EMERSON] UNWRITTEN LITERATURE OF HAWAII 93 



Puapuakea, a man of genuine courage, hearing of the boastful 

 achievements of Maka-kiij seeks him out and challenges him. 



At the first contest they fought with javelins, ihe^ each one tak- 

 ing his turn according to lot in casting his javelins to the full tale 

 of the prescribed number; after which the other contestant did the 

 same. Neither was victorious. 



Next they fought with slings, each one having the right to sling- 

 forty stones at the other. In this conflict also neither one of them 

 got the better of the other. The next trial was with stone-throwing. 

 The result was still the same. 



Now it was for them to try the classical Hawaiian game of lua. 

 This was a strenuous form of contest that has many features in com- 

 mon with the panathlion of the ancient Hellenes, some points in 

 common with boxing, and still more, perhaps, partakes of the char- 

 acter of the grand art of combat, wrestling. Since becoming ac- 

 quainted with the fine Japanese art of jiu-jitsu^ the author recog- 

 nizes certain methods that were shared by them both. But to all of 

 these it added the wild privileges of choking, bone-breaking, dis- 

 locating, eye-gouging, and the infliction of tortures and grips unmen- 

 tionable and disreputable. At first the conflict was in suspense, vic- 

 tory favoring neither party; but as the contest went on Puapuakea 

 showed a slight superiority, and at the finish he had bettered Maka-ku 

 by three points, or «*,« as the Hawaiians uniquely term it. 



The sisters, Maile-lau-lii and Maile-pakaha, who had been inter- 

 ested spectators of the contest, conceived a passionate liking for the 

 tAvo warriors and laid their plans in concert to capture them for 

 themselves. Fortunately their preferences were not in conflict. 

 Maile-lau-lii set her affections on Maka-ku, while the younger sister 

 devoted herself to Pua-pua-kea. 



The two men had previously allowed their fancies to range abroad 

 at pleasure; but from this time they centered their hearts on these 

 two Mailes and settled down to regular married life. 



Interest in the actual performance of the hula ki'i was stimulated 

 by a resort to byplay and buffoonery. One of the marionettes, for 

 instance, points to some one in the audience; whereupon one of the 

 hoopaa asks, " What do you want ? " The marionette persists in its 

 pointing. At length the interlocutor, as if divining the marionette's 

 wish, says : "Ah, you want So-and-so." At this the marionette nods 

 assent, and the hoopaa asks again, " Do you wish him to come to 

 you?" The marionette expresses its delight and approval by nods 

 and gestures, to the immense satisfaction of the audience, who join 

 in derisive laughter at the expense of the person held up to ridicule. 



Besides the marionettes already named among the characters found 

 in the different hula-plays of the hula ki'i, the author has heard 



"At, literally a food, a course. 



