Best. — On Maori Games. 51 



anent the forming of the Whakatane and Wai-mana Valleys, 

 and that describing the weird journey of Maunga-pohatu, 

 Putauaki, and Kakara-mea Mountains from the south. We 

 give a specimen of these fables : — 



The Popokorua and the Kihikihi (the Ant and the Cicada). 



The ant said to the locust, " Let us be diligent and collect 

 much food during the summer-time, that we may retain life 

 when the cold season comes." " Not so," said the locust ; 

 "rather let us ascend the trees and bask in the sun, on the 

 warm bark thereof." So the ant remained on the ground and 

 worked exceeding hard, collecting and storing food for the 

 winter. But the locust said, " This is a fine thing, to bask in 

 the warm sun and enjoy life. How foolish is the ant that 

 toils below." But when winter arrived and the warmth went 

 out of the sun, then the locust perished of cold and hunger. 

 But the ant, how snug is he in his warm home underground, 

 supplied with an abundance of food. 



The Song of the Locust. 



He pai aha koia taku pai 



He noho noa, piri ake ki te peka o te rakau— e 



E inaina noa ake ki te ra e whiti nei 



Me te whakatangi kau i aku paihau — e 



Hohoro mai, e te hoa, 



Kauaka e whakaroa ara ra 



Ka turua ta te popokorua 



Rawe noa ta nga taki whakahau 



Hau mai ki te keri i te rua 



Mo te ua o te rangi me te makariri 



Wero iho i te po nei — e 



Me te kohi mai ano i te kakano — e 



Hai o mo tamaroto 



Kia ora ai — e. 



Often stories were improvised at these nightly meetings- 

 simple, old-world tales of a primitive people, tales modelled 

 on ancient prototypes of the past, tales of strange beings in 

 human form who dwelt in lone forest depths and occasionally 

 carried off women from the villages of man, and tales of 

 daring voyagers of old who went down to unknown seas in 

 their frail craft, and saw strange sights and strange people in 

 far-off lands. I have often listened to such stories in the 

 murky sleeping-houses of Tuhoeland. 



Children's Games. 



Upoko Titi. 



This game is played by three or more children. Each 

 player crooks the little finger over the next, that again over 

 the next, and that over the forefinger. Both hands are 



