ade from their ropes and Maui concealed
himself on one side of this place along which the sun must come, while
his brothers hid on the other side.

Maui seized his magic enchanted jaw-bone as the weapon with which to
fight the sun, and ordered his brothers to pull hard on the noose and
not to be frightened or moved to set the sun free.

"At last the sun came rising up out of his place like a fire spreading
far and wide over the mountains and forests.

He rises up.

His head passes through the noose.

The ropes are pulled tight.

Then the monster began to struggle and roll himself about, while the
snare jerked backwards and forwards as he struggled. Ah! was not he held
fast in the ropes of his enemies.

Then forth rushed that bold hero Maui with his enchanted weapon. The sun
screamed aloud and roared. Maui struck him fiercely with many blows.
They held him for a long time. At last they let him go, and then weak
from wounds the sun crept very slowly and feebly along his course."

In this way the days were made longer so that men could perform their
daily tasks and fruits and food plants could have time to grow.

The legend of the Hervey group of islands says that Maui made six snares
and placed them at intervals along the path over which the sun must
pass. The sun in the form of a man climbed up from Avaiki (Hawaiki).
Maui pulled the first noose, but it slipped down the rising sun until it
caught and was pulled tight around his feet.

[Illustration: Hale-a-ka-la Crater. Where the Sun Was Caught.]

Maui ran quickly to pull the ropes of the second snare, but that also
slipped down, down, until it was tightened around the knees. Then Maui
hastened to the third snare, while the sun was trying to rush along
on his journey. The third snare caught around the hips. The fourth snare
fastened itself around the waist. The fifth slipped under the arms, and
yet the sun sped along as if but little inconvenienced by Maui's
efforts.

Then Maui caught the last noose and threw it around the neck of the sun,
and fastened the rope to a spur of rock. The sun struggled until nearly
strangled to death and then gave up, promising Maui that he would go as
slowly as was desired. Maui left the snares fastened to the sun to keep
him in constant fear.

"These ropes may still be seen hanging from the sun at dawn and
stretching into the skies when he descends into the ocean at night. By
the assistance of these ropes he is gently let dow