18 Bcrnice P. Bishop Museum — Bulletin 



THE RAINBOW PRINCESS 



A LEGEND OF KAUAI 



A family of Hawaiians were moving into the valley of Nualolo, on 

 the Napali coast. To reach this valley it was necessary to climb up a 

 swinging ladder, which hung over the cliff. One man was carrying a 

 baby girl, and as he swung on to the swaying ladder he dropped the child. 

 The parents, in agony, watched their baby falling but were overjoyed to 

 .see the akua of the rainbow catch her up before she struck the water, 

 and carry her on the rainbow over the mountains down to Waimea valley. 

 In this valley, they placed her in a small cave beneath a waterfall. There 

 she lived, watched over by the akua, who always .sent the rainbow to 

 care for her. There .she grew, at length, into beautiful womanhood, and 

 every day she sat in the sunshine on the rocks alxive the cave with a rain- 

 bow above her head. 



Then it happened that a prince from \\'aimea fell deeply in love with 

 the beautiful Rainbow princess, as she was called. He would hasten to 

 the rocks above the waterfall and try to woo her. But his efforts were all 

 in vain, for with a merry laugh she would dive into the water and call 

 to him, "When you can call me by name, I will come to you." 



At last, growing sick with longing for the princess, he journeyed to 

 Maui and Hawaii to consult the kaluina in regard to the girl's name. 

 .\las, none could help him ! 



In despair he returned to \\'aimea and called on his old grandmother 

 who inquired the reason for his great sadness. The prince replied, "I love 

 the Rainbow Princess who lives in the waterfall. She only laughs at me 

 and tells me that when I can call her by name she will be my wife. I have 

 consulted all the kahuna and none can tell me her name." 



With these words the grandmother cheered the heart of the sorrowing 

 prince, "If you had come to me I could have told you her name. Go to 

 the waterfall. When the princess laughs at you, call her U-a, which means 

 rain." 



The prince hastened to the waterfall and when he called "U-a" the 

 beautiful maiden weiU to him. They were married and lived together 

 many happy years. 



