CHAPTER VII

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HOW AUKELENUIAIKU BECAME THE HUSBAND OF NAMAKAOKAHAI.

The brothers of Namakaokahai then said to Aukelenuiaiku: “Where are you? Listen to these instructions. In case your wife should call you to come to her, don’t do it, for it will mean your death. If she should ask that you come to the door, don’t go, for that too will mean death to you. If she should ask you to come onto the lounge made of mats, don’t go up, for that too means your death. You must, therefore, go and sit by the doorway, and when she finds that you will not respond to her call, she will come to you at the door. If she should ask you to sleep with her, don’t give your consent, for you will get killed; but you sit on her breast and give a sigh, and when she asks of you why you sighed, tell her that you are hungry for something to eat; and if she should order you to come and get something to eat, obey her, for your wife is a goddess and not a human being.” These admonitions were satisfactory to Aukelenuiaiku. In all these things we know that Aukelenuiaiku after all received some good in return for the offerings he pretended to have made to the gods, for in the end he won Namakaokahai and she became his wife.

In course of time it was known to them that Namakaokahai was to become a mother. While she was with child, one day Aukelenuiaiku and his wife went in bathing, and while they were bathing Aukelenuiaiku went over to where his box was left, as was his custom, to see his god. As he was approaching the place he heard his god Lonoikoualii calling to him: “Say, Aukelenuiaiku, we are going to be killed. Here comes Halulu, the man-eating bird from heaven.” When Aukelenuiaiku heard the call he turned and looked up to heaven.

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