FOURTH OF A SERIES OF SHORT STORIES

Te Ao Hou, December 1956, Page 23

FOURTH OF A SERIES OF SHORT STORIES BY MAORI AUTHORS was better. He remembered the patupaiarehe hated smells, so he took some kokowai from the pocket of his flax belt and smeared himself with it. The smell rose all round him.’ ‘What is kokowai?’ asked Matiu. ‘It is a mixture of red ochre and shark oil and the people in the olden days used it to decorate themselves. But the patupaiarehe hated smells and the maiden who was chasing Ihenga hated smells even more than the older patupaiarehe. As soon as the smell of the kokowai reached her she wrinkled her nostrils in disgust and went straight back up the mountain.’ ‘Gosh, that was smart of Ihenga,’ said Matiu. ‘Yes, it was very smart of him. He was soon down beside the lake again and there he found his dear wife and he told her about his adventure with the Patupaiarehe.’ ‘Ae, a good story,’ said Matiu, ‘But where do you come in?’ ‘I'm coming to that,’ said the pipi shell. ‘Ihenga was very interested in the Patupaiarehe and having heard that the maiden who had chased him was now safely married to one of her own tribe, he went back to Ngongotaha to visit the fairy folk. After that he became very friendly with them and it happened that when he was lost in the bush one day they came along and showed him the way out, Another day he found himself surrounded by about ten men of an enemy tribe and although he was very brave and a skilful fighter he knew he was no match for ten men. These people wasted time taunting Ihenga, reminding him what they would soon be doing to him and during these few minutes the patupaiarehe heard Ihenga's call for help and before the enemy could come close in and kill Ihenga, a thick fog arose up from the ground and hid him from their sight. Once again his friends had saved him. Now Ihenga was very grateful and wondered what he could do for his friends in return. He made his way to the top of Ngongotaha and he asked the chief, O chief, what do you desire? I am sincerely grateful for your help and kindness to me. What do you desire? Do you wish me to go on a dangerous mission? Ask of me what you will and I will do everything I can to bring it about.’ ‘My friend,’ answered the chief, ‘Now that you have asked me I can tell you that I desire above all things a meal of the sweet toheroa that are to be found at Whakatane. It will be a dangerous mission for you will pass through enemy country and I'm afraid our people can't escort you further than Tarawera mountain as that is the border of our territory.’ ‘It shall be done,’ said Ihenga. Now it so happened that as he was leaving who should come running after him but the same patupaiarehe girl who had chased him before. What now, thought Ihenga and he was relieved when she called out that she had something to tell him about the patupaiarehe chief. ‘Ihenga,’ she said, ‘Our chief is really very sick. He needs the toheroa to make him well and he needs them quickly.’ He shall have them quickly,’ said Ihenga. When he reached his village he collected all the slaves he could find and set off at once for Whakatane. As he went he stationed slaves here and there along the track so there would be relays of swift runners to take the toheroa back to Ngongotaha. Some other time I will tell you of that journey of Ihenga's. How he met with storm and battle and what a terrible time he had before he reached the beach of the toheroa. But he did reach it and his slaves soon had many kits filled with the shell fish. Immediately they turned in the direction of Rotorua and were away with their food treasure. You realise, of course, there was need to hurry; one reason was the old chief needed the toheroa to make him well and another reason was the patupaiarehe didn't eat cooked food so it was (concluded on p. 48)