The Hawaiian Romance Of Laieikawai

by S. N. Haleole

Now it was not the man's intention to look for a mate to paddle the canoe with him, but as he had already determined, so now he vowed within him to go and spread around Molokai the news about Laieikawai.

When they had done speaking the paddler left them and went away as he had vowed.

As he went he came first to Kaluaaha and slept at Halawa, and here and on the way there he proclaimed, as he had vowed, the beauty of Laieikawai.

The next day, in the morning, he found a canoe sailing to Kalaupapa, got on board and went first to Pelekunu and Wailau; afterwards he came to Waikolu, where the seer was staying.

When he got to Waikolu the seer had already gone to Kalaupapa, but this man only stayed to spread the news of Laieikawai's arrival.

When he reached Kalaupapa, behold! a company had assembled for boxing; he stood outside the crowd and cried with a loud voice:[11] "O ye men of the people, husbandmen, laborers, tillers of the soil; O ye chiefs, priests, soothsayers, all men of rank in the household of the chief! All manner of men have I beheld on my way hither; I have seen the high and the low, men and women; low chiefs, the kaukaualii, men and women; high chiefs, the niaupio, and the ohi; but never have I beheld anyone to compare with this one whom I have seen; and I declare to you that she is more beautiful than any of the daughters of the chiefs on Molokai or even in this assembly."

Now when he shouted, he could not be heard, for his voice was smothered in the clamor of the crowd and the noise of the onset.

And wishing his words to be heard aright, he advanced into the midst of the throng, stood before the assembly, and held up the border of his garment and repeated the words he had just spoken.

Now the high chief of Molokai heard his voice plainly, so the chief quieted the crowd and listened to what the stranger was shouting about, for as he looked at the man he saw that his face was full of joy and gladness.

At the chief's command the man was summoned before the chief and he asked, "What news do you proclaim aloud with glad face before the assembly?"