Thursday August 2 2012.
The Rock Warriors
Retold by Danielle Azaria Mailata
Many many years ago, there lived two tribes on Ngongotaha Mountain. There were handsome and beautiful woman, gentlemen and children, but the other tribe were giants called Tipua people and they were smelly and yucky.
One day the Tipua warriors were planning to take over the Patupaiarehe people’s village. The people of the Patupaiarehe could feel thumping and so one of the people ran up to see what all the noise was and they saw that it was the giant warriors. The people ran to their leader so that he could help them because their leader knew how to use magic spells and he was very good at it.
The chief had a plan. He went to the top of the Ngongotaha mountain and made a fire and started to chant an old spell that he learnt when he was a kid. He did not know if this would work but he tried his hardest. When the Tipua Warriors stopped to have a rest they stood there too long and became stuck and their skin started to get stiff and hard and they soon realised that the spell had worked and they turned into rocks.
Some people say that on a sunny and cold day, they can hear the rock warriors moaning, probably because they are so uncomfortable from standing in the same spot for a very long time..
Friday 24 August 2012
Monday 20 August 2012
Monday 15 August 2012.
Many years ago Rata was wandering, and feeling very maudlin as he walked across the stream by the bank. He wanted to go find his father because he had died not so long ago, but Rata was not able to attend his funeral. Rata was thinking and thinking and suddenly he found himself in the forest. So Rata wandered around the forest looking for a big enough tree to make a waka for him to go get his father. Rata gave a sigh of relief because he remembered that there was a totara tree not far from where he lived. So Rata went to the totora tree and he cut it down and he cut of all the chips so it was nice and smooth.
Early the next morning, Rata was stunned with surprise because he could not see the tree that he had cut down and chipped, and there were no leaves or branches, nothing, it was bare. He was struck with wonder and he had no explanation of where the tree had gone. So he cut down the tree a second time. This time he carved it and made it hollow. It was smooth and it had no leaves or branches. When night fell he went home and had a rest.
The following morning the tree was gone. He felt like crying. He dropped onto his knees and felt very maudlin again. He was so determined to make this waka now, that he had made it hollow, and had smoothed it out and made sure it was tough and solid. When night fell he went home. Rata came back to see the if the Totora tree was still laying on the ground. He was amazed to see the birds and insects working together to fix the tree up. He was happy that now he knew what was happening to the tree. He could not help it but come out of the dark. The birds were silent and they all disappeared. He shouted “Okay I get it, I will never ever cut a tree again, I am so sorry”. A small voice said to him, “You can cut a tree but you will have to ask Tanemahuta, the god of the forest”.
The following morning he saw a waka and he said to himself, “Is this mine?”. A small voice said yes. From that day onwards he never ever forgot what these birds and Tane Mahuta did for him.
Many years ago Rata was wandering, and feeling very maudlin as he walked across the stream by the bank. He wanted to go find his father because he had died not so long ago, but Rata was not able to attend his funeral. Rata was thinking and thinking and suddenly he found himself in the forest. So Rata wandered around the forest looking for a big enough tree to make a waka for him to go get his father. Rata gave a sigh of relief because he remembered that there was a totara tree not far from where he lived. So Rata went to the totora tree and he cut it down and he cut of all the chips so it was nice and smooth.
Early the next morning, Rata was stunned with surprise because he could not see the tree that he had cut down and chipped, and there were no leaves or branches, nothing, it was bare. He was struck with wonder and he had no explanation of where the tree had gone. So he cut down the tree a second time. This time he carved it and made it hollow. It was smooth and it had no leaves or branches. When night fell he went home and had a rest.
The following morning the tree was gone. He felt like crying. He dropped onto his knees and felt very maudlin again. He was so determined to make this waka now, that he had made it hollow, and had smoothed it out and made sure it was tough and solid. When night fell he went home. Rata came back to see the if the Totora tree was still laying on the ground. He was amazed to see the birds and insects working together to fix the tree up. He was happy that now he knew what was happening to the tree. He could not help it but come out of the dark. The birds were silent and they all disappeared. He shouted “Okay I get it, I will never ever cut a tree again, I am so sorry”. A small voice said to him, “You can cut a tree but you will have to ask Tanemahuta, the god of the forest”.
The following morning he saw a waka and he said to himself, “Is this mine?”. A small voice said yes. From that day onwards he never ever forgot what these birds and Tane Mahuta did for him.
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