er Hina had taught him how to know the fire-maker. "If you go
up to the fire, you will find many birds. Only one is the guardian. This
is the small, young Alae. His name is Alae-iki: Only this one knows how
to make fire." So whenever Maui came near to the fire-makers he always
sought for the little Alae. Sometimes he made mistakes and sometimes
almost captured the one he desired. At Waianae he leaped suddenly among
the birds. They scattered the fire, and the younger bird tried to snatch
his banana from the coals and flee, but Maui seized him and began to
twist his neck. The bird cried out, warning Maui not to kill him or he
would lose the secret of fire altogether. Maui was told that the fire
was made from a banana stump. He saw the bananas roasting and thought
this was reasonable. So, according to directions, he began to rub
together pieces of the banana. The bird hoped for an unguarded moment
when he might escape, but Maui was very watchful and was also very
angry when he found that rubbing only resulted in squeezing out juice.
Then he twisted the neck of the bird and was told to rub the stem of the
taro plant. This also was so green that it only produced water. Then he
was so angry that he nearly rubbed the head of the bird off--and the
bird, fearing for its life, told the truth and taught Maui how to find
the wood in which fire dwelt.

They learned to draw out the sparks secreted in different kinds of
trees. The sweet sandalwood was one of these fire trees. Its Hawaiian
name is "Ili-ahi"--the "ili" (bark) and "ahi" (fire), the bark in which
fire is concealed.

A legend of the Society Islands is somewhat similar. Ina (Hina) promised
to aid Maui in finding fire for the islanders. She sent him into the
under-world to find Tangaroa (Kanaloa). This god Tangaroa held fire in
his possession--Maui was to know him by his tattooed face. Down the dark
path through the long caves Maui trod swiftly until he found the god.
Maui asked him for fire to take up to men. The god gave him a lighted
stick and sent him away. But Maui put the fire out and went back again
after fire. This he did several times, until the wearied giver decided
to teach the intruder the art of fire making. He called a white duck to
aid him. Then, taking two sticks of dry wood, he gave the under one to
the bird and rapidly moved the upper stick across the under until fire
came. Maui seized the upper stick, after it had been charred in the
flame, and burned the