420 Fornandcr Collection of Ilaicaiiaii Folk-lore. 



addressed the youns^er brother, saying: "I believe the food in our oven is cooked." The 

 younger brother rephed: "Yes." The two then made preparations to uncover the oven. 

 When Kapunohu saw them doing this, he remarked: "How can that be possible?" The 

 two replied: "It is cooked, let us uncover the oven." Kapunohu grew very stubborn and 

 said: "The food is not cooked, because you had just completed covering it when I en- 

 tered. How can it be cooked? You two are indeed deceitful." Because Kapunohu was 

 so stubborn, a wager was proposed and accepted, and the oven was uncovered. As soon 

 as this was done, it was found that the food was indeed cooked, and Kapunohu was for 

 the first time beaten by the two young men. 



Some time after this, the two young men ]:)repared something else. This time 

 they procured a chicken and cooked it in an oven. They next took some eggs and used the 

 shells for a plaiting on the outside of a [fish or] meat calabash. After the egg-shell 

 calabash was completed, they took the cooked chicken and placed it in it, and then put the 

 thing away to await the coming of Kapunohu. Not very long after this Kapunohu was 

 seen coming to make another call on them. When they saw him coming they took the 

 egg-shell calabash and made as though they were going to prepare a meal. When Ka- 

 punohu came in and saw that they were about to begin a meal, he asked them: "Here 

 you two are ready for your meal, but where is your meat?" The two made reply: "We 

 have chicken for meat and chicken for a calabash." Kapunohu denied this, saying: "You 

 two are deceiving yourselves. Who has ever said that you can have chicken for meat 

 and at the same time have chicken for a calabash. You two are indeed deceitful." This 

 debate was kept up until finally wagers were made and after this was settled, the two 

 brothers proceeded to uncover the egg-shell calabash, in which the cooked chicken was 

 kept. After these different things had been shown to Kapunohu, he admitted that he was 

 beaten, so the two brothers took the wagers. This was the second time that Kapunohu 

 was beaten by the brothers. 



After Kapunohu had departed, the two brothers made plans for another contest, 

 whereby Kajninohu would be again beaten. After studying for a time the older brother 

 said to the younger brother: "Say, if Kapunohu makes us another visit, we will then 

 dip our fingers into the gravy of the fish-bowl, reach out for the food and eat." The 

 younger brother assented to this. 



Some time after this Kapunohu again visited the two brothers. When they saw 

 him coming, they took up their calabashes and uncovered them and then began their 

 meal, dipping their fingers into the gravy, licking their fingers and taking some poi. 

 When Kapunohu saw this he said: "Here you are eating your food, but where is your 

 fish?" The two replied: "We are eating the food and the fish is human flesh." Ka- 

 punohu replied: "You two are deceiving yourselves. How can you make out that you 

 are eating human flesh?" The two, however, insisted that what they said was indeed 

 the truth. After much discussion wagers were made, and when this was settled one of 

 the brothers said: "The food is of course plain enough; but the fish is our fingers, for 

 we are dipping our fingers into the gravy without fish, therefore, the fish is human flesh." 

 Kapunohu admitted that he was indeed beaten, saying: "You two have won." 



