Hinepoupou and Te Oriparoa By W. W. BIRD This story was written by the late W. W. Bird a few days before his death. It is based on the untranslated Maori version in Sir George Grey's ‘Nga Mahi a nga Tupuna’. Hinepoupou and her husband, Te Oriparoa, were living for a time on Kapiti Island, their home being Rangitoto, Durville Is. When the time came to return home, Te Oriparoa prepared his canoes to carry his people across and Hinepoupou was set to get ready some food for their journey. So she got some birds (penguins) plucked them, made a fire and, placing them on it covered the oven in order that they might be cooked. When, however, the oven was opened up, it was seen that the birds were raw and not fit to eat. Thereupon the husband and the other men upbraided her and she was made ashamed in the sight of them all. She left them and, going to some distance away from them, remained apart from them. Shortly afterwards, Te Oriparoa launched his canoes and with his brothers and his people together with his wife's father, got on board and sailed away, his wife being left behind, deserted. The canoes kept on their course until they reached Nga Rewai. Stopping there for a while, they continued their voyage and finally reached Rangitoto and their own village. When Hinepoupou returned to the spot where the canoes had been drawn up she found them gone. In great distress, she went back to the fire and, being now very hungry, searched amongst the stones of the oven to pick up any scraps that might be left there. All she found were some bits of fernroot and these she ate first dipping them in water to soften them; there was no other food left for her. Three days later after thinking over her position, she arose and walked over to a rocky point called Tarere-Mango. She clambered down to the shore and reached the water below. Then she took a dry stalk of toetoe such as is used for making kites and, having recited a prayer over it, launched it into the tide. It floated away eagerly watched by the woman but it had not gone far when it turned back to the shore. Hence Hinepoupou concluded that this particular spot was useless for her purpose at present and she returned to the camping place. Three days later, she went back to Tarere-Mango, took another stalk of toetoe, repeated a prayer over it and launched it from her hand into