Brief Stories of Ghosts and Cunning. 



Relating to Wakaina. 



WAKAINA was noted for his great cunning and deceitfulness, and for his abil- 

 ity to fly. Wakaina was a ghost ; he did not possess a real human body, but 

 he could be very cunning and use words of deception in whispers. The sound 

 of his voice was like that of a person whose tongue was twisted. It was in Waiapuka, 

 in North Kohala, a place adjoining Niulii, where Wakaina sang and deceived the people. 



Early one morning just as the sun was coming up, Wakaina flew up and began 

 singing", using these words : "One can sing beautifully when one has a feather cloak." 



The people who heard this brovight out their feather cloaks and gave them to the 

 ghost. The ghost then sang, saying: "One can sing beautifully when one has a feather 

 helmet." 



The ])eople again brought out their feather helmets and gave them to the ghost. 

 Again the ghost sang: "One can sing beautifully when one has a baniliu tlute." 



The people also gave their bambu flutes. The ghost then said: "One can sing 

 beautifully when one has a pa-u (skirt)." The women gave the ghost their skirts. 



This was continued iintil everything had been given to Wakaina, who then 

 hopi^ed up and down dancing with delight. When the people saw this they were amused 

 and laughed. When Wakaina saw the people laughing he flew away saying: "I will 

 now fly away and you people will be ashamed^ of yourselves." 



RELATING TO KAPUNOHU. 



Kapunohu was a very smart man in the giving and solving of riddles.^ It was 

 said that he made several trips around Hawaii competing with others and many were 

 the victories he gained. 



Because he was so taken up with this profession he traveled until he came to Kau, 

 in Hawaii, where he met two young men whom he had beaten in former contests and 

 from whom he had won several wagers. Therefore, against the time Kapunohu should 

 meet them, they prepared an oven of hot stones and had baked some potatoes over the 

 fire. After the potatoes were cooked the oven was covered. Some time after this was 

 done, they saw Kapunohu on his way to call on them. Upon seeing Kapunohu the older 

 brother said to his younger brother: "Here comes Kajjunohu," and they began to remove 

 the covering from the oven and again recovered it, making believe that it was just being 

 covered up for the first time. While they were doing this, Kapunohu entered the house. 

 \Mien they saw that Kapunohu had entered the house, they took up the potatoes that had 

 been baked over the fire and began eating. \Miile they were eating, the older brother 



'Hokahoka, rendered here as ashamed, carries with "Riddle and guessing contests of olden time were 



it the sense of chagrin and meanness at having been pastimes of much popularity and competition, and oc- 



fooled. casion of much betting on the outcome at the meeting 



of champions. 

 (418) 



