ing days he resolved to go
back to his old ways and cheat his brothers into carrying him with them
to the great fishing grounds.

Sir George Gray says that the New Zealand Maui went out to the canoe and
concealed himself as an insect in the bottom of the boat so that when
the early morning light crept over the waters and his brothers pushed
the canoe into the surf they could not see him. They rejoiced that Maui
did not appear, and paddled away over the waters.

They fished all day and all night and on the morning of the next day,
out from among the fish in the bottom of the boat came their troublesome
brother.

They had caught many fine fish and were satisfied, so thought to paddle
homeward; but their younger brother plead with them to go out, far out,
to the deeper seas and permit him to cast his hook. He said he wanted
larger and better fish than any they had captured.

[Illustration: Spearing Fish.]

So they paddled to their outermost fishing grounds--but this did not
satisfy Maui--

"Farther out on the waters,
O! my brothers,
I seek the great fish of the sea."

It was evidently easier to work for him than to argue with
him--therefore far out in the sea they went. The home land disappeared
from view; they could see only the outstretching waste of waters. Maui
urged them out still farther. Then he drew his magic hook from under his
malo or loin-cloth. The brothers wondered what he would do for bait. The
New Zealand legend says that he struck his nose a mighty blow until the
blood gushed forth. When this blood became clotted, he fastened it upon
his hook and let it down into the deep sea.

Down it went to the very bottom and caught the under world. It was a
mighty fish--but the brothers paddled with all their might and main and
Maui pulled in the line. It was hard rowing against the power which held
the hook down in the sea depths--but the brothers became enthusiastic
over Maui's large fish, and were generous in their strenuous endeavors.
Every muscle was strained and every paddle held strongly against the sea
that not an inch should be lost. There was no sudden leaping and darting
to and fro, no "give" to the line; no "tremble" as when a great fish
would shake itself in impotent wrath when held captive by a hook. It was
simply a struggle of tense muscle against an immensely heavy dead
weight. To the brothers there came slowly the feeling that Maui was in
one of his strange moods and that something bey