Rice — Hawaiian Legends 13 



the description of the women, the prophet said that they were Hiiaka and 

 Wahine-omao. He sent messengers as swift as arrows shot from the bow 

 to overtake them. 



When Hiiaka saw these messengers following her she changed herself 

 and her companion into feeble old women. Soon the messengers overtook 

 them and asked if they had seen anything of two beautiful young women. 



Hiiaka answered that two such women had passed them long before. 

 The messengers hurried on but, overtaking no one, they returned to the 

 prophet and told him their experience. 



The prophet knew that the old women were Hiiaka and Wahine-omao 

 in disguise. He said that they must be brought back before the king could 

 come to life. This time he did not trust their capture to messengers, but 

 he himself swam around the point and met them coming from the other 

 direction. 



Hiiaka consented to return and restore the king to life. She told the 

 prophet to go ahead and gather all the sweet smelling herbs. This he did 

 in the twinkling of an eye, but Hiiaka and her friend had reached the king 

 and brought him to life before the prophet got there. Then the prophet 

 knew that the women were akua. 



Inquiring whither they were bound he learned that they were on their 

 way to Haena to find Lohiau. The prophet ordered the king's canoe-men 

 to bring out the canoe and to take the travelers to Koolau on Oahu. 



After an uneventful trip of a day and a night the friends were landed 

 at Koolau. The canoe-men asked them where they were going and were 

 told that Ewa was their destination. The men answered that Ewa was 

 kapu for them, so they rested near the sea. 



Then Hiiaka began her journey to the Nuuanu Pali. The woman in 

 charge of the Pali tried to delay her, but was struck down by the prowess 

 of the stranger. 



After this there were no difficulties encountered as they made their 

 way to Kalihi. There they saw a great many people diving for clams. 

 Nearby two men were preparing a canoe for a trip to Kauai. Hiiaka told 

 them that she had heard many times of Kauai but had no way of going 

 there. The men, noticing that the speaker and her friend were young and 

 beautiful, generously offered them a seat in their canoe. 



As the sea was rough Hiiaka wanted to help with the paddling, but 

 the men were strong and never became tired. They landed at Wailua and 

 encountered many difficulties in traveling from there to Haena. 



First a certain Kuptia, the demi-god of the locality, guarding the surf, 

 saw them coming and sent messengers to see if they walked over the ti 

 leaf without breaking it, which was a sign that they were supernatural 



