The Wonderful Wanderings of Wiremu Double-you Weka

Forest and Bird, Issue 104, 1 May 1952, Page 15

The Wonderful Wanderings of Wiremu Double-you Weka

By

E. H. C.

Chapter 8.

THE TERRIBLE INVADER

TT was quiet now that 'all -*■ the birds had gone; the chattering and chirping of a few minutes before had ceased completely, and the bush was silent and still as night. In fact, it might have been night had not the dappled green, sunlight filtering through the trees told Wiremu otherwise. He

gazed about him; how empty the trees looked after the great council that had filled them; now all were gone. But wait! Not all —there was one bird left. Surely tomtit, too, must have felt the night-like stillness and been deceived by it. Never before had Wiremu seen Miro-miro, the fidgety tomtit, sit so still except at night. Perhaps it was moonlight shining through the tree-tops thought Wiremu blinking upwards, but the light was too bright even for a full moon; besides another look at Miro-miro showed that it was not sleep that kept the tiny bird so still ; his eyes were wide open gazing in fixed fascination at something out of Wiremu’s sight in the ferns. His weka curiosity aroused, Wiremu moved closer, following with his own eyes Miro-miro’s fixed gaze. And then he saw it! For a moment he, too, felt the cold fear that held Miro-miro rooted, before he realised how silly it was to be frightened of something half his own size.

What was this little brown and fawn creature, with its sharp nose, beady eyes, long thin body and bushy tail ? Like the rat and opossum it had no right in the bush. Why could not these animals stay in their own homes instead of coming here to disturb and menace the true bush dwellers? It was dangerous here. Miro-miro was at its mercy. Who could tell how many other birds would fall under the spell of those terrifying eyes? Something must be done!

With these thoughts in his mind, Wiremu started to stalk through the ferns; slowly and silently, inch by inch, he crept until he was close behind the intruder. Then, judging the distance with quick and skilful eye, he struck! —straight and true. One blow of that powerful beak and the lids closed over those dangerous eyes, shuttingoff their dreadful power for ever.

The stoat, for such was the intruder, was dead: Miro-miro was released from the spell that bound him. Wiremu Weka was once more victorious.