Page:Fairytales•Tregear•1891.pdf/16

 he often used to sit by the fire crying, as he ate the oldest and toughest of the birds that had been killed. He became very miserable about being denied his portion of the dainties; and one day, being left behind by his brothers when they set out on a hunting expedition, Hatu crept to the storehouse, and devoured the birds which had been potted in calabashes. When he had eaten till he could devour no more, he went outside the storehouse, broke down branches of the trees, and trampled heavily about the place, so as to make his brothers believe that a war-party had visited the place, and plundered the store. He also wounded himself with a spear, to further carry out the deception, and then lying down as if hurt, awaited his brothers’ return.

When they arrived and found the storehouse plundered, they asked the youth what persons had done this evil, and he told them that a war-party of strangers had been there, and had wounded him. The brothers examined his wounds and dressed them; then they all sat down to eat, poor Hatu only getting his usual share of the worthless morsels which the others did not care for. The tears ran down his cheeks