Rice-Haicaiiau Legends 9 



the kukni grove near Pilaa. Pleased with tliis spot she turned to the 

 mountains where she dug as before, but met with unsatisfactory resuUs. 



Taking the form of an old woman, Pele hurried to Koloa. There she 

 again struck water. Repeated efi'orts to dig a dry cave having failed, she 

 decided to leave Kauai and to find on Oahu a suitable place for her home. 



Pele landed at Kaena on Oahu. Near the hill Kapolei she again began 

 to search for a home. As before she soon struck water. Discouragement 

 filled her heart and looking toward Kauai she wept for her loved one 

 there. 



Walking through the wiliwili trees Pele reached Kuwalaka-i where 

 she took her egg-like sister, Hiiaka, from her pa-u and placing her safely 

 on the ground hurried to the sea for limii, or sea-weed, from which she 

 squeezed the juice for drinking water. 



Pele decided to spend the night in this place. She called the flowers 

 which grew there "the pa-u of Hiiaka" and she crowned Iier fair head 

 with a lei of them. As she slept, her lover appeared before her. This 

 vision brought courage to Pele and early in the morning she hurried on 

 her way. 



On the heights of Moanalua, near Honolulu, Pele tried again to dig 

 a dry cave. Striking salt water, she called the place Alia-paakai, the Salt- 

 Marsh. When she came to Makapuu she saw the chiefess Malei, the 

 Wreath, stringing flowers for a lei, while her subjects were cleaning the 

 fish they had just brought from the sea. 



At the little harbor of Hanauma a canoe was being prepared for a trip 

 to Molokai. There Pele shook off her spirit body and as a beautiful 

 woman greeted the men. At the sight of her great beauty they all 

 fainted. When they had recovered, Pele asked them to take her to Molo- 

 kai with them. They readily consented. 



When Pele jumped ashore on Molokai, she became invisible and dis- 

 appeared. The captain of the crew told the king about the beautiful 

 woman who had come with him from Oahu. The whole island was 

 searched, but Pele could not be found. 



In the meantime Pele had dug a cave between Kalaupapa and Kalawao. 

 Finding water, she left Molokai and hurried to Maui. She traveled over 

 Maui from end to end hunting for a suitable place for her home. Finding 

 none, she was greatly grieved and filled the whole island with Pele's smoke, 

 and then hastened on to Hawaii. 



Pele landed at Puna on Hawaii. She decided to call first on the god 

 of the island, Ailaau, the Wood-Eater, who had his dwelling at Kilauea. 

 When Ailaau saw Pele coming towards his home, he disappeared because 

 he was afraid of her. 



