Turn away Night, Come Day. This is the _kohukohu_ of freedom, And deliverance from _tapu_. This done, Ihenga took up another _kohukohu_, and held it aloft in his hand, while Kahu chanted thus:— Close up Night, close up Day, Close up Night as the soft south wind. The _tapu_ of the food And the _mana_ of the food, The food with which you are fed, The food of Kutikuti, The food of Pekapeka, The food of Haua-te-rangi. I eat, Uenuku eats. I eat, Kahukura eats. I eat, Rongomai eats. I eat, Ihungaro eats. I eat, Itupaoa eats. I eat, Hangaroa eats. I eat, Ngatoro-irangi eats. I eat, Tama eats. This ended, Kahu proceeded thus: If I fall from the precipice, Let me not be harmed. If I fall on the _taramoa_, Let me not be scratched. If I eat of the _maihi_⁴⁵ of _tohunga’s_ house, Let me not be harmed. Be thou undermost, While I am uppermost. Give me your _mana_ to strike down. Close tight your spirit-devouring teeth. Close tight your man-devouring teeth. ⁴⁵ _Maihi_ are the two boards placed at an angle at front gable of a house. If the wood of a sacred house were to be accidentally used as firewood for cooking purposes, anyone who ate the food thus cooked would be guilty of a crime, to be punished by the _Atua_ with disease or death. Then Kahu spat on the _kohukohu_, breathed on it, and offered it to Tama, that is to say, to the image of Tama-te-kapua. Kahu and Ihenga then ate the food cooked for them in the sacred oven. Ihenga ate with a fork, while at the same time he fed Kahu with his left hand. The same ceremonies were observed at the evening meal. Eight days after the ceremony of _Pure_, the heart of Ihenga conceived a desire. He was taken with the fair face of Hinetekakara; so he asked Kahu, “When shall we two be free from _tapu_?” Kahu replied “We two will not soon be free.” “Oh! be quick,” said Ihenga, “that I may return to my elder brothers, to my mother, and to my sisters.” Kahu said, “You will not be dismissed soon—not until the _tapu_ is completely removed from you.” “How many nights, then, after this?” Kahu answered, “Twenty nights.” “Ho! what a very long time,” said Ihenga, “for our _tapu_.” The remonstrance of the young man here ended; but not long afterwards he persisted in the same manner. Thereupon Kahu began to consider—“Ha! what is it my nephew persists about?” So he asked, “Why are you in so great a hurry to be free from _tapu_?” Then the young man spoke out, “Whose daughter is the maiden who cooks our food?” “Mine,” replied Kahu. “My fear,” said Ihenga, “lest some one may have her.” “I thought there must be something.” “Do not let some other man have her.” “Your cousin shall be your wife,” said Kahu, calling the damsel: “Come here, girl, near the door.” The girl came laughing, for she knew she was to be given to Ihenga.