The Fish of Maui
Adapted by Louise Judd from a
book by Peter Gossage
Maui had magical powers and was much better at
everything than his four foster-brothers Roto, Mua, Pae and
Taha.
They had planned to go fishing the next
day but had not told Maui, as they were
jealous and did not want him to come.
Early next morning, Maui hid himself in the
bottom of his brothers’ canoe. His brothers
laughed as they set off, little knowing that Maui
Nukurau (the trickster) was going with them.
They paddled out beyond the breakers until they
found a good place to fish, but it was not good
enough for Maui Atamai (the quick-witted). He sprang
from his hiding place in the bottom of the canoe!
The brothers, still shocked by Maui’s magical
appearance, obeyed his order to paddle on. On
and on they paddled. They begged Maui to stop,
but he would not.
All night Maui paddled by the light
of Marama, the moon, while his
brothers slept, exhausted.
The next morning, when the sun rose, Maui said
“Stop”. He took the magic jawbone of his ancestor
and threw it out over the ocean as far as he could
throw it. Then he started to pull.
Maui ran across the new land to get back his fish
hook. He told his brothers to leave the fish alone so it
would stay nice and flat. As soon as he had gone, the
brothers took their taiaha and began to chop at the
body. The huge fish began to struggle.
When Maui came back, the fish was
now a jagged mass of valleys and
mountains.
Te Ika a Maui means The Fish of Maui. It is the North
Island of New Zealand and it looks a little like a
stingray. Have you ever seen a stingray? Have you
ever visited the North Island?