Legend of Opelemoemoe. 



KALAUAO in Ewa was where Opelemoemoe' made his liome. This man i)er- 

 formed some very extraordinary things, things the hke of which had not been 

 seen before him nor since. He could keep asleep from the first dav of the month 

 to the end of the month; but if a thmider storm occurred he would then wake up; other- 

 wise he would keep on slee])ing for a whole year. If he should be walking along the 

 road and should become sleepy, he would then sleep without once getting up, until it 

 thundered, when he would get up and would stay awake for days and nights at a time, 

 in summer and in winter. So would it be if he was out in the ocean; if he fell asleep, 

 he would sleep in the sea until it thundered, when he would wake up. He was with- 

 out equal in his extraordinary behavior. 



Once upon a time Ojielemoemoe set out from Ivalauao for Puukapolei, where he 

 fell asleep. He slept for a period of nearly ten days ; it perhaps lacked two days, when 

 a couple of men arrived from Kauai, who were on their way in search of a human sac- 

 rifice for the tem])le of Lolomauna, at Pokii, Kauai. These men upon seeing Opele- 

 moemoe tried to wake him up, but in this they were unsuccessful. They then carried him 

 on their backs to Pokai," at which place their canoes were moored, ]:)laced him in the 

 canoe and carried him off to Kauai. After landing they again carried Opelemoemoe 

 and ])laced him on the altar in the temple of Lolomauna, together with a pig, some ba- 

 nanas, some coconuts and some awa. During all this time Opelemoemoe never once 

 awoke from his sleep. It was noticed that his body did not decay like the rest of the 

 things that were placed on the altar ; for the bananas, the pig, the fish and the awa all 

 rotted. Opelemoemoe was then left on the altar until one day it thundered, when he 

 awoke and found himself tied hand and foot. He then untied himself and got down 

 from the altar. 



From the temple he went off until he came to Waimea, where he married and 

 settled down. One day he asked his wife for a piece of land to farm on; so the wife 

 pointed out to him certain patches ; at sight of the land Opelemoemoe asked that he be 

 given some larger farm lands so that he could cultivate them. Upon getting the lands 

 from his wife he began tilling both dav and night until the lands were all cleared and 

 planted. 



One day Opelemoemoe felt sleepy, and said to his wife, Kalikookalauae : "I am 

 falling off to slee]), so don't attemjjt to wake me up. If our friends should come don't 

 disturb me; if fortune should come do not awaken mc; if you should be in danger, 

 don't arouse me; and don't ever complain, but just leave me alone and don't wake me u]), 

 for 1 have jjlaced a kapu over it." Opelemoemoe then fell off to sleep. This sleep was 

 continued for ten days,' and still another ten days. At this extraordinary length of time 

 taken up in liis sleep, Kalikookalauae said to herself: "How strange this is! I had no 

 idea of the length of time you were going to sleep, but I see you slee]) like a dead per- 

 son." She then tried to wake him up; she shook him, poured water in his eyes, made 



'Sleeping Ofclc. 'AnaJtuhi, a ten day period, as we speak of a dozen 



''/'iil;<ii (prononneed ko l<a-ee), a place in Waianae. for twelve. 



( 168) 



