TUTANEIKA’S PUNISHMENT

Taranaki Daily News, 20 December 1924, Page 10 (Supplement)

TUTANEIKA’S PUNISHMENT

Story Competition Under 16 Years,

SECOND PRIZE. (By Mary McLellan, Te Kiri, age II years 4 months.) Once, living in the beautiful country of New Zealand, there was a little Maori boy called Rang!, but although he was the son of a great chief, Tangi by name, 'lie was not happy, for his elder brother, Tutaneika, was very unkind to him, bullying the poor youth whenever they were alone. This fact made Tangi very sad, because he loved his young son greatly, but he decided to wait until lie saw a good chance to teach Tutaneika a lesson which he would not soon forget.

One day, when he and his elder son were alone, Tangi began bullying, teasing and tormenting Tutaneika, until he begged for mercy.

“Ah! That will stop him,” said the old chief. But no, Tutaneika was as bad as ever, worrying Rangi mercilessly.

He one day disguised himself in order to further torment the young boy, but remembering that he first wished to speak to his father, he came in disguise into ithe presence of the chief. Tangi, thinking because of his son’s disguise that this man was an enemy, at once called his servants, who seized the young chief Tangi, ordering him to be thrown into the crater of Mt. Ruapehu. Although the servants knew that they should obey their master, they were frightened to go from the pa, for it being night they feared Teapo. So. after a while they decided to wait till the morning dawned to do their duty. During the following night Tutaneika told his guards who he was, and also hew he came to be disguised.

As soon as the great chief awakened next morning he was not only told that it was his heir whom he had ordered to be killed the previous evening, but also that the servants had disobeyed him.

“It was the gods who prevented my son from such a cruel death.” he said.

When Tangi learned how Tutaneika, had hoped to frighten his brother in such a cruel way he was very wrath, but he said: “I can but forgive you. seeing that you have punished yourself.”