ask. Then she
called on her powerful son, Maui-ki-i-ki-i, for aid.

Some of the legends of the Island Maui say that Hina dwelt by the sea
coast of that island near the high hill Kauwiki at the foot of the great
mountain Haleakala, House of the Sun, and that there, facing the
southern skies under the most favorable conditions for making tapa, she
found the days too short for the tapa to dry. At the present time the
Hawaiians point out a long, narrow stone not far from the surf and
almost below the caves in which the great queen Kaahumanu spent the
earliest days of her childhood. This stone is said to be the kua or
tapa board on which Hina pounded the bark for her cloth. Other legends
of that same island locate Hina's home on the northeast coast near
Pohakuloa.

The Hilo legends, however, do not deem it necessary that Hina and Maui
should have their home across the wide channel which divides the Island
Hawaii from the Island Maui in order to wage war successfully with the
inconsiderate sun. Hina remained in her home by the Wailuku river,
sometimes resting in her cave under Rainbow Falls, and sometimes working
on the river bank, trusting her powerful son Maui to make the
swiftly-passing lord of day go more slowly.

Maui possessed many supernatural powers. He could assume the form of
birds or insects. He could call on the winds to do his will, or he
could, if he wished, traverse miles with a single stride. It is
interesting to note that the Hilo legends differ as to the way in which
Ma-ui the man passed over to Mau-i the island. One legend says that he
crossed the channel, miles wide, with a single step. Another says that
he launched his canoe and with a breath the god of the winds placed him
on the opposite coast, while another story says that Maui assumed the
form of a white chicken, which flew over the waters to Haleakala. Here
he took ropes made from the fibre of trees and vines and lassoed the sun
while it climbed the side of the mountain and entered the great crater
which hollows out the summit. The sun came through a large gap in the
eastern side of the crater, rushing along as rapidly as possible. Then
Maui threw his lassoes one after the other over the sun's legs (the rays
of light), holding him fast and breaking off some of them. With a magic
club Maui struck the face of the sun again and again. At last, wounded
and weary, and also limping on its broken legs, the sun promised Maui to
go slowly forevermore.

"