Rice — Hawaiian Legends 65 



Having spoken thus. Kawelo said to his wife, "Throw your pikoi high 

 as the ridge pole of Kauai is high. If we l<ill this giant, Kauai is ours. 

 We shall cover ourselves with the fine mats of Niihau, and shall eat of the 

 birds of Kaula." 



Placing his brother and his foster children behind him, Kawelo at 

 last was ready. Then, as Kauahoa threw his spear, Kawelo's wife caught 

 it and drew it to one side with her pikoi. enabling her husband to dodge 

 it. As the giant stooped down to pick up his spear, Kawelo cut him in 

 two. So died the last of the strong men of Aikanaka. 



That night Kawelo said to his wife, "I and my brother will go up to 

 the hill of Nounou. If you see a fire burning you will know that we have 

 conquered Kauai." 



Ascending Nounou, Kawelo called out, ".\ikanaka, let us be friends. 

 Let us sleep together on the mats of Niihau." 



The king did not reply. His men told him that Kawelo was tired and 

 would soon be asleep. But they heard Kawelo asking if there were no 

 men left on Kauai. 



Aikanaka answered that only twelve soldiers were left. Then he 

 begged his kahuna to let him go and meet Kawelo. They replied that a 

 king could not fight with a servant whose duty, it was to count cockroaches. 



Kawelo heard these words, which filled him with such shame that he 

 started to roll down the hill. His wife threw her pikoi and kept him back, 

 saying, "Why should you be ashamed? If you are really a slave, kill 

 yourself. If you had been a slave, you would have been killed during this 

 battle. The roosters are kings because they sleep on the top of the house. 

 They waken you in the morning." 



The kahuna told Aikanaka to answer that roosters were slaves. 



"Oh, no," replied Kawelo, "you use the feathers of roosters to make 

 kahili to wave over your kings." 



Suddenly, a stillness fell on Nounou. Aikanaka and his men had fled 

 to Hanapepe. Then Kawelo built a big fire on the hill. Seeing this, his 

 brother and sons knew that Kauai belonged to him and so they hurried to 

 the hill. There Kawelo divided the island, giving Koolau to Kalaumeki, 

 Puna to Kaeleha, and Kona to Kamalama. The whole island was under the 

 supervision of Kawelo, who lived in peace with his parents at Hanamaulu. 



Aikanaka was living at Hanapepe with no honor, no food, no tapa. 

 With his own hands he had to cultivate the taro patches. After he had 

 been living in this manner for some time, Kaeleha left Kapaa and came to 

 Hanapepe. There he met Aikanaka, who gave him food. A friendship 

 grew between them and the former king gave his daughter in marriage 

 to his conqueror's foster son. 



