68 Bernice P. Bishop Miisciiiii — Bulletin 



THE DESTRUCTION OF THE AKUA OX XHHAU 



The people of the islands of Kauai and Niihau were accustomed to 

 going to one end of Niihau to fish. But it often happened that while they 

 were sleeping on the sand after a hard ilay's fishing, the akua would come 

 and devour many of the men. 



.■\t last one brave man declared that he would destroy the akua and rid 

 the island of this danger. So he built a long house, similar to a canoe 

 house, leaving only one entrance. Then he made mapy bii, or wooden 

 images of people, placing in the heads mottled gray and black eyes of opihi, 

 or mussel, shell. These images he put in the house, concealing himself 

 outside. 



At night the akua began to come for their usual meal. Lx)oking into 

 the house they saw the kii with their shining eyes. At first this surprised 

 them, but as the images lay very still, the akua decided that the Kauai men 

 slept with their eyes open, and so they entered and tried to eat the images, 

 with dire results. Their teeth were caught in the wood, and while they 

 were struggling to free them, the crafty Kauai man quickly shut the door 

 and set fire to the house, and all the cruel akua were burned to death. 



Thereafter Niihau became safe for fishermen, and this part of the island 

 still bears the name Kii. 



