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MYTHOLOGY. 
became very thirsty ; be therefore ashed the Tieke to go 
and bring him some water, the bird paid no attention 
to his request ; he threw it into the water, he then 
called another bird, the Hihi, to go and bring him some; 
it also took no notice of his request : he cast it into the 
fire, and its feathers were burned in the flames, which 
accounts for its color ; the Totoara was next tried, but 
not complying with his request he placed a streak of 
white near its nose, as a mark for its incivility. Maui then 
asked the Kokako, that bird was immediately obedient 
to his wish ; when it reached the water it filled its ears, 
and then returned to Maui ; he drank and quenched his 
thirst : as a reward he pulled the bird's legs to make them 
long, because it was attentive to his wish and brought him 
water. 
Maui's last work was to do away with death ; noticing 
that the sun and moon were not to be killed, because 
they bathed in the living fountain, the Wai ora Tane ; 
he determined, to do the same, and to enter the womb 
of Hine-nui-te-po, that is Hades, where the living water — - 
the life-giving stream — was situated.* Great night draws 
all into her womb, but permits none to return. Maui 
determined to try, trusting to his great powers, to pass 
through Hades, and to come out from the jaws of death; 
but before he made the attempt, he strictly charged his 
friends, the birds, who accompanied bim, not to laugh, 
he then commenced the attempt. His head and shoulders 
had already entered, when the Piwaka-waka began to laugh, 
night closed her portals, Maui was cut in two and died ! 
Thus death came into the world ! had it not laughed Maui 
would have drank of the living stream, escaped by the mouth 
of Hades, and man never died.f Such was the end of Maui ! 
* One account states that his object was to kill Hine-nui-te-po, and carry- 
off her heart. The Aseroe, a curious red fungus, is said to belong to Hine- 
nui-te-po. 
f We can scarcely read this myth without thinking of the new birth ; to live 
eternally we must be born again, Maui felt it, but like Nicodemus misunder- 
stood its true nature. 
