Page:Fairytales•Tregear•1891.pdf/109



A time came when the people among whom Maui lived were suffering from scarcity of food and were almost destitute of means of subsistence. The brothers of Maui often went out fishing, but Maui seemed lazy and disinclined to exertion, although the women and children who were hungry grumbled at him incessantly. At last he seemed to be roused from his lethargy and said, “Have I not done many wonderful things for you? This getting of food is a small matter; if I go to get a fish for you it will be so large that you will never be able to eat it all up.” He then prepared his enchanted fish-hook, and attached an unusually strong fishing-line to the hook. His brothers had fastened on the wash-boards of their canoe and had made all their other preparations, but they were angry with Maui for what they thought was his sulky laziness on the former occasions, and would not allow him to get into their canoe. They paddled away to their fishing-ground, where they had good sport, and returned at night to their homes. When it was quite dark Maui went down to the beach and concealed