THE MAIDEN OF ROTORUA

There was a girl of high rank named Hine-Moa.  She was of rare beauty, and was so prized by her family that they would not betroth her to anyone.  Such fame attended her beauty and rank that many of the men wanted her; among them a chief named Tutanekai and his elder brothers.

Tutanekai had built an elevated balcony where, with his friend Tiki, he used to play the horn and the pipe at night.  On calm nights the music was wafted to the village and reached the ears of the beautiful Hine-Moa, whose heart was gladdened by it, and who said to herself, “Ah, that is the music of Tutanekai which I hear.”

She and Tutanekai had met each other on those occasions when all the people of Eotorua come together.  In those great assemblies they had often glanced each at the other, to the heart of each of them the other appeared pleasing, and worthy of love, so that in the breast of each there grew up a secret passion for the other.  Nevertheless, Tutanekai could not tell whether he might venture to approach Hine-Moa to take her hand, to see would she press his in return, because, said he, “Perhaps I may be by no means agreeable to her;” on the other hand, Hine-Moa’s heart said to her, “If you send one of your female friends to tell him of your love, perchance he will not be pleased with you.”

However, after they had thus met for many, many days, and had long fondly glanced at each other, Tutanekai sent a messenger to Hine-Moa, to tell of his love; and when Hine-Moa had seen the messenger, she said, “Eh-hu! have we then each loved alike?”

Some time after this, a dispute arose among the brothers as to which of them the girl loved.  Each one claimed that he had pressed the hand of Hine-Moa and that she had pressed his in return.  But the elder brothers sneered at Tutanekai’s claims (for he was an illegitimate son), saying, “Do you think she would take any notice of such a lowborn fellow as you?” But in reality Tutanekai had already arranged for an elopement with the girl, and when she asked, “What shall be the sign by which I shall know that I should then run to you?” he said to her, “A trumpet will be heard sounding every night, it will be I who sound it, beloved—­paddle then your canoe to that place.”

Now always about the middle of the night Tutanekai and his friend went up into their balcony and played.  Hine-Moa heard them and vastly desired to paddle over in her canoe; but her friends suspecting something, had all the canoes on the shore of the lake.  At last, one evening, she again heard the horn of Tutanekai, and the young and beautiful chieftainess felt as if an earthquake shook her to make her go to the beloved of her heart.  At last she thought, perhaps I might be able to swim across.  So she took six large, dry, empty gourds as floats,