

so quaint that I quote a translation of it (I believe from the able pen of the Hon. 

 F. D. Alexander, F.R.G.S.) which appeared some few years back in the ' Hawaiian 

 Almanack ' : — 



" Origin of Fire. — Maui and Hina dwelt together, and to them were born four sons, 

 whose names were Maui-mua, Maui-hope, Maui-kiikii, and Maui-o-kalana. These four 

 were fishermen. One morning, just as the edge of the dawn lifted itself up, Maui-mua 

 roused his brethren to go fishing. So they launched their canoe from the beach at 

 Kaupo, on the Island of Maui, where they were dwelling, and proceeded to the fishing- 

 ground. Having arrived there, they were beginning to fish, when Maui-o-kalana saw 

 the light of a fire on the shore they had left, and said to his elder brethren : ' Behold, 

 there is a fire burning ; whose can this fire be ' % And they answered, ' Whose 

 indeed ! Let us return to the shore that we may get our food cooked ; but first let us 

 get some fish.' So, after they had obtained some fish, they turned toward the shore, 

 and when the canoes touched the beach Maui-mua leaped ashore and ran toward the 

 spot where the fire was burning. Now, the curly-tailed Alae (mud-hen) were the 

 keepers of the fire, and when they saw him coming, they scratched the fire out and 

 flew away. Maui-mua was defeated, and returned to the house to his brethren. Then 

 said they to him, ' How about the fire ' 1 ' How, indeed,' he answered ; ' when I got 

 there, behold there was no fire, it was out. I supposed some man had the fire, and 

 behold it was not so ; the Alae are the proprietors of the fire, and our bananas are all 

 stolen.' 



" When they heard this they were filled with wrath, and decided not to go fishing 

 again, but to wait for the next appearance of the fire. But after many days had 

 passed without their seeing the fire, they went fishing again, and behold, there was the 

 fire ! And so they were continually tantalized. Only when they were out fishing 

 would the fire appear, and when they returned they could not find it. 



" This was the way of it : The curly-tailed Alae knew that Maui and Hina had only 

 these four sons, and if any of them staid on shore to watch the fire while the others 

 were out in the canoes, the Alae knew it by counting those in the canoes, and would 

 not light the fire. Only when they could count the four men in the canoes would 

 they light the fire. So Maui-mua thought it over, and said to his brethren, ' To-morrow 

 morning do you go fishing, and I will stay ashore. But do you take the tall calabash 

 and dress it in kapa, and put it in my place in the canoe, and then go out to fish.' 



" They did so, and when they went out to fish the next morning, the Alae counted 

 and saw the four figures in the canoe, and then they lit the fire and put the bananas 

 on to roast. Before they were fully cooked, one of the Alae cried out, ' Our dish is 

 cooked! Behold, Hina has a smart son.' And with that Maui-mua, who had stolen 

 close to them unperceived, leaped forward, seized the curly-tailed Alae, and exclaimed, 

 ' Now I will kill you, you scamp of an Alae ! Behold it is you who are keeping the 

 fire from us. I'll be your death for this ! ' Then answered the Alae, ' If you kill me 

 the secret dies with me, you won't get the fire.' Then Maui-mua began to wring its 

 neck. But the Alae again spoke and said, ' Let me live and you shall have the fire.' 



