Ka Pu Te Ruha Ka Hao Te Rangatahi by RORA PAKI

THE IS THE SECOND OF A SERIES OF SHORT STORIES BY MAORI AUTHORS “Ka pu te ruha ka hao te rangatahi” is a well known proverb which has truly come to pass. As we look around to-day, few are the grannies left for us to look to, they have truly made way for the younger generation to carry on, just as the proverb implies. Even those who remain have not the same influence as of old, when one kaumatua could speak for a whole hapu, or perhaps several. When I was young, our household consisted of Grandma Tomoana and Grandpa Wehi, as well as two aunts and our Uncle Wi. Aunt Rebecca had three children, a girl and two boys, while Aunt Rehia was childless and Uncle Wi had one adored son, then there was my brother and I and a distant cousin. I couldn't remember our mother as she died when I was very young, nor our father, since he never presented himself, but we did not miss them, since we hadn't known them, and besides, we had our grannies who cared for us. Well can I remember those good old days, when I belonged to the “long tailed