words of a charm, which he repeated, and then cried, “O rock, rock, open for me!” Then the rock opened, the young man entered, the crevice closed again, so that the goblin woman could not find him, but went on in the direction she thought that Hatu had taken. When her voice was lost in the distance, Hatu came out of his shelter, and again pursued his journey. Kura caught sight of him. He once more repeated his spell to the rock, and eluded her a second time. Thus was the chase baffled and pursued until they came to the country near the Hot Lakes, among the springs and geysers. Hatu well knew the path among these, and threaded his way quickly among the dangerous places; but on coming to a boiling spring of sulphur, over which he safely leapt, Kura fell in and was boiled to death. Hatu then returned to his father, who never again would allow his sons to molest their younger brother.
pris′-on-er
por′-tion
di-rec′-tion
mo-lest′
hun′-ger
un-ob-served′
pur-su′-er
o-ver-ta′-ken
dis-gust′-ing
hun′-dredth
charm
rav′-aged
feath′-er
dis′-tance
baf′-fled
sword
crev′-ice, a crack or fissure.
flax, the word is used here for a plant producing a kind of hemp.
gey′-ser, a fountain sending forth boiling water.
gob′-lin, an evil spirit, a phantom.
e-lude′, to escape or avoid by artifice.
liz′-ard, a cold-blooded animal, variety of reptile.
