CHAPTER VI

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HOW AUKELENUIAIKU GOT OUT OF TROUBLE AND HOW HE WAS REWARDED.

After the three had become friends, the two women and Aukelenuiaiku, they began to converse of various matters and after a while a game of konane was proposed and played. Aukelenuiaiku then said to the women: [76]

“This my turn; now it is your turn. Now we pause, the blacks cannot move, And the whites have won. The small canoes are as but dust, To the boy from Kuaihelani.”

After playing for a while, the women said to Aukelenuiaiku: “We have been sent to kill you, for you were discovered by the dog of our queen, Moela; but we are going back and report that we have failed to find the person the dog was barking at, and it will be for her to send some other officers.”

When they arrived in the presence of the queen, Namakaokahai, she asked them: “Where is the person for whom you were sent out to search?” The women replied: “We did not find him. We went to the top of the cliff, and on the top of the trees, and we were unable to discover anybody. We went to the uplands and shorewards, but again we failed to find anyone.” The women then continued: “Perhaps the dog was mistaken and had smelled the blood of those that were slain; and because of that he barked.” While the two were making their report the queen again released her dog, Moela. As soon as this was done the dog began to bark again and he continued to do this for some time. When the queen saw this she sent for her four bird brothers, Kanemoe, Kaneapua, Leapua and Kahaumana to come to her. When they came in the presence of the queen, she said to them: “I want you to go in search for the person that Moela is barking at. It may be a man, may be not; what is it?” As soon as she had issued her orders, the four birds flew away. When the birds were getting ready to make their flight, Lonoikoualii said to Aukelenuiaiku: “Say, Aukelenuiaiku, here comes our death. There are four birds coming to meet us. You must greet them in the same way that you greeted the two women.”

When the birds arrived in the presence of Aukelenuiaiku, he greeted them one by one saying: “My greetings to you, Kanemoe. My greetings to you, Kaneapua. My greetings to you, Leapua. My greetings to you, Kahaumana.” At this they all returned the greeting, saying: “Our greetings to you.” After greeting Aukelenuiaiku, they fell to conversing in low tones between themselves, wondering how it was possible that their names were known. After a while Kanemoe said: “How wonderful! How did he come to know our names? And what are we going to give him for this?” One of the others replied: “We have but one thing worthy of giving him, let our sister be given to him for a wife, and he will then be our brother-in-law.” The others all agreed to this, so the proposition was referred to Aukelenuiaiku who was of course much pleased with the idea.

After the thing was settled the four birds started ahead for the house, while Aukelenuiaiku followed on behind. When the birds arrived, Namakaokahai asked: “Where is the person that you went in search of?” The brothers replied: “He is coming later. We have offered you to him as his wife so that we will have him for a brother-in-law; for he is a handsome looking man, and is perfect from top to bottom; and he is just like you. We therefore made up our mind that it would be proper that you take him as your husband.” When the sister heard this she was perfectly satisfied, and she expressed her pleasure in accepting the man.

We will now go back to Aukelenuiaiku and his god Lonoikoualii. When the four brothers of Namakaokahai returned to their sister, after their offer was accepted by Aukelenuiaiku, his god Lonoikoualii said to him: “These evils and death we have so far been able to overcome; the evils and death that are yet to come which are worse than these are the ones we must be careful about. When we get to the queen, your intended wife’s home, don’t enter the house at once, for it will mean your death; but you must stand outside by the door and you will see for yourself what they intend to do to you. The first person whom you will encounter will be the two women who met us first. If they take compassion on you, then you will be safe. After that the dog will be released, and if you will overcome him, the brothers will be sent out. After these things, they will try to get rid of you by poisoning the food. So you must remember. If they offer you food in the calabash, don’t eat of it, for therein is your death. What you can eat are the melons that are still on the vines, and you must expect this to be your food, meat and water.” The god of Aukelenuiaiku, Lonoikoualii, explained all these things to him in detail and warned him.

After imparting these instructions, Lonoikoualii allowed Aukelenuiaiku to go on his way to the home of Namakaokahai. When Aukelenuiaiku arrived at the house, he remained standing by the doorway, where he was greeted by those within. After the greeting they invited Aukelenuiaiku to come inside; but he did not enter; he remained there. By these different things we will see how Aukelenuiaiku’s god was all-powerful, and we will also see how Aukelenuiaiku obeyed all the instructions that were given him.

While Aukelenuiaiku was standing by the doorway of Namakaokahai’s house, the two women, Upoho and Haapuainanea, were sent for to come to their queen, and when they arrived, Namakaokahai ordered them saying; “Use your power and slay him.” At this command, the two women turned and looked at Aukelenuiaiku. When they saw that it was the young man they had befriended when they were sent out to look for the person the dog was barking at, they were so ashamed that they ran off. Upoho, the one with the form of a rat ran into a hole; Haapuainanea, the lizard woman ran up a tree, and Aukelenuiaiku was saved. After these two, Moela, the watch-dog of the land was sent for, but when it came near to Aukelenuiaiku, he opened his mouth wide showing his teeth and then jumped at Aukelenuiaiku with the intention of tearing him to pieces, but when he touched Aukelenuiaiku he was killed, reduced to ashes. When the queen saw that her favorite dog was killed, she regretted his death so much that she bowed her head in grief and wept. After the death of her dog, she ordered her four brothers, Kanemoe, Kaneapua, Leapua and Kahaumana, and commanded them: “Use your power and kill this fellow. Take him and eat him up.” When Aukelenuiaiku heard this he entered the house. Upon seeing Aukelenuiaiku, the four brothers of Namakaokahai changed their forms; Kanemoe changed into a rock and he laid at the doorway: Kaneapua changed into a log of wood and laid there: Leapua changed into a coral rock: Kahaumana changed into a hard blue rock. These four brothers did this because they were ashamed of Aukelenuiaiku and they wished to hide themselves. After this Aukelenuiaiku came to where the calabash vine was growing with several green calabashes on the vine; he then took one up and opened it and sat down to have his meal, finding food, meat and water in the green calabash. While Aukelenuiaiku was eating, the brothers of Namakaokahai said to themselves: “How wonderfully all-seeing is that man. He is eating our food. Who has told him where to find it? Food has been placed before him but he would not touch it.” After Aukelenuiaiku had satisfied his hunger and had seen all the things placed before him, the brothers of Namakaokahai stood up in their human forms.

After Aukelenuiaiku had successfully passed through all these trials, he made up his mind to act cunningly. The first thing he did was to make believe that Namakaokahai and her brothers were his gods and therefore prayed to them in a loud voice as follows:

“Ye gods of the night, ye gods of the day; Namakaokahai, Kanemoe, Kaneapua, Leapua, Kahaumana, Upoho, Haapuainanea, Moela, Give me life, ye trampers of the mountain, Ye climbers of the mountain; Give life to your offspring, Preserve me a man from the lowlands. Here is the food, It is ended; [77] it is released.”

When Aukelenuiaiku was offering prayers to the several gods, calling them by their respective names in a loud voice, they all laughed and were surprised at hearing all this; they said to themselves: “He knows all our names, and it does seem that we are his gods.” Being much surprised at the action of Aukelenuiaiku, they asked him: “Are the gods that you have just mentioned your gods?” “Yes, they are my gods handed down from my ancestors to my parents, and from them to me.” When they heard these words, they asked him that he offer them the same prayers again. Aukelenuiaiku then replied: “If it was a story it would be all right to repeat it, but being a prayer to the gods it would not do to repeat it, because, so far it is only from my side that offerings have been made:

“Men have been killed and placed on the altar. Pigs have been killed and placed on the altar. Dogs and chickens have been killed and placed on the altar. Bananas and awa have been placed on the altar, Coconuts and red fish have been placed on the altar.

“All these things have I placed on the altar as offerings to my gods, whose names I have just enumerated, but so far I have not received anything in return from them. If these things had been given to some human being, my bones [78] would have been cared for.”

By these cunning words Aukelenuiaiku received certain benefits, and in time was saved from certain death prepared by Namakaokahai. When the brothers of Namakaokahai heard these words spoken by Aukelenuiaiku, they replied: “Today you will receive your proper dues from the gods in payment for all the good you have faithfully done them, and you shall be paid in full.”

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