Untitled

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 191, 2 November 1927, Page 6

The summer >aa shone - . through die thick canopy erf maxing a oeautiful pa:Tern on -7 **■*“. carpet of mos*. white fm® branches nf tall trees, the clear i the behbird and uii drifted on summer breeze. The stunt* , _ beaut*. iuivos were covered -n. scarlet bfa%, i.is * e bush fer* dipped their delicate frond* mto waters of a tinv stream -ha' Joyouly over « , W ny way *** *■ at a beactiftll ifaaii maiden, ncr name was Taira she was the daughter of Oiief £f r w.* her chin upped * Rang:, her lover, be* rPa< \ urgent uessag * she aad l h n * v jpot - stm. * W «W* had only to glance at his fin*» .iY? " L.tY - u proua -earijj^ hinoil v -r-, ....N . ' fn tara'eai ° wer * previous day T- Hon. (he ‘He 12 threatened that it Pouua did consent ho w mid summon all his ct-j power- and do great a arm to the tribe, iadly Potatau had agreed. Toira. when she heard the news barf fled to tha buxh. and there she stayed all night. rou not s»v» ''Listen, Toira.” said Rangi. ■-£. when the moon at its* '•te-ii quietly a wav and meet me b* the river where I alia-. ••• waitins tet you in my car.or. Together we anal flee to my father people and be mar. rled before your absence is discovered. Then all will be well, aa one would dare harm the wife of Rang!, son of the powerful trhigfc Rlngriringi.” j Just then a sound of rustling « ann from the opposite side of the bu*£ Rangi locked, up to see some term moving suspiciously. Had setneont been concealed in the clump of busm« and heard their plans for escape* Hastily he search ed the vicinity bat presently returned to any that it tu only the wind playing a joke on th-rn. But Takiora. i : mg girl bel. -g. ing to Toira's tribe, who hated T ‘r* because of her great beauty, ha 4 heard everything. Quickly n .d# her way to Te Horn's hut and later emerged the richer by a feather cloak and poi pql matt It was nearly midnight when Toira left her hut, and stepping over sleeping forms of her people, mad® her way toward the river wher* rh® moonlight sparkled on the still water and cast fantastic shadows on the path that led to the water’s edge. As she approached a canoe gl.dH into view. The solitary figure in it stood up and stretched a hand wh<?ti suddenly the cloak fell back and p®— vealed. not the beloved face of Rangi, but the triumphant countenance of T® Hora. With a startled shriek she tuma| to flee, but he caught her by h«r long hair and drew her toward the canoe. It was then that her eyes fell upon the still form of Rang!, and at a glance she knew he was dead. Wrenching herself free site pi ked up Rangi’s greenstone mere. "Too late, Te Hora! I go to joia my lover!” she cried, and. before i® could intervene, she had struck seif a mortal blow over the heart. In the morning when the bereaved fathers of Toira and Raugi arrived ax the spot where their children had ci«& they were amazed to find that, instead of the dead bodies of the two lovers, a large tree covered in crimson blossoms stood there, while clinging about it was delicate, white, star-Qftv creeper. Aa the Maoris stood awe-strickm around the tree, the Goddess oi th® Forest appeared before them, and in a low,' sweet voice "Grieve nos, for last night as I passed over th® forest. I saw the fair beauty and yoefit of Toira and Rangi. and I have mad® them, immortal because they are t«® young to die. See. in that tre-x lives the spirit ®f ag " strength and bravery, while the cria* son flowers are for the blood that was spilt. The spirit of Toira r»igns in the white creeper. See how it clingl to tiie tree for support' It represend beauty, purity, and faitlifulness.” With these words she was gene. Ml Potatau and Ringiring: r-firnec t® their respective villages, much coo* forted by the thought that th*?*r and daughter would rema n forever immortal in the eyes of man. RED LEAF (Iwa Pearson. :iged ?*)-