At these words, the rock divided, and Buataranga descended. Māni carefully treasured up these magic words, and without delay started off to see the god Tane, the owner of some wonderful pigeons. He earnestly begged Tane to lend him one; but the proffered pigeon not pleasing Māni, was at once returned to its owner. A better pigeon was offered to the fastidious borrower, but was rejected. Nothing would content Māni but the possession of Akaotu, or _Fearless_, a red pigeon, specially prized by Tane. It was so tame that it knew its name; and, wander wherever it might, it was sure to return to its master. Tane, who was loth to part with his pet, extracted a promise from Māni that the pigeon should be restored to him uninjured. Māni now set off in high spirits, carrying with him his red pigeon, to the place where his mother had descended. Upon pronouncing the magic words which he had overheard, to his great delight, the rock opened, and Māni, entering the pigeon, descended. Some assert that Māni transformed himself into a small dragon-fly, and, perched upon the back of the pigeon, made his descent. The two fierce guardian demons of the chasm, enraged at finding themselves imposed upon by a stranger, made a grab at the pigeon, intending to devour it. Fortunately, however, for the borrower, they only succeeded in getting possession of the _tail_, whilst the pigeon, minus its beautiful tail, pursued its flight to the shades. Māni was grieved at the mishap which had overtaken the pet bird of his friend Tane. Arrived at nether-land, Māni sought for the home of his mother. It was the first house he saw; he was guided to it by the sound of her clothflail. The red pigeon alighted on an ovenhouse opposite to the shed where Buataranga was beating out cloth. She stopped her work to gaze at the red pigeon, which she guessed to be a visitor from the upper world, as none of the pigeons in the shades were red. Buataranga said to the bird, “Are you not come from daylight?” The pigeon nodded assent. “Are you not my son, Māni?” inquired the old woman. Again the pigeon nodded. At this Buataranga entered her dwelling and the bird flew to a bread-fruit tree. Māni resumed his proper human form, and went to embrace his mother, who inquired how he had descended to nether-world, and the object of his visit. Māni avowed that he had come to learn the secret of fire. Buataranga said, “This secret rests with the fire-god, Manike. When I wish to cook an oven, I ask your father Ru to beg a lighted stick from Manike.” Māni inquired where the fire-god lived. His mother pointed out the direction, and said it was called Are-aoa--_house-of-banyan-sticks_. She entreated Māni to be careful, “for the fire-god is a terrible fellow, of a very irritable temper.” [Illustration: IDOL FROM POLYNESIA.]