s, let me take
them to wash in the water." No answer; three times she called, not once
an answer; she peeped into the house where Kahalaomapuana lay sleeping,
her head covered with a clean piece of _tapa_.

She called, "O Moanalihaikawaokele, give me back my polluted skirt; let
me take it to wash in the water."

Then Kahalaomapuana started up as if she had been asleep and said to her
mother, "My mother and ruler, he has gone; only I am in the house; that
polluted skirt of yours, here it is."

"Alas! my ruler. I shrink with fear of evil for you, because you have
guarded my skirt that was polluted; what recompense is there for the
evil I fear for you, my ruler?"

She embraced the girl and wailed out the words in the line above.

When she had ceased wailing, the mother asked, "On what journey do you
come hither to us?"

"I come to get my older brother for a husband for our friend, the
princess of the great broad land of Hawaii, Laieikawai, our protector
when we were lovelessly deserted by our older brother; therefore we are
ashamed; we have no way to repay the princess for her protection; and
for this reason permit me and my princely brother to go down below and
bring Laieikawai up here." These were Kahalaomapuana's words to her
mother.

The mother said, "I grant it in recompense for your guarding my polluted
garment.

"If anyone else had come to get him, I would not have consented; since
you come in person, I will not keep him back.

"Indeed, your brother has said that you are the one he loves best and
thinks the most of; so let us go up and see your brother.

"Now you wait here; let me call the bird guardian of you two, who will
bear us to the taboo house at the borders of Tahiti."

Then the mother called:

O Halulu at the edge of the light,
The bird who covers the sun,
The heat returns to Kealohilani.
The bird who stops up the rain,
The stream-heads are dry of Nuumealani.
The bird who holds back the clouds above,
The painted clouds move across the ocean,
The islands are flooded,
Kahakaekaea trembles,
The heavens flood not the earth.
O the lawless ones, the mischief makers!
O Mokukelekahiki!
O Kaeloikamalama!
The lawless ones who close the taboo house at the borders of Tahiti,
Here is one from the heavens, a child of yours,
Come and receive her, take her above to Awakea, the noonday.

Then that bird[71] drooped its wings down and its body remained aloft,
then Laukie