lolo is over. The
pupils have been graduated from the school of the halau; they
are now members of the great guild of hula dancers. The time
has come for them to make their bow to the waiting public
outside, to bid for the favor of the world. This is to be
their "little go;" they will spread their wings for a
greater flight on the morrow.

The kumu with his big drum, and the musicians, the ho'o-pa'a,
pass through the door and take their places outside in the
lanai, where sit the waiting multitude. At the tap of the
drum the group of waiting olapa plume themselves like fine
birds eager to show their feathers; and, as they pass out the
halau door and present themselves to the breathless audience,
into every pose and motion of their gliding, swaying figures
they pour a full tide of emotion in studied and unstudied
effort to captivate the public.

DEBUT OF A HULA DANCER

The occasion is that of a lifetime; it is their _uniki_,
their debut. The song chosen must rise to the dignity of the
occasion. Let us listen to the song that enthralls the
audience seated in the rushstrown lanai, that we may judge of
its worthiness.

_He Mele-Inoa (no Naihe)_[38]

Ka nalu nui, a ku ka nalu mai Kona,
Ka malo a ka mahiehie,[39]
Ka onaulu-loa,[40] a lele ka'u malo.
[Page 36] O kakai[41] malo hoaka,[42]
5 O ka malo kai,[43] malo o ke alii
E ku, e hume a paa i ka malo.

E ka'ika'i [44] ka la i ka papa o Halepo;[45]
A pae o Halepo i ka nalu.
Ho-e'e i ka nalu mai Kahiki;[46]
10 He nalu Wakea,[47] nalu ho'ohua.[48]
Haki opu'u [49] ka nalu, haki kua-pa.[50]

Ea mai ka makakai [51] he'e-nalu,
Kai he'e kakala [52] o ka moku,
Kai-ka o ka nalu nui,
15 Ka hu'a o ka nalu o Hiki-au.[53]
Kai he'e-nalu i ke awakea.

Ku ka puna, ke ko'a i-nka.
Ka makaha o ka nalu o Kuhihewa.[54]
Ua o ia,[55] noha ka papa!
20 Nona Maui, nauweuwe,
Nauweuwe, nakelekele.

Nakele