^72 Fornander Collection of Haivaiian Folk-lore. 



Poopalu said: "They will not grow as they are already cooked. The gods have charge 

 of the food and all else, and we can only get it after it is cooked. If you wish to get 

 some for the purpose of planting then obey this instruction: You must first hew out an 

 image from a wiliwili ' tree and then braid a basket of ie." Pupuhuluena then consented 

 to do this. After the image and basket were made, Poopalu said to Pupuhuluena: 

 "Place the image behind you on the canoe while I will get into the basket and then we 

 will sail to the land of the gods." 



When they arrived at Kalae where the gods were living, they were seen and be- 

 gan calling: "Let the canoe come ashore at the safe landing place." This place where 

 the gods were directing them to land was the refuse heap, which place by their power 

 was made to be calm, while the usual landing place was made to be very rough. Poo- 

 palu, however, instructed Pupuhuluena from within the basket to say: "That is a refuse 

 heap; here is the landing place where the surf is breaking, for I am a native son of this 

 place." When the gods heard Pupuhuluena, they remarked amongst themselves: "He 

 is a native son of the soil and not a stranger." The regular landing place then became 

 calm while the rough sea went back to the place opposite the refuse heap. As Pupu- 

 huluena went ashore, the gods came down to help him lift the canoe. At this Pupu- 

 huluena said: "The stern of my canoe is kapued. I will lift that part myself while 

 you can lift the forward part." After the canoe was carried ashore, the gods brought 

 all the different kinds of tubers and showed them to Pupuhuluena, saying: 



Pupuhuluena, 



Kapala, Kapakio, 



What kind of food is this? 



Poopalu spoke from within the basket: "Tell them it is a Hoi,' it is poisonous." 

 So Pupuhuluena chanted back: 



It is a Hoi, a poisonous food. 



One day to dig it, 



One day to stand it in water, 



One day to render it sweet, 



One day to warm it in the sun. 



But with all that, the children will die from eating it. 



It has sprouted, it is growing over yonder. 

 The gods then brought out another tuber and asked: "What is this food called, 



Pupuhuluena?" 



It is a yam, 3 it is a life-giving food. 



Go for it and bake it. 



When cooked, your wife is then sustained. 



The gods then showed all the different tubers to Pupuhuluena, after which they 

 invited him to join them in their games, which invitation was accepted. While playing 

 in a certain game, Pupuhuluena took some of the gods and stood them up on their heads. 

 This action so shamed them that they gave Pupuhuluena each of the different tubers. 

 Pupuhuluena then returned to Kohala and planted the yam, and yam can be found at the 

 bottom of the cliffs to the east of Kohala to this day; also the kalo, potatoes, gourds, and 

 all the different tubers. It was Pupuhuluena who first introduced them into Kohala. 



■ Wiliwili {Erytlii-ina monospei»ia). ^I/oi, a species of yam used in times of great scarcity of food (Dioscorea 

 saliva). ''Yam, native name, uhi i^Ipomoea batatas). 



