As they were weeping he came within the house. His mother and father rejoiced over him, and Iku-mai-lani hurried to give the news to his brothers. They were building a canoe, and when the eldest brother heard of Au-ke-le’s escape, and heard the sound of rejoicings in his father’s house, he gave orders to have all preparations made for sailing and to have the food cooked and every one aboard, that they might sail at once from the land.
It was then that Au-ke-le came up to where they were. He called out to his kind brother, to Iku-mai-lani, and asked him what he might do to be let go in the canoe with them. His brother said: “How can we take you when it is on your account only that we are going away from the country we were born in? We are going because you only of all of us have [[49]]been promised the kingdom and the glory that belongs to our father. And we are going because we tried to kill you, and now are ashamed of what we did.”
Still Au-ke-le craved to be let go with them. Then the kind brother said to him: “You cannot gain your way through us. But with our eldest brother is a boy—a little son whom he is taking along, and for whom he has a great love. If the child of our eldest brother should ask you to come on board you will surely be let come.”
Then Au-ke-le went to the canoe. And the little boy who was his eldest brother’s son saw him and clapped his hands and called out to him, “My uncle, come on board of the ship and be one of us.”
Au-ke-le then went on board. The eldest brother, he who had been the most angry with him, let Au-ke-le stay because his young son had brought him on board. Au-ke-le then sent the men back to his father’s house for the things that his grandmother had given him—for the calabash with the Magic in it, and for the feather dress. The men brought these things to him; then the paddlers took up their paddles; the canoe went into the deep sea, and Au-ke-le and his brothers departed from the land of Ku-ai-he-lani, the Country that Supports the Heavens.
They sailed far and far away, and no land came to their sight. All the food they had brought in the [[50]]canoe was eaten, and they no longer had food or drink. Their men died of hunger and thirst. Au-ke-le’s brothers went below, and they stayed in the bottom of the canoe, for they were waiting for death to come to them.
At last the boy who was the son of the eldest brother went down to seek his father. He was lying there, too weak to move by reason of his hunger and thirst. And Au-ke-le’s eldest brother said to his son: “How pitiful it is for you, my son! For my own life I have no regret, for I have been many days in the world; but I weep for you, who have lived so short a time and have but so short a time to live. Here is all I have to give you—a joint of sugar cane.” Then the boy replied, “I have no need for food—my uncle Au-ke-le has a certain leaf which he puts to my lips, and with that leaf my hunger and my thirst are satisfied.” His father hardly heard what he said, so weak he had become. Then the boy went back to Au-ke-le.
And when he came before his uncle again tears were streaming down his face. “Why do you weep?” Au-ke-le asked. “I am weeping for my father, who is almost dead from hunger.” Au-ke-le said: “You too would have died from hunger had I not come with you. I am hated by your father as his most bitter enemy, but I would act as a brother acts. Now let us go to where my brothers are.”
So they went below. Au-ke-le went to each of his [[51]]brothers and put the leaf to their lips. It was as if each of them had got food and drink. Their faintness went from them, and they were able to get about the ship once more.
Soon afterwards they came in sight of land; Au-ke-le knew that this was the country that his mo-o grandmother had told him about. And, remembering what he had been told about the dangers of this land, he asked his brothers to let him take charge of the canoe, so that they might avoid these dangers. His brothers said, “Why did you not build a canoe for yourself, so that you might take charge of it and give orders about it?” Au-ke-le said, “If you give me charge of the canoe, we shall be saved; but if you take charge yourselves, we shall be destroyed.” His brothers laughed at him.