Kura’s Tears

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 202, 23 May 1936, Page 25

Kura’s Tears

A legend by Little Pal (16). Marton. Amid the ferns and towering trees of a bush-clad hill of Kaetihi there is a small gushing spring fed from underground. There, in the days before the pakeha came to New Zealand and took or bought the land from the Maoris. lived a strong tribe who called themselves the Ngairata tribe. Kura, the daughter of the chief, Te Hula. lived with her old mother in a corner of the big pa. making beautiful mats or amusing tile little babies by singing or dancing. Sometimes, at dusk, she would wander into the hush, sit on an old fallen log, and dream rosy dreams of the future. The old wahines would try to dissuade her from going alone into the bush, "for evil spirits walk at night,” so they said. But Kura would laugh her gay little laugh and say: "I don't believe in evil spirits. Besides. I don't go far, and who could harm me?” Then she would run off. One day Kura's mother had a strange foreboding of evil—an evil approaching her daughter. So, when Kura put aside iter work preparatory to iter usual walk, she said. “Kura, dear. 1 fear something is going to happen that I shall never see you again. Please don't go out to-night—not alone.” “Have the old wahines been talking to you of evil spirits? Don’t fear. I shan't be long. Good-bye. mother!” and she was gone. Still Tui could not shake off her fear, so she went to Martite, a bravo young warrior, whom she knew she could trust, ami told him her anxiety for her daughter’s safety. So Marute. armed with his greenstone club in case of any danger, set out after Kura. He took the route he knew she hud taken, and it was not long before lie saw her moving through tlie trees. He trod warily lor lour the leaves would betray his presence, because he didn't want to be sent away like a child. Besides, he might frighten her if he made a noise. Presently she sat down. Martite stationed himself behind a tree from which lie bad the best view of anyone approaching Kura. He bad been standing thus for a few minutes when suddenly he became aware ol a strange, chilly mist that frightened him. Brave though he was, lie would have fled lint for his promise to Kura’s mother. Kura. too. seemed to be aware of the ghostly atmosphere’, for she rose ami looked around. Then from out of the air appeared a bent, ugly old man. Curling and twisting, the damp mist hung around him like a mat, making him appealeven more unearthly. Now .Marute could not have run away if he had wished, for his legs seemed not to belong to him, but to the ground. He tried to warn Kura of the tiling that stood behind her, lint lie could not move his tongue which clung to the roof of his mouth.

Then Kura saw the King of the Uiidergroinid. for it was no oilier, and began to run away. But the King of the Underground put out his hand and stopped her. “Don't run away, my beautiful Kura. Come witli me, away from this land where one's dear ones die. away to a land underground, where everybody lives on and on and never dies! Conic witli me and you shall have pretty coloured stones to play with, stones prettier far than the rainbow which you see alter rain; some of these stones have rainbows inside them; come witli mo ami yon shall be my queen. You will not have to work, imt only sing and dance for me. All the people of tlie underground will be your servants.” “Let me go! I don’t want to go with you! J want to stay here witli my own people! Let me go! T don't want to be your queen! Oil! Let me go!" screamed Kura, struggling to free herself. Then Marute found his voice again, ami striding toward (hi l King, said: “Let Kura go, or I will kill von. see!” as lie brandishetj his duh. Then with one deft movement he hit tlie King of the Underground hard on the head. It would have killed an ordinary mortal, but the king only laughed and said: “Kill me! You! —a little mortal! Ha ha!” and he picked Marute up with his one hand and flung him on tlie ground, where he lay half dazed. Then, picking Kurn up in his arms he disappeared through the ground. For a while Kura’s subbing could be heard like a subterranean earthquake, then, from where tbev had vanished into the ground a sninll spring appeared. ' Then Marute rose and made his way back toward the pa to fell his sad tale of their loved one’s capture. Tlie Maoris called Ute new spring "Kura’s Tears,” because her tears fed it.