Rice — Hazvaiian Legends 91 



THE GIRL AND THE MO-O 



A LEGEND OF KAUAI 



Living at Holuamanu in the mountains above Makaweli, was a family 

 in which there was one child, a girl, who caused her parents much annoy- 

 ance by her continual crying. In a cave beneath a waterfall nearby lived 

 a mo-o, which looked like a huge lizard or crocodile. One day when the 

 child was crying as usual, her father in anger pushed her out of the 

 house, saying thoughtlessly, "Go to the mo-o and live with him." 



The child hurried to the cave and was welcomed by the mo-o who 

 gladly cared for her and carefully brought her up. On warm, sunny days 

 the girl and the monster would come out above the waterfall and sun 

 themselves. If anyone approached, the mo-o would jump over the fall 

 into the cave, and the girl would spring through a hole which led into it. 



As the years went by the girl's parents grew more and more anxious 

 to recover their child. Asking advice of the kahuna, they were told to 

 cover the hole above the waterfall with a net, to trap her. One day they 

 did as they were told. Soon the mo-o and the girl came out. The parents 

 approached and the mo-o safely jumped over the waterfall, but the girl 

 was caught in the net. Realizing that there was no escape for her, she 

 cried, "In my youth you drove me from you. The mo-o cared for me. 

 Now, why do you want me again?" 



She was like a wild animal, struggling to be free. Not daring to keep 

 her so near the cave the parents moved to Waimea, where gradually they 

 tamed the girl, until she grew accustomed to her old life. She had become 

 very beautiful and later she was married to the prince of Waimea. 



