A MAORI LEGEND.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 184, 25 July 1908, Page 4

A MAORI LEGEND.

[All Right* Reserved.]

By James Izett.

TUTANEKAI ANJ HINEMOA.

(Continued). When the sun Had long gone down, On the night of the third day That he all lonely In liia new home had spent, Avoiding Tiki, whose company he not desired, Tutanekai his tower ascended And loud he blew his horn. Then, his throbbing heart to ease He sang the song of COME ! 0, my love, come, Across the waters softly rowing Here find thy home, Come in thy beauty, sweet, all glowing, Tell not thy people thou art going Happiness and joy bestowing, Come, my love, come! 0, sweet my love, Over the waters silent gliding Swift as a dove, For aye the future life deciding With me to live in joy abiding, . Heart and Mul to me confiding, J Come, my love, come! 'o, dear my love, Lo, a husband longing for thee waits. The stars above All shining join our mutual fates, His heart, his arms like heavenly gates Open are thrown. Beauty and love are [mates, ... Come, my love, come! Jly love, my dear, Paddle o'er the lake—this parting seaHave thou no fear, In the joyous years that are to be Years of blissful calm felicity Dearer still shalt thou become to me Come, my love, come!

I Again Tutanekai His horn blew; A note long-swelling loud—entreating. Then, fearful Lest his friend might hurrying come, Down from the tower he sped— And, where Thick the bushes by the water grew fie hid himself, The spot for long selected. For from there his sight The*watery waste commanded. Patiently in expectancy Long, long he waited There, in the shadows and the silence. Then to him stealing came the VOICES OF THE NIGHT. Lo, come we, The frogs whose ever baleful croak, Tells of deep sorrow none e'er spoke, Before the time of Maru's yoke Come we! Lo, come we, The owls that in deep darkness bide, From tree to tree who silent glide, Whose two-note croak none can abidi, Come we! Lo, come we, The purling of the mountain stream. Of love, of joy its mingled theme, Its constant warble, life's a dream, Come"we!

Lo, come we, The rippling murmurs of the lake, The sounds that sweetest music make, That whisper love for love's sweet sake, Come we! Lo, come we, The softly breathing zephyr breeze That perfume gathers from the trees, Whose flowers in the daylight please, Come we!

Lo, come we, The locusts with our joyful singing To grim darkness lightness bringing, Forests with our music ringing, Come we! Lo, come we, Memories sad that will arise, Bright hopes that pierce beyond the [skies, The love that never wholly dies, Come we! Lo, come we. With thoughts of childhood's liappv * [days, Of life, of death, of Heaven's praise Of man's deceits, of woman's ways, Come we! Lo, come we, Strange voices of the solemn night That creaking, croaking, groaning [fright, Voices all trembling with delight That lift the soul to Heaven's height, Come we!

Slowly drag the hours To him -who lonely, silent waits. His heart Witu rapturous anticipations glowing Tutanekai had gone to watch The coming o'er the shimmering waters Of the small dark spot—the canoeThat should To his strong arms The beautiful being he so fondly loved In safety bear. At times his keen quick eyes, By the fever in his brain made false, A" something stirring on the water Seemed to catch. Then knew he he had been deceived. Aspiring Hope and Expectation yain Too oft upon delusive fancy builds, Yet never doubted Tutanekai— Hineuioa had her pledge given And she would sure fulfil. What then had happened? I Perchance some Accident grievous to be told? Her father fallen sick! Perchance herself was ill, Or some dear friend lay stricken dead! Possibilities by the hundred rise And shake their gloomy, Sometimes gory, locks To chill the soul With horror and affright. But she was true. At length With his long fruitless vigil weary Tutanekai arose and sought his home, Disappointment cold Heavy weighing at his heart.

At Owhata, Ever since the chief to Kotorua His last visit paid, Vague suspicion Seemed the air to fill. In the day Wherever Hinemoa careless strayed Somewhere near she knew A pair of eyes were on her Every movement fixed. * But "when darkness shrouded, _ Deemed secure, She felt she was allowed to go _ Where'er she chose. V. Her gay fancy pleased, • f J . At this she smiled. I A chieftainess of rank ; 'Twas far beneath lier pride To importance lend To things so seeming small. But when that horn she heard, That horn that loud entreating called " Come, 0 my love, come," The time for action had arrived, Herself she must assert. From father, relatives, and friends, From home and all that then before she loved, Now m»st she part. Her lover —husband —called, And to obey she must. j,' So, in the darkness To the water's edge she stole— In haste to go. Lo, high and far. Up in the bush was every canoe drawnThe plugs were out and not a paddle near, With strength unaided Even the smallest She could not hope to pull s Down to the water. ; Ah. this was why At night she had her leave To roam unwatched And unattended! '. y How foolish she Xo thought to give to this before! Now what was she to do? \ She never thought suspicion v . Could so far have wrought. A prison'd bird was she, And like a bird Her feeble wings she flapped Against controlling bars 'i f That made her home a cage. • Trusted the bird will never fly ' w Whose wings are closely clipped. _ In desperation *L, Up and down she frantic moved. Was she to yield, be beaten, foiled,_ Such artifice as this to triumph over her? Revolted her proud spirit at the thought. Again that horn, "Come. 0, mv love, come!" Yes, yes; a thousand times yes, yea! But how? A raft would she build Would waft her drifting o'er! Eagerly for timber, sticks, anything That would the purpose serve She glanced around.

Alas, were none. And even had there been, Sufficiency of thongs to tie She did not tlicu possess. Why not swim* To this long serious thought she gave. A rare and powerful swimmer lliueinoa. From earliest days Her powers to test accustomed. Accomplished as a swimmer, Hut. to Mokoia's Isle The distance was too far. Should her strength fail Down in the' deeps her form would sink And lost for ever Hinemoa. No, no, not that! Ha, why not find aids , Her light figure to support, Her slender form to 'bear t Happy the thought! Swiit to the cauoes Lightly she tripped, Ho, there was what she Trembling with excitement sought— Gourds! Gourds that would bear Her buoyantly along. Six did she choose. No time had she on thought to waste. Her course was clear; She was resolved. To the reef as lri-iri-kapua known Which from the water side Far out projects Quickly her eager way she took. At Wai-rere-wai, the point extreme i Hurriedly aside her clothes she cast. Three on each side to her slight form The gourds she bound, And noiseless, gliding Into the water slipped.

Well did the gourds sustain, But sore her movements they impeded. Wobbling, against each other bobbing, The fair sweep of her arms They hindered, Their weight she had to draw. Even from the first Her strength they tried, And slow the progress made. A tree-trunk —Hine-whata known — Above the waters of the lake rose high. Here did Hinemoa think to find a place Where she might resting stay awhile. When she the tree attained Behold the top too high for her to reach. All she could do around her arms to fling And clasp the foul decaying tree In fond embrace, Thus a few minutes rest From her toil securing Then onwards doggedly, pcrsevcringly, Hinemoa swam till wearied quite. Motionless on the calm bosom Of the lake she floating lay. Dark the night; Black around the waters seemed; Chill pressed they On her young tender flesh; Of silence, loneliness the sense profound. Lost, a leaf upon the waters drifting To nothingness was she reduced — Too great the dangers she had braved. Then of Tutanekai she thought. He too was lonely, Waiting on in patience For her coming, she his wife Through the long years to be. If she should die So would Tutanekai! This thought to further action nerved. Again she strove, again to floating rest. Nearer now the isle And Hope began again to smile. Again, again she swam, Quite close was now Mokoia's shore, She would succeed. One effort And then her trials great Would all be o'er.

Under the pleasant knoll On which Tutanekai Their future home had built By great good fortune Hinenma chanced to land. Lo, from fortli the neighbouring village Came no clamorous sound, No firelight to her A cheering welcome gave, No smoke' in curling wreaths Its joy displayed. Dark, silent still; The time must needs be late And all have to their rest retired. Exhausted, numb and cold The maiden stood. When for a moment she had stayed Her breath to win, forth from her Palpitating breast, chantingly she trilled

LOVE'S CALL. Across the wave, My love—my brave Behold I come Seeking my home Faint weak and cold I breathe no sigh For love makes bold And thou art nigh To seek my home Ne'er more to roam Tutanekai Upon thy breast To find my rest For thou art mine As I am thine ; •. For aye—for aye Tutanekai! Across the lake For thy dear sake Behold me here, 0 love appear. Lo, here I wait Impatiently At Heaven's gate Expecting thee. As thou art near Come love to cheer, Tutanekai; No more alarms When in thine arms, For thou art mine As I am thine For aye—for aye Tutanekai! And in the days When sung thy praise Not mine the lot To be forgot Lo, famed throughout Aotearoa Brave men will shout Of Hinemoa— Tutanekai! And hill and dale Will tell the tale That Hinemoa did not fail; And thou art mine As I am thine For aye—for aye Tutanekai! (To be Continued).