1|Page

How the Kiwi Lost his Wings One day, Tanemahuta was walking through the forest. He looked up at his children reaching for the sky and he noticed that they were starting to sicken, as bugs were eating them. He talked to his brother, Tanehokahoka, who called all of his children, the birds of the air together. Tanemahuta spoke to them. "Something is eating my children, the trees. I need one of you to come down from the forest roof and live on the floor, so that my children can be saved, and your home can be saved. Who will come?" All was quiet, and not a bird spoke. Tanehokahoka turned to Tui. "E Tui, will you come down from the forest roof?" Tui looked up at the trees and saw the sun filtering through the leaves. Tui looked down at the forest floor and saw the cold, dark earth and shuddered. "Kao, Tanehokahoka, for it is too dark and I am afraid of the dark." Tanehokahoka turned to Pukeko. "Pukeko, will you come down from the forest roof?" Pukeko looked down at the forest floor and saw the cold, damp earth and shuddered. "Kao, Tanehokahoka, for it is too damp and I do not want to get my feet wet." All was quiet, and not a bird spoke.

Tanehokahoka turned to Pipiwharauroa. "Pipiwharauroa, will you come down from the forest roof?" Pipiwharauroa looked up at the trees and saw the sun filtering through the leaves. Pipiwharauroa looked around and saw his family. "Kao, Tanehokahoka, for I am busy at the moment building my nest." All was quiet, and not a bird spoke. And great was the sadness in the heart of Tanehokahoka, for he knew, that if one of his children did not come down from the forest roof, not only would his brother loose his children, but the birds would have no home. Tanehokahoka turned to Kiwi. "E kiwi, will you come down from the forest roof?" Kiwi looked up at the trees and saw the sun filtering through the leaves. Kiwi looked around and saw his family. Kiwi looked at the cold damp earth. Looking around once more, he turned to Tanehokahoka and said, "I will." Great was the joy in the hearts of Tanehokahoka and Tanemahuta, for this little bird was

2|Page

giving them hope. But Tanemahuta felt that he should warn kiwi of what would happen. "E kiwi, do you realise that if you do this, you will have to grow thick, strong legs so that you can rip apart the logs on the ground and you will lose your beautiful coloured feathers and wings so that you will never be able to return to the forest roof. You will never see the light on day again." All was quiet, and not a bird spoke. "E kiwi, will you come down from the forest roof?" Kiwi took one last look at the sun filtering through the trees and said a silent goodbye. Kiwi took one last look at the other birds, their wings and their coloured feathers and said a silent goodbye. Looking around once more, he turned to Tanehokahoka and said, "I will." Then Tanehokahoka turned to the other birds and said, "E Tui, because you were too scared to come down from the forest roof, from now on you will wear the two white feathers at your throat as the mark of a coward. Pukeko, because you did not want to get your feet wet, you will live forever in the swamp. Pipiwharauroa, because you were too busy building your nest, from now on you will never build another nest again, but lay your eggs in other birds nests. But you kiwi, because of your great sacrifice, you will become the most well known and most loved bird of them all." The End

3|Page

RATA'S WAKA By Hana Weka

Long ago, Rata wandered sadly along the bank of the stream. He thought of his father who had died. "I must bring him home," thought Rata, "but how am I going to do that?" He stared at the trees in the forest and said to himself, "I need a waka, a canoe that will be big enough to hold many warriors." He walked through the forest looking for a suitable tree. "Miro ... rimu ... kahikatea ... tawa ... tanekaha ... totora. Yes, totora it shall be." Early the next morning Rata returned to the forest and chopped down the totora tree. He left it where it fell and went home to rest. The next day, when he returned, the tree trunk was no longer lying on the ground. There were no chips of wood lying around nor any twigs or leaves. Rata stared at the trees around him and with a start he recognised the totora tree that he had chopped down yesterday. The totora was growing tall and proud again as though it had never been touched. Rata was puzzled and little a fearful. He took up his axe and began to chop down the totora tree again. The chips flew into the air and after a while the totora fell to the ground once more. Rata trimmed the tree trunk. He stripped off the bark and when the night came he returned home. The next morning when he arrived to haul the log out of the forest Rata could not find it anywhere. All he found was the totora tree standing tall and silent. For the third time Rata chopped the tree down. He trimmed it. He shaped it. He began to scoop out the inside of the canoe from the trunk. When night fell, he left the half-formed canoe and returned home.

Later that night, he took down his fighting spear, crept out of his house and quietly stole back into the forest. As he approached he could hear strange singing and he could see light shining through the trees. He held his breath and crept closer. Then he stared in amazement. Birds were scurrying backwards and forwards, carrying leaves and twigs in their beaks. Thousands of insects swarmed all over the log replacing chips and filling up the hollow. And as he watched, the half-formed canoe disappeared and was replaced with a smooth trunk that glowed red in the light. Then the birds scurried around the trunk pushing twigs, leaves and branches on to the rapidly forming tree.

4|Page

Branches that he had hacked and tossed away so carelessly were slowly dragged by hundreds of little creatures towards the fallen totora. Every piece of bark that Rata had flicked off with his axe was hunted for and taken back to the tree. All the while, the strange singing floated in the air above the forest. Rata could not bear to be hidden any longer. He stood up and stepped into the light. At once the singing stopped and the light went out. Rata was alone. "Come back," he whispered. "Come back. I am sorry I cut down the totora tree. Please forgive me. I did not mean to harm it. I just wanted to build a canoe to go and fetch my father. My father is dead and I have to go and find him. Please come back. I can help you lift up the totora tree. I'll do anything you want to make up for what I have done." He began to lift the heavy tree and then all at once he felt it move, turn slowly, lift off the ground and then settle on the stump he had cut it from. Rata put his arms around the tree and said, "please forgive me, totora, I did not think I was harming you when I cut you down." And as he held on to the tree, he felt thousands of little legs run over his body and on to the tree trunk. Rata shut his eyes for a moment and then very slowly bent down until he was able to pick up the little creatures and lift them into the tree. When the dawn came, Rata was alone. The totora tree was whole again. Every little creature had disappeared. "I shall never cut down another tree again." said Rata. "You may," said a voice close to him. "But you must ask Tane Mahuta, god of the forest and birds, for permission. He created all these trees and birds for Papatuanuku the Earth Mother. Ask him when you want to use any of it." Rata turned to see who was speaking. There was no one beside him. With a sigh, Rata turned to go home promising that he would not disturb the totora tree any more. His heart leapt when he saw a war canoe sitting on logs that stretched in an endless line through the forest. "Mine?" he whispered. "Yes," replied the voice. "Rata's waka." The End

5|Page

TINIRAU AND HIS PET WHALE Tinirau was a great chief, famous throughout the land for his handsome looks and his noble bearing. But he was even better known for his school of whales. When he called them, they would come and play off shore, cruising round in circles and blowing spray through their vent holes. His favourite was Tutunui, the largest of his whales. Tinirau liked nothing better than to climb upon his back and ride him through the breakers, and out into the stormy sea. He would look down on the flying waves and feel safe, as if he were on an island. Now Tinirau had a son and, when the boy came of age, he wished to have him properly baptised, so that he would grow into a great warrior, like himself. His people made special preparations for a feast, and friends from miles around arrived to take part in the celebrations. Kae, who was a priest of the highest rank, was invited to conduct the service, and on the day of the feast he and his followers arrived in a canoe. After the service was over, there was much feasting and merriment, but at last the supplies of food ran out. Kae was about to depart when Tinirau rose and said, "Wait, there is more to eat." Then Tinirau stood on the shore and began calling, "Tutunui, Tutunui! Come at once. I need you." "Who are you calling?" said Kae, shading his eyes and looking out to sea. "There is nobody out there." But Tinirau went on calling, until the sea heaved and swirled, as the huge bulk of Tutunui, streaming with water, rose into view. Tinirau went up to him and, to Kae's astonishment, cut off a large slice of his flesh. "He is so big," said Tinirau, "he will never miss it." He gave the flesh to the women, and they cooked it, and gave a piece to Kae, who swore that he had never eaten flesh that had tasted better. But now it was time to go. Kae, who had an evil plan in his mind, went up to Tinirau and said, my home is far away, and my friends must miss me. Lend me your whale so that I can get home quickly." When Tinirau looked doubtful, Kae said, "Who baptised your son? Was it not I? Lend me your whale. It is but a small favour that I ask of you." Tinirau was very reluctant to lend his whale, but he did not wish to offend Kae by refusing, for as well as being a priest, Kae was a magician who had the power to harm him, if he chose to. "Very well," he said, "but you must be careful, especially as you approach land. The whale knows when it is not safe for him to go further. As soon as he gives a shake, you must get off. If you stay on his back, he will keep going until he becomes stranded in shallow water, where he will die." "I understand," said Kae. "I shall do nothing to exchange him." Then he climbed on to the back of the huge beast, and it seemed no time before he was approaching the shore of his village. There was his carved meeting-house looking handsome in the sunlight. There were his children running down to the shore, shouting and pointing their fingers at the strange sight of their father on the back of a whale. He felt the whale give a shake, but he took no notice. The children were close now, and were coming closer. The whale gave another shake, but now it was too late. He had gone to far and was well and truly stranded.

6|Page

What a feast was held that night in Kae's village! The rich smell of cooked flesh rose from the ovens, and was carried by the wind far along the coast to where Tinirau was standing, waiting for his pet to return. "Alas!" he said. "That is the sweet smell of Tutunui that the north wind brings to me." And he went to his house and wept, and his sisters gathered round and wept with him. When he had recovered from his grief, Tinirau resolved to avenge the treacherous killing of Tutunui. He ordered his sisters to go in search of Kae. "Search every village, if you must," he said. "But find him, and bring him to me alive. Travel as entertainers, and no one will suspect the true purpose of your mission." "We shall gladly go," said his sisters. "But you must tell us how to recognise him, for in his country there are many people." "Kae has such crooked teeth that he is ashamed of them, and rarely opens his mouth. Therefore, to recognise him you must make him laugh." Tinirau's sisters left by canoe. They travelled through Kae's country, performing at each village that they came to, but nowhere was there any sign of Kae. It seemed that their search would be fruitless, and then one evening they came to a village in a remote part of the coast. As they passed through the gate, they heard the rattle of bones. Something told them that they were the bones of Tutunui rattling in recognition of their presence. The sisters were made welcome by the people of the village, and asked to perform for them. They went into the meeting-house and there they saw a man whom they suspected was Kae himself. He was sitting at the foot of the main post that supported the ridge-pole. He was covered to the chin with mats, and his head was lowered. Determined to make laugh, the sisters performed their comic dances and told bawdy jokes. The audience roared with laughter but Kae's head remained lowered. They then put on their most grotesque performance, full of comic eye-rollings, grimaces, indecent gestures and contortions of the body, until even Kae could not contain himself, but burst out laughing. The search was over! Kae's crooked teeth had given him away. The sisters at once ceased their dance, and began to utter a powerful incantation. It grew louder and louder, until it sounded like a rushing wind, and when it died away everyone had fallen asleep everyone, that is, except Kae. His eyes were still glinting in the flickering light from the dying fire. But the sisters were not deceived. They went forward and shook Kae gently by the shoulder, and his head slumped forward, and two pieces of iridescent paua shell fell on to the ground. He had placed them in his eyes to make them believe he was still awake. The sisters lost no time. They tied him up in a mat and carried him down to their canoe, and paddled back to their village. They took him to Tinirau's house, and placed at the foot of the main post that supported the ridge-pole, so that when he awoke he would think he was still in his own house. Then they woke him up. "Kae," they said, "where are you?" Kae woke up and said, "Why, in my own house! Where should I be?" "Kae, look about you, and tell us again where you are."

7|Page

And Kae looked about him, and nothing that he saw outside was familiar. Then he knew he was doomed, and he hung his head and began to wail. When he looked up, Tinirau was standing before him, a club raised in his hand. Before he brought it down, he cried, "Did Tutumui make so loud a noise when you slaughtered him?" Then Tinirau killed Kae, and afterwards ate him. And thus was Tutunui, his pet whale, amply avenged.

8|Page

RATA AND HIS CANOE The great chief Rata needed a canoe. It had to be large and strong, able to withstand the pounding of breakers and the buffeting of heavy seas. For the journey that Rata had planned was to a distant part of the country, where, he was told, lay the bones of his father. It would be a sacred journey, for the intended to bring back his father's bones for burial in his own village. Rata spent much time searching for a suitable tree. It had to be a noble tree, with a straight, bare trunk that rose sixty or seventy feet in the air before spreading out into branches. He searched far and wide, and then one day he found his tree. Dwarfing its companions, it stood erect as a king, surrounded by his courtiers. He ran his eye approvingly up the massive trunk. A breeze moved gently through the leaves, sunlight broke through, and all at once Rata saw clearly the shape that his canoe would take. It was already there, imprisoned in the wood, and he alone would set it free. Rata went back to his village. He looked through his kit of stone adzes and chisels, and carefully chose the right tools for the job. Then, well contented, he lay down on his mat and went to sleep. Next morning he set out early, before the sun had risen high enough to touch the tree tops, and was soon at work. He took his sharpest adze and, without any ceremony, began to attack the tree. Chips began to fly as he hacked away at the base of the tree. Then suddenly the job was done. The great tree crashed with a roar through the undergrowth. Working quickly, Rata next attacked the top part of the tree, so that it soon fell away with all its branches, leaving the main trunk to be shaped into a canoe. Rata paused, then seeing that the sun was low in the sky, he packed up his tools and went home. He had no sooner left, than out they came from their hiding places -the teeming multitudes of birds and insects, who are the children of Tane. Indignant at the lack of respect shown by Rata to the god of the forests they uttered this incantation: "The chips fly, The roots fly. They are nearby, They are sticking, They become a tree again." Immediately, with the help of the birds, the trunk stood upright on its stump and the branches returned to their former positions. Meanwhile the insects were busy, Each had a job to do. Every chip, every fragment of leaf, no matter how small, had to be put back in place. In a moment the tree was standing as before, looking as if nothing had ever happened to it. Next morning when Rata arrived, he looked about him in bewilderment. He had come to the right place. Of this he was certain. But where was the tree that he had cut down yesterday? He looked up and rubbed his eyes. Then he looked again. He was not mistaken. The tree was standing upright, as when he first saw it. Perhaps he had only dreamt he cut it down. No matter. He put the puzzle from his mind, and once more set to work. He cut the tree down, trimmed the branches off, and hollowed out the trunk. He worked steadily until the proud shape of a great canoe began to emerge. Then, as night was coming on, he stopped work and went backs to his village.

9|Page

Again, as soon as the he had left, the children of Tane came hurrying out. As before, they chanted their incantation, never resting until once more the tree was back in place. It was a very baffled man who returned next morning. He stood awhile, undecided as to what to do, then he shrugged his shoulders and once more faced the tree. The chips began to fly, and the mystery was soon forgotten in the sheer joy of carving. Evening came all too quickly. Rata gathered his tools together and went away. But instead of going home he hid himself in some bushes, and waited. They came from everywhere - rustling, whirring, scurrying, flying. They gathered round his canoe and chanted: "Leave it, leave it, O Rata You have cut it ignorantly The sacred grove of Tane The chips fly, The roots fly, They are near, They are sticking They become a tree again." Rata saw the trunk stand upright and the branches rise into place. He saw a blizzard of flying chips, as the tree rapidly returned to its former shape. The mystery was explained. He rushed out angrily and took hold of some of the creatures as they were leaving. "I have caught you!" he cried. "Why are you meddling with my tree?" "The tree belongs to Tane," they replied. "You did not ask him for permission to cut it down." Then Rata was ashamed and hung his head, and said nothing. The children of Tane saw that he was penitent, and felt sorry for him. "Go home," they said, "and leave the tree to us. We shall build your canoe for you." Rata then went home and slept, and when morning came he returned to the forest. There she was, exactly as he had imagined she would be when he first saw the tree. Sixty-foot long, superbly carved and decorated, she was a canoe fit for the sacred purpose that he had in mind. Overjoyed at his good fortune, Rata made offerings to great Tane, god of the forest, and then began preparations to move his canoe down to the sea.

10 | P a g e

TE KANAWA AND THE FAIRIES Te Kanawa, a chief of the Waikato, listened uneasily to his uncle's warning, although he tried to shrug it off with a laugh. "It is easy to laugh now," said his uncle, shaking his head, "but men as brave as you once spent the night on Pukemore. They were found next morning, wandering on the lower slopes of the mountain. They had gone mad." "Have you ever seen the fairies?" asked Te Kanawa. "No-but I have heard they are not like us. Their hair and skin are light in colour, and their eyes are blue. They wind along the bush tracks in their thousands, their voices endlessly shrilling, like cicadas on a sun-lit hillside." "What do you want me to do?" asked Te Kanawa. "Give up the kiwi hunt?" "All that I ask Te Kanawa," said his uncle, "is that you leave the mountain before dark." Soon afterwards Te Kanawa left for Pukemore, with a party of hunters and dogs. As he made his way up the steep bush tracks, his uncle's words were so much on his mind that he kept glancing uneasily about. Then the first kiwi was flushed out by the dogs, and the hunt was on. In the excitement that followed, the fairies were forgotten. The hours passed quickly, with the dogs barking, and the hunters dashing after them through the undergrowth and then crying out in triumph as they captured the brown wingless birds, which they prized for their feathers. Then, suddenly, Te Kanawa realised to his horror that it was growing dark. Too late now to go down the mountain! In half an hour it would be too dark to see the track. He thought of the sheer bluffs and deep ravines that they had passed on the way up, and decided that they had no choice but to spend the night on the mountain. As for the fairies - well it was better not to think of them! It was now growing cold as well as dark, and so Tekanawa and his party built a fire, cooked and ate some kiwi flesh, and then lay down between the enormous roots of a very large tree. The others were soon asleep, but Te Kanawa lay awake for a while, watching the firelight flickering on the tree trunks. The cry of a kiwi caused his pulse to leap, and he reached for his greenstone club and took it under his mat. The familiar feel of the cold worn handle was very comforting, and, still gripping it, he fell asleep. It was the dogs that heard them first. They began to whimper and move about restlessly, waking up all the party. Then Te Kanawa heard them, and, from the frightened looks on his companions' faces, he knew that they had also heard them. Although almost paralysed with fear, he forced himself to throw wood on the fire. The flames flared up, and he noticed that the dogs, which had stopped whimpering, were trembling uncontrollably under some bushes. They were coming nearer! At first Te Kanawa had heard only the high-pitched humming sound of thousands of voices that distance had merged together, but now he could distinguish many different voices - all shrill, all excited. Laughing, shouting, screaming, they swarmed about the camp until they had surrounded it - then they fell silent. Te Kanawa found this far more frightening than the uproar. There they were - just as his uncle had described them! Inquisitive as birds, they were pressing forward to get a good look at him. Te Kanawa jumped to his feet and threw more wood on the fire. A ripple of annoyance passed through the throng, as the flames drove them back.

11 | P a g e

But, regardless of the flames, they began to press forward once again, until they stood in a circle round Te Kanawa, looking at him with obvious pleasure. Then, chattering excitedly, they withdrew, allowing others to come forward. Before long they withdrew, allowing others to come forward. Before long the hordes of fairies were milling around in their eagerness to look at him. Te Kanawa was extremely handsome, but it never occurred to him that his appearance might be the cause of their admiring glances. He thought the fairies had been attracted by the jewels he was wearing. They were priceless family heirlooms and he hated the thought of having to part with them. But he sensed a growing menace, and he was convinced that he had no time to lose if he were to prevent something terrible happening to him and his companions. A hush came over the assembly as he undid his greenstone earrings and placed them on the ground. He placed beside them his beautiful greenstone tiki, the little carved figure that he wore round his neck. Then very carefully, so as not to cause alarm, he seized a stick and with it gently pushed the jewels towards the nearest group of fairies. "Ah!" The huge assembly cried out in pleasure. Then they came forward, cautiously at first, then helter-skelter, all gesticulating, laughing and talking eagerly. They paused as they approached the jewels, then their leaders fell on their knees, reached down and picked up, not the jewels themselves, but their shadows. They murmured reverently as they gazed upon them, then they passed them back to their followers. The shadows of the jewels were quickly passed from hand to hand amid a chorus of delighted exclamations, until they had disappeared into the back of the crowd. Te Kanawa was never quite sure what happened next. In a moment he and his companions found themselves alone. The dogs got up and stretched, then lay down again, as if nothing had ever happened. Te Kanawa was suddenly very tired. He pulled his mat about him, yawned and was soon asleep. They wasted no time getting off the mountain in the morning with their precious feathers. The kiwis multiplied, and there was always a demand for their feathers, which were used in making mats for high-born chiefs and their families, but Te Kanawa and his companions never again set foot on Pukemore.

12 | P a g e

The Magic Macadamia Nuts by Margo Fallis

Ekewaka lived with his mama on the big island of Hawaii. They lived in a little grass hut and slept on the dirt floor, on top of mats made of woven palm leaves. Ekewaka went fishing every day so that he and his mama would have some food to eat. Each morning, his mama picked bananas, mangoes and papaya from the trees and gathered coconuts that had fallen to the ground. Ekewakas favorite thing to eat was macadamia nuts. Hed only tasted them a few times, but he remembered their delicious taste. Hed often dream about his mama dropping nuts into his mouth, one after another, and never, ever running out. One morning, when the sky was blue and the gentle trade winds were blowing softly across the island, Ekewaka went for a walk along the beach. He had gotten up early to hunt for seashells for his mama. She love to put them around the hut and sometimes made necklaces out of the small ones. He had collected an armful of big shells and was on his way home when three older boys came running towards him. They stopped in front of Ekewaka and one of them knocked the beautiful shells out of his hands. They dropped onto the sand. The boys picked them up and threw them back into the water where the waves carried them back out to sea. Ekewaka stood silently, watching the shells disappear. He noticed one of the boys take a handful of macadamia nuts. The boy noticed Ekewaka staring at them. "What are you looking at? Oh, so you see my magic macadamia nuts, do you?" he asked, winking at his two bully friends. "These are magic nuts. If you plant them, a big palm tree will appear and it will grow huge coconuts made of gold. Would you like these macadamia nuts, Ekewaka?" he teased. "How can macadamia nuts turn into coconuts?" he asked. "Theyre magic. Since my friends tossed your seashells away, Ill be the nice one and give you my magic nuts," the boy said, placing them in Ekewakas hands. "Now be sure to plant them. Dont eat them." Ekewaka ran home quickly, holding the nuts tightly in his hand. The three bullies laughed at him as he ran away. "Stupid Ekewaka," one of them called. "What a fool!" said another. None of the boys knew those really were magic nuts. Ekewaka wanted to eat the nuts. He was hungry and they looked delicious, but he ran straight home. Using his hands, he dug a deep hole in the rich, brown earth. He dropped the magic macadamia nuts into the hole and covered them up, patting the dirt down gently. He was about to run and find his mama, but decided to wait and surprise her with the golden coconuts. His mama walked into the little shack carrying some bananas and a coconut. She was wearing a few pretty red hibiscus and plumeria blossoms behind her ear, tucked in her hair. "You were awake very early this morning, Ekewaka. Did you go for a walk on the beach?" she asked. "I went to find you some sea shells," he answered. He didnt want to tell her about the bullies. Quickly changing the subject, Ekewaka asked, "Can I have some coconut milk?" His mama took a large knife and chopped the top off the hairy, brown coconut. It was filled with white, watery milk. She handed it to him and he slurped it down. She peeled a banana and shared it with her son. "Will you catch us a fishfor supper tonight?" she smiled. Ekewaka nodded yes. Some

13 | P a g e

days he tired of eating bananas, coconuts and fish. He watched his mama as she gathered the washing. She hung it out on a vine to dry. He remembered cutting the vine and tying it to the trees for her. Ekewaka felt sad that his mama had to work so hard. "Soon she wont be tired or sad any more," he whispered. While his mama worked out in the garden, Ekewaka went back to the beach and caught a fish for supper. That night he stood at his bedroom window and watched the moon shine down on the mound where the magic nuts were buried. The next morning Ekewaka jumped up from his palm-leaf mat. He ran to the window and there stood a huge palm tree full of coconuts. His eyes opened wide with excitement. He shook his mama awake. "Mama, come and see the tree." "Where did that come from?" she asked. She saw the thick gathering of coconuts at the top. "Ekewaka, I dont know how that coconut palm got there, but please climb up and gather some of those big ones," she begged. He ran outside and climbed the tree. He hit two of them and they fell to the ground. They looked like normal coconuts to him. He climbed down and carried them into the shack and gave them to his mama. She chopped the stringy green husk off and she reached in to pull the smaller coconut out. She let out a gasp. "Its a golden coconut." It shone and sparkled with the suns rays. It looked like a coconut with two holes. When she hit the holes, coconut milk spilled out, but there was no meat inside, just pure, solid gold. She began to laugh. Ekewaka laughed with joy as he poured the coconuts rich milk into his mouth. "Climb up and get the other coconuts, Ekewaka," his mama said. He cut a few more down. She chopped them open and they were all made of gold. Just as he climbed down from the tree with the last coconut in his hand, the tree disappeared. All that was left was the small mound of dirt hed buried the macadamia nuts in. He dug up the hole. The nuts were gone. There was nothing there. Ekewaka went back into the grass shack. His mama was crying. "Whats the matter, Mama? Arent you happy?" he asked. "Im happy, Ekewaka. Never again will we be poor. Never again will we be hungry or have to catch our own fish or gather papaya," she sobbed. "With these golden coconuts, we can have all the things we need, and more." And they did. Ekewaka could have all the macadamia nuts he wanted from them on. And he did. His mama could have all the mangoes, guava and pineapple that she wanted. And she did. She could buy herself a brand new muumuu and Ekewaka a pair of sandals. And she did. They could live happily ever after. And they did.

14 | P a g e

Kimo and the Tiki by Margo Fallis Kimo carefully carried a piece of sandalwood that his teacher had given to him at school. The whole class would be carving their own tikis and the best one would win a prize. The piece of wood was about two feet long and a foot wide. It had been awkward carrying it home, but luckily it wasnt a heavy wood. "Im home, Mama and Papa," he called, opening the front door. "What have you got there?" his papa asked, taking the wood from his sons arms and putting it on the table. "I have to make a tiki for school," he answered. "Would you like me to help you draw up some plans and designs?" his papa asked. "No, Papa. I have my own ideas," Kimo replied and went to his room. He took a piece of paper and drew a picture of what he wanted his tiki to look like. He wanted it to have a lot of teeth and narrow eyes with bushy eyebrows slanting towards a pointed nose. It would have war paint on its cheeks and circles carved around the eyes. The next day he took his picture to school. The teacher had the children show their drawings to the class. She liked Kimos. She thought it looked authentic. When he went home that night he had to ask his mama and papa what authentic meant. "It means that your tiki needs to look like the tikis did long ago. It has to look real," Papa explained. Each day after school Kimo spent an hour carving his tiki. It was hard work and he had to be very careful not to cut himself. He had to use sharp objects to carve the sandalwood. His mama and papa insisted on watching him as he carved, just in case. His mama would sit and make flowery leis with plumerias, orchids and hibiscus while she watched him carve his tiki. Kimo didnt like the smell of all the flowers. When his papa supervised, hed practice his drums. He told Kimo how their ancestors had been great warriors and had beaten the drums when preparing for battle. Kimo loved listening to the drums, but sometimes wished that he could be alone when he did his carving. The weeks went by and Kimo finished his tiki. He added stripes to the cheeks to resemble war paint and then it was complete. He stood back and looked at it. It was kind of scary. The eyes frightened him. Kimos parents told him what a good job he had done and that it was one of the best tikis theyd ever seen. Rain fell all night. Papa told Kimo hed better take the tiki into the house or else the rain would cause it to swell up and ruin it. He helped him carry it into Kimos room. "Are you sure you want it in your room?" his papa asked. Kimo insisted it be put on top of his desk, which was right next to his bed. Kimo lay in his bed, surrounded by darkness. His eyes kept wandering to the tiki. Its eyes were even more frightening in the dark. He turned his back towards it so he wouldnt have to look at it, but he could still feel those scary eyes looking at him. He pulled the covers over his head and tried to listen to the breeze blowing through the trees, but still he could feel those tiki eyes staring at him. He put his pillow over his head, trying to block out all the images and light, but still, no matter what he did, all he could see was the tikis face. He finally fell asleep. In the wee hours of the morning he woke up again. The moon was shining brightly into his room and right onto the tiki statue. The moonbeams lit up the eyes. Kimo screamed. Mama and Papa came running into this room. "Mama, take the tiki out of my room,

15 | P a g e

please?" Kimo begged. Mama gave Papa a secret little smile. "Kimo, I tried to warn you that tikis dont belong in bedrooms. Im sorry, son," Papa said. He picked it up and carried it out of Kimos room. He put it on the floor by the front door. Kimo slept well the rest of the night. The next morning he carried the tiki to school. He passed other children carrying theirs. Kimo looked at them and thought that his looked better. In class, the teacher asked all the children to put their tikis in a row against the wall. Each child carried theirs over and set it down on the floor. Nobody knew which one belonged to who, neither did the teacher. She walked around the room, passing by all the tikis, looking at each one carefully. When she sat back at her desk, she said, "Ive made my decision. I like this one the best," and picked up Kimos tiki. "It looks like an authentic tiki." Kimo smiled. He knew what authentic meant now. "Whose tiki is this?" the teacher asked. Kimo stood up and walked to the front of the room. The teacher told the other children that their tikis were very good. She explained that they would all be put on display in the front hall of the school, but since Kimo won, his tiki would be in the center, on a pedestal for all to see. The other children were happy for Kimo. His was the best and they all agreed. He felt so proud because he had work so hard and did it all by himself. He heard a lot of the other children say how scary the eyes looked. That afternoon Kimo went home and told his mama and papa about winning the contest. Mama gave Kimo a new hat that she had made for him. He was glad it was made of palm fronds and not flowers. Papa gave Kimo his own new knife so that he could carve more pieces of sandalwood. When Kimo went to bed, the wind was howling. He thought he heard conch shells blowing and the murmuring of warriors on their way to battle. At one time he thought he felt the presence of the great king Kamehameha in his room, telling him how proud he was. When Kimos mama and papa snuck in to have one last look at their son that night, they noticed the proud smile on his face. "Good night, my little Kimo," Mama whispered. They tiptoed away and shut the door softly behind them.

16 | P a g e

Brer Rabbit Falls Down the Well A Georgia Folktale retold by S. E. Schlosser One day, Brer Rabbit and Brer Fox and Brer Coon and Brer Bear and a lot of other animals decided to work together to plant a garden full of corn for roasting. They started early in the morning and raked and dug and raked some more, breaking up the hard ground so it would be ready for planting. It was a hot day, and Brer Rabbit got tired mighty quick. But he kept toting off the brush and clearing away the debris 'cause he didn't want anyone to call him lazy. Then Brer Rabbit got an idea. "Ow!" he shouted as loudly as he could. "I got me a briar in my hand!" He waved a paw and stuck it into his mouth. The other critters told him he'd better pull out the briar and wash his hand afore it got infected. That was just what Brer Rabbit wanted to hear. He hurried off, looking for a shady spot to take a quick nap. A little ways down the road, he found an old well with a couple of buckets hanging inside it, one at the top, and one down at the bottom. "That looks like a mighty cool place to take a nap," Brer Rabbit said, and hopped right into the bucket. Well, Brer Rabbit was mighty heavy - much heavier than the bucket full of water lying at the bottom. When he jumped into the empty bucket, it plummeted right down to the bottom of the well. Brer Rabbit hung onto the sides for dear life as the second bucket whipped passed him, splashing water all over him on its way to the top. He had never been so scared in his life. Brer Rabbit's bucket landed with a smack in the water and bobbed up and down. Brer Rabbit was afraid to move, in case the bucket tipped over and landed him in the water. He lay in the bottom of the bucket and shook and shivered with fright, wondering what would happen next. Now Brer Fox had been watching Brer Rabbit all morning. He knew right away that Brer Rabbit didn't have a briar in his paw and wondered what that rascal was up to. When Brer Rabbit snuck off, Brer Fox followed him and saw him jump into the bucket and disappear down the well. Brer Fox was puzzled. Why would Brer Rabbit go into the well? Then he thought: "I bet he has some money hidden away down there and has gone to check up on it." Brer Fox crept up to the well, listening closely to see if he could hear anything. He didn't hear anything. He peered down into the well, but all was dark and quiet, on account of Brer Rabbit holding so still so the bucket wouldn't tip him into the water. Finally, Brer Fox shouted down into the well: "Brer Rabbit, what you doing down there?" Brer Rabbit perked up at once, realizing that this might be his chance to get out of the well. "I'm fishing down here, Brer Fox," says he. "I thought I'd surprise everyone with a mess of fresh fish for lunch. There's some real nice fish down here." "How many fish are there?" asked Brer Fox skeptically, sure that the rascally rabbit was really counting his gold. "Scores and scores!" cried Brer Rabbit. "Why don't you come on down and help me carry them out?" Well, that was the invitation Brer Fox was waiting for. He was going to go down into that well and get him some of Brer Rabbit's gold. "How do I get down there?" asked Brer Fox.

17 | P a g e

Brer Rabbit grinned. Brer Fox was much heavier than he was. If Brer Fox jumped into the empty bucket at the top, then Brer Rabbit's bucket would go up, and Brer Fox's bucket would go down! So he said: "Jest jump into the bucket, Brer Fox." Well, Brer Fox jumped into the empty bucket, and down it plummeted into the dark well. He passed Brer Rabbit about halfway down. Brer Rabbit was clinging to the sides of the bucket with all his might 'cause it was moving so fast. "Goodbye Brer Fox," he shouted as he rose. "Like the saying goes, some folks go up, and some go down! You should make it to the bottom all safe and sound." Brer Rabbit jumped out of the well and ran back to the garden patch to tell the other critters that Brer Fox was down in the well muddying up the waters. Then he danced back to the well and shouted down to Brer Fox: "There's a hunting man coming along to get a drink o' water, Brer Fox. When he hauls you up, you'd best run away as fast as you can!" Then Brer Rabbit went back to the garden patch. When the thirsty hunter hauled up the bucket full of water, a wet and shaky Brer Fox sprang out and ran away before the hunter could grab for his gun. An hour later, Brer Fox and Brer Rabbit were both back in the garden, digging and hauling away debris and acting like nothing had happened. Except every once in a while, Brer Fox would look sideways at Brer Rabbit and grin, and the rascally rabbit would start to laugh and laugh 'cause both of them had looked so silly plummeting up and down in that old dark well.

18 | P a g e

Heron and the Hummingbird A Native American Myth (Hitchiti Tribe) retold by S. E. Schlosser Heron and Hummingbird were very good friends, even though one was tall and gangly and awkward and one was small and sleek and fast. They both loved to eat fish. The Hummingbird preferred small fish like minnows and Heron liked the large ones. One day, Hummingbird said to his friend: "I am not sure there are enough fish in the world for both of our kind to eat. Why don't we have a race to see which of us should own the fish?" Heron thought that was a very good idea. They decided that they would race for four days. The finish line was an old dead tree next to a far-away river. Whichever of them sat on top of the tree first on the fourth day of the race would own all the fish in the world. They started out the next morning. The Hummingbird zipped along, flying around and around the Heron, who was moving steadily forward, flapping his giant wings. Then Hummingbird would be distracted by the pretty flowers along the way. He would flit from one to the other, tasting the nectar. When Hummingbird noticed that Heron was ahead of him, he hurried to catch up with him, zooming ahead as fast as he could, and leaving Heron far behind. Heron just kept flying steadily forward, flapping his giant wings. Hummingbird was tired from all his flitting. When it got dark, he decided to rest. He found a nice spot to perch and slept all night long. But Heron just kept flying steadily forward all night long, flapping his giant wings. When Hummingbird woke in the morning, Heron was far ahead. Hummingbird had to fly as fast as he could to catch up. He zoomed past the big, awkward Heron and kept going until Heron had disappeared behind him. Then Hummingbird noticed some pretty flowers nearby. He zip-zipped over to them and tasted their nectar. He was enjoying the pretty scenery and didn't notice Heron flap-flapping passed him with his great wings. Hummingbird finally remembered that he was racing with Heron, and flew as fast as he could to catch up with the big, awkward bird. Then he zipped along, flying around and around the Heron, who kept moving steadily forward, flapping his giant wings. For two more days, the Hummingbird and the Heron raced toward the far-distant riverbank with the dead tree that was the finish line. Hummingbird had a marvellous time sipping nectar and flitting among the flowers and resting himself at night. Heron stoically kept up a steady flap-flap-flapping of his giant wings, propelling himself forward through the air all day and all night. Hummingbird woke from his sleep the morning of the fourth day, refreshed and invigorated. He flew zip-zip toward the riverbank with its dead tree. When it came into view, he saw Heron perched at the top of the tree! Heron had won the race by flying straight and steady through the night while Hummingbird slept. So from that day forward, the Heron has owned all the fish in the rivers and lakes, and the Hummingbird has sipped from the nectar of the many flowers which he enjoyed so much during the race.

19 | P a g e

Little Snow Girl Russian folk tale retold by Vladimir Dahl Once upon a time there was an old man and his wife, who had no children, no grandchildren at all. One feast day they went outside and watched other people's children making snowmen and throwing snowballs at one another. The old man picked up a snowball and said to his wife: "If only you and I had a little daughter as white and chubby as this, wife!" The old woman looked at the snowball, shook her head and said: "Well, we haven't and there's no getting one now, so there!" But the old man took the snowball into the cottage, lay it in a pot, covered it with a piece of cloth and placed it on the window-sill. When the sun rose, it warmed the pot and the snow inside began to melt. Suddenly the old couple heard a lisping sound in the pot under the piece of cloth. They ran up to take a look, and there in the pot lay a little girl, as white and chubby as a snowball. "I am Little Snow Girl, rolled from the snow of spring, warmed and browned by the sun of spring," she said to them. The man and his wife were beside themselves with joy. They took her out, and the old woman began sewing her some pretty clothes, while the old man wrapped her in a towel, rocked her and sang this lullaby: Sleep, Little Snow Girl, sleep, Our tasty bun so sweet, Rolled from the snow of spring, Warmed by the sun of spring. We'll give you drink a-plenty, We'll give you food galore, And make you such a pretty dress And teach you four times four. . So Little Snow Girl grew up, a joy to the old couple. She was good and clever, as little girls are in fairy tales, but very rarely in real life. Everything was going well for the old couple and their livestock. The cattle got through the winter safely, and in spring they put the chickens back into the yard. But no sooner had the moved them from the house to the hen-coop, than the trouble started. A fox came up to the old man's dog Zhuchka, pretending to be ill, and begged her in a whining voice: "Dear little Zhuchka of the white paws and silky tail, please let me go and warm up in the hencoop!" Zhuchka had been with the old man in the forest all day and she didn't know that the old woman had put the chickens back into the coop. So she took pity on the fox and let her in. The fox killed two chickens and dragged them off home. When the old man found out, he gave Zhuchka a beating and drove her out of the yard. "Be off with you," he said. "You're no good to me as a watchdog!" So Zhuchka left the old couple's house, whimpering, and only the old woman and Little Snow Girl felt sorry for her.

20 | P a g e

Summer came, the berries ripened, and Little Snow Girl's friends asked her to come berry-picking in the forest with them. The old man and his wife would not hear of it. But Little Snow Girl's friends promised faithfully not to let go of her hand, and Little Snow Girl herself begged the old couple to let her go berry-picking and see what the forest was like. So in the end they gave her a basket and a piece of pie and let her go. The girls set off holding Little Snow Girl's hand, but as soon as they got to the forest and saw all the berries, they forgot about everything else and ran off in all directions, picking berries and hallooing to one another. They filled their baskets with berries, but lost Little Snow Girl in the forest. Little Snow Girl called out, but no one replied. The poor mite began to cry. She tried to find the path, but got even more lost than before. So she climbed a tree and shouted: "Halloo! Halloo!" Up came Bear, crunching the dry branches and bending the bushes. "What's the matter, my pretty one?" "Halloo! I'm Little Snow Girl, rolled from spring snow and browned by the spring sun. My girlfriends asked my grandparents to let me go with them into the forest, but now they've left me all alone!" "Come down," said Bear. "I'll take you home." "No, Bear," Little Snow Girl replied. "I won't go with you. I'm afraid of you. You'll eat me!" So Bear went away. Up ran Grey Wolf. "Why are you crying, my pretty one?" "Halloo! I'm Little Snow Girl, rolled from spring snow and browned by the spring sun. My girlfriends asked my grandparents to let me go berry-picking with them in the forest, and now they've left me all alone!" "Climb down," said Wolf. "I'll take you home!" "No, Wolf, I won't go with you. I'm afraid of you. You'll eat me." So Wolf went away. Then Fox came up. "Why are you crying, my pretty one?" "Halloo! I'm Little Snow Girl, rolled from spring snow and browned by the spring sun. My girlfriends asked my grandparents to let me go berry-picking with them in the forest, and now they've left me all alone!" "Never mind, my poor little pretty one! Come down quickly, and I'll take you home!" "No, Fox of the honeyed words. I'm afraid of you. You'll lead me to Wolf or give me to Bear. I'm not going with you!" Fox began stalking round the tree, looking at Little Snow Girl and trying to lure her down, but the little girl would not go. "Wuff, wuff, wuff!" barked a dog in the forest. "Halloo there, Zhuchka!" cried Little Snow Girl. "Halloo, my darling doggy! It's me, Little Snow Girl, rolled from spring snow and browned by the spring sun. My girlfriends asked my grandparents to let me go berry-picking with them in the forest, and now they've left me all alone. Bear wanted to carry me off, but I wouldn't go. Wolf wanted to take me away, but I refused. And Fox tried to lure me down, but I wouldn't be tricked by her. But I'll go with you, Zhuchka!" At the sound of the dog barking, Fox turned tail and fled for dear life. Little Snow Girl climbed down the tree. Zhuchka rushed up, licked her face all over and set off home with her. Bear was hiding behind a tree-stump, Wolf was skulking in a glade and Fox was lurking in the bushes. Zhuchka barked loudly, and they were so frightened that they dared not come close.

21 | P a g e

They arrived home, and the old couple wept for joy. They fed Little Snow Girl, put her in her nice cosy bed and sang: Sleep, Little Snow Girl, sleep, Our tasty bun so sweet, Rolled from the snow of spring, Warmed by the sun of spring. We'll give you drink a-plenty, We'll give you food galore, And make you such a pretty dress And teach you four times four. Zhuchka was forgiven. They gave her a nice saucer of milk and put her back in her old kennel to guard the house again. Collected and edited by Michael Terletski

22 | P a g e

Some say the creation of the Russian nesting doll began in Japan. But there is another tale that we share here. Russian nesting dolls were first created in the late 1800's by a Russian man named Murmantov. The idea for the dolls was based on an old Russian nursery tale. That old tale went something like this . . . Once upon a time, a long time ago, there was a very little girl named Oksana who loved to run down the mountain. But she never went alone. Oksana always took one of her sisters with her. There were wolves on the mountain. One day, all the women in her family were busy making brightly colored scarves to wear in the coming festival. Oksana's big sister had lovingly made a very small scarf, just the right size for Oksana. "There you go, my little sister," smiled Oksana's biggest sister as she tied Oksana's new scarf under her chin. Oksana was very happy. She gave her biggest sister a hug of thanks and danced outside. Oksana swirled and twirled and spun around. "Stay close to the house," her mother called absently through the open door of the house. "Yes, mother," Oksana said obediently. The ties of her scarf danced in the breeze. It was such a lovely day. Swirling and twirling, she moved farther and farther away from home without even noticing. Inside the house, her middle sister stood up and stretched. She leaned out the window to take a deep breath of clean mountain air. Way in the distance, she could see a colorful speck swirling and twirling in the breeze. Her eyes narrowed. What was it? Could it be? Oh no! Shouting to her mother and grandmother and sisters, Oksana's middle sister flew down the mountain. Her sisters ran quickly behind her. Her mother ran swiftly behind them. Her grandmother forgot her aches and pains and ran panting behind them. When they all reached little Oksana, they hugged her tightly. Oksana's eyes widened nervously when she realized how very far away from home she had wandered. If not for the love of her family, she would have been all alone on the mountain. If the wolves had noticed, well, better not to think about the wolves. Oksana and her sisters and her mother and her grandmother all walked up the mountain, happy together.