A MAORI LEGEND.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 166, 4 July 1908, Page 3

A MAORI LEGEND.

By JAMES IJSETT.

TOTANJiKAt AND HINEMOA.

(AH Eights Beserved). Close by Kotorua's lake, at Owhata, the chief, Umukaria, dwelt in peace, t Amncrous the kaingas to which his mam/ Life and spirit gave; his hapus manv. / Eich in flood " / The lands o'er which his tribe held swir'v And far apart their borders widely sprain!' Known and feared / ', Through all the region of the north/ A great chief, Umukaria, /

But dearer still to UmukarjaVhcart Than tribe or hapus, / Kaiiigas, knds, or lordly power Was she, his lovely daughter, Hiueinoa. There -was no hapu in the injrtli To w&ich her beauty was unknown. i Her complexion a rare yellowish ruddy brown. JJquidly translucent / The dark brown, eyes that lu-.nliuuslv shono Beneath long arched brows, Poetic sentiment and high resolve re-

From lier broad brow'j Straight as Grecian sallies of the olden Her thin nose cle^Bod To nostrils not wHarge or spreading. Thick her lips, For she was libdVjf soul and passionThe upper edgjJifj'onn of Cupid's bow, The lower JBTII-formed semi-circie •Siieh in the beautiful. Tall, statel she moved, As in her eonseiousness of rank Kxalted the common crowd— The huniai^Vusts Buzzing queenly feet. On all thWnds that near to Eotorua lie There was*no boy child living then Of birth sufficiently Approximate, ilincinoa in marriage 1 tie had not been l»und, As...\vas.,thc custom of the Maori In the flays gone by. And so n maiden free was she The coming of the rightful chief await- , ing, would her fiitlier please mi charm her heart to ways of love. And so the land she graced Without a claim upon her made. )

Of 'what worth is beauty Locked away, in darkness hid? To the assemblies of the chiefs At Rotorua held, L'mukaria's custom sedulously it was to

go, So his lovely daughter might be seen, Her beauty praised, admired, desired, And Urns' reflected A transient glory fall on him.

On Mokoia's isle That boldly rises From title waters of the lake pellucid, Some Aistanee from the main where jt'mnkaria lived, Wlinkiue-Kaipapa had his home. Four /stout sons and one sweet maid

' legitimate Whalaue's thatch roof covered. And ihen there was that other youth Of Whom all knew of stranger Idood— Tht) mother, Kangi-uru, claimed alone— Tufanekai by name.

A'great chief in his time, Warm-hearted, generous, Before he left the main co settle on an isle apart because of things were said that wound i. Ed deep, VUuikaue's wisdom, love of justice, fame, UrrecflWr^ars ftlad many dtaftu to share with him f'J'be narrow lanAseeurelv bordered by the lake. I'addlcd by his stalwart sons, To the assemblies, of the chiefs Would brave Whakaue go. Xone such state could show. And whilst in council eloquent lie spoke, Or studious silent sat, Jiis sons outside upon the grass Would races run, ■ Leap, wrestle, dance or throw the spear; But in all tests of "fleetness, Strength ot skill, Tutanekai the first. '

0, the radiance of summer days, 0, the days when life is young. Exuberant and strong! Sweet as breath of heaven the playing

winds. Sparkling the sunshine on the river As it swiftly Hows. Brightly green the fern-tree vales Where tremulous shadows cast A sheltering blissful sense of rest Beneath umbrageous boughs. 0. through grassy forest glades To loitering stray in youth When all seems true, and pure, and fair. To linger by the rocks in some deep dell Where thick the mosses grow, To listen to the munn'ring song The streamlet constant sings, Whilst many-plumaged birds go twittering by.

All, yes! Before cares come to sadden, weigh, Ucspousibilities to clog and cling. When swells the 'heart With rapture at the joys By Jo given to man, Then springy soft the earth When spread the mat And to the weary sullen slumber swiftly comes.

At Kotorua, THtanckai, Tiki met, a youth With years in number near his own, And through the rivalry in manly games Between the two a strong Enduring friendship sprang. Constant associates they grew, So that when one was seen Not distant far the other might be

deemeil. Then to Jlokoia Would good Tiki come, aecompanyingly, And for a. space most happily would stay IJis friend and all the home To brightly cheer. Then, yielding to a pressure Firmly, gently brought, Tiki was content To altogether linger in the isl« And think no more of going thence. In truth, though no one guessed, Ever had Tiki been most loth to leave And glad to come again, For in Whakaue's home.a maiden young And very winning dwelt. Tupa was she called. I Brightly bcamcil.Tiki's eyes, sweet tluj gladness in his

heart At sight of lier. So in his big canoe When Whakaue to Kotorua came, Six strong young paddlcrs, By him all accounted sons. Had lie to bring him swift along, Whilst benignantly he sat in state And soft in satisfaction tranquil smiled

Tremulously, The summer evening breeze All Nature stirred to joy, Whispcringly the forest leaves In gladsome cadence sang, ltetiring from the games Where they an arduous merry time had spent, Tutanckai, with his friend "Went chatting carelessly along to meet

Whakaue I As from tlie assembly forth he came, Turning a thick clump of bush Thai from the forest line projected To near the well-worn path, Hinemoa tlicy face to face encountered So near they almost touched. Laboriously stout old Taw, Uev companion invariably, Waddled by the maiden's side. In bis home Tutanekai I Had the name of Hinemoa often heard;. But no attention had ho paid. I A matter 'tisvas had no concern for him; j F.ven now when thus they met He did not know the maid ' Was llinemoa called. Startled by the loveliness That before him sudden blazed Tutanekai in some confusion paused, (Juick ceased the tale that llippautly was Hewing, Still the hand decisively pourtraying, . Amazed he interrupted stood. 1 Startled, too, was Hinemoa, And upward from her liquid eyes One straight full glanceLike dog's upturned in fearappcaliugly— Upon Tutanekai fell. Even as falal thrust of spear That glance pierced ' Through the armour of his conscious strength, The calm indifference all happily he

wore, Quickening to a fuller sense of life, Kindling within his breast a lire Xot all the waters of the lake Could quench save he 100 perished. Tutanekai Stunt Tara knew, but llinemoa being be tween i And he confused, he did not her uliserve I Soon as Ihe matron and I lie maid i Mad onward passed, I Tiki told 'twas Vmukaria's llinemoa, . The beauty. Famed through all the region of the uorfi s That thev had seen. Then upon Tutanekai fell a chill

j so far removed ,-' I'jjfom his poor sphere should be. as Hincmoa Me had ne'er before beheld, -iNur in imagination had lie e'er con- •_ ceived so fair, so rich, ,fto marvellous 'As iie but now had seen. A prize was she Well worth the pangs of many deaths to win, And so he to a moody sadness fell.

And in the days That subsequently came lu shade of darkest forest paths He wandered oft I Of beauteous Hinemoa dreaming. Or plunged into the lake as seeking there The coolness his hot blood demanded. Never, he vowed, J Would he upon the maiden look again. I And then within his lieart i I'mathoinable longings rose To gaze upon those Wondrous orbs of mystery once more. I I By judgment sternly counselled, Yet by feeling drawn, Changeful as the wind, Tutanekai. I I Little dreamed he that in the maiden's I blood I A fever raged as hot. J In the straight tall youth I Who, with animation spoke with gesture eloquent The strength and power of manhood Glorious was symbolized. And from her thought could not be

driven. But she with instinct of her sex Xo utterance made. Her lips to silence sealed.

Then came a day That Tara led the not unwilling maid To watch The games were by the young men played— The wrestling, dancing, throwing of the

spear— And on the outside of a circling crowd All unobserved awhile they stood. Ijo, Tutianckai moved master of them all. (Jracefully she saw him All competitors o'erthrow, And in her bosom rose a swelling pride As he to her belonged— His triumph hers— Although full well she knew On him she had no claim.

The games being o'er, Tim encircling crowd to little knots broke up And gave themselves to gossip, idle talk. Tutanekai with Tiki slowly a movement

made Towards the lake, But paused within the shadow of a tree. "0, tell me, good Tara, What name bears that young man Who now beside the pine-tree stands';" Promptly answered Tara, "Ho! Te Awa-pere he, A chief whom you should know, Good for no purpose, Te Awe poie. Fat and cumbrous as the seal That on the beach The sea again can never reach To save the blow Mint makes an cud." Archly smiled the maiden At such condemnation given From such a source. " Nay, good Tara. Xot the fat man did I mean, Him, indeed, 1 know, Xearcr the pine the man— What name is his?"

"A slave, whom Te Awa-pere To his breast hath tn'en in friendship. Why trouble you about a slave!" Tara contemptuously replied. " Xay, nay, not the slave, the tall man Who nearer still the tree is standing, He who in racing and in wrestling won. Xow, now, accompanied by Irs friend He moves away towards the lake--Tell me, Tara,' who is lie?" "0, him!" exclaimed stout Tara. "Tutanekai— Von know—you have heard— Tu-whare-toa —Rangi-uru, The woman should have died. It was a crime To let her live to shame us all. Myself, I could the deed have done." "What deed?" nil innocently enquired the maid. "I could have slain her with this hand!'

'Tis true iuongst us of Maori race High birth is prized. Are not we From kings and gods descended? The vivid lightnings which across the heavens In ages past gleaming glanced Our great progenitors have grasped And stilled the rolling thunders at a word. As across the seas for thousand miles Tn\',iH|'hnnt!y our fathers rode The winds and waves obeyed, else How came we here? In us the spirit and the blood of Kangi, Kongo, Main, Tune Hows And wc are proud. But llinemoa did not Tutanekai despise Because of birth. For the chief Whakaue llJin as son had ta'en, And he stood high upon the mother's side Which witih us counts in great degree. The story hinted at the mother aimed. Too just our race Upon the innocent of blame To cast a stone— Keproaeh for what They ne'er had power to help. So as with halo of romance Tutanekai was clothed And deeper nestled in the maiden's heart.

Not unfrequenlly now Tutaiiekai beheld the idol of his soul. The games a new Delightful interest bad for her. Now 'twas Ilinemoa Brought old Tara to the scene. Sudden from her sweet presence Tutanckai would fly As if a lizard lie had seen, To straight return again By fascination drawn. Then would he gaze On tranquil, shining, liquid eyes, All soft and clear and kind, That satisfying vanquished him. Through weary nights he Kestless tossed and writhed Till forth he rushed. The coolness of the night to seek And find a source of comfort In the eold calm moon Tihat placidly smiled down At his distress. With early morn Tnto the forest dim he sped To there pour forth The troubles of his soul in one long AVAIL,

What works confusion in my brain, What gives such pain? Tin- trouble one bright smile hath brought. The ruin innocently wrought, The image sweet my soul hath caught, Ah. 'tis Hmcmoa! What i- this fever in my Wood, This heated Hood* That turbuit'.ntly courses through my veins, Throbs in my heart,- my bosom strains, And lills my soul wiUi doubting pains, Ah, 'tis ilinemoa!

What is this ferment in my brSftat,

That yields no \_ That raging in my Iwsom never tiros. Consumes with passionate desires, Drives mad with fierce tormenting fires, Ah, 'tis Hinemoa I

What cause of grief makes me to sigh And long to die? Were she near and more such wounds were given, Through my soul her glances driven, | 0, then, what joy—a glimpse of heaven— Ah, 'tis Hinemoa! What makes this heart to leap, to bound With bliss new found? The dream comes floating through my brain by night, A vision through the das'—lustrous bright, Impalpable—ne'er out of sight, Ah, 'tis llinemoa. (To be continued).