HOW TAUI DISAPPEARED.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXIV, Issue 833, 5 August 1933, Page 29 (Supplement)

HOW TAUI DISAPPEARED.

An Old Maori’s Campfire Tale. (Written for the “ Star ” by C.A J.R.) camping at the foot of Horo Horo, the historic table-topped mountain, with its whitish-grey cliffs jutting out from the green bush, overlooking the twenty recently built farm, houses, Xirihi, our guide, translated a strange story told by an old Maori who visited our camp. One of our party had been telling of the ability of the Australian cowboys as riders of unbroken horses. This reminded our visitor of how, many years ago, young Taui, the chief's son at Tokaanu, disappeared. The vast plains south of Lake Taupo were a natural breeding place for horses and hundreds were regularly to be seen roaming there. Horses were very necessary for transportation purposes and the people became expert at catching and riding these wild animals. It was Taui who found a horse track leading to water along a narrow rock ledge, and under the wide branch of a beech tree. Taui made some marvellous captures, by the simple method of waiting cunningly hidden on the branch until the best-looking animal was underneath, then dropping suddenly on to its back, at the same time letting his looped flax rope over the horse’s head. Away would dash the fear-maddened animal, to buck and plunge and fight, into the miles of open plain. Generally Taui would win and return surrounded by his fellow-hunters, on their hacks. The Pakeha had introduced yet another animal to the mountainous country at the northern end of the Raima-

nawa ranges, the red deer, and it was a mighty red stag that robbed the Ivaianga, of Taui, of its greatest horse tamer and rider. “ These deer,” the old man said, “ at the mating season, seem to wander, far away, and Taui, lying snugly on the branch over the horse track, waiting for an outlaw stallion, was so tempted when this beautiful animal walked right under him along * the track, that he dropped on to its back, at the same time letting his running noose settle over the antlers. “ Never had there been such a ride in the Taupo plains,” said the old man. “ The young men of the Kaianga mounted on ’their fastest horses were almost too amazed at the sight of Taui mounted on this madly-bounding animal to make any effort to follow. Straight across the plains went the deer with Taui stuck tight on its back, straight for the wild Urewera country. Late at night the horsemen returned to report that Taui was gone forever, and that was how Taui disappeared.” In the silence following this yarn Okapumu (Mr J. A. Okerbloom, of Melbourne) asked if they ever found any remains of the rider. “ Strange as it will seem 'to you men,” our friend replied, “ it was many years before we learned from a Maori who woked for Mr I-lursthouse, the surveyor, that Taui had not been killed as we all believed he must have been, but that he rode that stag right into the heart of the Urewera, where the stag dropped dead. There Taui remained to become the husband of a proud wife and a leader of the people there. That young Maori you saw win the steerriding at the Auckland Show is a grandson of Taui.”