Legend of Kulepe. 



KULEPE was a great deceiver and in all he said he showed great cunning. He 

 was also a great thinker. Kvilepe was of Oahu and lived in the time when Pele- 

 ioholani was king. Halakii was the wife of Peleioholani, and Kaneaiai was the 

 name given to the king's double canoe. Kulejje once u|)on a time set out from Oahu and 

 landed at Kalaupapa in Molokai and proceeded to the first house seen by him, where he 

 found the people eating with their heads bowed down, and who never looked up to see 

 who the stranger was. Kulepe was hungry and this was the reason wlty he called at this 

 house. After standing by the door for some time he looked in and then remarked ; 



How fondly I now remember the food 

 Of our king, Peleioholani, 

 Of which I could greedily partake 

 As I sat on the canoe, Kaneaiai, 

 With my wife Halakii. 



At this the people without raising their heads said: "Is Peleioholani then your 

 king?" "Yes," answered Kulepe, and continuing he said: "He is the king and we are 

 his soldiers." 



After a while Kulepe again called out: (He did this with the hope of being able 

 to get the people to invite him to sit down with them and take some food, without asking 

 outright for the food.) 



Say, Molokai, raise up your paddles. 



When you look down, the darkness you see is pili grass. 



And the black things, the heads of the people. 



These words of Kulepe were meant for themselves, on account of the way they 

 gormandized the food and fish; of the fingers dipping the poi and raising them aloft, 

 while the dishes were loaded with fish, that only the dark color of the hair was manifest 

 as their heads were bowed, and of their eating and then whistling. These were his 

 words of comparison; 



As I ste])ped out I stood on the wet sand. 



While they stood on the dry sand. 



As I stood on the dry sand, 



They stood on the pohuehue vines. 



While in youth there is no fear, 



I have, however, felt it in youth. 



That the forehead will tell of a sour temper. 



That the nose will tell of a dry temper. 



That the end of most things is usually made of the hau.^ 



'This line is ambiguous. 

 (172) 



