sist forever and ever."

Then his father said: "There is one so powerful that no tricks can be of
any avail."

Maui asked: "By what shall I be overcome?" The answer was that one of
his ancestors, Hine-nui-te-po (Great Hine of the night), the guardian of
life, would overcome him.

When Maui fished islands out of the deep seas, it was said that Hine
made her home on the outer edge of one of the outermost islands. There
the glow of the setting sun lighted the thatch of her house and covered
it with glorious colors. There Great Hine herself stood flashing and
sparkling on the edge of the horizon.

Maui, in these last days of his life, looked toward the west and said:
"Let us investigate this matter and learn whether life or death shall
follow."

The father replied: "There is evil hanging over you. When I chanted the
invocation of your childhood, when you were made sacred and guarded by
charms, I forgot a part of the ceremony. And for this you are to die."

Then Maui said, "Will this be by Hine-nui-te-po? What is she like?"

The father said that the flashing eyes they could see in the distance
were dark as greenstone, the teeth were as sharp as volcanic glass, her
mouth was large like a fish, and her hair was floating in the air like
sea-weed.

One of the legends of New Zealand says that Maui and his brothers went
toward the west, to the edge of the horizon, where they saw the goddess
of the night. Light was flashing from her body. Here they found a great
pit--the home of night. Maui entered the pit--telling his brothers not
to laugh. He passed through and turning about started to return. The
brothers laughed and the walls of night closed in around him and held
him till he died.

The longer legend tells how Maui after his conversation with his father,
remembered his conflict with the moon. He had tied her so that she could
not escape, but was compelled to bathe in the waters of life and return
night after night lest men should be in darkness when evening came.

Maui said to the goddess of the moon: "Let death be short. As the moon
dies and returns with new strength, so let men die and revive again."

But she replied: "Let death be very long, that man may sigh and sorrow.
When man dies, let him go into darkness, become like earth, that those
he leaves behind may weep and wail and mourn."

Maui did not lay aside his purpose, but, according to the New Zealand
story, "did not wish men to die, but to live forever. D