as pele drew near to the rustic hall where the hula was in full blast, the people in the outskirts of the assembly turned to look in wonder and admiration at the beauty and charm of the stranger who had appeared so unexpectedly and whose person exhaled such a fragrance, as if she had been clad with sweet-scented garlands of maile, lehua and hala. one and all declared her to be the most beautiful woman they had ever looked upon. where was she from? surely not from kaua’i. such loveliness could not have remained hidden in any nook or corner of the island, they declared.

instinctively the wondering multitude parted and offered a lane for her to pass through and enter the halau, thus granting to pele a full view of the musicians and performers of the hula, and, sitting in their midst, lohiau,—as yet seemingly unconscious of her presence,—on his either hand a fellow drummer; while, flanking these to right and left, sat players with a joint of bamboo in either hand (the kaekeeke). but drummer and kaekeeke-player, musicians and actors—aye, the whole audience—became petrified and silent at the sight of pele, as she advanced step by step, her eyes fixed on lohiau.

then, with intensified look, as if summoning to her aid the godlike gifts that were hers as the mistress of kilauea, she reached out her hand and, in a clear tone, with a mastery that held the listeners spell-bound, she chanted:

lu’ulu’u hanalei i ka ua nui,

kaumaha i ka noe o alaka’i,

i ka hele ua o manu’a-kepa;

uoi ku i ka loa o ko’i-alana,

i ka alaka’i ’a a ka malihini, e!

mai hina, mai hina au,

mai palaha ia o-e.

imi wale ana au o kahi o ke ola,

o ke ola nei, e-e!

translation

tight-pressed is hanalei’s throng,

a tree bent down by heavy rain, [6]

weighted with drops from the clouds,

when rain columns sweep through manu’a-kepa,

this throng that has lured on the stranger,

nigh to downfall, to downfall, was i,

laid flat by your trick—aye yours!

my quest was for comfort and life,

just for comfort and life!

the silence became oppressive. in the stillness that followed the song expectant eyes were focused upon prince lohiau, awaiting his reply to the address of the stranger who stood in their midst. no one knew who she was; no one imagined her to be pele. that she was a person of distinction and rank was evident enough, one whom it was the duty and rare privilege of their chief to receive and entertain.

presently there was wrinkling of foreheads, an exchange of glances, prompting winks and nods, inclinations of the head, a turning of the eyes—though not a word was spoken—; for his friends thought thus to rouse lohiau from his daze and to prompt him to the dutiful rites of hospitality and gallantry. paoa, his intimate friend, sitting at lohiau’s right hand, with a drum between his knees, even ventured to nudge him in the side.

the silence was broken by pele:

kalakú hilo i ka ua nui;

kapu ke nu, ke i,

i ka puá o ka leo,

i ka hamahamau—hamau kakou—

i ka hawanawana;

i ke kunou maka;

i ka awihi maka;

i ka alawa iki.

eia ho’i au, kou hoa,

kou hoa, ho’i, e-e!

translation

bristling, frumpy, sits hilo,

drenched by the pouring rain,

forbidden to murmur,

or put forth a sound,

or make utt’rance by speech: [7]

must all remain breathless,

nor heave an audible sigh,

withholding the nod, the wink,

and the glance to one side.

i pray you behold me now:—

here stand i, your guest,

your companion, your mate!

lohiau, once roused from his ecstacy, rose to the occasion and with the utmost gallantry and politeness invited pele to sit with him and partake of the hospitalities of the halau.

when pele had seated herself on the mat-piled dais, lohiau, following the etiquette of the country, asked whence she came.

“i am of kaua’i,” she answered.

“there is no woman of kaua’i your equal in beauty,” said lohiau. “i am the chief and i know, for i visit every part of the whole island.”

“you have doubtless traveled about the whole island,” answered pele; “yet there remain places you are not acquainted with; and that is where i come from.”

“no, no! you are not of kaua’i. where are you from?”

because of his importunity, pele answered him, “i am from puna, from the land of the sunrise; from ha’eha’e, the eastern gate of the sun.”

lohiau bade that they spread the tables for a feast, and he invited pele to sit with him and partake of the food. but pele refused food, saying, “i have eaten.”

“how can that be?” said he, “seeing you have but now come from a long journey? you had better sit down and eat.”

pele sat with him, but she persistently declined all his offers of food, “i am not hungry.”

lohiau sat at the feast, but he could not eat; his mind was disturbed; his eyes were upon the woman at his side. when they rose from the table he led her, not unwilling, to his house, and he lay down upon a couch by her side. but she would favor him only with kisses. in his growing passion for her he forgot his need of food, his fondness for the hula, the obligations that rested upon him as a host: all these were driven from his head.

all that night and the following day, and another night, and for three days and three nights, he lay at her side, struggling with her, striving to overcome her resistance. but she would grant him only kisses. [8]

and, on the third night, as it came towards morning, pele said to lohiau, “i am about to return to my place, to puna, the land of the sunrise. you shall stay here. i will prepare a habitation for us, and, when all is ready i will send and fetch you to myself. if it is a man who comes, you must not go with him; but, if a woman, you are to go with the woman. then, for five days and five nights you and i will take our fill of pleasure. after that you will be free to go with another woman.”

in his madness, lohiau put forth his best efforts to overcome pele’s resistance, but she would not permit him. “when we meet on hawaii you shall enjoy me to your fill,” said she. he struggled with her, but she foiled him and bit him in the hand to the quick; and he grasped the wound with the other hand to staunch the pain. and he, in turn, in the fierceness of his passion, planted his teeth in her body.

at this, pele fluttered forth from the house, plunged into the ocean and—was gone.