He soon became a very skillful dancer, and an excellent reciter of the mele; so the fame of his skill was not slow in extending through all the valleys of the island.

One day when Kaakaukuhimalani desired to collect all the accomplished dancers of Kauai, her attendants spoke to her of Kawelo as a prodigy in the art, who had not his equal from one end to the other of the group, from Hawaii to Niihau. "Let some one bring me this marvel!" cried the princess, pricked with a lively curiosity. The old and cunning preceptor of the mountains directed his pupil not to present himself at the first invitation, in order to make his presence more ardently desired. Kawelo, understanding the value of this advice, did not obey until the third request; he danced before the princess with a skill so extraordinary that she fell in love with him, and married him. So Kawelo found himself raised to princely rank.

The happy parvenu had three older brothers. They were: Kawelomakainoino, with fierce look and evil eye; Kawelomakahuhu, with unpleasant countenance and angry expression; Kawelomakaoluolu, with a lovable and gracious face. All three were endued with the same athletic strength as their younger brother.

Jealous of the good fortune which a princely marriage had brought their brother, they resolved to humble him for their pleasure. Taking advantage of the absence of Kaakaukuhimalani, they seized Kawelo and poured a calabash of poi over his head. Poor Kawelo! The paste ran down from his head over all his body, and covered him with a sticky plaster which almost suffocated him. Overwhelmed with shame at having to undergo so humiliating a punishment, Kawelo fancied that he could no longer live at Kauai; he determined to exile himself, and live in Oahu.

He had already embarked in his canoe and prepared to set sail with some faithful friends, when he saw his wife on the shore. Seated beneath the shade of a kou (Gordia sebestena) Kaakaukuhimalani waved her hand to Kawelo, crying:

Hoi mai Return,
Toi mai kaua! Return with me!
Mai hele aku oe! Go not away from me!

Kawelo, touched with love for his wife, but immovably determined to leave his island, chants his adieu, which forms the subject of the first canto.

PAHA AKAHI. CANTO I.
Aloha kou e, aloha kou; Thou lovest me still! Oh yes
Ke aloha mai kou ka hoahele Thou lovest me; thou,
I ka makani, i ka apaapaa The companion who has followed me.
Anuu o Ahulua. In the tempest and in the icy
Moe iho uei au Winds of Ahulua. I, alas!
I ka po uliuli, Sleep in dark night, in dark
Po uliuli eleele. And sombre night. My eyes
Anapanapa, alohi mai ana ia'u Have seen the gleaming flashes
Ke aa o Akua Nunu. Of the face of the god Nunu.
Ine ee au e kui e lei If I resist, I am smitten as by
Ia kuana na aa kulikuli. The thunder-bolts of the deepening storm.
Papa o hee ia nei lae. Go, daughter of Papa, away from this
E u'alo, e u'alo Headland; cease thy lamentations;
Ua alo mai nei ia'u Cease to beckon to me
Ka launiu e o peahi e; With thy fan of cocoa-nut leaves,
E hoi au e, e hoi aku. I will come again. Depart thou!

On his arrival at Oahu, Kawelo was well received by the king of that island, Kakuihewa, who loaded him with favors, and even accorded him great privileges, to do honor to his wonderful strength. Kawelo did not forget himself in the midst of the pleasures his strength procured him. He had vengeful thoughts toward Kauai for the injury he had received from his brothers. Retiring to a secluded place, and concealing himself as much as possible from the notice of Kakuihewa, he secretly set about recruiting a small army of devoted men for an expedition against the island of Kauai. When he had collected enough warriors, he put to sea with a fleet of light canoes. Hardly had he left the shore of Oahu, when the marine monster, Apukohai, met him—an evil omen. He was but the precursor of another monster, Uhumakaikai, who could raise great waves and capsize canoes. The oldest sailors never fail to return to land at the first appearance of Apukohai; all the pilots then advised Kawelo to go back with all speed. But the chief, full of determination which nothing could shake, would not change his course; he persisted in sailing toward his destination. This is the subject of the second canto.

PAHA ELUA. CANTO II.
O ka'u hoa no ia, I had a friend with whom
E hoolulu ai maua i ka nahele, I lived peacefully in the wilderness.
I anehu au me he kua ua la I swung like a cloud full of rain,
I oee au me he wai la. I murmured like a rivulet,
I haalulu au me he kikili la. I shook like a thunder-bolt,
I anei wau me he olai la. I overturned every thing like an earthquake,
I alapa au me he uila la. I flashed as lightning,
I ahiki welawela au me he la la. I consumed like the sun.
Melemele ka lau ohia, Yellow was the ohia leaf;
Kupu a melemele, Unfolding, it turned yellow
I ka ua o na' pua eha, Under the rain of the four clouds,
Eha, o na ole eha eha, In the month of the four ole,
O na kaula' ha i ke kua When the fisherman, four ropes
No paihi, o ka paihi o main. Upon his back, enjoyed calm and fair weather.
A Haku, Haku ai i ka manawa, Be Lord, be lord of the weather.
E Pueo e kania, O Owl, whose cries give life!
Manawai ka ua i ka lehua, Send down the rain upon the lehua;
E hoi ka ua a ka maka o ka lehua; Let the rain come again upon
La noho mai; The buds of the lehua. Rest, O Sun!
E hoi ka makani Let the wind fly
A ka maka oka opua Before the face of the clouds.
La noho mai Rest, O Sun!
E hoi ke kai a manawai Return, O Ocean of the mighty waters;
Nui ka oo, la noho mai. Great is thy tumult! Sun rest here.
E kuu e au i kuu wahi upena Rest, O Sun! I will cast my net
Ma kahi lae: At the first headland;
E hei ka makani la'u. I shall catch the wind.
E kuu e au i kuu wahi upena I will cast my net
Ma ka' lua lae, At the second headland;
E hei ka ino ia 'u I shall catch a tempest.
E kuu e au e kuu wahi upena I will cast forth my net
Ma ka 'kolu lae, At the third headland;
E hei ke kona ia 'u I shall get the south wind.
E kuu e au e kuu wahi upena I will cast forth my net
Ma ka' ha lae, At the fourth headland;
E hei luna, e hei lalo, I shall take above, below,
E hei uka, e hei kai, Land and sea—
E hei Uhumakaikai. I shall take Uhumakaikai.
I ke olo no Hina, At a single word of Hina
E hina kohia i ka aa, He shall fall; hard pressed
Uhumakaikai. Shall be the neck of Uhumakaikai.