Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review Volumes 32 and 33.djvu/402

94 They fell back, crying, "Sir, how may we arise?" Then Na Arean called to him Riiki that great Eel and said, "Sir, thou art long, and taut: thou shalt lift the heavens on thy snout." Riiki answered, "It is well." So he coiled himself in the midst beneath the heavens. He raised his snout and heaved from below. Lo the heavens moved, and as they moved Na Arean called aloud, saying, "Lift, lift." But Riiki answered, "I can no more, for heaven cleaves to the underworld."

Then said Na Arean to Na Kika (Sir Octopus), "Strike forth with thine arms. Heaven cleaves to the underworld." Na Kika answered, "I strike, I strike."

He said again to Baka-naaneku and Te-auanei (two Sting-rays), "Slide sideways and cut. Heaven cleaves to the underworld." They answered, "We cut, we cut."

He said again to Tabakea (the Turtle), "Heave with thy back." He answered, "I heave, I heave." He said again to the Wave his brother, "Surge from beneath." He answered, "I surge, I surge." And he said again to the children of Sand and Water, "Push, thou," " Blow, thou," "Roll, thou," "Let go, thou." And all obeyed his word. So Riiki the Eel raised the heavens aloft and the earth sank under the sea. And as Riiki lifted, Na Arean called to him, "Tabekia riki, tabekia ri-iki (Lift it more, lift it mo-ore)." Therefore his name is Riiki to this day, in memory of Na Arean's word.

Then Na Arean said to Riiki, "Let be, it is enough." He answered, "How may I let be? If I stand from beneath, the heavens will fall again." So Na Arean called four women and said to them, "These be your names: Make-north, Make-south, Make-east, Make-west. Go hold the four corners of heaven, for you are its supports." They went, and their feet became roots, as it were the roots of mighty trees, so that they might not again be moved. So the heavens stood on high, and Na Arean said to Riiki, "Thy work is done." Riiki answered, "It is