ai ngaa mauiuitanga o te tinana tangata. Aue, te taumaha o te hipi! Me peehea e mau ai i a ia? Puritia kia mau. Puritia, to mana. Ka mahara ia ki ngaa kupu o teetahi waiata e mea nei, “Puritia to mana.” Engari he aha raa eetahi atu o ngaa kupu? Hei aha ma wai eenaa kupu! Te hipi nei … kutia kia makere mai ooona wuuru. E hia kei te toe? Ko teenei anake! Kaaore pea. Mehemea ko teenei anake ka kaha ia, ka eke te toru rau. Ka rongo ano ia i ngaa reo e mea mai ana “Ko Kuia teenaa … kia kaha, e hoa! … kua tata te mutu inaianei … Ka taea e koe, ka taea … E rua kei muri … ka taea … kia kaha … ka taea!” TE TORU RAU Ka rongo atu ia i te koroua, i a Wiremu e kii ana “Kua tata ke te moe o te paka nei! Aakina, e hoa ma!” Ka whakaaro ia, “Te koroua, taku koroua … kei raru au i te koroua … kei whati ko au, kaaore ko te koroua. Engari teenaa, kaore au e whati, kia eke raano te toru rau, kia eke raano!” Kotahi te hipi kei te toe. Kua umere te whare, “Ka taea, Taawhaki! Kia ngaawari te haere, kei motu te kakii o te hipi na i a koe! Naa, tiikina te hipi na. Ko Kuia teenaa. Aae, kia pai te mahi, kia pai, kia pai.” Kua mutu te mahi a ngaa hoa o Taawhaki. Kua mine mai ki te maatakitaki i ta raatau toa, ki te aki, ki te koorero atu, ki te whakapatipati. Ko o raatau reo, o raatau umere, hei awhina i a ia. Ka mahi a Taawhaki. Ka kitea tonutia te kaha o toona ngenge. Aata haere ana toona ringa kutikuti, taumaha ana. Kua wherowhero katoa toona kanohi, aa, e maringi mai ana te werawera i toona kiri. Ka mahi, ka mahi, aa, ka mutu. Ka kuumea te taura whakamutu i te miihini. Kei waho te hipi, kei raro a Taawhaki! Haruru kau ana te whare i te umere, i te pakipaki, i te koa o te katoa i aata eke te toru rau tuatahi a Taawhaki. Engari kaaore te toa nei i rongo atu. Tiiraha ana te tohunga kutikuti hipi! Kua moe. Oh, how heavy is this sheep! How can he hold it? Hold it firmly! Hold fast firmly! Hold fast to your integrity! He remembered vaguely the words of a certain song which said, “Hold fast to your integrity!” But what were the rest of the words? Never mind, who cares about the words anyway! This sheep here … shear it until all its wool is off. How many left? Only one! Perhaps not. If it were only one he could manage and he would reach three hundred. He heard again, the voices calling to him, “That one is Kuia … Be strong, oh friend, you're nearly there, you'll do it, friend … You'll do it … Two left … You'll do it … Be strong … You'll do it!” THE THREE HUNDREDTH SHEEP Then he overheard the old man, Wiremu, saying, “Look, the fiend is nearly asleep! Stir him up, oh friends!’ And he thought, “The old man, my ancient relative! The old codger might beat me … It might be me who will break and not the old man … That won't happen, I won't break until three hundred has been reached, yes, until it is reached.” There is one sheep left. The woolshed resounds with the cheering, “You'll do it, Taawhaki! Take it easy now or you'll cut the throat of that sheep! Now fetch that last one. That one is Kuia. Yes, now go steadily, steady, steady.” All Taawhaki's friends had knocked off work. They had all gathered to watch their champion, to urge him on, to talk to him, to praise him. They would aid him with their voices and their cheers. Taawhaki laboured on. His great weariness was plain to see. His shearing hand travelled slowly as though carrying a great weight. His face was flushed red and the perspiration flowed from his skin. He laboured and he laboured and at last he finished. He pulled the rope to stop the machine. Out went the sheep and down fell Taawhaki! The house rumbled with the cheering and clapping of everyone, so glad were they he had actually reached his first three hundred. But the champion heard not a sound of it. The expert shearer lay flat on his back! He was asleep.