Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review Volumes 32 and 33.djvu/58

46 strictly enjoining upon his wife not to wake the urchin lest he should follow and discover the road. Naturally Kijikiji's curiosity was whetted, and for long he sought in vain his father's garden, but coming finally to the conclusion that it must be in the Underworld, he determined to keep a close watch upon his elder's comings and goings. For some time he discovered nothing, but one night, happening to wake, he saw his father take his spade (digging stick) and go out, whereupon he got up and followed, taking care to avoid discovery. The entrance to the Underworld was concealed by a clump of reed, and on reaching this Atalanga looked carefully round, but Kijikiji was discreetly hidden at a safe distance, eagerly watching his father's every movement, though unseen himself. Atalanga seized the reeds, pulled them up by the roots, went down through the opening the plant had concealed, and then reached up his hand and replaced it. After an interval sufficient to allow his father to get well on his way Kijikiji went and pulled up the reed and flung it away, then descended and followed Atalanga. The place where Maui went down is called Tuahalakaho (apparently Behind the road of the reed). Kijikiji followed his father down into the Underworld, taking care that he was not observed, and at last they came to the garden. When the youth reached the place there was his father hard at work, but he himself climbed up a nonu tree, plucked one of the fruit, bit it and threw it at his father. Atalanga picked up the nonu, and looking at it thought that he recognised the tooth marks as his mischievous son's; but, looking all around and seeing nobody, he resumed his work, only to be again disturbed by a tooth-marked nonu. On examining this second missile all doubts vanished. "This," he said, "is in truth the tooth mark of that imp of a boy." Kijikiji then no longer attempted concealment, but called out, "Here I am father." To his father's question as to how he had come there he replied that he had followed him, and further questioned as to whether he had closed the opening he replied less truthfully that he had. Atalanga then called to Kijikiji to come and cut the weeds with him, warning him that he must not look round as he worked. It is almost needless to say that the youth did look round, and