LESSON IX.
THE COCO-NUT TREE.
(Tahiti.)
In one of the islands near Tahiti lived a king whose name was Tai, who was wedded to the fair queen Uta. She had dwelt with her husband about two years, when a great longing came over her to visit the relatives she had left behind her in the home wherein she had spent her youth. She besought her husband to be allowed to go, but he, being extremely fond of her society, was for a long time unwilling to allow her to depart. By continuous entreaty she at last overcame her husband’s determination, and he gave reluctant consent to the journey being undertaken. He was, however, disinclined to let her go unless she could take a fitting present to her people, so he went to the priests and begged them to consult the oracles of the gods as to what would be considered suitable for such a purpose. The gods directed him to send his wife to a certain stream, and tell her to watch for the coming of an eel; that she should capture this eel, cut off its head and place the head in a calabash, the aperture of which was to be carefully closed. The body of
