128 Bernice P. Bishop Museum — Bulletin 



came to Makua, and the men went back to comfort his son. His new 

 friends took him to their home, where Makua saw many kinds of fruits 

 and vegetables, bananas, and sugar cane of great size. The taro grew 

 until it had no eyes. He also saw a beautiful, clear lake in which swam 

 many varieties of fish. But he saw no houses and no people and so he 

 asked where they were. The gods told him that the houses were inland 

 and he was not allowed to see anyone until he had been tried. If he did 

 not fail in his trial, then he would live forever and at last pass to another 

 world. 



Makua was eager to hear the laws of the land, but his guides told him 

 that it was not allowed them to explain. They had the power to refuse 

 him entrance, and to hide the land from the heaven above and the earth 

 beneath. 



Then Makua asked, "Should I break the law of this land through 

 ignorance, would I be punished?" 



"No," the men answered, "that wrong will not cling to you, but to 

 the one who did not explain the laws. As we draw near to the houses, 

 others will take charge of you, and they will have the power to explain 

 the laws." 



Soon Makua was surprised to see two beautiful houses before him. 

 Two men who looked exactly like his guides came out and greeted him, 

 saying, "You have been allowed to set your foot on our land. You shall 

 have one of these beautiful houses which you see. Everything is for you. 

 You will not have to fish, to build, to work. Only one thing is forbidden 

 here. You must not weep nor wail, no tears must fall from your eyes, 

 you must make no noise of sorrow." 



Makua asked why no sorrow should be there. His guides replied. "You 

 have no labor here and so the gods will be angry if you weep. We 

 remember the prayers you made when you lived in the land of death." 



Makua realized that he was speaking to gods and he wanted to kneel 

 before them. But before his knees touched the ground, he was told to 

 rise in these words, "You do not need to pray here. You have finished 

 your prayers on earth. Here is only joy. That is the reward of the man 

 who has been faithful on earth. You must first endure your trials. Then 

 if you do not fail, you will be received into the fellowship of the gods." 



Then the guides left Makua in charge of the new men. Their bodies 

 began to grow and grow until they reached the sky and they slowly 

 disappeared and Makua heard a voice from above saying, "We shall re- 

 joice to receive you when you have passed your trials." 



