Tregear. — Polynesian Folk-lore. 497 



in another New Zealand tradition — that of Tawhaki. The 

 glorious demi-god Tawhaki, before he ascended to heaven and 

 became the god of thunder and lightning, (his mother was 

 Whatitiri, the thunder, before him,) met with the following 

 adventure : — " The fame of Tawhaki's courage in thus destroying 

 the race of the Ponaturi, and a report also of his manly beauty, 

 chanced to reach the ears of a young maiden of the heavenly 

 race who live above in the skies ; so one night she descended 

 from the heavens to visit Tawhaki, and to judge for herself 

 whether these reports were true. She found him lying sound 

 asleep, and, after gazing on him for some time, she stole herself 

 to his side and laid herself down by him. He, when disturbed 

 by her, thought it was only some female of this lower world, 

 and slept again ; but before dawn the young girl stole away 

 again from his side, and ascended once more to the heavens. In 

 the early morning Tawhaki awoke, and felt all over his sleeping- 

 place with both his hands, but in vain, he could nowhere find 

 the young girl. From that time Tango-tango, the girl of the 

 heavenly race, stole every night to the side of Tawhaki, and lo, 

 in the morning she was gone, until she found that she had con- 

 ceived a child, who was afterwards named Arahuta ; then, full 

 of love for Tawhaki, she disclosed herself fully to him and lived 

 constantly in this world with him, deserting for his sake her 

 friends above ; and he discovered that she who had so loved him 

 belonged to the race whose home is in the heavens." The 

 legend then relates that the husband and wife quarrelled in a 

 very foolish manner over the new baby. We resume : — " Then 

 Tango-tango began to sob and cry bitterly, and at last rose up 

 from her place with her child, and began to take flight towards 

 the sky, but she paused for one minute with one foot resting 

 upon the carved figure at the end of the ridge-pole of the house, 

 above the door. Then Tawhaki rushed forward, and springing 

 up, tried to catch hold of his young wife ; but missing her, 

 he entreatingly besought her, ' Mother of my child, oh return 

 once more to me ! ' But she in reply called down to him, ' No, 

 no, I shall now never return to you again.' Tawhaki once 

 more called up to her, 'At least, then, leave me some remem- 

 brance of you.' Then his young wife called down to him, 

 ' These are my parting words of remembrance to you : Take 

 care that you lay not hold with your hands of the loose root 

 of the creeper, which dropping from aloft, sways to and 

 fro in the air ; but rather lay fast hold on that which, hanging 

 down from on high, has again struck its fibres into the 

 earth.' Then she floated up into the air, and vanished from 

 his sight. Tawhaki remained plunged in grief, for his heart was 

 torn by regrets for his wife and his little girl. One moon had 

 waned after her departure, when Tawhaki, unable longer to 

 endure such sufferings, called out to bis younger brother, to 



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