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025 - Chapter 7 Part III - Mother-myths and Child-myths · Guide to Mythology

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Speaker 1: Chapter seven, Part three of A Guide to Mythology by
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Speaker 1: Helen Clark. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain.
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Speaker 1: Chapter seven, Part three, Mother Myths and Child Myths. Ojig
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Speaker 1: anung or the summer Maker, North American Indian. There lived
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Speaker 1: a celebrated hunter on the southern shores of Lake Superior,
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Speaker 1: who was considered a manito by some, for there was
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Speaker 1: nothing but what he could accomplish. He lived off the
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Speaker 1: path in a wild, lonesome place with a wife whom
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Speaker 1: he loved, and they were blessed with a son who
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Speaker 1: had attained his thirteenth year. The hunter's name was ojig
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Speaker 1: Or the Fisher, which is the name of an expert,
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Speaker 1: sprightly little animal common to the region. He was so
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Speaker 1: successful in the chase that he seldom returned without bringing
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Speaker 1: his wife and son a plentiful supply of venison or
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Speaker 1: other dainties of the woods. As hunting formed his constant occupation,
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Speaker 1: his son began early to emulate his father in the
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Speaker 1: same employment, and would take his bow and arrows and
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Speaker 1: exert his skill in trying to kill birds and squirrels.
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Speaker 1: The greatest impediment he met with was the coldness and
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Speaker 1: severity of the climate. He often returned home his little
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Speaker 1: fingers benumbed with cold and crying with vexation. At his disappointment.
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Speaker 1: Days and months and years passed by, but still the
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Speaker 1: same perpetual depth of snow was seen covering all the
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Speaker 1: country as with a white cloak. One day, after a
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Speaker 1: fruitless trial of his forest skill, the little boy was
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Speaker 1: returning homeward with a heavy heart when he saw a
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Speaker 1: small red squirrel gnawing the top of a pine beer.
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Speaker 1: He had approached within a proper distance to shoot. When
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Speaker 1: the squirrel sat up on its hind legs and thus
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Speaker 1: addressed him, my grandchild, put up your arrows and listen
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Speaker 1: to what I have to tell you. The boy complied
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Speaker 1: rather reluctantly when the squirrel continued, My son, I see
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Speaker 1: you pass frequently with your fingers be numbed with cold
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Speaker 1: and crying with vexation for not having killed any birds. Now,
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Speaker 1: if you follow my advice, we will see if you
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Speaker 1: cannot accomplish your wishes. If you will strictly pursue my advice,
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Speaker 1: we will have perpetual summer, and you will then have
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Speaker 1: the pleasure of killing as many birds as you please.
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Speaker 1: And I will also have something to eat, as I
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Speaker 1: am now myself on the point of starvation. Listen to me.
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Speaker 1: As soon as you get home, you must commence crying.
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Speaker 1: You must throw away your bow and arrows in discontent.
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Speaker 1: If your mother asks you what is the matter, you
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Speaker 1: must not answer her, but continue crying and sobbing. If
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Speaker 1: she offers you anything to eat, you must push it
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Speaker 1: away with apparent discontent and continue crying. In the evening,
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Speaker 1: when your father returns from hunting, he will inquire of
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Speaker 1: your mother what is the matter with you. She will
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Speaker 1: answer that you came home crying and would not so
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Speaker 1: much as mention the cause to her. All this while
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Speaker 1: you must not leave off sobbing. At last, your father
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Speaker 1: will say, my son, why is this unnecessary grief? Tell
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Speaker 1: me the cause. You know I am a spirit and
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Speaker 1: that nothing is impossible for me to perform. You must
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Speaker 1: then answer him and say that you are sorry to
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Speaker 1: see the snow continually on the ground, and to ask
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Speaker 1: him if he could not cause it to melt so
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Speaker 1: that we might have perpetual summer. Say it in a
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Speaker 1: supplicating way, and tell him this is the cause of
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Speaker 1: your grief. Your father will reply, it is very hard
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Speaker 1: to accomplish your request. But for your sake, and on
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Speaker 1: account of my love for you, I will use my
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Speaker 1: utmost endeavors. He will tell you to be still and
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Speaker 1: cease crying. He will try to bring summer with all
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Speaker 1: its loveliness. You must then be quiet and eat that
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Speaker 1: which is set before you. The squirrel ceased. The boy
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Speaker 1: promised obedience to his advance and departed. When he reached home,
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Speaker 1: he did as he had been instructed, and all was
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Speaker 1: exactly fulfilled as it had been predicted by the squirrel.
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Speaker 1: Ojig told him that it was a great undertaking. He
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Speaker 1: must first make a feast and invite some of his
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Speaker 1: friends to accompany him on a journey. Next day he
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Speaker 1: had a bare roasted hole. All who had been invited
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Speaker 1: to the feast came punctually to the appointment. There were
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Speaker 1: the otter, beaver, Lynx, badger, and wolverine. After the feast,
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Speaker 1: they arranged it among themselves to set out on the
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Speaker 1: contemplated journey in three days. When the time arrived, the
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Speaker 1: fisher took leave of his wife and son, as he
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Speaker 1: foresaw that it was for the last time. He and
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Speaker 1: his companions traveled in company day after day, meeting with
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Speaker 1: nothing but the ordinary incidents. On the twentieth day, they
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Speaker 1: arrived at the foot of a high mountain, where they
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Speaker 1: saw the tracks of some person who had recently killed
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Speaker 1: an animal, which they knew by the blood that marked
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Speaker 1: the way. The fisher told his friends that they ought
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Speaker 1: to follow the track and see if they could not
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Speaker 1: procure something to eat. They followed it for some time.
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Speaker 1: At last they arrived at a lodge which had been
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Speaker 1: hidden from their view by a hollow in the mountain.
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Speaker 1: Ojigu told his friends to be very sedate and not
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Speaker 1: to laugh on any account. The first object that they
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Speaker 1: saw was a man standing at the door of the lodge,
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Speaker 1: but of so deformed a shape that they could not
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Speaker 1: possibly make out who or what sort of man could be.
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Speaker 1: His head was enormously large, he had such a queer
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Speaker 1: set of teeth and no arms. They wondered how he
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Speaker 1: could kill animals, but the secret was soon revealed. He
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Speaker 1: was a great Manito. He invited them to pass the night,
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Speaker 1: to which they consented. He boiled his meat in a
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Speaker 1: hollow vessel made of wood, and took it out of
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Speaker 1: this singular kettle in some way unknown to his guests.
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Speaker 1: He carefully gave each their portion to eat, but made
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Speaker 1: so many odd movements that the otter could not refrain
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Speaker 1: from laughing, For he is the only one who is
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Speaker 1: spoken of as a jester. Do Minito looked at him
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Speaker 1: with a terrible look, and then made a spring at
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Speaker 1: him and got on him to smother him, for that
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Speaker 1: was his mode of killing animals. But the otter, when
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Speaker 1: he fell him on his neck, slipped his head back
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Speaker 1: and made for the door, which he passed in safety,
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Speaker 1: but went out with the curse of the Manito. The
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Speaker 1: others passed the night, and they conversed on different subjects.
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Speaker 1: The Manito told the fisher that he would accomplish his object,
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Speaker 1: but that it would probably cost him his life. He
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Speaker 1: gave them his advice, directed them how to act, and
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Speaker 1: described a certain road which they must follow, and they
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Speaker 1: would thereby be led to the place of action. They
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Speaker 1: set off in the morning and met their friend, the otter,
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Speaker 1: shivering with cold, but Ojig had taken care to bring
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Speaker 1: along some of the meat that had been given him,
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Speaker 1: which he presented to his friend. They pursued their way
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Speaker 1: and traveled twenty days more before they got to the
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Speaker 1: place of which the Manito had told them it was
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Speaker 1: a most lofty mountain. They rested on its highest peak
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Speaker 1: to fill their pipes and refresh themselves. Before smoking, they
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Speaker 1: made the customary ceremony, pointing to the heavens, the four winds,
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Speaker 1: the Earth, and the Zenith. In the meantime, speaking in
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Speaker 1: a loud voice, they addressed the Great Spirit, hoping that
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Speaker 1: their object would be accomplished. They then commenced smoking. They
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Speaker 1: gazed on the sky in silent admiration and astonishment, for
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Speaker 1: they were on so elevated a point that it appeared
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Speaker 1: to be only a short distance above their heads. After
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Speaker 1: they had finished smoking, they prepared themselves. O Jig told
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Speaker 1: the otter to make the first attempt to try and
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Speaker 1: make a hole in the sky. He consented with a grin.
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Speaker 1: He made a leap, but fell down the hill. Stunned
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Speaker 1: by the force of his fall and the snow being
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Speaker 1: moist and falling on his back, he slid with velocity
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Speaker 1: down the side of the mountain. When he found himself
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Speaker 1: at the bottom, he thought to himself, it is the
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Speaker 1: last time I shall attempt such a jump, so I
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Speaker 1: will make the best of my way home. Then it
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Speaker 1: was the turn of the beaver, who made the attempt,
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Speaker 1: but fell down senseless. Then of the lynx and badger,
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Speaker 1: who had no better success. Now, says Fisher to the wolverine,
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Speaker 1: try your skill. Your ancestors were celebrated for their activity,
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Speaker 1: hardihood and perseverance, and I depend on you for success.
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Speaker 1: Now make the attempt. He did so, but also without success.
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Speaker 1: He the second time, but now they could see that
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Speaker 1: the sky was giving way to their repeated attempts. Mustering strength,
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Speaker 1: he made the third leap and went in the fissure.
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Speaker 1: Nimbly followed him. They found themselves in a beautiful plain,
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Speaker 1: extending as far as the eye could reach, covered with
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Speaker 1: flowers of a thousand different hues and fragrance. Here and
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Speaker 1: there were clusters of tall, shady trees, separated by innumerable
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Speaker 1: streams of the purest water, which wound around their courses
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Speaker 1: under the cooling shades, and filled the plain with countless
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Speaker 1: beautiful lakes, whose banks and bosom were covered with water
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Speaker 1: fowl basking and sporting in the sun. The trees were
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Speaker 1: alive with birds of different plumage, warbling their sweet notes,
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Speaker 1: and delighted with perpetual spring. The fisher and his friend
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Speaker 1: beheld very long lodges, and the celestial inhabitants amusing themselves.
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Speaker 1: At a distance. Words cannot express the beauty and charm
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Speaker 1: of the place. The lodges were empty of inhabitants, but
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Speaker 1: they saw them lined with mocucks of different sizes, filled
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Speaker 1: with birds and fowls of different plumage. Ojig thought of
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Speaker 1: his son, and immediately commenced, cutting open the mocuks and
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Speaker 1: letting out the birds, who descended in whole flocks through
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Speaker 1: the opening which they had made. The warm air of
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Speaker 1: those regions also rushed down through the opening and spread
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Speaker 1: its genial influence over the north. When the celestial inhabitants
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Speaker 1: saw the birds let loose and the warm gales descending,
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Speaker 1: they raised a shout like thunder and ran for their lodges.
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Speaker 1: But it was too late. Spring, summer, and autumn had gone.
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Speaker 1: Even perpetual summer had almost all gone. But they separated
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Speaker 1: it with a blow, and only a part descended. But
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Speaker 1: the ends were so mangled that wherever it prevails among
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Speaker 1: the lower inhabitants, it is always sickly. When the wolverine
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Speaker 1: heard the noise, he made for the opening and safely descended.
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Speaker 1: Not so the fissure. Anxious to fulfill his son's wishes,
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Speaker 1: he continued to break open the mococks. He was at
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Speaker 1: last obliged to run also, but the opening was now
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Speaker 1: closed by the inhabitants. He ran with all his might
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Speaker 1: over the plains of heaven, and it would appear took
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Speaker 1: a northerly direction. He saw his pursuers so close that
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Speaker 1: he had to climb the first large tree that he
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Speaker 1: came to. They commenced shooting at him with their arrows,
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Speaker 1: but without effect, For all his body was invulnerable except
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Speaker 1: the space of about an inch near the tip of
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Speaker 1: his tail. At last one of the arrows hit the spot,
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Speaker 1: for he had, in this chase assumed the shape of
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Speaker 1: the fissure after whom he was named. He looked down
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Speaker 1: from the tree and saw some among his assailants with
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Speaker 1: the totems of his ancestors. He claimed relationship and told
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Speaker 1: them to desist, which they only did at the approach
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Speaker 1: of night. He then came down to try and find
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Speaker 1: an opening in the celestial plain by which he might
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Speaker 1: descend to the earth, but he could find none. At last,
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Speaker 1: becoming faint from the loss of blood from the wound
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Speaker 1: on his tail, he laid himself down toward the north
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Speaker 1: of the plain, and stretching out his limbs, said, I
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Speaker 1: have fulfilled my promise to my son, though it has
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Speaker 1: cost me my life. But I die satisfied in the
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Speaker 1: idea that I have done so much good, not only
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Speaker 1: for him, but for my fellow beings. Hereafter, I will
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Speaker 1: be assigned to the inhabitants below for ages to come,
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Speaker 1: who will venerate my name for having succeeded in procuring
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Speaker 1: the varying seasons they will now have from eight to
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Speaker 1: ten moons without snow. He was found dead next morning,
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Speaker 1: but they left him as they found him, with the
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Speaker 1: arrows sticking in his tail, as it can be plainly
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Speaker 1: seen at this time in the heavens. The legend of
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Speaker 1: Maui Polynesian. Once, when his relations were all dancing in
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Speaker 1: the Great House of Assembly, they found out who he was.
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Speaker 1: For little Maui the infant, crept into the house and
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Speaker 1: went and sat behind one of his brothers and hid himself.
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Speaker 1: So when their mother counted her children that they might
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Speaker 1: stand up ready for the dance, she said, one, that's
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Speaker 1: Maui Taha. Two that's Maui Roto. Three that's Maui, paie four,
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Speaker 1: that's Maui wahoo. And then she saw another and cried out, hullo,
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Speaker 1: where did this fifth come from. Then little Maui the infant, answered, ah,
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Speaker 1: I'm your child too. Then the mother counted them all
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Speaker 1: over again and said, oh, no, there ought to be
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Speaker 1: only four of you now, for the first time I've
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Speaker 1: seen you. Then little Maui and his mother stood for
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Speaker 1: a long time disputing about this, in the very middle
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Speaker 1: of the ranks of all the dancers. At last she
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Speaker 1: got angry and cried out, come, you be off now,
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Speaker 1: out of the house at once. You are no child
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Speaker 1: of mine. You belong to some one else. Then little
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Speaker 1: Maui spoke out quite boldly and said, very well, I'd
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Speaker 1: better be off then, for I suppose, as you say it,
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Speaker 1: I must be the child of some other person. But
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Speaker 1: indeed I did think I was your child when I
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Speaker 1: said so, because I knew I was borne by the
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Speaker 1: side of the sea, and was thrown by you into
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Speaker 1: the foam of the surf. After you had wrapped me
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Speaker 1: up in a long tress of your hair, which you
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Speaker 1: cut off for the purpose. Then the seaweed formed and
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Speaker 1: fashioned me as in its long tangles. The ever heaving
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Speaker 1: surges of the sea rolled me folded as I was
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Speaker 1: in them, from side to side. At length, the breezes
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Speaker 1: and squalls which blew from the ocean drifted me on
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Speaker 1: shore again, and the soft jellyfish of the long sandy
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Speaker 1: beeches rolled themselves round me to protect me. Then again
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Speaker 1: myriads of flies buzzed about me, and flocks of birds
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Speaker 1: collected round me to tear me to pieces. But at
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Speaker 1: that moment appeared there also my great ancestor, Taman Nui
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Speaker 1: kite Rangi, And he saw the flies and birds collected
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Speaker 1: in clusters and flocks above the jellyfish, and behold within
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Speaker 1: there lay a human being. And he caught me up
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Speaker 1: and carried me to his house, and he hung me
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Speaker 1: up the roof that I might feel the warm smoke
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Speaker 1: and the heat of the fire. So I was saved
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Speaker 1: alive by the kindness of that old man. At last
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Speaker 1: I grew, and then I heard of the fame of
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Speaker 1: the dancing of this great house of assembly. It was
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Speaker 1: that which brought me here. But ever since I can remember,
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Speaker 1: I have heard the names of these your first born children,
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Speaker 1: as you have been calling them over until this very
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Speaker 1: night when I again heard you repeating them. In proof
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Speaker 1: of this, I will now recite your names to you,
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Speaker 1: my brothers. You are Maui Taha, and you are Maui Roto,
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Speaker 1: and you are Maui Paie, and you are Maui Wahoo.
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Speaker 1: And as for me, I'm little Maui the baby, and
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Speaker 1: here I am sitting before you. When his mother, Taranga
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Speaker 1: heard all this, she cried out, you, dear little child,
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Speaker 1: you are indeed my last born. Therefore I now tell
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Speaker 1: you your name shall be Maui Tiki Tiki o Taranga.
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Speaker 1: And he was called by that name. It was now night,
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Speaker 1: but early in the morning Taranga rose up, and suddenly,
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Speaker 1: in a moment of time, she was gone from the
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Speaker 1: house where her children were. As soon as they woke up,
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Speaker 1: they looked all about to no purpose, as they could
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Speaker 1: not see her. The elder brothers knew she had left
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Speaker 1: them and were accustomed to it. But the little child
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Speaker 1: was exceedingly vexed. Yet he thought, I cannot see her,
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Speaker 1: tis true, but perhaps she is only gone to prepare
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Speaker 1: some food for us. No, no, she was off far
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Speaker 1: far away. Now. At nightfall, when their mother came back
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Speaker 1: to them, her children were dancing and singing as usual.
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Speaker 1: As soon as they had finished, she called to her
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Speaker 1: last born, Come here, my child, let us sleep together.
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Speaker 1: So they slept together, but as soon as day dawned
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Speaker 1: she disappeared. The little fellow now felt quite suspicious at
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Speaker 1: such strange proceedings on the part of his mother every morning.
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Speaker 1: So at length another night, he crept out of bed
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Speaker 1: in the night and stole his mother's apron, her belt,
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Speaker 1: and clothes, and hid them. Then he went and stopped
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Speaker 1: up every crevice in the wooden window and in the doorway,
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Speaker 1: so that the light of the dawn might not shine
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Speaker 1: into the house and make his mother hurry to get up.
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Speaker 1: But after he had done this, his little heart still
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Speaker 1: felt very anxious and uneasy, lest his mother should, in
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Speaker 1: her impatience, rise in the darkness and defeat his plans.
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Speaker 1: But the night dragged its slow length along without his
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Speaker 1: mother moving. At last there came the faint light of
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Speaker 1: early morn, but his mother still slept on. Then the
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Speaker 1: sun rose up and mounted far up above the horizon.
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Speaker 1: Now at last his mother moved and began to think
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Speaker 1: to herself, what kind of night can this be? To
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Speaker 1: last so long? And having thought thus she dropped asleep again. Again,
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Speaker 1: she awoke and began to think to herself, but could
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Speaker 1: not tell that it was broad daylight outside, as the
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Speaker 1: window and every chink in the house were stopped up closely.
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Speaker 1: At last, up she jumped, and, finding herself without her
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Speaker 1: clothes or her belt or her apron, she ran and
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Speaker 1: pulled out the things with which the windows and chinks
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Speaker 1: in the doors were stopped up, and whilst doing so,
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Speaker 1: Oh dear, oh dear, there she saw the sun high
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Speaker 1: up in the heavens. Then she snatched up as she
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Speaker 1: ran off the old flax cloak with which the door
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Speaker 1: of the house had been stopped up, and carried it
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Speaker 1: off as her only covering. Getting at last outside the house,
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Speaker 1: she hurried away and ran, crying at the thought of
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Speaker 1: having been so badly treated by her own children. As
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Speaker 1: soon as his mother got outside the house, little Maui
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Speaker 1: jumped up and, kneeling upon his hands and knees, peeped
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Speaker 1: after her through the doorway into the bright light. Whilst
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Speaker 1: he was watching her, she reached down to a clump
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Speaker 1: of rushes, and snatching it up from the ground, dropped
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Speaker 1: into a hole underneath it, and clapping the rushes into
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Speaker 1: the hole again, as if it were its covering, so disappeared.
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Speaker 1: Then little Mauie jumped on his feet and as hard
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Speaker 1: as he could go, ran out of the house, pulled
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Speaker 1: up the clump of rushes, and peeping down, discovered a
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Speaker 1: beautiful open cave running quite deep into the earth. He
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Speaker 1: covered up the hole again and returned to the house, and,
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Speaker 1: waking up his brothers who were still sleeping, said come, come,
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Speaker 1: my brothers, rouse up. You have slept long enough, Come
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Speaker 1: get up here. We are again cajoled by our mother.
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Speaker 1: Then his brothers made haste and got up alas alas
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Speaker 1: the sun was quite high up in the heavens. The
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Speaker 1: little Maui now asked his brothers again, where do you
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Speaker 1: think the place is where our father and mother dwell?
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Speaker 1: And they answered, how should we know? We have never
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Speaker 1: seen it. Although we are Maui Taha and Maui Roto,
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Speaker 1: and Maui Paie and Maui Wahou, we have never seen
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Speaker 1: the place. And do you think you can find that
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Speaker 1: place which you are so anxious to see? What does
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Speaker 1: that signify to you? Cannot you stop quietly with us?
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Speaker 1: What do we care about our father or about our mother.
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Speaker 1: Did she feed us with food till we grew up
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Speaker 1: to be men, not a bit of it. Why, without doubt,
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Speaker 1: Rangi or the heaven is our father who kindly sent
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Speaker 1: his offspring down to us. Hue whena or gentle breezes
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Speaker 1: to cool the earth and young plants, and huey ma
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Speaker 1: ringi ringi or mists to moisten them, and twa ma
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Speaker 1: roto roto or fine weather to make them grow, and
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Speaker 1: tonnghi or rain to water them, and to maayiranghi or
26:21
Speaker 1: dews to nourish them. He gave these his offspring to
26:26
Speaker 1: cause our food to grow. And then Papa Tuanuku or
26:31
Speaker 1: the earth made her seeds to spring and grow forth
26:35
Speaker 1: and provide sustenance for her children in this long, continuing world.
26:42
Speaker 1: Little Maui then answered, what you say is truly quite correct,
26:48
Speaker 1: But such thoughts and sayings would better become me than you,
26:53
Speaker 1: For in the foaming bubbles of the sea, I was
26:56
Speaker 1: nursed and fed. It would please me better if you
26:59
Speaker 1: would think over and remember the time when you were
27:03
Speaker 1: nursed at your mother's breast. It could not have been
27:08
Speaker 1: until after you had ceased to be nourished by her milk,
27:11
Speaker 1: that you could have eaten the kinds of food you
27:14
Speaker 1: have mentioned. As for me, oh, my brothers, I have
27:19
Speaker 1: never partaken either of her milk or of her food.
27:23
Speaker 1: Yet I love her for this single reason alone, that
27:28
Speaker 1: she is my mother. And because I love her, I
27:31
Speaker 1: wished to know the place where she and my father dwell.
27:36
Speaker 1: His brothers felt quite surprised and pleased with their little
27:40
Speaker 1: brother when they heard him talk in this way, And
27:44
Speaker 1: when after a little time they had recovered from their amazement,
27:49
Speaker 1: they told him to try and find their father and mother.
27:53
Speaker 1: So he said he would go. It was a long
27:56
Speaker 1: time ago that he had finished his first labor, For
28:00
Speaker 1: when he first appeared to his relatives in their house
28:04
Speaker 1: of singing and dancing, he had, on that occasion transformed
28:08
Speaker 1: himself into the likeness of all manner of birds, of
28:13
Speaker 1: every bird in the world. And yet no single form
28:18
Speaker 1: that he then assumed had pleased his brothers. But now,
28:23
Speaker 1: when he showed himself to them transformed into the semblance
28:27
Speaker 1: of a pigeon, his brother said, ah, now, indeed, oh brother,
28:33
Speaker 1: you do look very well, indeed, very beautiful, very beautiful,
28:39
Speaker 1: much more beautiful than you looked in any of the
28:43
Speaker 1: other forms you assumed when you first discovered yourself. To us,
28:49
Speaker 1: what made him look so beautiful now were the belt
28:52
Speaker 1: and apron he had stolen from his mother. The shining
28:57
Speaker 1: white upon his breast was her belt. The glossy black
29:01
Speaker 1: feathers at his throat the fastening to the belt. Then
29:06
Speaker 1: off he flew until he came to the clump of
29:09
Speaker 1: rushes closing the opening of the cave into which his
29:13
Speaker 1: mother had disappeared. Then down he went into the cave,
29:19
Speaker 1: shutting up its mouth with the rushes so as to
29:22
Speaker 1: hide the entrance away. He flew very fast, indeed, and
29:28
Speaker 1: twice he dipped his wing because the cave was narrow.
29:33
Speaker 1: Soon he reached nearly to the bottom of the cave
29:36
Speaker 1: and flew along it. And again, because the cave was
29:41
Speaker 1: so narrow, he dipped, first one wing and then the other.
29:45
Speaker 1: But the cave now widened, and he dashed straight on.
29:51
Speaker 1: At last he saw a party of people coming along
29:55
Speaker 1: under a grove of trees. They were a special kind
29:58
Speaker 1: of tree called monopon trees that belonged to the country Maui.
30:05
Speaker 1: Flying on perched upon the top of one of these trees,
30:09
Speaker 1: under which the people had seated themselves, and when he
30:13
Speaker 1: saw his mother lying down on the grass by the
30:17
Speaker 1: side of her husband, he guessed at once who they were,
30:21
Speaker 1: and he thought, Ah, there sit my father and mother
30:27
Speaker 1: right under me. And he soon heard their names as
30:31
Speaker 1: they were called to by their friends who were sitting
30:33
Speaker 1: with them. Then the pigeon hopped down and perched on
30:38
Speaker 1: another spray a little lower, and pecked off one of
30:42
Speaker 1: the berries of the tree, and dropped it gently down,
30:46
Speaker 1: and hit the father with it on the forehead. And
30:49
Speaker 1: some of the party said, was it a bird which
30:52
Speaker 1: threw that down? But the father said, oh, no, it
30:56
Speaker 1: was only a berry that fell by chance. Then the
31:01
Speaker 1: pigeon again pecked off some of the berries from the
31:04
Speaker 1: tree and threw them down with all its force, and
31:09
Speaker 1: struck both father and mother, so that he really hurt them,
31:14
Speaker 1: and they cried out, And the whole party jumped up
31:18
Speaker 1: and looked into the tree, And as the pigeon began
31:21
Speaker 1: to coo, they soon found out from the noise where
31:25
Speaker 1: it was sitting amongst the leaves and branches, and the
31:29
Speaker 1: whole of them, the chiefs and common people alike caught
31:34
Speaker 1: up stones to pelt the pigeon with but they threw
31:37
Speaker 1: for a very long time without hitting it. At last
31:42
Speaker 1: the father tried to throw a stone at it. Ah
31:46
Speaker 1: he struck it, But Maui had himself contrived that he
31:50
Speaker 1: should be struck by the stone which his father threw
31:54
Speaker 1: for but by his choice no one could hit him.
31:58
Speaker 1: He was struck exactly a upon his left leg, and
32:02
Speaker 1: down he fell. And as he lay fluttering and struggling
32:06
Speaker 1: upon the ground, they all ran to catch him, but
32:10
Speaker 1: lo the pigeon had turned into a man. Then all
32:15
Speaker 1: those who saw him were frightened at his fierce, glaring eyes,
32:20
Speaker 1: which were red as if painted with red ochre. And
32:24
Speaker 1: they said, oh, it is now no wonder that he
32:28
Speaker 1: so long sat still up in the tree. Had he
32:32
Speaker 1: been a bird, he would have flown off long before.
32:35
Speaker 1: But he is a man, And some of them said, no, indeed,
32:41
Speaker 1: rather a god. Just look at his form an appearance
32:46
Speaker 1: the like has never been seen before since Rangi and
32:50
Speaker 1: Papatuanuku were torn apart. Then Taraga said, I used to
32:56
Speaker 1: see one who looked like this person every night when
32:59
Speaker 1: I I went to visit my children. But what I
33:02
Speaker 1: saw then excelled what I see now. Just listen to me.
33:08
Speaker 1: Then she told the story of Maui as he had
33:11
Speaker 1: told it to her and his brothers himself. Then Taranga
33:16
Speaker 1: asked Maui, who was sitting near her, where do you
33:20
Speaker 1: come from from the west? And he answered, no, from
33:26
Speaker 1: the northeast, Then no, from the southeast, then no from
33:35
Speaker 1: the south. Then no. Was it the wind which blows
33:41
Speaker 1: upon me, the wind that brought you here to me?
33:45
Speaker 1: When she asked this, he opened his mouth and answered yes.
33:50
Speaker 1: And she cried out, oh, this then is indeed my child.
33:55
Speaker 1: And she said, are you Maui Taha? He answered know.
34:01
Speaker 1: Then said she, are you Maui tik tiki o Taranga,
34:06
Speaker 1: And he answered yes, and she cried aloud, this is
34:11
Speaker 1: indeed my child. By the winds and storms and wave
34:16
Speaker 1: uplifting gales, he was fashioned and became a human being.
34:21
Speaker 1: Welcome o, my child. Welcome by you shall hereafter be
34:27
Speaker 1: climbed the threshold of the house of your great ancestor
34:31
Speaker 1: Hini Nui Tipo, and death shall thenceforth have no power
34:37
Speaker 1: over man. This prophecy, however, was not fulfilled, for when
34:43
Speaker 1: the time came for him to encounter Hui Nuitipo, he
34:48
Speaker 1: was himself killed Maui, after these things, returned to his
34:53
Speaker 1: brother to tell them that he had found his parents
34:57
Speaker 1: and to explain where they dwelt. The young hero Maui
35:02
Speaker 1: had not been long at home with his brothers when
35:05
Speaker 1: he began to think that it was too soon after
35:09
Speaker 1: the rising of the sun, that it became night again,
35:13
Speaker 1: and that the sun again sank down below the horizon
35:17
Speaker 1: every day. Every day in the same manner, the days
35:22
Speaker 1: appeared too short to him. So at last one day
35:27
Speaker 1: he said to his brothers, let us now catch the
35:30
Speaker 1: sun in a noose, so that we may compel him
35:34
Speaker 1: to move more slowly, in order that mankind may have
35:38
Speaker 1: long days to labor in to procure subsistence for themselves.
35:44
Speaker 1: But they answered him, why no man could approach it,
35:48
Speaker 1: on account of its warmth and the fierceness of its heat.
35:52
Speaker 1: But the young hero said to them, have you not
35:55
Speaker 1: seen the multitude of things I have already achieved? Did
36:00
Speaker 1: I not by degrees transform myself into every bird in
36:05
Speaker 1: the world, small or great? And did I not, after
36:09
Speaker 1: all this again assume the form of a man. As
36:13
Speaker 1: for that feat, I accomplished it by enchantments, and I
36:18
Speaker 1: will by the same means accomplish also this other thing
36:23
Speaker 1: which I have in mind. When his brothers heard this,
36:26
Speaker 1: they consented to aid him in his conquest of the sun.
36:32
Speaker 1: Then they began to spin and twist ropes to form
36:35
Speaker 1: a noose to catch the sun in. And in doing
36:39
Speaker 1: this they discovered the mode of plaiting flax into stout
36:44
Speaker 1: square shaped ropes, and the manner of plaiting flat ropes,
36:49
Speaker 1: and of spinning round ropes. And at last they finished
36:53
Speaker 1: making all the ropes they required. Then Maoi took up
36:59
Speaker 1: his enchanted way weapon, and he took his brothers with him,
37:02
Speaker 1: and they carried their provisions, ropes, and other things with
37:07
Speaker 1: them in their hands. They traveled all night, and as
37:11
Speaker 1: soon as day broke, they halted in the desert and
37:15
Speaker 1: hid themselves that they might not be seen by the sun.
37:20
Speaker 1: And at night they renewed their journey, and before dawn
37:24
Speaker 1: they halted and hid themselves again. At length they got
37:28
Speaker 1: very far, very far to the eastward, and came to
37:33
Speaker 1: the very edge of the place out of which the
37:36
Speaker 1: sun rises. Then they set to work and built on
37:41
Speaker 1: each side of this place a long high wall of
37:45
Speaker 1: clay with huts of boughs of trees. At each end
37:49
Speaker 1: to hide themselves in. When these were finished, they made
37:53
Speaker 1: the loops of the noose, and the brothers of Maui
37:56
Speaker 1: then lay in wait on one side of the place
38:00
Speaker 1: out of which the sun rises, and Maui himself lay
38:04
Speaker 1: in wait upon the other side. The young hero held
38:08
Speaker 1: in his hand his enchanted weapon, the jawbone of his ancestress,
38:14
Speaker 1: and said to his brothers, mind now, keep yourselves hid,
38:19
Speaker 1: and do not go showing yourselves foolishly to the sun.
38:23
Speaker 1: If you do, you will frighten him. But wait patiently
38:28
Speaker 1: until his head and fore legs have got well into
38:32
Speaker 1: the snare. Then I will shout you haul away as
38:37
Speaker 1: hard as you can on the ropes on both sides,
38:41
Speaker 1: and then I'll rush out and attack him. But do
38:45
Speaker 1: you keep your ropes tight for a good long time
38:49
Speaker 1: until he is nearly dead, when we will let him go.
38:53
Speaker 1: But mind now, my brothers, do not let him move
38:57
Speaker 1: you to pity. With his shrieks and scream. At last,
39:02
Speaker 1: the sun came rising up out of his place like
39:06
Speaker 1: a fire's spreading far and wide over the mountains and forests.
39:11
Speaker 1: He rises up, his head passes through the noose, and
39:16
Speaker 1: it takes in more and more of his body until
39:20
Speaker 1: his forepaws pass through. Then the ropes are pulled tight,
39:25
Speaker 1: and the monster begins to struggle and roll himself about,
39:29
Speaker 1: whilst the snare jerks backward and forward as he struggles.
39:35
Speaker 1: Ah is he not held fast in the ropes of
39:38
Speaker 1: his enemies. Then forth rushes that bold hero, Maui Tiki
39:45
Speaker 1: Tiki o Taranga, with his enchanted weapon. Alas the Sun
39:51
Speaker 1: screams aloud, he roars Maui strikes him fiercely with many blows.
39:58
Speaker 1: They hold him for a long time. At last they
40:02
Speaker 1: let him go, and then, weak from wounds, the sun
40:06
Speaker 1: creeps slowly along its course. Then men learned the second
40:11
Speaker 1: name of the sun, for in its agony, the Sun
40:14
Speaker 1: screamed out, why am I thus smitten by you? Oh man,
40:21
Speaker 1: do you know what you are doing? Why should you
40:24
Speaker 1: wish to kill Tama Nui Terra? At last they let
40:29
Speaker 1: him go. Oh Then Tama Nui Tehrah went very slowly
40:36
Speaker 1: and feebly on his course. And of Chapter seven, Part three,