Fairy Tales and Folk-Lore of New Zealand and the South Seas/The Magic Spear-Point
LESSON XLVII.
THE MAGIC SPEAR-POINT.
(Hawaii.)
On one of the islands near Hawaii there ruled a King having a very wild cousin named Kaulu among his retinue. Kaulu was a very bold and dashing young man, but he was very fond of mischief and merriment, so that his royal cousin often remonstrated with him on his being fonder of the music of a midnight dance than in helping in the good government of the kingdom. He promised to behave more soberly when he was older, and, as all the people loved him for his high spirits and pranks that had no malice in them, mild reproof was the only check that he received.
At last the time came when he thought it would be wise to leave his boyish tricks and lead a sober life; so he determined to qualify himself for the office of priest, and for this purpose was sent to the island of Lanai. At that time Lanai was suffering under a scourge of goblin visitors; there were gnomes, evil spirits and monsters of all kinds, and, chief of all, the gigantic dragon or lizard called Moo (Mo-o.) These horrible creatures infested the whole island; they ravaged fields, destroyed the fishponds, uprooted the coco-nut trees, and generally kept the inhabitants in a state of annoyance and discomfiture. To enable Kaulu to live in such a place he was carefully instructed in all the magic spells and charms known to the priests, but was told that none of these were strong enough to guard him against the more powerful of the demons. Kaulu was disheartened on receiving this information, but being a most intrepid and courageous man he determined to devote his life to the overthrow of the evil beings; so presented himself before the Chief Priest, and offered to risk his life in combat if he could rid the island of its oppressors. The Chief Priest, an aged and venerable man, looked upon Kaulu with affection in his glance, and retiring to the most sacred recesses of the temple returned with a small object wrapped up in folds of native cloth. Unrolling the cloth, he showed Kaulu a beautiful ivory spear-point, about a span long. “This,” said the old man “is a magic weapon which has been dipped in the water of the river which runs through the land of spirits. Whenever you cast it, it will reach its mark no matter how distant that will be or how wildly you aim. If you draw with it a line upon the ground nothing can pass across that line. It has other virtues also, but these you will find out in using it. Take it, but one day you must return it to me or bury it with my bones. Swear to me that you will do this.” Kaulu solemnly swore to do as the priest wished, and wrapping the spear point in the cloth went his way.
He soon had occasion to test the efficacy of the magic spear-head, which he had caused to be affixed to a suitable shaft. The demons which amused themselves killing fowls, blighting the taro plantations, and tearing the unripe bananas from their stems, soon found in Kaulu a relentless and unresting destroyer. The embankments and walls of the artificial fish-ponds were no longer disturbed, but one enemy—the worst of them all—the Moo, was still at large, and continually prevented the people from feeling secure. It was a favorite trick of the Moo to burrow like a mole beneath the ground on which a house stood, and then arching its back to upset the whole habitation. For a long time Kaulu pursued this goblin in vain, but at length managed to trace a circle round it with his talisman and the Moo became a prisoner; it could not pass the charmed line. Heaving up the earth it burrowed downward, till encountering a lake of fire it was again compelled to return to the surface, and promise that if liberated it would quit the island forever. Kaulu effaced a portion of his circle sixty paces wide, and through this gap the hideous Moo rushed down to the sea, and troubled the island of Lanai no more.
bur′-row
re-mon′-stra-ted
op-pres′-sors
lib′-er-a-ted
qual′-i-fy
se-cure′
hid′-e-ous
tear′-ing
cour-a′-geous
scourge
ef-faced′
gov′-ern-ment
dis-com′-fi-ture, defeat; overthrow; ruin.
re-lent′-less, unmoved by pity; implacable.
in-trep′-id, not influenced by fear; brave; resolute.
ar-ti-fi′-cial, made by human contrivance; not naturally produced
LESSON XLVIII.
THE MAGIC SPEAR-POINT.
(Continued.)
When Kaulu had exterminated the last of his supernatural foes, he rested awhile among the grateful and adoring people of the island. He resolved to spend a few days in fishing and bathing in the surf as a recreation, and one day having grown tired of sporting on the surf-board he returned to the shore and threw himself down under the shade of a tree. There, watching the shadows of the clouds floating over the bathers, he fell asleep, and on opening his eyes, saw sitting near him a very beautiful woman. Her garment was all spangled with crystals and her scarf was of the hues of the rainbow; a chaplet of flowers encircled her neck, and circlets of tiny pink and white shells were about her wrists and ankles.
Kaulu was so astonished that he sat as if stupified awhile at the sight of the woman’s loveliness and her dazzling attire. Then, rising to his feet, he approached within a few feet of her and coughed to attract her attention. She lifted her eyes languidly, and scanned him from head to foot, then with a contemptuous toss of her head turned her face seaward again. Kaulu felt indignant, but reflecting “Perhaps in my bathing dress this noble lady mistakes me for a servant; I will put on the insignia of my rank.” So thinking, he went to the beach and entering his double canoe put on his dress which denoted him as belonging to a regal family; his necklace with ivory pendant, his royal mantle of yellow feathers, and a brilliant feather helmet. As he left the boat he stumbled, and said “This means that I have forgotten something.” At the moment a lizard ran across his path and reminded him of his combat with the demon Moo, so he returned and taking the magic spear ascended to the place where he had left his strange princess. She said "You need not have troubled to bedeck yourself for me. I knew that you were Kaulu. I do not desire your company.” “Unless,” said the prince "you are of higher rank than mine, I claim my right to sit where I please, and that is, at your side.” “Very well,” said the stranger, “since you are so rude as to come when not invited, come and sit beside me and tell me of the admiration your eyes speak.” Kaulu advanced and seated himself joyfully, but sprang up again with a cry of pain, for the ground was almost red-hot. “Come,” said the woman with a taunting smile, “I am waiting.” The prince advanced, but saw that the earth was glimmering with heat, so he drew back and marked a circle round him with the point of his javelin. “Now, come where I am,” he said to the fair woman, and she moved inside the charmed circle. Instantly she found that she was on enchanted ground, and, wildly exasperated, she broke from his embrace and leapt across the fatal line. The prince tried to follow her, but she turned and showed him the form of the dreadful Pele, the goddess of volcanoes, with blazing eyes and hair like a flag of flame. Waving her hand a fountain of boiling lava sprung up at her feet and rolled down towards the prince, nearly engulfing him; but with great presence of mind he drew a line upon the earth, and the lava-stream parted and flowed into the ravines on either side. Pele summoned her brothers, and a shower of red-hot stones and ashes fell on every side; from under this fiery shower Kaulu and his men escaped with difficulty by launching their canoes and paddling vigorously out to sea.
a-dor′-ing
stu′-pe-fied
en-chant′-ed
glim′-mer-ing
feath′-er
be-deck′
i′-vo-ry
pres′-ence
ex-as′-per-a-ted
in-dig′-nant
con-temp′-tu-ous
en-gulf′-ing
taunt′-ing
cir′-cle
em-brace′
hues
ex-ter′-min-ate, to destroy utterly; to root out; to drive away.
chap′-let, a garland of flowers for the head.
ra-vine′, a long deep hollow worn by a stream of water.
crys′-tals, solid bodies having sparkling facets glittering like clear glass or quartz.
in-sig′-ni-a, marks of high rank; badges of distinction.
jave′-lin, a kind of spear.