THE FAIRIES OF WEKA PASS

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 29, 4 February 1939, Page 12 (Supplement)

THE FAIRIES OF WEKA PASS

by WEKA

HOW TITOKI OUTWITTED KONINI

The last time you came to see us, said the chief of the weka fairies, I told you how Titoki left the Omihi Valley and, , with some ..favoured ' friends, -went to seek excitement in the AVaikari district, where dwelt the notorious tribe of Matagouri., However, before .they could be admitted as members of the tribe, ilatarYouvi demanded a test of courage and endurance. Titoki was instructed tliat he must journey into the district between the Waitohi and Hurunui Rivers and capture ten of the best warriors of the tribe of Konini, who had driven Jlatagouri out of his district many yeai'o before. The companions of Titoki eagerly listened to their leader as he outlined his plan of campaign. "This task is not an eaiy one," explained Titoki, '•'therefore we must try to learn something of the habits of Ivonini's people. 1 suggest that you scatter over this territory and make friends witli as many of the inhabitants as possible. Glean all the information you can about Konini, and tho reasons why so clever a warrior as ilatagouri has not been able to conquer liim and his followers." A meeting. place liaving. been arranged, Titoki and his friends separated and joined the other moas as they roamed over the plain searching for food. The sun was sinking toward the liills on the horizon when •Titoki and his band of warriors made for a point on the plain where the Kockvale homestead now stands, and, settling down as if prepared for slumber, put their heads close together and poured forth the information that they had been able to piece together from their conversations with the inhabitants.

There was no doubt that Matagouri had set a. hard task. Old Konini had a very competent band of scouts and sentinels. The whole of his area was divided into districts, with a very trusty warrior directly responsible to the chief for the safeguarding of his particular section.

The system so far adopted had proved quite efficient, as no sooner had'any of Matagouri's scouts entered tlie forbidden district tlian'they were surrounded and taken to Konini, who condemned them to a life of slavery. Titoki determined that he would outwit these vigilant fellows,

"Wo" must find a means of penetrating the territory," said Titoki, "I ha.ve been considering tlie advis-

ability of asking the weka fairies to come to our assistance by giving up power to see in the dark as they did Rata, when he rescued my father and mother from old Matagouri; but I have heard that Konini has secured the assistance of the owls, 01* as we call them* to-day, the moreporks. As you know, they are quite different from most other birds, as they can see in the dark, while we are helpless after the sun has set. Now we must first find out where the warriors we want to capture are camped at night, and then we will have some idea of what we will have to do," continued Titoki. "We can only do this by stealth and, from what we have learned, it will be difficult for any of us to gain this information. During the talk I had to-day with one of the young warriors X was informed that there is a colony of shags on the bank of the Hurunui River who very much like to harass Ivonini's tribe, as they have repeatedly illtreated the shags, breaking up their nests and driving them further down stream, away from the district they have frequented for generations. As you know, the shags can fly as well as swim, an'd if we can secure their assistance it will be very .helpful. On one point I am quite certain that if the weka fairies think any harm will overtake the warriors when we have captured them they will refrain from helping us, as their great' ambition is to promote peace and happiness amongst all. the. living creatures in this wonderful land. It is therefore necessary for me to see Matagouri and find out what he intends to do to the captives when he has them in his power." Early the next morning Titoki again sought out ilatagouri and asked the question the answer to which would decide the actions of Titoki anti his band.

Titoki and his companions could now see some prospect of success, and it was agreed that they would consult my fairies, as speedily as' possible. In the meantime Bluerocket had reported to us that she had seen, while scouting over the Waikari district, Titoki and his followers intermingling with Matagouri's tribe 011 the flat. Therefore, anticipating trouble for these venturesome fellows, I assembled some of my fairies

on the -lull overlooking the. valley and waited for the going down of the sun. As soon as darkness set in I sent out one of my scouts to bring Titoki up the hill so that I could ascertain if he had entered the district of his own choice or if he had been decoyed by and was being held prisoner. ,

Titoki explained that In* love of adventure had led liiin into tins district and that he had undertaken a task by which he hoped to bring about peace between the tribes of Koiiini and Matagouri. I quite approved of his action and promised the full support of my • fairies. Knowing that it would be the wisest course to let Titoki work out his own scheme, I instructed my followers to stand by and only to use their magic power when it became necessary.

Titoki and his friends did not go by way of the usual route to the district occupied by Konini, which is now known as Medbury, but proceede<Pdown the Waikar"- Valley and over the Black Hills until they came to the bank of the Hurunui River, where after some difficulties they managed to communicate with the shags, -who at first were very timid, as they had only known the moas of Konini's tribe, who had treated them unkindly.

However, Titoki soon won their confidence, and after explaining his mission in the district was assured of tlio wholehearted support of Cormorant the Chief and the members of his shaggery.

Cormorant and his party were well fitted for the investigation, as they could swim long distances under water and also fly over the land, tlius # we can consider them to be the first combined submarine and aeroplane.

The visitors journeyed up tlie south bank of the Waitohi River and camped in the dense manuka scrub. After waiting for hours a shag was seen settling on the water, and it was soon swimming ashore to impart the news, to its new friends. Cormorant I had sent him to inform Titoki that | lie had located the position of the | sentinels, but that word had reached Konini that enemies were approach--1 ing, and he had therefore doubled his | scouts around his hatching grounds. The country was quite flat, densely

covered with scrub manuka, and the sentries were so well posted that an attack in daylight could not be successful; moreover, the possibility of capturing ten stalwart warriors -bynight seemed very small indeed. During the darkness the numerous little moreporks kept a vigilant watch and warned Konini of any -objects that might be harmful to his 'tribe. As the chief warriors of Konini had been located, Titoki determined to make a stealthy attempt to capture them singly., As his own band numbered twenty, he had two warriors to deal with each of the. ten he had promised to secure. Xow my fairies used their magic and drew out of the Waitohi Gorge a strong north-west wind that fairly howled, tlirough the scrub and lashed it to such an extent that the advance of Titoki was covered in the swirling of the branches. Through the scrub the warriors crept, keeping their heads well below the tops of tlio waving manuka, and each one exerting all his skill to reach h* allotted place as the sun was setting. At an arranged signal given by Cormorant, who would be. circling the camp, Titoki's warriors were to dash in and drag out their victims before the force of Konini's tribe could be effectively used against them.

Cormorant was seen well above the camp and it was expected that his signal was about to be given when the moreporks, who were just beginning to see through the dusk, gave the alarm. . Then ensued a wild •scramble. The weka fairies had been, keeping careful watch of the adventure, and by now using our magic powers we were able to stop any serious injury to either party. We put a veil over the eyes of the moreporks and gave Titoki's followers the power of sight. They quickly picked up the ten warriors that they wished to capture and departed to Matagouri's camp.

Titoki was very clever in placing before Matagouri the advantages of recovering his own scouts who had been captured, and that by an exchange of prisoners peace- could be restored to the whole area. Matagouri, having carried out his great ambition to humiliate Konini, now agretkl to the plan, and' afterwards the inhabitants of this large district lived in peace.

Eventually old Matagouri died. Hundreds of years later his bones were found wlien the school well was being deepened, and one of the largest can be seen in the Christchurch Museum.