THE MAN WHO COULD NOT BE KILLED.
In the old days, a great chief named Tauribolena lived in the mountains with his two wives, Rekubole, an old woman, and Kauavira, who was still young. It came to pass that one day he told them that they were to go with him to the sea shore, and he set out bearing his child, and the two women walked behind, carrying heavy bags of food, which were slung from their heads.
Tauribolena nursed the child so badly that it cried, and he needs must give it to his wives that they might stop its wailing. The women hated their husband for that he was cruel to the child, therefore they lay hid with it in the grass, and hoped that Tauribolena would not find them. But in a little he missed them, and turned back, singing as he walked,—
"Kaipokina kivi!
Tautauvaona kivi!"
("Footsteps of the barren woman!
Footsteps of the nursing woman!")
Then he found them, and forced them to go with him to the shore. When night came Rekubole and Kauavira went secretly to their brothers, who lived in that village, and told them of the cruelty of Tauribolena, and begged them to put him for ever out of their way.
"Rest in peace, sisters," answered one of the men.
"We go on the morrow to the fields to mow the long grass, and Tauribolena shall not escape our scythes."
On the morrow, the brothers asked Tauribolena if he would go with them. He was willing, and soon the brothers were slashing with their wooden scythes, nigh to where Tauribolena stood. Swish! swish! went the scythes, but each time Tauribolena leaped aside, else would his legs have been broken. The mowers soon wearied of their fruitless task, and returned to the house, Tauribolena with them. Then they made another plan, which they determined to carry out in the morning.
When the sun rose, the men said to their brotherin-law, "We go a hunting; wilt thou come with us?"
Then Tauribolena said that if they would lend him spears, he was fain to go with them. The brothers therefore took down a handful of spears from the dadabi, the rack over the fire, and gave them to Tauribolena. Then one took a burning coal and laid it in a piece of coconut husk, and, whistling to the dogs, they all set forth.
The way to the hunting ground was long, but it was reached at last. Then the three went each his way, and made ready to watch the long grass, which would ere long be burning, and out of which they hoped many beasts would rush. But the brothers had parted only to meet in secret, and they had soon kindled the grass in such a manner that Tauribolena was surrounded by a ring of leaping flames. The men watched to see their brother-in-law overcome by the clouds of rolling smoke, but on a sudden he made a great effort, and with one mighty leap cleared the barrier of flames and stood by their side. So that plan failed as had the other.
On the morrow the sea was calm, and the men asked Tauribolena to go fishing with them. They all went on board a canoe, and paddled hither and thither, looking for clams under the clear water. At last they spied a big one, but it lay in deep water. Tauribolena's brothers-in-law asked him if he would dive for it, and he said that he would do so.
Therefore he dived from the canoe, and went down, down to the bottom of the sea, where the great clam lay upon the sand. Without thought he put his hand inside the shell, and straightway the clam closed, holding him firmly. The brothers were glad to see their enemy's plight, and after waiting for a time, they paddled home and told their sisters that they were free at last.
Now it came to pass that by and by the tide turned, and at high tide the great clam opened its shell and set free the body of Tauribolena, which floated to the surface, and was thrown upon the beach by the waves. There it lay, being swollen with the sea water he had drunk. Many people, as they passed, stopped to look, and said, "Now he is indeed dead." Then all the birds of the air came down and tried to peck at his flesh. First came the pigeon, then the black cockatoo, next a hawk, a crow, a bird of paradise, and many others. But they pecked in vain. Tauribolena's flesh was too tough for their beaks to pierce. At last came the turn of the "tia," which is the smallest of birds. The tia flew high up in the air until it reached the moon. Then it rushed swiftly down, and with its little beak pecked at the body of Tauribolena until the sea water had all escaped.
In a small space the Man Who Could Not Be Killed rose up, and shook himself, and then went to look for his wives, singing as he went,
"Kaipokina kivi! Kautauvaona kivi!"
Ere long he found them, and the women hoped that he saw not what hatred they bore him. But this time they made a plan themselves, and they determined it should rid them of their tyrant.
They both went to Tauribolena and said, "Come, lord, and let us eat fruit. Is not the kumika ripe?"
Then they all went to eat fruit. Tauribolena ate every kumika his wives gathered, and then he asked for more. But there were none left upon the tree. So he said, "I will nurse the child while ye look for more."
This did the women, and they came back with many kumika, which they roasted on hot stones. When the kumika were cooked, the women said, "Open thy mouth, lord, while we throw one in."
Tauribolena opened his mouth and swallowed the hot fruit, saying, "It is sweet indeed."
Then the women threw another into his open mouth, and yet another, and at last they threw the red hot stone on which the fruit had been cooked. Tauribolena swallowed it as he had done the fruit, though much smoke came from his mouth. On a sudden he rose in anger, and took his bag, in which were stone axe heads and obsidian, and threw it into the sea. Then he cast himself in, and swam to the island of Iriwavo, which is a great way off, and was seen no more.