Page:Fairytales•Tregear•1891.pdf/108

 pest, and in his fear he prayed aloud, “Pour down water, dread beings of the sky! save your child and quench these flames that follow to destroy me.” Then, in answer, down came deluges of rain and hail, torrents of water from the great lakes of the third heaven, until the flames were extinguished, and the Fire-goddess herself was nearly drowned. Shrieking in her terror more loudly even than Maui had done, the baffled goddess fled down into her abode among dark caverns. But before she disappeared Maui had seen her throw some sparks, the seed of fire, into certain trees, and when portions of the wood of these trees are rubbed the fire comes forth from them. Thus Maui learnt the art of kindling fire by rubbing wood, and in teaching this to others became the benefactor of his race for ever.