Then Te Turi gave thanks and turned to go. But a sixth voice shouted 'Stay!' and he stayed, his heart melting within him for fear.

For of a sudden there arose a mighty noise, and such a clashing and clanging and screaming and shouting and shaking of the earth, as though all the warriors of all the world ran to and fro over it, contending in battle. And then, also of a sudden, there fell a great silence, and Te Turi waited with bowed head for the sixth god to speak.

But, when at last he heard no voice, he lifted his eyes, and lo, a rat which sat upon a bough and fished in the river with a line. Whereat Te Turi was amazed, fearing magic. But, when the rat drew in the line, behold, not a fish, but a piece of greenstone of the best and purest was on the end of it. And the rat swung the line so that the stone came near to Te Turi, who put forth his hand and caught it.

And then the sixth voice spake and said: 'Hold fast that which thou hast gotten, O Te Turi, for never weapon like it was given to mortal. I am TUMATAUENGA, god and father of men and war. In the fight I will guard thee, and in battle thou shalt prevail so long as the Mere of TUMATAUJENGA remains thine. And so shall it be with thy seed after thee, until the mere shall pass to one of a strange race, and then there shall be an end. Behold, I have spoken!'

And Te Turi looked, and lo, in his hand was a most perfect mere of greenstone, with flaxen wrist-loop, and on the narrow end the print of two fingers and a thumb, where TUMATAUENGA had held it. Whereat Te Turi marvelled exceedingly, thinking not of the prophecy which went with the gift, and, bowing his head, he gave thanks to the six great brethren.

And now once more he turned to go; but, even as he turned, lo, a Thing, a great and horrible Thing, stood in his way.

The Thing was as a bird, but bigger than any bird of the forest, for it stood thrice the height of a man. Its neck was the length of a tall man, its legs the thickness of a man's trunk, and on its feet were claws the length of a whale's rib and sharp as the teeth of a shark. Its wings were little, but its beak was as long as two spears, and the gape of its mouth was as wide as the cavern through which men pass to enter Te Reinga.[[6]]

[[6]] Probably Te Turi encountered a Moa (Dinornis Moa), the gigantic wingless bird, believed now to be extinct in New Zealand. His imagination, excited by danger, doubtless added to its already enormous proportions.

Now Te Turi was a very brave, strong man, but his legs shook under him as he saw this ugly, fearful Thing. And the Thing, noting his fear, gaped and rushed to swallow him, and out of its mouth came a vast roaring, as of the sea breaking upon a pebbly shore.

Then Te Turi dropped his greenstone club and fled for his life, crying aloud to TANE MAHUTA: 'Where is now the dominion thou gavest me over the birds? If indeed this monster be a bird, and not a taipo (devil), which much I doubt.'