And at the earliest moment Liliokani took
the eel's head secretly and buried it with much sorrow and weeping, for
the eyes within that lifeless head were Mimi's eyes, and Liliokani knew
that this thing was come of the all-god's wrath.

It was her wont to go each day and make moan over the spot where she
had hid this vestige of her love, and presently Atua pitied her, for
Atua loveth his children upon this earth, even though they sin most
grievously. So, by and by, Liliokani saw that two green leaves were
sprouting from the earth, and in a season these two leaves became twin
stalks and grew into trees, the like of which had never before been
seen upon earth. And Liliokani lived to see and to taste the fruit of
these twin trees that sprung from Mimi's brain--the red cocoanut and
the white cocoanut, whereof all men have eaten since that time. And
all folk hold that fruit in sweet estimation, for it cometh from the
love that a god had unto a mortal woman, and mortality is love and love
is immortality.

Atua forgot not Liliokani when the skies opened to her; she liveth
forever in the star that looketh only upon this island, and it is her
tender grace that nourishes the infant cocoas and maketh the elder ones
fruitful. Meanwhile no woman that dwelleth upon earth hath
satisfaction in tasting the flesh of eels, for a knowledge of Mimi's
love and sacrifice hath been subtly implanted by Atua, the all-god, in
every woman's breast.

II

THE MOON LADY

Once there were four maidens who were the daughters of Talakoa, and
they were so very beautiful that their fame spread through the
universe. The oldest of these maidens was named Kaulualua, and it is
of her that it is to tell this tale.

One day while Kaulualua was combing her hair she saw a tall, fair man
fishing in the rivulet, and he was a stranger to her. Never before had
she seen so fair a man, though in very sooth she had been wooed of many
king's sons and of chiefs from every part of the earth. Then she
called to her three sisters and asked them his name, but they could not
answer; this, however, they knew--he was of no country whereof they had
heard tell, for he was strangely clad and he was of exceeding fair
complexion and his stature surpassed that of other men.

The next day these maidens saw this same tall, fair man, but he no
longer fished in the rivulet; he hunted the hares and was passing
skilful thereat, so that the maidens admired him not only for