back," said another, "and perchance we may call it to mind." So they returned to the village and said to the brothers, "Who are ye? We have passed over a fallen tree in the path, and cannot remember what ye gave us to say."
Then Kakukaku and Taureboga repeated the message, saying, "Go, tell your fathers that Kakukaku and Taureboga and their sister Rekota are here, and have brought war! But when ye come to the fallen tree ye shall not all cross over at the same time, but let some of you tarry on the hither side, and repeat the words to those who have already stepped over. Then may ye all go forward once more."
Thus did the children. When they came to the fallen tree most of them crossed over, but some remained behind. And these cried to those on the other side, "What words take ye?"
"We cannot tell," answered they, for as they crossed the tree they forgot their errand. Then cried the children who had not yet crossed the words of the message, and in their turn stepped over the tree, and all went on until they came to the gardens. When the men working there heard the message which had been sent to them, they seized their spears and hastened home to attack the strangers who had invaded their village. Kakukaku and Taureboga saw them coming, and Kakukaku said to the old woman sitting under the cycas palm, "When we are dead save the child, and let him not be killed, and we will reward thee."
