A MYTH OF THE SOUTH SEAS.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 151, 7 June 1884, Page 2

A MYTH OF THE SOUTH SEAS.

There was a youth called Siati noted for his singing- A serenading god came along, threw down a challenge, and promised him his fair daughter if he was the better singer. They sung; Siati beat, and off he went to the land of the god, riding on a shark belonging to his aunt. They reached the place. The shark went into the shores set him down, and told him to go to the bathing place where he would find the daughters of the god—the one called Puapae. “ white fish, and the other Puauli, “ dark fish;” 1 went and sat down at the bathing place. The 8 ir l® had been there, but had gone away. Puapae had forgotten her comb, and returned to get it and there found Siati. “ Siati,” she said| “ however did you come here?’’ “ I’ve come to seek the song god and get his daughter to wife. “My father,” she said, “is more of a god than a man. Eat nothing he hands you ; never sit on a high seat lest death should follow; and now let us unite.” Siati ana Puapae were united, but they were sent off to live elsewhere. The god sent his daughter Puauli to Puapae, to tell her husband to build him a house, and that it must be finished that very day, under a penalty of death and the oven, Siati cried, but his wife Puapae comforted him and said she could do it. Off she went and built the house, and by evening was weeding all aroufid it. In came another order, and that was for Siati to, fight the dog. The fight took place, and Siati conquered. Next the god had lost his ring, and Siati was io go to the sea and find it. Again Siati wept, and again his wife cheered him “ I’ll find the ring,” she said, “ only do what I tell you. Cut my body in two, throw me into the sea, and stand still on the beach till I come. He did so, cut her in two, and threw her into the sea. She was changed into a fish, and away she went to seek for the ring. Siati stood and stood, sat, and lay down, stood again, and then lay down and went off to sleep. Puapae returned; she was thrown up by the fish and stood on the shore. She scolded him for not keeping awake, and then said, “ There is the ring, go with it in the early morning,” and in the morning off the two went to her father. That very morning the god called his daughter Puauli and said, “ Come, take me on your backhand let us seek Siati that I may eat him.” Presently they started back, Siati and Puapae were coming. Puapae and Siati threw down the comb, and it became a bush of thorns in the way to intercept the god and Puauli. But they struggled through the thorns. A bottle of earth was next thrown down, and that became a mountain: and then followed their bottle of water, and that became a sea and drowned the god and Puauli. Puapae said to Siati, “My father and sister are dead, and all on account of my love for you ; you may now go and visit your friends and family while I remain here, but see that you do not behave unseemingly.” He went and visited all his family and then forgot his wife Puapae. He tried to marry again, but Puapae came and stood on the other side. The chief called out, “Which is your wife, Siati ?” “ The one on the right side.” Puapae then broke silence with, “ Ah, Siati, you have forgotten all I did for you,” and off she went. Siati remembered it all, darted after her crying, and then fell down and died.