582 Fornander Collection of Hawaiian Folk-lore. 



At this Kalanialiiloa admitted that the boy was right, saying: "You are indeed 

 right. You have the true meaning of the duties required of a chanter." The men 

 said: "He has probably proved himself our superiors in that, but he will never beat us 

 in a contest in the use of words." The men then chanted the following lines, making 

 use of the word turn (kahuli): ' 



The fisherman's canoe is turned over, 

 The fisherman's outrigger is turned over, 

 The fisherman's iako^ is turned over, 

 The fisherman's bailing cup is turned over. 

 The fisherman's pearl hook is turned over. 



"These are all the uses to which the word turn can be used, we wish you to under- 

 stand, young man from Hawaii, and if you can find any more uses to the word, you 

 shall live; but if you fail you shall surely die." 



We will then twist j-our nose, 



Making the sun to appear as though at Kumakena. 



We will poke your eyes' with the handle of the kahili. 



And when the water runs out 



Our god in the profession of wrangling will suck it up, 



The god Kaneulupo. 



The boy then said: "After you full-grown men have found those uses, why can't 

 a boy find more uses to the word also? It is best that I find other uses to the word 

 that I may live. I shall therefore try to find other objects that can be turned over, and 

 if I shall fail you shall live, but in case I find other uses I will kill you all." 



I will twist your noses, 



Making the sun to appear as though it is at Kumakena.'' 



I will poke your eyes with the top end of the kahili. 



And when the water runs out 



My god in the profession of wrangling will suck it up. 



The god Kanepaiki. 



The men called back: 



We have asked, the answer is yet to come. 

 It is for you to answer, 

 It is for us to listen. 



The boy replied: 



Say, ye gods, eat up the eyes 



Of the men who are in this contest with me, eat up the eyes. 



The bald-headed man appears like a man with his forehead turned around. 



The blind-eyed man with his eyeballs turned, 



The lame man with his ankle turned. 



^Kahuli, turned over. The contest here changes to a 'Poking or gouging out the eyes of a victim was one 



play on words. of the cruelties practiced in olden times. 



''The iakos of a canoe are the sticks connecting the *A'«;«a/vH(i, mourning, the application being that one 



outrigger to it. would be blinded for the time by an act so severe. 



