ing out, in one night, all
the fires of his people. This was serious mischief, and Maui's mother
decided that he should go to the under-world and see his ancestress,
Mahuika, the guardian of fire, and get new fire to repair the injury he
had wrought. She warned him against attempting to play tricks upon the
inhabitants of the lower regions.

[Illustration: Hawaiian Vines and Bushes.]

Maui gladly hastened down the cave-path to the house of Mahuika, and
asked for fire for the upper-world. In some way he pleased her so that
she pulled off a finger nail in which fire was burning and gave it to
him. As soon as he had gone back to a place where there was water, he
put the fire out and returned to Mahuika, asking another gift, which he
destroyed. This he did for both hands and feet until only one nail
remained. Maui wanted this. Then Mahuika became angry and threw the last
finger nail on the ground. Fire poured out and laid hold of everything.
Maui ran up the path to the upper-world, but the fire was
swifter-footed. Then Maui changed himself into an eagle and flew high up
into the air, but the fire and smoke still followed him. Then he saw
water and dashed into it, but it was too hot. Around him the forests
were blazing, the earth burning and the sea boiling. Maui, about to
perish, called on the gods for rain. Then floods of water fell and the
fire was checked. The great rain fell on Mahuika and she fled, almost
drowned. Her stores of fire were destroyed, quenched by the storm. But
in order to save fire for the use of men, as she fled she threw sparks
into different kinds of trees where the rain could not reach them, so
that when fire was needed it might be brought into the world again by
rubbing together the fire sticks.

The Chatham Islanders give the following incantation, which they said
was used by Maui against the fierce flood of fire which was pursuing
him:

"To the roaring thunder;
To the great rain--the long rain;
To the drizzling rain--the small rain;
To the rain pattering on the leaves.
These are the storms--the storms
Cause them to fall;
To pour in torrents."

The legend of Savage Island places Maui in the role of fire-maker. He
has stolen fire in the under-world. His father tries to catch him, but
Maui sets fire to the bushes by the path until a great conflagration is
raging which pursues him to the upper-world.

Some legends make Maui the fire-teacher as well as the fire-finder. He
teach