When he grew up he became a fisherman, and he [[183]]and another youth had a house together. Ke-ino was the other youth’s name. Now whenever other houses were dark, Ka-le-lea’s and Ke-ino’s would be lighted up. They would have gathered many ku-kui nuts, they would string them together, and they would light them up. And the light that Ka-le-lea and Ke-ino had in their house would be seen by travellers and watchmen and those who looked out of their houses at night. What was being done in the house where there was so much light, people wondered?
Well, when Ka-le-lea and Ke-ino came into their house in the evening, they would, first of all, partake of their evening meal. Then they would light the ku-kui nuts and keep lighting them as they burned out. Then they would lie down on their mats with their pillows under their heads, and they would look up at the roof, Ka-le-lea looking at the gable end, and Ke-ino looking at the end opposite. They would watch the mice running along the ridge-pole of the house. Then one would say to the other: “Here are we, Ka-le-lea and Ke-ino, awake and with lights burning beside us. Let us keep watching the mice running along the ridge-pole of our house, and as we watch them, let each of us tell out his wishes.”
Then Ke-ino would say: “Here is my wish. I wish that we may sleep until the first crowing of the cock, then waken up, and go into the field and pull up a root for fish-bait. Then go down to the beach, pound [[184]]the root and set it for eel-bait. Then catch an eel after having waited around the beach for a bit, go home with it, and wrap it in banana-leaves for cooking. Put it in the oven after a while. Then, at the second crowing of the cock, open the oven and put the eel one side to cool. Eat, after a while, until we have had enough. Then lie down on our mats, put the pillows under our heads, look up and watch the mice run along the ridge-pole of our house, and tell out our wishes. That is my wish, brother.”
Then Ka-le-lea would say: “It is a wish, but it is not a manly wish. Listen now, and I will tell out my wishes.
“I wish that we may eat King Ka-ku-hi-hewa’s dogs that bite the faces of the people. I wish that we may eat his hogs with the crossing tusks. I wish that we may eat the fat fish of his ponds. And when we have eaten all belonging to him, I wish that the King himself may prepare the drink for us, bring it to us, and put his own cup to our lips. And then, when we have eaten and drunken, I wish that the King may send for his two daughters, have them brought in, and have each of them marry one of us, and then have each couple go to live in a house that he has had built for them. That is my wish, my brother, and I want you to know it.”
But when Ka-le-lea would say this (and he would say it every night) Ke-ino would pull the mat over his face, and he would say: “No, not that wish. [[185]]Never let it pass your lips again. We will surely get killed on account of that wish.”
Now the King whom Ka-le-lea had spoken of was at that time engaged in a war—the war of King Ka-ku-hi-hewa against King Pueo-nui. He had won nothing so far in the war, and he was becoming disheartened. His watchmen and his soldiers often saw the light in the house of Ka-le-lea and Ke-ino, and one day they told the King about it.
Then the King sent his spy to see or hear what was going on in that house. The spy stole up and lay outside. He heard Ke-ino tell his wish, and then he heard Ka-le-lea tell his. He heard nothing more; before the first cock crew he stole away, leaving his dagger stuck at the entrance of the house to let Ka-le-lea and Ke-ino know that the King’s servant had been there.
When the spy came back to the King’s house, the King was there with his Councillor beside him, and they were talking about what should be done to bring to some sort of end the war against King Pueo-nui. Said the King when the spy came to them: “What is happening in the house that I sent you to?”
Said the spy: “This and this.” Thereupon he told all he had heard. When he spoke about Ka-le-lea’s wish the King became very angry. “Because I am not winning the war,” he said, “these people think they can make mock of me! Eat my dogs and my [[186]]hogs and my fat fish indeed! Have me prepare the drink for them and put my own cup to their mouths! And then give my daughters in marriage to two such fellows! Tell me, my Councillor, how should I have them slain?”