird spoke up. Tanehokahoka felt so unbelievably sad. He knew that if one of his children didn’t come down from the forest roof not only would his brother lose his children the trees, but his own children the birds would lose their homes. So at last he turned to Kiwi.
“O Kiwi, will you come down from the forest tree tops.”
Kiwi looked up at the trees and saw the sun filtering through. He looked at his family waiting for him to make a decision and then he looked down at the ground and spied a bug crawling in the litter. Automatically he pecked at the insect and swallowed it down. He looked at his family once again then turned to Tanehokahoka.
“Yes, I will.”
Tanehokahoka then turned to the other birds and said, “Tui, because you were too scared to come down to the forest floor you will wear two white feathers at your throat to mark you as a coward.”
“Pukeko, because you did not want to get your feet wet you will forever live in a swamp.”
“Pipiwharauroa, because you were too busy building your nest, from now on you will never build a nest again but risk having to lay your eggs in other birds nests.”
“Kiwi, by you decision to help others and because of your great sacrifice you will be the best known and most loved bird of all.”

Just then another little girl touched Mahuika on the arm and pointed over into the dark bushes. Mahuika looked and with one finger at her lips signaling for them all to be quiet she pointed with another finger to a clump of ferns to the right of her. The children all turned in that direction and saw a Kiwi pecking away at the ground for his food.

Pipawharauroa - Shining Cuckoo who uses other birds nests
Pukeko              - Purple Swamphen who nests in the reeds in the water
Tui                    - Tui (modern name) The photo below shows one of the white feathers of shame on his neck