Princess of Manoa and Other Romantic Tales
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Princess of Manoa and Other Romantic Tales from the Folk- lore of Old Haw aii Mrs Frank by . R. Day r Howar Illust ated by D. d Hitchcock Let us still honor the romance of th whether be the h d you , it c il dreams o f th e pre sen t or the a e - v s n of the It r c i io s past. is ' eaven to the d s d m l worl wis o . P aul Elder an d ! ompany San Francisco and New ! ork ’ To F e r n an de r s Ifis tax-y of th e P l n e sian I lan d to M r . o y s s , ’ “ Dagge t s Ha wauan Myth s an d to various n a tive fi'ie n ds ar e d ue th e th an ks for th e in cidah ts o f th e following List of Chapters The Prinoees of M anoa Thé Well of Last Resom'oe ’ A King s Ransom The Story of the Eight Islands The Forest of Haina Kolo The lsland of Demons The M aid of the Twflight The P rincess of Manoa F ALL the little valleys that cut into the mountain range of old Oahu on its southern slope, that a is l of M noa the most beautifu . It cleaves the very heart of the hills where the peaks are highest, where they are so high that the white clouds slip down over their e k h ads and loo , for all the world, like the white ruffled cap of an - is old fashioned grandmother. It always cool and for the of fresh, the wind, tempered in shadows f o the cli fs, sings thr ugh a pass in the mountains, r and, catching the clouds at rest, whi ls them away out to sea drapping rain in sudden showers n o the valley . It was at the head of this valley that long ages a o i of - g H ne, spirit the rain clouds, and Kani, her who od a to husband, was g of the winds, c me live. one ai They had child, Kaha, a young m d whom ow all the gods loved, and whom the great and p erful od of sea for to g the had asked , be the wife of his son i ri of sea , Kauh , p nce the But Kaha was only a happy sprite who cared not the least for who of f i Kauhi, but loved best all a swi t fl ght - of i in the cloud chariot H ne, when, driven by the n i n winds of Ka i, it skimmed over the sh ni g green far out was earth and above the blue ocean . It such fun to Spy out the little grass huts of the a - e rth folk, and pour down swift gusts of rain, just to see the people scurry to shelter. n low the One day, however, scuddi g so that al the clouds most caught tree tops, they met a an d breeze just in from the sea, stopped a moment above a group of young earth- folk who were drag i ging their sleds up a long, smooth, grassy h ll, and laughter. ! ! Oh, she they are going to do ! begged. “ now we i Not , dear, will spoil the r sport if w we . et . stay See, their sleds are already As on i to they passed , a w ld shout came up an d air them from below, the little princess, look u ing back wistf lly, saw the whole merry company down the s10pe in the bright sunshine ; and for the she was— she first time she felt that well, did not was n know exactly what, it so new a sensatio , but somewhere inside of her there was a queer place i that felt l ke a hole . Many times after that she caught distant of one d glimpses them, but day she pleade so hard that Hine stopped her chariot above the hill where the earth- people were eagerly discussing the fine f ’ points o the young chief s new sled. Down h s drenching their sleds, while their brown s oulder w shone in the et like polished bronze. for never been there before, the young chief, 2 The P rincess of Manoa throwing back his fine head until his eyes looked ’ — straight up into Kaha s though that he did not — know shook his clenched fist at the cloud , and r t own then, sta led at his daring, turned and sped f his a ! to cover a ter companions. Poor little K ha She had just been thinking how much finer he looked than Kauhi who wanted to marry her n i e k Back m her home o the h gh mountain p a , ’ there was still somethin g so odd about Kaha s eyes - that the air people asked what had happened. Hine knew, and wisely said nothing ; but she took Kaha and retired to the other side of the great t i ti of moun a n, and for a long me the little valley a Mano parched in the hot tropical sun, and the l so rol waterfal s, that had always been noisy and i as lick ng they leaped from the rocks, shrank to al t ri was tiny streams and mos d ed up. The air so still that not a leaf in all the valley stirred ; the heat rose in blue crinkles even to the t0ps of the the - cocoanut trees, and earth folk went about slowly with heavy eyes and parted lips. But the other side of the great peaks was dark a hi and dre ry. Kaha missed the sunshine ; she s v ered in the M p mountain shadows and grew listless and sad The air- folk gathered together and told their wildest tales to amuse her ; but she t ti though ried hard to please them, her pi ful tt droo li le mouth would p instead of smile. Some — times she did not even hear them so intently was she n listening for some sou d from the valley. The P rincess of Ma noa n down into Manoa when a great cloud, de se and in al dark, gathered about her, shutting her one, t out sk i the . and blo ting the y, the mounta ns, valley She thought she heard sobs and a low moan that s u she a - out o nded like a farewell, and c lled , but her own voice was deadened by the thick mist she Presently the cloud moved, felt herself lifted fiom her seat, and gently borne down, down, until her feet touched the earth. earth maid with scarlet flowers in her long black was of hair. Her dress the finest and softest tapa ; around her waist was a girdle woven of the tiniest iridescent shells ; while clasping her neck and smooth arms were many strands of the same bril f s a liant gems o the e . z for She stood a long time, da ed, the earth i n w was n looked so d fferent o that she really o it . she The trees were taller than had thought, and the grass softer. She took a few steps ; a delicious n ew sense thrilled up through her little bare feet — wh was she alm o s t and filled her y, what this felt n ow for the first time —something within her that seemed to hold more joy than she ever had So she tr ipped on over the springy grass sing to i ing a song quite new her, singing in a vo ce that sounded at times like the sweetest whisper of an d of the wind, again like the gentle patter rain 4 drOps until she foun d herself close to the very “ group of young earth - folk sh e had s o often az a in i e — Startled, they all g ed t her s lenc the — sons and daughters of the lesser chiefs because dress and ornamen ts proclaimed her of the most But Mahan son of their r at chief of chiefs a g e , he who had dared to shake his han d threaten any one so beautifuLand his heart pounded so at “ ! es is braver and mor e beautiful than Kauhi , he , of the sea- son g od. ’ Shame on my father s people that we treat an i l Will not oin a str g er so d soour teous y. you j us ! If you have come from the other side where the mountains are like walls of roclg you have f r ll never known the pleasures o ou hi sides. What shall we call you ! ” “ f —t I am Kaha, and I come rom here, point “ in t n M a o too! v g o the mountai s. y I g , I ha e h she always wanted to, but and t en stopped, afraid that if she told them that she did not truly i u n ti ik h s have a beaut f l, brow , sa ny skin l e t eir , The P rincess of Manoa of for in front her, and said, almost breathlessly, he was still somewhat confused ! You have come a long way. My sled shall - wa l f half y up the hi l be ore he could overtake her, ’ in on Mahana s tions burn g tongue, but on his lips of ur only words co teous hospitality.