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Te Ao Hou, March 1968, Page 17

on now over many, many long years of time.’ As the old man finished his story he dived into the sea and disappeared in the surf. ‘Come back! Come back!’ called Tahu, standing in the waves and searching for a sign of the old fellow. His white head did not appear, but away out at sea a strange sea-creature was playing. It leapt above the waves, then plunged in again. As it twisted and turned the sunlight glinted on its shiny scales. At last Tahu saw it cut through a roller and glide back toward the beach. Fascinated, he watched as the old man rose from the sea. ‘So you are the taniwha-man?’ ‘Yes. It is I who am the last of the taniwha. Remember that I was always a friend to children. Many times I have lain at the bottom of your river and listened to you at play. I have been afraid to show myself because the children would be afraid.’ ‘Yes,’ answered Tahu. ‘It is sad, but we would have been afraid, and we would not have swum there again. Even now, if I tell the others, they may try to kill you. But I would like to see you again. May I see you next year on the day you are a man?’ ‘Yes, but you must have the piece of greenstone, so that Tangaroa understands you mean me no harm.’ ‘I shall come. Do you know which day it will be?’ ‘No. That is the hard part,’ said the old man. ‘I don't know until Tangaroa tells me. You will have to come every day. And now you must go, or the tide will turn and I shall not get back.’ They held hands and walked into the water. Tahu kept his eyes open as he dived. He thought he saw the man's legs turn into a long scaly tail. And the hand in his, he now realised, became a flipper like a seal's. Soon, however, they were moving along so fast that he had to shut his eyes. In no time at all they were once more in the cave of roaring waters, and then they were racing down, into ever-darkening depths. For a time he felt the sandy bottom as they dashed along, and then the scaly tail swished his legs and he was plummeted upwards, right out of the water onto the sand by the river-pool. Tahu flicked back his damp hair, and looked across at the rock. It was quite dry. The sun was hot and high above. Only the faintest ripple disturbed the surface of the pool. He could see no old man, no taniwha … But in