Rice — Hazvaiian Legends 83 



The boy listened carefully to his father's words and prepared to do as 

 he was told. 



When the stormy month of February had passed one of the chiefs re- 

 ported to the king that their food was all gone. The king then summoned 

 Ku-a-paakaa and asked for food. The boy told the king that he had six 

 hills of potatoes and six hills of sugar-cane on the uplands ready for him. 



"How can six hills of potatoes and six hills of sugar-cane supply my 

 many people?" asked the king. 



The boy answered that when the potatoes and cane saw the number of 

 people, they would bear abundantly, and so all the people must go up into 

 the highlands. He told this tale so that the lazy ones would work. 



The king sent only half the men to do the work. They were surprised 

 when they saw the fields of potatoes and sugar-cane stretching away farther 

 than the eye could reach. Messengers were sent for the rest of the men 

 and they were all soon busy digging. Ku-a-paakaa told them to take all, 

 big and small, for he wanted the small ones dried. "You will have eaten 

 all my growing food during the stormy months and I must have dried 

 food until I can plant some more," he explained, wishing to keep his 

 father's plan secret. 



At last when all preparations were made the calabash was closed and 

 the sea became calm. Ku-a-paakaa ordered the chiefs to lash the canoes 

 together and to float them in the bay, ready to sail them when the morning 

 star appeared. They lay down to sleep until the king's crier should awaken 

 them. 



Very early Ku-a-paakaa called them saying, "Awake ! Awake ! It is 

 half way between night and day. Your weariness is gone. The morning 

 star is rising." 



When they realized that it was only the boy calling them, they were 

 very angry and refused to get up. But he kept calling them until at last 

 he aroused them, and the six chiefs left without their king. They had had 

 so little sleep that when they lay off Leahi, Diamond Head, they fell 

 asleep. Then the winds were sent which turned their canoes around and 

 drove them back to the coast of Hawaii. There they met their families 

 and there was great rejoicing for they had been given up as lost. 



Meantime on Molokai the king and his followers slept until day dawned. 

 Then the king sent for Ku-a-paakaa and asked him to go with them. At 

 first the boy refused, saying that he must stay with his old people. At 

 last he consented to go if he could take his bundles with him. The king 

 sent two messengers for these bundles. The messengers were greatly sur- 



