5-^S foniaiidcr Collection of Ilaivaiian Folk-lore. 



A STORY OF POO. 



A CERTAIN person lived with his hrother-in-law, and after some time the latter 

 said to him: "Let us go up to get battens for our house." So they prepared for the 

 journey, and one day they went up to cut battens. They went to a i)lace right above 

 Kaanapali, called \\'ahikuli. They went up from Lahaina. Arriving there they cut 

 the battens that whole da}-. That night, however, was showery and it was cold, so 

 they talked about going back because it was night. The husband insisted on sleeping 

 u|) in the mountains, and it was so decided. Before they went to sleep, however, they 

 went and gathered a lot of wood which they placed all around the cave. That ca\'e is 

 still at that place today. 



When they did this, and lighted the fire, they went to sleep. While sleeping and 

 nearing midnight, the brother of the wife awoke startled, on account of the great 

 heat ; when he awoke he found that the fire had commenced to burn his feet, and that 

 was really the reason for his awakening; but the brother-in-law still slept. The fire, 

 however, had commenced to consume his feet ; so he tried to awaken him, but without 

 any success; the fire burned up to the knee, and he was still trying to awaken the 

 brother-in-law; he kei)t this u]) until his stomach, his breast and his shoulders were con- 

 sumed. When the fire reached the neck he ran away. He climbed a hill and when 

 near the top he heard the head calling: "Let us not go home now; wait until I arrive, 

 then we will go home together." But he kept on running; the head meanwhile kept on 

 calling from behind. He passed one hill and while descending the second hill, the head 

 commenced to roll after him. At the same time he saw tongues of fire shooting out 

 from the rolling head. It called again, "O Head! O Head! retard him so that I can 

 catch him." They thus raced along until a number of valleys had been passed; and 

 when they reached the plains above Puulaina he realized that the head was close be- 

 hind him, so he did not go by way of Puulaina but made a short cut for the sea by the 

 trail heading for Keonopoko, on the western side of Mala. At the same time, a proph- 

 et who was going to Kaanapali with some friends saw this person running along, so 

 he said to his friends: "If this person running towards us is not caught by that head 

 imtil he comes up to us, he will be saved; but if he be caught above here he would be 

 fortunate if he lives." 



His friends were filled with fear and urged him to continue on their journey. 

 The prophet re])lied: "Let us wait; if we go on that man would die." He directed 

 them to split the bambu into small pieces. It was done at once. When the man ar- 

 rived before them, the head was right at his heels; he fainted away. The others lashed 

 the head with the split bambu and it died ; the brother was still in a dead faint. After 

 a while, however, he came to and told them of their journey, and how this trouble 

 came to him. After that the others continued their journey, while he went home. Ar- 

 riving at the house his sister asked: "Where is your brother-in-law?" He replied: 

 "^'ou question as if it were correct. \'our husband is no good. I thought he was 

 man; 1 found him a god. He came near killing me." The other asked: "Kill you, 

 how?" So he told what hap])ened from the time they went until they came by this 

 trouble. The sister approved of what had been done, saying: "It is well he died! I 

 see that he is a god." 



