Wasting no time, Mo'o Kuna headed down the stream with Maui in hot pursuit. Often, the dragon tried to hide himself in some sheltered caves and rocks, but Maui gave him no rest. He speared him out of every cave that he entered. Soon, he dived into some of the deep pools in the river. Mo'o Kuna hoped that he at last was safely hidden. Maui was not to be thus easily fooled. He could see the ugly body far below the surface of the gloomy water. Mo'o Kuna was cornered.
High above the pool, Maui stood with his face lifted upwards toward Halemaumau. He called upon the goddess Pele to send him hot stones and molten lava. Pele heard him. She sent fiery rocks down the stream. Maui cast these into Kuna's retreat. It sent a huge column of steam far above the rim of the gorge, and also caused other nearby pools to boil. These are the Boiling Pots of today. They are sometimes found bubbling, especially when it rains.
Because Mo'o Kuna's body was covered with a tough hide, he somehow managed to crawl and drag himself out of the boiling pool. The monster was nearly exhausted, but didn't stop his flight. With a horrible shriek, he once again made his escape. Maui sent torrents of boiling water after him, scalding at last the life from his ugly body.
Then Maui, proud of his work, rolled the huge carcass down the river to a point below Rainbow Falls, within sight of his mother's home. And there the form of the dragon lies to this day, a long, black, rock island known as Mo'o Kuna. Every freshet, every heavy rain beats upon it as an everlasting punishment for plotting the death of Hawaii's goddess, Hina.
Story originally edited by Eliza K. Osorio. Photography and artwork by Warren Costa
To visit the places mentioned in this story, take a tour with Native Guide Hawaii.
No comments:
Post a Comment