Fornander collection of Hawaiian antiquities and folk-lore, Volume 1 (of 3) : $b The Hawaiians' account of the formation of their islands and origin of their race, with the traditions of their migrations, etc., as gathered from original sources
History
Fornander collection of Hawaiian antiquities and folk-lore, Volume 1 (of 3) : $b The Hawaiians' account of the formation of their islands and origin of their race, with the traditions of their migrations, etc., as gathered from original sources
Folklore -- Hawaii; Hawaii -- Social life and customs; Hawaiian language -- Texts; Legends -- Hawaii
As soon as the wager was settled Lonoikamakahiki pulled on the line and
when the fish was almost to the surface he allowed it to pull away
directly below the double canoe of Kakuhihewa and his companions. At
this time Kakuhihewa and his men made out that the fish caught by
Lonoikamakahiki was an ahi. As the fish was plainly seen Lanahuimihaku
and his companion said to Kakuhihewa: “We are beaten by the king of
Hawaii, for here it is; the fish is really an ahi.”
When the fish came up to the side of the canoe of Lonoikamakahiki,
Lonoikamakahiki took a wreath of lehua blossoms and a wreath of hala,
which had been made ready beforehand for this purpose, and put them
around the gills of the fish, and then called out to Kakuhihewa: “Say,
King of Oahu, this fish must have come all the way from Hawaii, for it
is the yellow-gilled ahi of Umulau, for it is wearing wreaths of hala
and of lehua.”
When Kakuhihewa heard these words of Lonoikamakahiki he, as well as
those with him, was surprised and therefore asked of Lanahuimihaku and
his companion, saying: “Do you two know that the ahi of Hawaii wear
wreaths of lehua and hala?” Lanahuimihaku and his companion replied:
“The king of Hawaii is deceiving us. Make another wager.”
In obedience to this Kakuhihewa therefore called out: “Say, King of
Hawaii, let us make a wager. From the Kaoio point to Mokapu I will
place against your mooring rock.” Lonoikamakahiki replied: “It is a
bet.” As soon as the bet was made the stern of the double canoe of
Lonoikamakahiki was turned toward the double canoe of Kakuhihewa, the
fish was then made fast and Lonoikamakahiki showed the wreaths to
Kakuhihewa, so that he was beaten.
After Kakuhihewa had been beaten, Lanahuimihaku and his companion said
to Kakuhihewa: “We have been beaten in all our wagers, and the island
of Oahu is almost wholly gone. Now, therefore, we had better do this:
let us wager the rest of the island, from Mokapu to Leahi, as against
the mooring rock, and let us have a canoe race. The canoe that will
reach dry land first shall be the winner. If the king of Hawaii should
agree to this then we will surely win, because he has but two rowers.”
Because of these words of Lanahuimihaku and his companion Kakuhihewa
called out: “Say, King of Hawaii, let us make another wager for the
rest of the island.” Lonoikamakahiki then asked: “What shall we do?”
Kakuhihewa replied: “Let us have a canoe race. Let the double canoe
that will reach dry land first be the winner, and let that portion of
the island of Oahu that is left be placed against your mooring rock.”
Lonoikamakahiki replied: “It is a bet.” After the bets had been made,
Lonoikamakahiki said to Kakuhihewa: “You had better go on ahead.” When
Lanahuimihaku and his companion heard Lonoikamakahiki ask of Kakuhihewa
to proceed on ahead, they urged Kakuhihewa to order the rowers to go
ahead. The order was therefore given and they started off.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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