He Kaao no Maniniholokuaua a me Keliimalolo

Legend of Maniniholokuaua and Keliimalolo.

Maniniholokuaua was a man noted for his great strength and fleetness of foot; he lived in Molokai. He was without equal in the carrying of great heavy objects such as canoes and other things. Keliimalolo on the other hand was the greatest runner on the island of Oahu, he being able to make five complete circuits of Oahu in one day; he had no equal on that island as a runner.

Maniniholokuaua lived at Kaunakakai in Molokai, while his lizard grandmother lived in the uplands at a place called Kalamaula, in a large cave which served her as a dwelling place. It was Maniniholokuaua’s custom to steal and carry away to the cave all the canoes and other valuables from the strangers who landed at Kaunakakai.

He kanaka kaulana o Maniniholokuaua, i ka ikaika a me ka mama, no Molokai; aohe ona lua i ke amo i na ukana kaumaha loa, oia ka waa a me na mea e ae. He kukini mama loa hoi o Keliimalolo no Oahu nei, elima puni o Oahu nei ia ia i loko o ka la hookahi ke holo, aohe ona lua ma ia hana o ke kukini. O kahi noho o Maniniholokuaua, o Kaunakahakai i Molokai, aia i uka kona wahi me ke kupunawahine (moo), o Kalamaula ka inoa, he ana nui ko laua hale e noho ai. O kana hana, o ka auamo i ka waa i uka o Kaunakahakai, ke pae mai, me na mea a pau loa.

Keliimalolo of Oahu once upon a time, desiring to visit Molokai, set out in his best canoe taking with him his nets, plenty of food and all other things necessary for the visit, and landed at Kaunakakai, Molokai. As he landed the people of the place called out to him: “Say, Keliimalolo, bring your canoe and leave it in the canoe shed, otherwise it will be stolen by Maniniholokuaua, the boy who steals and carries away canoes.” Keliimalolo then replied: “How can he get away with my canoe, is he a fast runner?” With these words Keliimalolo went to a pool of water, disrobed, left his clothes on the edge of the pool and jumped in for a wash.

O Keliimalolo, no Oahu nei ia, holo aku ia me kona waa maikai me ka upena, a me ka ai, na pono a pau loa, a pae ma Kaunakahakai i Molokai. Kahea mai na kamaaina: “E Keliimalolo, hapai ia mai ka waa a loko nei o ka halau waiho, e lilo auanei ia Maniniholokuaua, ke keiki amo waa o uka nei.” I aku o Keliimalolo: “Heaha ka mea e lilo ai ko’u waa ia ia, he mama no ia?” Hele aku la o Keliimalolo e auau i ka wai, a wehe ae la i kahi malo a me ke kapa, a waiho ma kapa, lele iho auau i ka wai.

Soon after this Maniniholokuaua arrived and approached the canoe. He then patted the sides of the canoe and said: “My canoe, my canoe. I will own this canoe, I will own this canoe.” Keliimalolo answered: “Leave my canoe alone; don’t take it. Leave my canoe alone; don’t take it.” While Keliimalolo was talking, Maniniholokuaua lifted the canoe on his back with everything it contained and ran off at great speed. Keliimalolo upon seeing this came out of the water and chased after the thief; but he was not able to catch up with Maniniholokuaua. As soon as Maniniholokuaua arrived at the cave, he called out: “Open up, O cave.” The cave opened and Maniniholokuaua entered with the canoe. As soon as he was within, he again called: “Close up, O cave,” and the mouth of the cave was closed. No sooner than this was done when Keliimalolo arrived on the outside of the cave and began feeling for an opening; but after hunting in vain he returned heavy hearted.

Ku ana o Maniniholokuaua i ka waa, paipai ana i ka aoao o ka waa: “Ko’u waa! Ko’u waa! A make ko’u waa! A make ko’u waa!” I aku o Keliimalolo: “Uoki kuu waa, mai lawe oe, ea! Uoki kuu waa, mai lawe oe.” Ia Keliimalolo e olelo ana, hapai ae la o Maniniholokuaua i ka waa me na pono a pau loa o luna, a amo ae la, a holo aku la me ka mama loa. Hahai o Keliimalolo mahope me kona mama a pau loa, aohe launa aku mahope o Maniniholokuaua. A hiki ia i ke ana, kahea aku la: “E ana, huaina!” a komo o Maniniholokuaua me ka waa i loko o ke ana. “E ana! poia.” Poia loa iho la ka waha o ke ana. Ia wa, hamo ana o Keliimalolo mawaho o ke ana, oi imi wale i puka, aohe loaa iki, hoi aku la me ke kaumaha.

Because of this loss of his canoe, he immediately returned to Oahu and soon after set out for Kauai, in search of some one who would be able to return him his canoe. He wished to get a good runner. On this trip to Kauai he first landed at Mana; after he landed he carried his canoe ashore and went for a swim. Upon coming to the pool he disrobed and jumped in. Just as he got into the water, Kamaakamikioi and Kamaakauluohia arrived from Niihau. They were the sons of Halulu. These two men were noted for their fleetness and could make ten circuits of Kauai in one day. Being very swift they could run on land and sea and from the earth to the skies. They were greater runners than either Keliimalolo or Maniniholokuaua. As soon as they arrived at the pool they picked up the malo of Keliimalolo and ran away with it. Keliimalolo got out of the pool and started to chase the two to try and recover his malo; but he could not catch up with them. The two ran out onto the sea, on the surface, and when at some distance from the shore they stood and looked at Keliimalolo. Keliimalolo then called out to them, saying: “You two come ashore and let us be friends.” After the two had come ashore Keliimalolo said to them: “You two will be the means of restoring to me what I have lost.” He then related to them his trip to Molokai and how his canoe was stolen by Maniniholokuaua. After the two had listened to the narrative, they said to Keliimalolo: “You return to Oahu and in the nights of Kane, we will come. When you see two narrow pointed clouds hanging in the horizon make sure that the clouds are ourselves and we will come soon after that.” The two then asked Keliimalolo: “Let us all make a circuit of Kauai in one day.” This was consented to by Keliimalolo.

No keia lilo ana o ka waa, hoi mai la i Oahu a holo ma Kauai, e imi ana i makaia, nana e kii ka waa. Eia ke ano o ia huaolelo, makaia, he kanaka mama loa i ka holo. Holo aku la keia a pae ma Mana i Kauai, hapai aku la i na waa a kau i uka, hele aku la e auau, wehe ae la i kahi malo a kapae ma kapa, lele iho la auau i loko o ka wai. Ku ana o Kamaakamikioi me Kamaakauluohia, mai Niihau mai laua, he mau keiki laua na Halulu. He mau kanaka mama laua ma ka hele ana, he umi puni o Kauai i ka la hookahi; no ko laua mama loa, ua hiki ia laua ke holo mai ka aina a ke kai, mai ka honua a i ka lewa, he oi ko laua mama mamua o Keliimalolo a me Maniniholokuaua. Lalau iho la laua i ka malo o Keliimalolo, a holo aku la, alualu aku la o Keliimalolo mahope, aohe launa aku, holo aku la laua la a loko o ke kai ku mai. Kahea aku o Keliimalolo: “Hoi mai olua i uka nei i mau aikane olua na’u.” A hiki mai la laua, i aku o Keliimalolo: “O olua ka ka mea e ku ai kuu makaia.” Hai aku la oia i kona holo ana i Molokai, a me ka lilo ana o ka waa ia Maniniholokuaua.

A lohe laua la. Olelo mai o Kamaakamikioi a me Kamaakauluohia: “Ae, e hoi oe i Oahu, a na po i o Kane hiki aku maua; e kau ana auanei elua opua la o maua ia.” Eia nae, i aku laua ia Keliimalolo: “E kaapuni kakou ia Kauai nei i hookahi la.” Ae mai o Keliimalolo.

Early the next morning they set out on their trip around Kauai. Kamaakamikioi and Kamaakauluohia soon made their first round and overtook Keliimalolo who was still in the course of finishing the first ahupuaa. The two made another round and again overtook Keliimalolo, who was in the second ahupuaa. They made ten rounds of the island of Kauai by evening of the same day; but Keliimalolo was not able to make one round. They were indeed great runners, having no equal. That night they retired together, and on the next morning Keliimalolo set out on his return to Oahu, where he awaited the arrival of his two friends.

I ke kakahiaka, hoomaka lakou e hele i ke kaapuni ia Kauai; hookahi puni o Kauai ia laua nei a hoi aku, e hele ana no o Keliimalolo i ke ahupuaa hookahi, hele hou laua nei a puni o Kauai, hoi hou aku, e hele ana o Keliimalolo i ka lua o ke Ahupuaa. Umi puni o Kauai ia laua nei, ahiahi o ua la nei, aole i puni o Kauai ia Keliimalolo, he kaulele o ka mama o na mama, aole e loaa ka lua. Hoi aku la lakou moe, a ao ae hoi mai la o Keliimalolo i Oahu nei, noho iho la kakali i na aikane.

On the approach of the nights of Kane, Keliimalolo saw two pointed clouds hanging in the horizon; and very soon after this Kamaakamikioi and Kamaakauluohia arrived. They then boarded a double canoe and set out for Molokai. At dawn of that morning they arrived at Kaunakakai and carried their canoe ashore; at the place where Keliimalolo left his canoe on his previous visit. They then set out for the pool to take a bath. While the canoe was still in mid-ocean, Maniniholokuaua looked and saw a canoe approaching; so said to his grandmother, Kalamaula: “There is my canoe, there is my canoe.” Kalamaula replied: “You must not attempt to steal that canoe as I have a premonition that the sons of Halulu of Niihau are on that canoe. If they are on that canoe we will be killed. I have no regrets for myself for I am old; but I am sorry for you, for you are yet young.”

A hiki i na po o Kane, kau ana elua opua i ka lewa, ku ana o Kamaakamikioi me Kamaakauluohia. Kau aku la lakou ma na waa a holo aku la, a owakawaka o ke kakahiaka nui komo i Kaunakahakai, komo lakou nei a pae i ke awa, kau iho la no ka waa i kahi i kau mua ai ka waa o Keliimalolo, kaha aku la hele e auau i ka wai.

Ia lakou nei i ka moana, nana mai la o Maniniholokuaua i ka waa a ike, olelo aku i ke kupunawahine ia Kalamaula: “Ko’u waa, ko’u waa.” I aku o Kalamaula: “Ea! Mai kii oe i ka waa, ke kau mai nei ia’u ka haili o na keiki a Halulu o Niihau; ina oia kela waa, make kaua, aole ou, he heana maikai, owau ka hoi o ka heana ino.”

Maniniholokuaua then set out for the landing. When he got to the place where the canoe was lying, he patted the sides and said: “My canoe, my canoe.” Keliimalolo upon seeing Maniniholokuaua said to his friends: “There is the boy.” Keliimalolo then called out: “Leave my canoe alone; you must not take it.” Heedless of the call, Maniniholokuaua took up the canoe, placed it on his back and ran off at the top of his speed. Kamaakamikioi then said: “I am going after that fellow. If you see a fire burning, it is a sign that I have killed him; you may then come up.” As Maniniholokuaua was almost up to the cave, Kamaakamikioi caught up with him. Maniniholokuaua then called out: “Open up, O cave,” and Kamaakamikioi thereupon called out: “Close up, O cave.” No sooner than the cave was opened it immediately closed again catching Maniniholokuaua and the canoe in its jaws, killing Maniniholokuaua. Kamaakamikioi then called out: “Open up, O cave.” The cave opened and he entered in. He found Kalamaula and she was killed. When he looked about the cave he saw that it was filled with canoes of every description and many things of great value. He then went out of the cave to light the fire, and when the people saw it they all came up to the cave and carried away the valuables; but the people of the whole of Molokai were unable to carry away all of the things in the cave.

Iho mai la o Maniniholokuaua a hiki i ka waa, paipai ana ma ka aoao: “Ko’u waa, ko’u waa.” I aku o Keliimalolo i na aikane: “Aia ua keiki nei.” Kahea mai o Keliimalolo: “Uoki kuu waa, mai lawe oe.” Ko ianei auamo ae la no ia i ka waa a holo me ka mama loa, i aku o Kamaakamikioi: “E! Ke pii nei au a hiki i uka, i a mai ke ahi, ua make ia’u, pii ae oukou.” Kokoke kela i ke ana me ka waa, ku ana keia mahope; kahea kela: “E ana, huaina.” E kahea aku ana keia: “E ana, poia.” Paa pu o Maniniholokuaua me ka waa i ke ana a make iho la. Kahea keia: “E ana, wehe ia.” Komo keia i loko, loaa o Kalamaula, make ia ia nei; i nana aku ka hana ua piha ke ana i ka waa a me na waiwai he nui loa. Oili ae la keia a waho, puku i ke ahi, a a, pii aku la o kai nei; o na waiwai a pau loa o ke ana ka Molokai i amo ai a puni, aole i pau.