Note 3 — PREFACE. (continued 5)
Reading edition
One day Opelemoemoe felt sleepy, and said to his wife, Kalikookalauae: “I am falling off to sleep, so don’t attempt to wake me up. If our friends should come don’t disturb me; if fortune should come do not awaken me; if you should be in danger, don’t arouse me; and don’t ever complain, but just leave me alone and don’t wake me up, for I have placed a kapu over it.” Opelemoemoe then fell off to sleep. This sleep was continued for ten days,3 and still another ten days. At this extraordinary length of time taken up in his sleep, Kalikookalauae said to herself: “How strange this is! I had no idea of the length of time you were going to sleep, but I see you sleep like a dead person.” She then tried to wake him up; she shook him, poured water in his eyes, made some noise and still he slept on. She then called for her brothers, Popoloau and Kawaikoi, and her servants Poo and Mahamaha, to come in. When they arrived she said: “The chief is dead; let us wrap him up and carry him off and cast him into the sea.” The brothers and men then did as they were told, and cast him into the sea. Opelemoemoe slept on as though he was on land, never once moving. In this sleep the fish came around and ate his skin.