Note 5 — Introductory material (continued 5)

After the birth of Laukiamanuikahiki, Hina and her husband brought her up all by themselves. It was Laukiamanuikahiki’s custom to bring in other children to their home and give them all the food; which action caused her father to get angry and very often punished her. This punishment was kept up by the father for some time.5 Because of this, the child suspected that this man could not be her own father; so she began questioning her mother who her own father was until the mother could bear it no longer. Hina then said to Laukiamanuikahiki: “You go to that cliff; that is your father.” Upon coming to the cliff, she asked: “Are you my father?” The cliff denied this saying: “I am not your father.” The child returned to Hina and begged: “Tell me of my father.” “Yes, you go to that bambu bush, that is your father.” When she arrived at the place, she asked the bambu bush: “Are you my father?” “I am not your father, Makiioeoe is your father, he has gone back to Kuaihelani.” When Laukiamanuikahiki again arrived in the presence of her mother she said: “You have deceived me. Makiioeoe I understand is my father and he has gone back to Kuaihelani. You have hidden this from me.” “Yes, he is your father, and he has left word that you must not come to him without a sign or you will have a terrible suffering. You have to go to him in a red canoe having red sails, red cords, red men and must be accompanied by a large canoe, a small canoe, large men and small men.” Laukiamanuikahiki replied: “I am not going to remain, I am going in search of my father.” “Yes, you may go, but you will have to suffer untold agony. Go until you come to two old women roasting bananas by the wayside. They are your grandmothers, for they are my own mother and aunt. Reach down and take away the bananas and let them search for them until they ask whose offspring you are, then tell them, ‘Your own.’ ‘Ours from whom?’ ‘From Hina.’ Then when they ask you, ‘What brings you our lord6 here to us?’ Tell them, ‘I want a roadway.’ ”