The Boy Who Went to Find His Father In ancient times there lived a man named Porou-anoano and his wife Huruma-angiangi. After they had been married for some time Huruma became pregnant. She had a longing for a bird to eat, and said to her husband, ‘I very much wish to have a bird to eat.’ So Porou took his bird-spear and went to the forest. But instead of catching any of the kinds of birds which are usually eaten, he brought back two living birds; one was a huia, and the other a white heron. These his wife would not eat, but kept as pets. Some time after this Porou went to live at his other home, but his wife remained at that place. When the right moon came she had a son, who was named Tautini. She fed, nourished, and brought up her son. When he grew to be a big boy, he played with all the other children at the games of sailing canoes, whipping tops, running races on the sandy beach, and snaring and spearing birds. Often the other boys, who had fathers at home, would speak of Tautini's exploits, and say, ‘It is the fatherless boy who is best at the games.’ When he heard this, Tautini was very much ashamed, for he had not seen or known his father. So he went crying to his mother, and said, ‘Mother! Where is my father?’ She replied, ‘Your father is not here—he is a long way off, at a very great distance. Look towards the sunrise; there, far away in that direction, is your father.’ The boy went into the forest, searched about, and brought back a seedpod of the rewarewa tree. He took this to a stream to see whether it would float. He found that it kept upright as it floated on the water, and did not upset. Then he went to his mother's house, and said to her, ‘Mother! I am going to the place where my father lives.’ And he added, ‘On no account will I stay here—I am so ashamed.’ His mother said, ‘My son! Stay until I cook some food for your journey, so that you may be strong to go on the path that you will have to travel.’ He answered, ‘I will not eat. The thrust of a spear can be parried, but the thrust of a spoken word cannot be parried.’ So saying he departed, and began his voyage in his canoe of the rewarewa pod. His mother wept as he went, and he answered her with his weeping. He spoke his last words to her, and she gave him her last commands. He travelled far out to sea, and his mother chanted this spell for him— From whom is this canoe? From whom is this canoe? From me—it is mine. From Uru-ma-angiangi. From Tara-ma-angiangi. The cunning snares of Rei Can do no harm. The canoe glides swiftly; Let all the threatening winds Be stayed. Pass through space, Pass through gloom, Pass through the billows. See! the earth glides by. Sail on to the good landing. Now land quietly, gently, thus— A canoe lightly passing over the waves. Now is the time of travelling afar— I behold with satisfaction. Onward the boy sped in his canoe, away, away, until at last he reached the very place where his father lived. Jumping on shore, he dragged his canoe up to the beach and hid it under the gravel. The young people of the village, seeing the new arrival, came running down to the shore, each of them shouting out, ‘He is my slave! My slave!’ They took hold of Tautini and led him to their village and to their elders. Then each of the adults, and each of the boys and girls, with much shouting and waving of arms claimed Tautini as his or her own. In the end he became the property of a very little boy who was his half-brother, being the son of Porou by another mother. This little