Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review Volumes 32 and 33.djvu/67

on the little ridge of sand at the pool's edge, and his buttocks and legs in the water. There she left him whilst she went about her usual task of shell-fishing. As she was returning to him a young mullet came and jumped about on his body, which she caught with a cast of her net. Thereupon the child said, "Mother that is my fish. No man may eat it, for it is tabu to me; if a man eats it let him do it secretly. Women only may eat it." The mother replied, "Let us get off home with our shell-fish, and cook them for us all to eat." "Yes," said the child, "let us go, for I'm cold." Now, when on this occasion they returned home from the beach, the child, whose name was Tuimotuliki, was not carried, as would be expected at his tender age, but ran along by himself, for he was very strong, like his fathers, the two Maui. It is said that he set fire to forest and houses to warm himself, and there was constantly a column of smoke and flame in some place or other, whereat his mother and uncles were angry and reprimanded him, fearing that he might attract the attention of Bau or other neighbouring places. But the boy merely replied, "Mother, I'm just warming myself, for I'm cold"; to which his mother retorted, "Alas, you are as unkind as a boy can be; why involve us in such risks? You with your warming yourself will bring somebody or another along to kill us all." "Mother," said the boy, "don't worry about that. Just let me get warm." The elders' fears were justified, for the people of Bau noticed the smoke, and sent off boats to see who had come to populate the land which was thought to be deserted. Sinailele, looking out to sea, discovered the boats, and counted them, ten in all. Then in deep distress she said to her son, "I hope you are satisfied my boy. Here are the boats coming to slay us." But Tuimotuliki merely told them not to worry, but let the boats come on. He knew that he was possessed of amazing strength which far surpassed that of his two fathers. When the boats were close Tuimotuliki went and broke off a coconut tree and snapped it in two, and stuck the two halves in the sand. Then he went and got another coconut tree and snapped that in two, and stuck up the two halves, and so on, until he had a goodly battery of this heavy artillery, ready close at hand. The first boat, on approaching