CHAPTER X

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HOW THE BROTHERS-IN-LAW OF AUKELENUIAIKU SECRETLY TAUGHT HIM TO FLY.

We will here see how the four brothers-in-law of Aukelenuiaiku gave him the power to fly, in payment for the offerings made by him to the gods. Some time after this his brothers-in-law said to him: “Today you will realize the blessings of the deity.” After a while he was asked: “Say, has your wife given you the power to change yourself into different forms?” Aukelenuiaiku replied: “Yes.” “What different forms did she give you?” “The power to change into a cliff, into an ocean, and into fire.” The brothers-in-law replied: “Then she has not given you all her powers. She has kept to herself the power to fly.” “Yes, my wife has reserved that; she did not give it to me.” The brothers-in-law continued, saying: “It is because your wife thought you might fly off and never come back again. That is the reason why she has kept this power from you.” After this the brothers-in-law said to Aukelenuiaiku: “Let us teach you how to get this flying power of your wife, so that you may be able to possess it. But you must not tell your wife of this.”

That night, after Namakaokahai had retired to their sleeping house, Aukelenuiaiku and his brothers-in-law went into another house and there he was given his lessons in the art of flying. They first taught him how to jump and how to fly to certain places; then they asked him to jump to the top of a shelf. After he was successful in this he was requested to jump to the top roof batten of the house. Aukelenuiaiku then jumped and held it for a while, then fell to the floor. In this falling, Namakaokahai heard it, and she got up and came to her brothers’ house, and asked them: “What are you doing?” “We are learning how to box.” “What is that?” “It is played this way. Kanemoe stands up like this on this side, and Kaneapua stands up on that side; then they strike at each other, and the one who gets hit real hard falls to the floor. That was the noise you heard.” When Namakaokahai heard this she said: “I see that my husband has some good thing hidden that he has not shown me. How mysterious you are!” After this Namakaokahai returned to her own house. After she disappeared, Aukelenuiaiku again made another attempt to reach the top batten, but again he was unsuccessful and he fell to the floor. Namakaokahai again heard this and she came to her brothers’ house and asked them: “I believe you are teaching my husband how to fly.” “No, we are wrestling.” “How is that done?” “One stands up on this side, and one on the other side; they then take ahold of one another and each tries to throw the other down. The one who is thrown down made the noise you heard.” Because of this satisfactory reply Namakaokahai again retired to their house. After she was gone, Aukelenuiaiku again made another attempt and this time he was successful. He next came out and flew to the top of the house, and in this he was again successful. From the roof Aukelenuiaiku flew up into the sky, and he went so high that his brothers-in-law were unable to see him. After a while Aukelenuiaiku returned to the ground and his brothers-in-law said to him: “Yes, you know how to fly now.”

When Aukelenuiaiku found that he was able to fly he was then in possession of all the powers held by his wife. After this the two lived on in peace and they never went out of sight of each other; they were indeed a loving couple. It also became apparent that Namakaokahai, his god-wife, was with child. Before its birth, however, Namakaokahai made known to her husband the name of the child: it was Kauwilanuimakehaikalani [83] (the lightning which we see in a rain-storm). Aukelenuiaiku, however, wished to have the child called after the name of his god Lonoikoualii.

Because Namakaokahai loved her husband so much, she would not allow him to go out of her sight. They were together constantly, at all seasons and times, in dry and wet weather, in times of famine and of plenty, in the daytime and at night, in fact they were together all the time. Namakaokahai also gave all her possessions to Aukelenuiaiku; from the things that were above to the things below; from the things in the uplands to the things in the lowlands; great things and small things; the things that were within to the things that were without. All were given to her husband.

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