2

Te Ao Hou, September 1961, Page 42

2 THE STORY OF RONA The following is the Legend of Rona. One bright moonlight night Rona was sent to fetch some water from a stream; in her hand was a basket, which contained a gourd. On her way to the water the moon suddenly disappeared behind a cloud, and the road being bad, she kicked her foot against some of the shrubs. This made her angry, and in her rage she cursed the moon, saying, “Wicked moon, not to come forth and shine.” This conduct of Rona's displeased the moon very much, who at once came down to the earth and seized her. Rona, in her turn, seized a tree which grew near the margin of the stream, but the moon tore up the tree by the roots, and flying away carried off Rona and her calabash, together with the tree. Rona's friends, thinking she was making a long stay, went in quest of her. After searching for some time, they called out, “Rona, Rona, where are you?” “Here am I,” said she, “mounting aloft with the moon and the stars.”