Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 34, Number 11, 1 November 2017 — Keahi'āloa [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Keahi'āloa

By Claire Ku'uleilani Hughes, Dr. PH„ R.D. Early one morning an olel woman was harvesting 'uala (sweet potato) for breakfast. 'Auē! She found several 'uala had been eaten, leaving vines and leaves scattered about the garden! Assuming it was a turtle, the woman called her husband to help locate the culprit. 'Auē! They found a little girl, Keahi'āloa, sound asleep amid the vines. 'Auē! 'Auē! It appeared that the hungry child had eaten hurriedly, then fallen asleep from utter fatigue. Living miles from their

nearest neighbor, they took the girl for their own. Delighted, they 1 named her Honu. i Soon it became clear that Honu possessed gifts of magic and 1 could forsee future events. And when she returned from exploring the mountainside or sledding down grassy slopes, she always returned adorned with sweetscented maile, scarlet lehua 1 blossoms or mokihana. ; Years passed, and Honu revealed her plans to care for her ; elderly parents. They could live 1 like chiefs, she said, if they would follow her guidance. She trekked : to the mountains for 'awa and i taro, returning by noon to eook the taro and pound some into poi. That afternoon, they went fishing ] on the nearby reef. As they pre- 1 pared for sleep, Honu reminded 1 her parents of a stranger's arrival in the early morning. 1 At daybreak, the son of a land 1 agent appeared. The stranger had wandered off the path while inspecting the chief's fishponds : and got lost in the darkness. :

He reached the couple's home, tired and shivering with cold. The eouple welcomed the young stranger, and Honu served food. He asked his hosts if Honu was their daughter, then ventured, "What would you say if I asked for her to become my wife?" The eouple suggested that ask Honu directly. He did, and Honu accepted. The young man returned to his home and announced to his parents that he found a wife. Preparations began immediately on a new grass house, mats, bed coverings, clothes and all things the eouple would need. About this time, Honu's birthparents learned that their child been neglected and lost by aunt. Her father was furious with his sister-in-law and chided his wife for giving his child to irresponsible older sister. He ordered his wife to make 40 fine mats, 40 coarse mats and 40 sheets of fine tapa in 10 days or suffer punishment. Sympathetic

relatives helped her meet the deadline, then she and her husband boarded a eanoe to Kaua'i. While at sea, her father was visited by his 'aumakua, who offered to guide the father to his child, saying her house would have a rainbow resting on it. Five days before the wedding, Honu warned her parents their sleep might be disturbed by rastling sounds and mild vibrations from outside. They might smell smoke and also hear chopping and grinding of stones from outside. Her parents agreed to stay in bed and ignore the disturbances. On the first morning they found two booths, covered with coconut leaves, built beside the house. The next morning, they found carved wooden bowls and platters. On the third night, a huge pile of firewood was out front. And, on the next morning, the firewood was gone and the bowls were fllled with cooked and pounded taro. This confirmed her parent's suspicions that Honu's forest companions were menehune.

They said nothing, as they knew the work was of good spirits. That night they heard the rattling of pebbles on the beach and, in the morning, they found all manner of oeean delicacies had been prepared. As the guests were seated for the wedding, a rainbow appeared above the house, guiding Honu's birthparents to them. Her father wept and declared his love and sorrow for Keahi'āloa's mistreatment. Keahi'āloa told her father of the elderly couple's loving care and her great love for them. Her parents readily consented to her intended husband and the young eouple married the next day. After the wedding feast, Keahi'āloa rose and said, "Children of a younger brother or sister should not be given in adoption to an older sibling, lest they die. An older sibling's child should only be given to a younger sibling so they ean prosper." To this day, descendants of Keahi'āloa adhere to their ancestor's recommendations.B