on its head his own helmet, at the same time his paddle was put into its hands, as if in the act of rowing. Thus equipped, the three brothers sitting in their customary places, the canoe put to sea, while Maui himself laid low in the bushes.
Thinking that the four brothers were gone a-fishing, the birds built their fires and gathered to enjoy them in fancied security. Maui now made a rush, and having caught one of them, demanded to know the secret of how to produce fire. The ala[1] at first told Maui to rub the leaf of the taro[2] (kalo) with a stick and he would have fire; Maui did this, but no fire was produced. Repeating his demand, the bird bade him try the same operation on the banana leaf; still there was no fire. Then the lying bird said, "Try a sugar-cane leaf and you will have fire." Maui did this, and yet there was no fire. Then Maui was angry, and threatened to wring the bird's neck; whereupon it said, "Rub two sticks together." This Maui did, but as the sticks were damp, he got no fire as yet. Maui, now in earnest, seized the bird by the neck to execute his threat, but the poor mud-hen begged him to desist, and it would tell the whole truth, plausibly arguing that if Maui took its life he would defeat his own purpose, as the secret would die with it.
Maui stayed his hand, and following the instructions of the bird, this time used dry sticks of hibiscus[3] wood (hau), and the result was fire. In spite of his success, Maui was so vexed that he rubbed the top of the bird's head and beak violently, saying, "Now let us see if we can't get fire out of your head."
As a result of this rough treatment, all the descendants of this mud-hen have red heads to this day; also the longitu-
- ↑ There are two species of the so-called mud-hen. The thick fleshy skin on the forehead of the one is white, on that of the other bright red. The other parts are blue-black, and in habits and appearance both birds resemble the loon.
- ↑ Taro or kalo pronounced tah-ro or kah-lo, is the arum esculentum of Linnæus, or Colocasia antiquorum of Schott, the tuber of which, after cooking, was pounded into a dough-like mass, then mixed with water and eaten with the fingers as poi. It was the staff of life to the Hawaiians. There is no vegetable in the world equal to taro. It may be prepared in many ways. As poi it is, when fresh, especially adapted to invalids and those suffering from mal-nutrition, a wholesome food for all.
- ↑ Hau. Paritium tiliaceum—Hibiscus tiliaceus of Linnæus. Other woods are used in rubbing for fire; but the hau or hibiscus is plentiful, and the one most commonly used.
