n disappear with the first
appearance of dawn. Maui remained awake one night, and when all were
asleep, arose quietly and stopped up every crevice by which a ray of
light could enter. The morning came and the sun mounted up--far up in
the sky. At last his mother leaped up and tore away the things which
shut out the light.

"Oh, dear; oh, dear! She saw the sun high in the heavens; so she hurried
away, crying at the thought of having been so badly treated by her own
children."

Maui watched her as she pulled up a tuft of grass and disappeared in the
earth, pulling the grass back to its place.

Thus Maui found the path to the under-world. Soon he transformed himself
into a pigeon and flew down, through the cave, until he saw a party of
people under a sacred tree, like those growing in the ancient first
Hawaii. He flew to the tree and threw down berries upon the people. They
threw back stones. At last he permitted a stone from his father to
strike him, and he fell to the ground. "They ran to catch him, but lo!
the pigeon had turned into a man."

Then his father "took him to the water to be baptized" (possibly a
modern addition to the legend). Prayers were offered and ceremonies
passed through. But the prayers were incomplete and Maui's father knew
that the gods would be angry and cause Maui's death, and all because in
the hurried baptism a part of the prayers had been left unsaid. Then
Maui returned to the upper world and lived again with his brothers.

Maui commenced his mischievous life early, for Hervey Islanders say that
one day the children were playing a game dearly loved by
Polynesians--hide-and-seek. Here a sister enters into the game and hides
little Maui under a pile of dry sticks. His brothers could not find him,
and the sister told them where to look. The sticks were carefully
handled, but the child could not be found. He had shrunk himself so
small that he was like an insect under some sticks and leaves. Thus
early he began to use enchantments.

Maui's home, at the best, was only a sorry affair. Gods and demigods
lived in caves and small grass houses. The thatch rapidly rotted and
required continual renewal. In a very short time the heavy rains beat
through the decaying roof. The home was without windows or doors, save
as low openings in the ends or sides allowed entrance to those willing
to crawl through. Off on one side would be the rude shelter, in the
shadow of which Hina pounded the bark of certain