Note 8 — Introductory material (continued 4)

The men then proceeded to take up all the mats and grass spread on the floor to serve as a covering and left the bare dirt. They then poured water on the dirt and made mud, making it unfit for any person to sit down on. They then called for the boy, saying: “You will surely die now for we have taken up all the covering from the floor leaving it bare.” The boy then entered the house and looked down at the lowest battens, which were next to the ground and then addressed his calabash: “Say, you must sit down here on this part of the floor where it has a covering.” At this the men said: “You are a deceiving young man, there is no covering left on the floor, for we have taken it all up.” The boy replied: “When the framework of this house was put up the battens were put on, beginning with the lowest one called the bottom covering. If so, then why can not I call it a covering.” “And why not? It is a covering because it is laid at the bottom, and furthermore the rest of the battens are fastened above that one,” said the chief. The men said: “The boy may have beaten us in that, but he will never find this our next move.” The men then spread out makaloa8 grass on the floor, then their Niihau9 mats over the grass, then took out their kapas made on Kauai and laid them down, saying: “Die you must, young man, for we have taken everything and left you nothing.” At this the boy reached for his calabash, uncovered it, reached in and took out some kuolohia10 grass and spread it out, then took out a mat, then a covering11 made from fragrant hala blossoms of Puna and spread it out, then an ouholowai12 kapa robe, of Olaa,13 all strongly scented with the olapa.