ried out, and Ponga stealing out of the whare whakairo to talk to Puhihuia in the moonlight. The lovers decide to run away with the whole of Ponga's party before dawn, whilst all the people of Maunga Whau are still asleep. To make the plot a little easier, it was decided to cut down the number of chiefs who in the original story fall in love with the beautiful Puhihuia, and make Ponga the only lover. In addition, a new figure, Turi, was created, belonging to Puhihuia's own tribe. This Turi would have married the maiden had it not been for Ponga's unexpected arrival. At the end of the play. Turi was married off to another invented figure, Keere, sister to Puhihuia. Apart from these simple variations, the story follows the original legend. This is to be a play and not a musical show; a drama of real life rather than an excuse for stringing traditional songs and dances together. But the very fact that it is Maori real-life means that songs and dances do appear, since Maori culture is so intensely alive and rich in these things. The haka of welcome and its response in Act I have already been mentioned; Act II opens on the marae at Awhitu, with a poi dance by the girls of the pa before the news comes of Ponga's unexpected return with Puhihuia. In addition, Maori speech, even when translated into English for a pakeha audience, is vividly poetic and exciting to listen to. The Club hopes that this venture will prove to be not only a new development of living Maori culture, but a successful New Zealand play in its own right. At present, casting is in progress, costumes and scenery are being designed, dances are being worked out by Kahu Ngata—the Club is fortunate in having this grand-daughter of Sir Apirana as one of its members—and rehearsals will begin at once next term. The production is to be early in December. (The facts for this article were related to Te Ao Hou by Mr R. A. Dennant.)

WHAT IS THE ‘MAORI CLUB’? Some of the students who produced this play have written to Te Ao Hou, describing the activities of their club and their own part in the production of the play. Here follows a story from Bill Murray, Maori Club leader (1953): There are in College 52 Maori students, comprising 24 first-years, 22 second-years, one special trainee and 5 homecraft students. The Maori Club has a membership of 62 students all told, including 12 very interested and enthusiastic Europeans. This year the Club meets every. Thursday afternoon during the College Club period, when hakas, action songs, stick and hand games are practised. In past years the learning of these arts has been invaluable, both as a help to those in the Club who have not had the opportunity to learn them before, and for the occasions when the Club has been invited out by various social, community and school organisations and gatherings, to give items and to take part in an evening's entertainment. This, I feel, has helped the Club in two ways: 1 It has given members the opportunity they might not have had otherwise to mix and share ideas with people of the town, not directly connected with the College, and Action song rehearsal. (Ashton.)