STORY OF A WHALE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 419, 4 August 1908, Page 4

STORY OF A WHALE.

A Quaint Maori Legend

The story of a whale is told in a bulletin which Mr A. Hamilton, Director of the Dominion Museum, has prepared. Mr Hamilton’s bulletin deals with the ancient Maoris’ methods of fishing, and, he introduces interesting legends and. pieces of folk-lore. Very many years ago, a great chief named Tinirau, who lived at, Motutapu, had a pet whale. He received a visit from a noted priest named Kae, and, in honour of the visitor, he called for his pet whale, which was then disporting itself in the ocean. He sliced a large lump from its fat side and baked the flesh for Kae. The old priest made a hearty meal and highly I praised the delicious food. By a j subterfuge Kae induced Tinirau to send him home again on the 1 whale’s back. Kae went swiftly through the water, and when they reached the shore near the'priest’s home, the big fish, which had often carried its master from place to place, and knew exactly what to do began to shake itself so that Kae might jump off and get ashore. This did not suit Kae. He kept his seat, repeated incantations with all his might and pressed the whale down into shallow water. Its blow-holes became filled with sand and gravel and it died. Kae’s people dragged it on to the laud, cut it up, baked the flesh and had a great feast. Tinirau waited a long time for his pet to come back. Its absence gave rise to alarm, and when there was wafted on the wind a strong smell of baked fish,. the whale’s fate and Kae’s treachery became known. A large canoe belonging to Tiniran’s sister was launched. Forty women, including six of the greatest ladies of the laud, leaped into it, and they paddled away to Kae's home. They had not seen Kae, but they were instructed to recognise him by his large broken teeth.' It was not polite to ask names of strangers, so they danced fantastically until all the people laughed. Kae laughed loud and long, showed his ugly teeth and disclosed his identity. They sent him to sleep by spells, placed him in the canoe and took him to Tinirau, where his life was exacted as payment for his treachery- The incident, according to the legend, did not end there. Tribal enmity arose and a deadly exterminating war was waged fer many years on account of the death ot Tiuirau’s pet whale.