270 
TRADITIONS AND LEGENDS. 
another who keeps it : Me aha te kura pae a Mahina ? — 
What does it signify, is it not like the kura of Mahina which 
drifted ashore ? 
Pare and Hutu. 
There was once a very beautiful woman named Pare, a 
great lady was she, living in her own house ; there were 
three fences around it, and the house was beautifully carved 
and ornamented. The reason she lived single was, that she 
might be the head chief of her tribe, and also because there 
was no one in it who was equal to her in rank ; when her 
food was brought it was given to one servant, who handed 
it to another, and then to a third, who presented it to 
Pare. Inside her house she had everything to make it nice, 
beautiful mats, parawais, kaitakas, and topunis, with every 
kind of perfume, even to that of the kawa kawa. 
On a certain day the tribe had various games, such as 
striking the ball and throwing the tekateka. When a great 
chief named Hutu came and played with the ball and teka- 
taka, so great was his agility in these amusements that he 
always surpassed every one else, which excited the admira- 
tion of the tribe at his wonderful skill ; they applauded him 
loudly, Pare heard them, and a desire seized her to go to the 
verandah of her house to see Hutu throwing the stick, 
one fell close to her, which she picked up ; Hutu came 
to look for it, but when he reached her house she would not 
restore it. Hutu said, give me my stick. Pare replied, 
come into the house and talk, for great is my regard for 
you, but Hutu declined, because he was married, and had 
a family, but Pare said, what does that signify when my 
regard for you is so great on account of your skill in all the 
different games ; for yours only was the ball which whizzed as 
it went, and yours was the stick which flew with force, there- 
fore, great is my admiration.. 
They strove together, but Hutu persisted in repelling all 
her advances ; Pare asked, why are you so indifferent since 
my love for you is so great ? still Hutu refused, but Pare 
