"A BIG MAN"— IN AUCKLAND.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7111, 25 April 1910, Page 8

"A BIG MAN"— IN AUCKLAND.

AS HE STRIKES A MAORI THE MYSTERY OF THE KNYVETT MANA. HONE TIKI ON A CAUSE CELEBES. (By A. A. Grsse. Nelson, author of "Folk Tales of the Maori," "Talcs of a D.yinir Race." etc.) Hone Tiki was walkincr slowly down tho street. "Tena koe!" said I. " Te-e-e-na koe !" said he. "Where have you come from. Hone?" said I. "I come from Kawhia," said he. "I come to tret t'e money out of t'e Gover'ment for t'e piece land t'ey "buy from me an' my brtttter. I tell ,'eni e'ey ','■>' to pay ud. T'ey takee t'e land; I takecfe money. T-that it." Thero was a pause, and then he added. " Werra, Mitta Kerehi, what all t'e talk hero in Poneke?"

"Nothing in particular, Hone," said I. "You've heard about tho new Defence Act, I expect. All have to be soldiers now —Maori as well as pakeha." "T-that werry good, t-that all right." " Lord Kitchener came to lend a hand and advise the Premier about the new troops." "Ah, Te Kitena!—t-that t'e man. I ko to see him," said Hone, a tone of real interest in his voice. "You did?" "Ych. I see Te Kitena. I say to my brutter. 'T-this man t'e bik toa. t'e crate Tcheneral belonga t'e Pakeha. You come wif me to see him.' So we go to Aucklan'. . ' "When we get t'ere we see all fe people in t'e strest, calling ' Hooray! hooray!' We say/Where t'e bik toa? Where Te Kitena? We no see him.' A)\' t'ey sav. 'You see him py-and-pye. He come aloncr soon. We cheering Capiten Nipita—t-that t'e man." "I sav to mv brutter. 'Who t-this pfeller Nipita? What he done?' An' my brutter sav. 'I don't know. I t'ink ho t'e bik toa belonga Joey Ward. I t'ink he t'e bik orficer Te Kitena leaf pehind to teach te pakeha how to fight, p Werry bik toa Capiten Nipita—nex' to Kitena. "Werra, we walk about, an' look for Kitena; but wo no see, not for long time. T-th-eti, py-an'-pve he come alor.-r in t'e motor car—Phwt!—he gone. T-that all we see of Te Kitena. But we see Te Nipita—in fe street, at t'e parade, at t'e mnnoofer, ewerrywhere we see Te Nipita. Ewerrywhere t'e people cheer Te Nipita. "I sav to t'e Pakeha pfeller. I meet, 'Who t'is man Te Nipita?' . "He snv. 'Oh, werry bik man.' "I say,. "Bik as Capiten?'

"He say, 'Bikker!* " T3ik as Colonel?' "He say, 'Bikker!* " 'Bik as Tcheneral?* "He say, 'Bikker!* "' Werrv bik man, Te Nipita,* I say. "He say, 'Werry bik man—you. bet.* " 'Werra,' I say, 'how bik you call Mm?—bik as Memmer of Parament?*

"Ho say, 'Yeh, bik as Mommer of Parament. ' n^-an'-pye—Mv Korry!—-you bet! Nex' Election we make him Memmer of Parament. T*en we mak*> him Prime Minita. We kick Joey Ward out—We nut Te Nipita in! !* '"Werrv bik man Te Nmita.' I say. 'Werry bik man. What he do to get so much mana wit' t'e Palceha people?— you t&U me: I like to hear.'

' "He say, 'He don't do nothing. He sell t'e typewriter, t'e paper, t'e writ-ing-taple wit' t'e rolling toff.' " 'Gammon!' I say to him. 'Te Nipita fe bik toa, fe man Kitena leaf pehind to teaoh fe Pakeha how to make a fight.'

" 'Oh! yeh—when he fe Capiten he fe bik toa No. 1 Comp'ny,' fe Pakeha man say.

" TVerra,' I tell him, 'plenty Capiten in Noo Seelan' —in Poneke, in Otago, in Wakatu. How Capiten Nipita get fe bik mana?'

"He sav. 'Joey Ward kic-k him out from being fe Capiten—he no' t'e Capiten any lesnga. T-that how he get the mana/

"I tell him, T no savvy. I not understand.'

say, 'Joey WaTd kick Te Nipita | out No. 1 Comp'ny—tahen Te Nipita peoome t'e bik rangatira Pakeha.' | "I tell hteu, 'T-that talk werry hard talk for f e Maori. . I not understand. Te Nipita do nothing. He no go to Parament an' talk to f Joey Ward. Ho no pass fe Bill to make Joey Ward fe fool. He do nothing—on'y eell fe typewriter, fe writing desk, the roller toff. Now you say, "Te Nipita f e Capiten no longa." I fink Joey Ward take his mana away. Te Nipita sell t'e typewriter an' fe writing-dek allasame?' '"Te man say, 'You bet!—more, fan efer pefore. (Joed biz'ness. All t'e people hear Joey Ward kick him out: all t'e people buy fo typewriter, fe writ-ing-desk.' .. • -

"■ 'Werry good,' I tell t'e Pakeha man 'Te Nipita all right. But he no fe rangatira, same as me an' Joey Ward We fe rangatira. When Te Nipita fe Capiten, he fe rangatira; when he not fe Capiten, he not f e rangatira. T-that it. Joey Ward take his mana away.' -'Te man say, 'I fink you right. But py-an'-pye we kick Joey Ward out. Te Nipita pecome fe rangatira again, an' Joey Ward fe hopody. You wait an' see.*

"So I waiting. I see Te Nipita werry clever pfeller. I see Joey Ward werry bit rangatira. Wit' t'e Pakeha people fe tutua go up; t'e rangatira go down. Py-an'-pye> Igo to see Joey Ward. I tell him 'You look out, or Te Nipita make you into t'e tutua man again. T*en vou no more t'e Prime Minita of Noo Se-elan'. You look out Te Nipita don't take away all your mana.' If Joey Ward listen to Hone Tiki, t-that werry Rood —he 6afe; If he not listen—Te Nipita get him." "But how," I asked is the Premier to protect himself." "I tell you," said Hone Tiki. "I go to Joey Ward. I tell him to make Te Nipita fe capiten. again, make him t'e colonel, make him t'e bik toa. I tell him to say to Te Nipita, 'Now, you drill" t'e pakeha people in Aucklan'—drill — drill—drill—drill! You Do stop till I tell you. When t'e pakeha people in Aucklan' say, "Hold on, we have enough. Make a finish of t'e drill. Take Te Nipita away,' you say 'No fear. You likee Te Nipita to he t'e bik toa. You keep Te Nipita.' T-that t'e way to jnake Joev Ward safe. Te Nipita get t'e man it back; t'e Pakeha people in Aucklan' get t'e drill; ewerrypody all right. No more trouble."

And Hon© Tiki sauntered on his way; happy that he had solved the problem.