Maori Legends New Zealands
How The Kiwi Lost His Wings
How The Kiwi Lost His Wings
Tanemahuta was walking through the forest one day. He looked at his children who were reaching for the sky and he noticed they were starting to get sick, Because the bugs were eating them.
Tanemahuta talked to Tanehokahoka his brother, who called upon all of his kids all together, who were the birds of the air.
Tanemahuta talked to his children.
"My children, the trees are getting eaten. would one of you come down from the forest roof and live on the forest floor, so that your home may be saved, and have my children saved, which one of you will come down?"
Everything was quiet, none of the birds would speak.
Tanehokahoka looked at Tui.
"Tui, would you come down?"
Tui looked up he looked at the trees he saw the sun shinning down on the tree coming though the holes from the leaves, he then looked down at the forest floor and hes saw the cold, dark earth and quivered.
"Tanehokahoka, it is so dark and i am afraid of the dark."
Tanehokahoka looked at Pukeko.
"Pukeko, would you come down?"
Pukeko looked down at the and saw a cold, wet earth and quivered.
"Tanehokahoka, it is too wet and i don't want to get my feet wet."
Everything was quiet, none of the birds would speak.
Tanehokahoka looked at Pipiwharauroa.
"Pipiwharauroa, would you come down?"
Pipiwharauroa looked up he looked at the trees he saw the sun shinning down on the tree coming though the holes from the leaves, he then looked all around and saw his family.
"Tanehokahoka, i am busy building my nest."
Everything was quiet, none of the birds would speak. And Tanehokahoka's heart was in the depths of despair, because he knew if one of his kids do not come down from the forest roof, his brother will loose his kids and the birds would have no home.
Tanehokahoka looked at Kiwi.
"Kiwi, would you come down?"
Kiwi looked up he looked at the trees he saw the sun shinning down on the tree coming though the holes from the leaves, he then looked all around and saw his family. Kiwi looked down at the and saw a cold, wet earth. He looks around one more time he turned to Tanehokahoka and said.
"I will."
Their was so much joy in Tanehokahoka and Tanemahuta, because Kiwi was giving them hope. But Tanemahuta had to be honest with Kiwi of what would happen if he went to the forest floor.
"Kiwi you do know that once you come down to the forest floor you will need to grow big, strong legs so you can rip the logs apart, you will loose your beautiful coloured feathers and wings so you can never go back to the forest roof, you won't ever see the light of day again."
Everything was quiet, none of the birds would speak.
"Kiwi are you going to come down from the forest roof?"
Kiwi looked up once more at the trees he saw the sun shinning down on the tree coming though the holes from the leaves and said a silent goodbye. Kiwi took one last look at his brothers and the birds, their colourful wings and feathers and said a silent goodbye. Kiwi takes one more glance around himself, he goes Tanehokahoka and says,
"I will."
Tanehokahoka turns to the other birds and says,
"Tui, because you were too scared of the dark to come down from the forest roof, now you will wear the two white feathers at your throat to mark you are a coward.
Pukeko, because you didn't want to get wet feet, you will always live in the swamp.
Pipiwharauroa, because you were too busy building your nest, you will never build another nest again, instead you will lay your eggs in other birds nests.
But Kiwi, because of your admired sacrifice, you will be the most known and most loved and admired bird out of all of them."
Drawing of the God Tanemahuta
A picture of the tree New Zealands believe to be the God Tanemahuta
Picture of the Tui with it's two white stipes under his neck
Full drawing of Tui
Picture of the pukeko in the swamp
Drawing of the pukeko in the swamp with its young
Bibliography
Pictures & Drawings
ShiningCuckoo[2013](online) http://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/imagepopup.aspx?width=640&height=640&irn=110739&mode=zoom&title=Shining+Cuckoo+(+Pipiwharauroa)&ack=
-Pic of pipiwharauroa
Blogspot[2013](online) http://sarainz.blogspot.com/2012/01/maori-legend.html
-Pic of Tui
WikimediaCommons[2013](online) http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tui.jpg
-Drawing of Tui
NativeBirdsOfTheNewZealandForest[2013](online) http://labarker.com/NZbirds.html
-Pic of Pukeko
AnneAshby[2013](online) http://www.anneashby.com/pukeko-nest/
-Drawing of Pukeko
RichardMoore[2013](online) http://www.artbyrichardmoore.com/paintings.html
-Pic of New Zealand Heading with Background
Vimeo[2013](online) http://vimeo.com/33681000
-Pic of baby Kiwi
OnlyHDWallpapers[2013](online) http://onlyhdwallpapers.com/tag/kiwi/
-Pic of Kiwi with eggs
NerdBirder[2013](online) http://nerdbirder.com/wordpress/2008/10/29/kiwi-bird-bird-a-day/
-Drawing of Kiwi
I(Heart)Odd-ToedUngulates[2013](online) http://www.iheartungulates.com/sketchbook/page/3/
-Pic of Tree Tanemahuta
MaoriForestGodTanemahuta'sAncientRootsInWaipouaForest[2013](online) http://www.news.com.au/travel/world-travel/maori-forest-god-tane-mahutas-ancient-roots-in-waipoua-forest/story-e6frfqci-1226392750200
-Drawing of Tanemahuta
JaneCrispsArtwork[2013](online) http://janecrisp.vc.net.nz/artist/janecris/Artwork/taneupclose
Videos
Youtube[2013](online) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0aRfSMFAnU
How The Kiwi Lost His Wings
KiwiNewz[2013(online) http://www.kiwinewz.com/html/losewing.htm