Māui and the Secret of Fire 9780824890834

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Maui and the Secret of Fire by Suelyn Ching Tune illustrated by Robin Yoko Burningham

X A Kolowalu Book University of Hawaii Press • Honolulu

Maui, the demigod, is distinguished from Maui, the island, by the macron, or kahako. They are pronounced similarly. Text © 1991 Suelyn ChingTune Illustrations © 1991 Robin Yoko Burningham All rights reserved Printed in Singapore 91 92 93 94 95 96 5 4 3 2 1 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Tune, Suelyn Ching, 1944— Maui and the secret of fire / by Suelyn ChingTune. ; illustrated by Robin Yoko Burningham. p. cm. "A Kolowalu book." Summary: Maui forces the mud hens to tell him the secret of how to make fire. ISBN 0-8248-1391-X [1. Folklore—Hawaii. 2. Fire—Folklore.] I. Burningham, Robin Yoko, ill. II. Tide. PZ8.1.T748Mau 1991 398.2—dc20 [E] 90-27175 CIP AC Maui and the Secret of Fire was inspired by "The Secret of Fire-Making," from Tales of the Menehune, a collection of Hawaiian legends told to noted storyteller Caroline Curtis by Hawaiian culture authority Mary Kawena Pukui.

Dedicated with love andgratitude to Donald D. Kilolani Mitchell, for many years consultant in Hawaiian culture to Kamehameha Schools/Bernice Pauahi Bishop Estate and research associate in anthropology at the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, who helped with the ethnobotanical aspects of the text. Beatrice Krauss, research affiliate at the University of Hawaii and the Lyon Arboretum, who gave generously of her time and expertise in evaluating the text and illustrations for historical and ethnobotanical accuracy. Over the years these two very special people have shared their knowledge and love of Hawaiian culture and, in particular, Hawaiian ethnobotany with me. Me ke aloha pumehana. S.C.T.

To my children Cecily Ipo Noelle R.Y.B.

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.aui and his brothers were paddling home after a day of fishing. As they neared the shore, one of the brothers saw smoke curling into the sky. " L o o k ! " called the brother. " I see smoke near the marsh. Who has made a fire? If he shares the secret of fire with us, we can cook our fish now. We will not have to take our food to the hot lava." Maui said to his brothers, "Wait for me. I will go and see." The brothers waited.

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At last Mäui returned. "When I reached the clearing," he told them, " t h e fire was out. Some bananas had been cooked and eaten. Only the banana peels, some dry hau sticks, a pointed stick of hard wood, and some coconut husks remained. The mud hens made the fire! I saw them fly away."

The next day as the brothers returned from fishing they again saw smoke. But when Maui reached the clearing, the fire was out. Some sweet potatoes had been cooked and eaten. Only the sweet potato skins, some dry hau sticks, a pointed stick of hard wood, and some coconut husks remained .

Maui and his brothers were very angry. Onlv the mud hens knew how to make fire to cook food. The people did not. J

Onlv the mud hens knew how to make fire to keep warm. The people did not. But the mud hens would not share the secret of fire.

" I have a plan," Maui said to his brothers. "You go fishing tomorrow. I will stay here and hide. I will try to find the secret of lire. Then I can share this secret with everyone." The next day Maui's brothers went out in the canoe. Maui hid behind a bush. He heard the mud hens talking. "Let us make a fire and cook more bananas," said one. "Wait," said another bird. " I see the canoe leaving. I can see one . . . two . . . three brothers. Where is the fourth? Maui is not there. He is trying to trick us. Quick! Fly away!"

That night Maui told his brothers, " I have another plan." He picked up a gourd and wrapped it in tapa cloth. "This is mv head," he said. He rolled up two more pieces of tapa cloth. " A n d these are my arms. Tomorrow when you go out in the canoe, the mud hens will think that I am with y o u . " J

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The next day the brothers paddled out in their canoe. " O n e . . . two . . . three . . . four. All the brothers are in the canoe. Make the fire and cook the bananas," called a mud hen. Maui was hiding behind a bush. He saw one o f the birds rub one stick against another. He smelled smoke.

Maui crept closer to the clearing. His foot suddenly hit a stone. It rolled into the bushes.

"Sh-h-h!" hissed a mud hen. " I hear something. Maui is nearby. He is trying to trick us. Quick! Fly away!"

Just then Maui leaped into the clearing. All the birds flew away—all but their leader. She was stamping out the last o f the fire.

Maui grabbed the mud hen. "Tell me the secret of fire," 1 he demanded. "Then I can share it with everyone.' . . j " N o ! I will not tell y o u , " she replied. "And if you hurt me you will never find out the secret of fire."

Maui held the mud hen under his arm. " S t o p ! I will tell you how to make fire," she eried. " T a k e that taro leaf stalk. Rub the hard, pointed stick against it. You will make fire. Now let me g o ! " " N o t until I make fire," answered Maui. He rubbed the hard, pointed stick against the taro leaf stalk. But no smoke appeared. Only a stream of juice ran from the stalk.

"This is not the way to make fire," Maui said angrily. He held the mud hen tighter. "Stop! I will tell you how to make fire," she cried. "Take that ti stalk. Rub the hard, pointed stick against it. You will make fire. Now let me g o ! " " N o t until I make fire," answered Maui. He rubbed the hard, pointed stiek against the ti stalk. But no smoke appeared. Only a few drops of juice dripped from the stalk.

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"This is not the way to make fire," Maui said. He was even angrier. He would not let the mud hen go. "Stop! I will tell you how to make fire," she cried. "Take that green kukui branch. Rub the hard, pointed stick against it. You will make fire. Now let me go!" " N o t until I make fire," answered Maui. He rubbed the hard, pointed stick against the green kukui branch. But no smoke appeared. Only a few drops of sap fell from the branch.

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By this time Maui was very angry. He shook the mud hen. She cried, "Please, Maui, stop! I will tell you the secret of fire. Rub the hard, pointed stick against a dry hau stick. Then vou will make fire." J Maui rubbed. As he rubbed he made a groove in the hau wood. Dust appeared at the far end of the groove. Maui smelled smoke. But no fire appeared. "Keep going. That is the way," the mud hen told him. " B u t you must rub the stick harder and faster. You must rub longer. Then you will make fire."

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Maui rubbed the pointed stick harder and harder. Faster and faster he rubbed. More hau dust gathered in the groove. He smelled the smoke. And then he saw that the hau dust glowed with sparks. " N o w , " said the mud hen, "put a handful of coconut husk fibers in a pile on the ground. Pour the sparks onto the fibers. Blow carefully." Maui blew carefully. The fibers burst into flames. Maui had learned the secret of fire! Maui touched the mud hen's head with the hot stick.

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Since then, when people are hungry, they can make a fire to cook their food. Since then, when people go into the upland forests to cut logs for their canoes or to gather bird feathers for capes and helmets, they can make a fire to keep warm.

And since then, mud hens have a red mark o n their heads. It is a reminder that they kept fire making a secret until Maui made them share it.

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