Page:Primitive Culture Vol 1.djvu/342

 though he put forth all his strength. What cared Tu-matauenga for his brother's wrath? He it was who ha<d planned the destruction of their parents, and had shown himself brave and fierce in war; his brethren had yielded before the tremendous onset of the Storm-god and his progeny; the Forest-god and his offspring had been broke and torn in pieces; the Sea-god and his children had fled to the depths of the ocean or the recesses of the shore the gods of food had been safe in hiding; but man still stood erect and unshaken upon the bosom of his mother Earth, and at last the hearts of the Heaven and the Storm became tranquil, and their passion was assuaged.

But now Tu-matauenga, father of fierce men, took thought how he might be avenged upon his brethren who had let him unaided to stand against the god of storms. He twisted nooses of the leaves of the whanake tree, and the birds an beasts, children of Tane the Forest-god, fell before him; he netted nets from the flax-plant, and dragged ashore the fish the children of Tangaroa the Sea-god; he found in the hiding-place underground the children of Rongo-ma-tan the sweet potato and all cultivated food, and the children of Haumia-tikitiki, the fern-root and all wild-growing food, he dug them up and let them wither in the sun. Yet, though he overcame his four brothers, and they became his food over the fifth he could not prevail, and Tawhiri-ma-tea, the Storm-god, still ever attacks him in tempest and hurricane striving to destroy him both by sea and land. It was the bursting forth of the Storm-god's wrath against his brethren that caused the dry land to disappear beneath the waters the beings of ancient days who thus submerged the land were Terrible-rain, Long-continued-rain, Fierce-hailstorm and their progeny were Mist, and Heavy-dew, and Light dew, and thus but little of the dry land was left standing above the sea. Then clear light increased in the world, all the beings who had been hidden between Rangi and Papa before they were parted, now multiplied upon the earth 'Up to this time the vast Heaven has still ever remained