THE CHIEF WITH THE WONDERFUL SERVANTS[1]
A certain chief who lived on the island of Oahu in the very misty memory of long, long ago thought he would travel over his lands and see their condition. So pleased was he that he boasted of his wide domain when he met a fellow-traveller. The man said, “I can see the lands of Wakea and Papa and they are larger and fairer than these fine places of yours.” Then they decided to go together to find that wonderful land of the gods.
Soon they passed a man standing by the way-side. The chief asked him what he was doing. The man replied: “I am Mama-loa [The very swift]. I am waiting for the sun to rise, that I may run and catch him.” They all waited until the sun appeared and started to rise above the island. The man ran very fast and caught it, tied it, and held it as a prisoner for a time.
Then the three travelled together—the chief, whose name was Ikaika-loa (The very strong), [[76]]and the man who could see clearly a long distance, whose name was Ike-loa (The-far-sighted), and Mama-loa. In a little while they saw two men sleeping by the path. One was shivering with cold; his name was Kanaka-make-anu (Man-who-dies-in-the-cold). The other was burning as if over a fire; his name was Kanaka-make-wela (Man-who-dies-in-the-fire). They warmed one and cooled the other, and all went on together.
They came to a field for rat-shooting, and found a man standing with bow and arrow, shooting very skilfully. His name was Pana-pololei (The-straight-shooter). They asked him to go to the lands of Wakea and Papa, so he journeyed with them. By and by they found a man lying by the path with his ear to the ground. The chief asked him, “What are you doing?” He looked up and said, “I have been listening to the quarrel between Papa and Wakea.” The man who was listening to their harsh words was Hoo-lohe-loa (The-man-who-could-hear-afar-off). They all journeyed on until they entered a land[2] more beautiful than any they had ever seen before.
The watchmen of that country saw six fine-looking men coming and with them a seventh [[77]]man, superior in every way. The report of the coming of these strangers was quickly sent to the chiefess who ruled the land under Wakea and Papa. She commanded her chief to take his warriors and meet these strangers and bring them to her house. There they were entertained. While they slept the chiefess gathered her people together until the enclosure around the houses was filled with people.
In the morning Ikaika-loa, the chief, said to the chiefess: “I have heard that you propound hard riddles. If I guess your riddles you shall become my wife.” The chiefess agreed, took him out of the house, and said, “The man who is now my husband is standing by the door of the house of Wakea and Papa; where is the door of that house?” The chief turned to Ike-loa and secretly asked if he could see the door of Papa’s house. He looked all around and at last said: “The door of that house is where the trunk of that great tree is. If you are strong and can break that tree you can find the door, because it is in one of the roots of that tree.”
Then the chief went out to that tree and lifted and twisted the bark and tore away the wood, opening the door.
After this the chiefess said: “There are three dogs. One belongs to our high chief, Wakea; one to his wife, Papa; and one is mine. Can [[78]]you point out the dog belonging to each of us?”
The chief whispered to his servant Hoo-lohe-loa, “Listen and learn the names of the dogs.” So the man who could hear clearly put his ear to the ground and heard Papa telling her servants: “This black dog of Papa’s shall go out first, then the red dog of Wakea. The white dog belonging to the chiefess shall go last.” Thus the chief learned how to name the dogs.