CoLENSo. — On the Vegetable Food of the Ancient New Zealanders. 23 



the cockles and other prized bivalves are in their season, (and when, too, 

 there are no kumara to be had), then the cry continually will be — " Prepare 

 the nice root as a delightful adjunct with om* fresh fish." 



(3.) Among the many diversions of the young folks in the olden time, 

 were those of witty and laughable questions and answers, of course taught 

 them by their seniors. Here is one, showing how greatly they prized the 

 fern-root — it is the diversion of a party of young girls — it is called, " What 

 is thy husband to be ?" And it runs thus : — 

 Question : What is thy husband to be ? 

 Answer : A man who well knows how to cultivate kumaras. 

 Rejoinder: Then thou must seek such, away, in a fine sheltered soil, and 

 under a powerful chief to protect. 

 Again the question is put : 

 Q. What is thy husband to be ? 

 A. A man who is a good and lucky fisher. 



Bej. Ah ! yes, at times, now and then, when the sea is smooth. 

 Again the question is put : 

 Q. What is thy husband to be ? 

 A. A man who is good at digging fern-root. 



Rej. That is the choice one : always a pile of your own, stacked in store, 

 ready at hand for the wife to pull from. 



Much of the beauty and wit of this little piece is lost in a translation ; 

 in the original it is exceedingly terse, full of meaning, and semi-poetical. 



(4.) In a very old and quaint semi-genealogical song, the heavenly 

 origin, or birth, of the fern-root is thus given (omitting the introduction) : 

 — This tradition (is) not from me, — 

 From ancient times (was) this tradition ; 

 Mine (is) merely an announcing, 

 A proclaiming to the habitable world. 

 Thus I speak forth, that thou mayest hear ; 

 Nevertheless, (it) has been repeatedly heard. 

 * * * From Karotimu was born 

 The closely- woven-mati-of-the-sky 

 Which verily formed^ the Fern-root ; 

 There, upon the great broad back of the sky, 

 It was clinging closely. 



But when Taane^ uplifted his father on high, 

 (Separating him for ever from his wife, the earth), 

 Then the Fern-roots fell off rattling down below 

 To the earth beneath* who received them, 



1 Or, Vegetable carpet. 



2 Or bore ; or caused to giow. 



3 One of the sons of the Sky (father) and Earth (mother.) 

 i Lit. the Kicked below : i. e. Mother Earth. 



