Ka mahi te Maori aana herengi! Kua tangi te pere mo te tina. Kua mutu ano ngaa mahi. He kai he koorero inaianei. Ka kii ake a Taawhaki, “He aha raa ngaa kai ma taatau? Kei te tino matekai au!” ME KAI KOURA MARA Ka mea atu te koroua, a Wiremu, “Eei, kia aata kai, kei kore e puta te toru rau nei!” Ka koorero ko Kaihuka, “To kaha maarika ki te kai, kaaore e kitea atu he aha te painga o ngaa kai e kainga na e koe!” Ka whakahoki a Taawhaki, “Mo te ahiahi nei koe kite ai i te painga. Kia eke te toru rau, naa, ka kite koe!” Ka mea atu a Te Whiu, “Ee, whakarongo atu ki ta taatau tamaitil Kaa pai!” Ka kainga te puuhaa, te kaapeti, te miiti, te riiwai, te purini me te kiriimi. Maarakerake ana te teepu i a raatau! “Aapoopoo,” e kii ana a Wiremu, “me whaangai a Taawhaki ki te koura mara. Koinaa te kai a te rangatira. Naa, ki te eke taana toru rau aakuanei, e tika ana me kai ia i ngaa kai a te rangatira.” “Ei, kia tika raa!” Ko te kii teenei a Taawhaki, “Kaare ahau e mohio ana ki teenaa kai. Waiho ma te rangatira ano taana kai.” Ka mea a Te Whiu, “He tika tonu te koorero a te koroua. Koinaa te kai e whaangaia ana ki ngaa kaikuti inaa eke te toru rau i a raatau. Kia moohio koe, he kai ano hei whakahoonore i te whaanautanga o te peepi, he kai ano hei whakahoonore i te toru rau.” Ka kii atu a Taawhaki, “Eei, kaaore au e kai i teenaa kai!” Naa, ka koorero ake ano a Wiremu, “E hoa, kaaore e taea te peehea. Mehemea ka eke te toru rau na, he koura mara te kai kei muri!” Ka mea ano a Taawhaki ki a raatau, “Ee, kei te wene koutou kei eke te toru rau i aau! Kaati noa te harawene e hoa ma!” Ko ngaa kaute mo te mahinga tuatoru ko eenei e whai ake nei. Wiremu Te Whiu Kaihuka Taawhaki 40 41 35 44 KA UAUA TE MAHI Ka haere ano te mahi. Ka mahi, aa, puta noa ki te waa inu ti o te ahiahi. Ngaa kaute inainanei mo ngaa mahinga e whaa, koinei:— Wiremu Te Whiu Kaihuka Taawhaki 53 55 48 75 60 61 53 80 40 41 35 44 60 63 54 78 — — — — 213 220 190 277 — — — — Said Taawhaki, “I wonder what food has been prepared for us? I'm starving!” The old man, Wiremu, said, “Now, don't eat too much or you may not put out this three hundred!” And Kaihuka said, “You know, for the amount you eat, I wonder what good that food does you!” Taawhaki replied, “In the afternoon, you will see what good. When the three hundred has been reached, then you will see!” Te Whiu spoke up, “I say, listen to our child! How neat!” Then were eaten puuhaa, cabbage, meat, potatoes and pudding and cream. They laid bare the table! “Tomorrow,” Wiremu was saying, “we shall feed Taawhaki on fermented crayfish. That is the food befitting for the chiefly class. Now, if you should do your three hundred today it is only right that you should eat the food of chiefs.” “Ei, I don't think you're right!” This was Taawhaki speaking, “I don't know how to eat that food. Let the chiefs eat their own food.” Te Whiu pursued the point, “What the old man says is very true. That is the food which is given to any shearer reaching three hundred for the first time. You should know, that the birth of a baby is honoured by consuming a certain ‘food’, so is the first three hundred celebrated by its own particular kind of food.” Taawhaki said to him, “Ah, I won't be eating any of that food!” Now Wiremu spoke again, “What is to be, can't be avoided. If you should reach three hundred, then a meal of fermented crayfish will follow.” Taawhaki said to them, “Now, look here, you are all jealous that I might manage three hundred! Cease your jealousy, my friends!” The tallies for the third run were these following: Wiremu Te Whiu Kaihuka Taawhaki 40 41 35 44 THE JOB GETS TOUGHER The work went on. They worked and worked and worked ‘till at last came the afternoon smoko break. The tallies for the four runs were these: Wiremu Te Whiu Kaihuka Taawhaki 53 55 48 75 60 61 53 80 40 41 35 44 60 63 54 78 — — — — 213 220 190 277 — — — — This thought occurred to Taawhaki, “Twenty-three to go. Will I be able to manage it? My body grows weary, it is tired; but I dare not reveal it to my friends or they would jeer at me!”