The King and the Fairies

ON Maui's island, many years after it was fished up from the bottom of the sea, and when the forests had grown and the land was peopled, there lived a King who was good to his subjects and thought constantly of their welfare.

Off the shores of the island fish were plentiful. Shoal after shoal swam past the headlands mil- lions crowded up the rivers. Through the long summer the people fished the fish that were not eaten fresh were dried in the sun and strung for winter use.

But the only method of catching fish these people knew was that of the line and hook. It was slow work, in spite of the numbers of fish, for they could catch only a few at a time they were forced to see the rest of the shoal go by uncaught. They often grumbled at the slowness of the work, but they never thought of any better method.

The King thought much on the subject, how- ever. One day, after listening to the grumbling of his fishermen, he set himself to work to devise some new and better method. He lay awake all night; he spent three days in puzzled thought over the matter, but no plan came to him. At last, tired of trying, he gave it up."I cannot find a new way," he told the fishermen. That night he had a dream. He dreamt that a voice said: Go north. There you shall find what you seek The dream was so vivid, the voice so real, that he could not forget. He told his people about it, saying, "I will go north." The people begged him not to go."Dark forests and bitter enemies lie to the north,"they said. "Besides, a dream may mean nothing. If you must go, we go with you."

"That cannot be," replied the King. " You must not leave your homes undefended."

Neither can we allow you to go north un- defended,"cried his men.

The King perceived their earnestness and their love for him. "Perhaps, after all, the dream meant nothing," he said. "I will wait to see if it comes again." He went hunting, and thought no more of the matter.

That night the dream came again. Go north to find what you seek," the voice said. "Go alone, and go now."

"It must mean something," thought the King, starting up. "I will go now, while my people are asleep."

He threw his beautiful cloak of feathers over his shoulders, found his weapons of the chase, and crept softly past his sleeping people out into the night. "I must hasten," he thought,"so as to be far away before morning. My people mean kindly, but the voice said, Go alone,"and alone I will go till I find what I am seeking." He set out, full of courage. During the night he travelled over the country he knew. When day came he rested or hunted his food. Each night he went on again, till he reached the dark forest. Here he travelled by day, for fear of lurking enemies.

Food was plentiful. He snared or speared wild pigeons and tuis, caught fish in the rivers, gathered bramble and fuchsia berries.

At last he came out beyond the forest. Another day's journey brought him to the end of the land. He stood on a low-bushed hill below lay a little bay with a beach of white sand beyond that was the open sea.

"I cannot go further north," he thought. Yet, where is the thing I seek I will wait, to see what may happen." He lay down between the bushes and rested, watching.

Night came. The drowsy birds went twitter- ing to their nests, the moon rose over the hills. Presently, from far across the sea, floated singing sweeter than any uttered by mortal tongues. Enraptured with the sound, the King sprang up. Round the bend of the bay came a fleet of fairy boats, decked with flowers. In the boats, some rowing, all singing, were troops of fairies.

Reaching the beach, the fairies sprang to shore and pulled their boats on to the white sand. Then they dragged something from each boat and threw it into the sea, shouting gaily: In with the nets, brothers This is a good fishing-place."

Nets what are they thought the King. "Something to do with fishing, evidently. Ah, this must be what I was sent to see."

He crept softly down the side of the hill, keep- ing in the shadow. As he reached the beach the fairies drew in the nets, and he caught his breath with wonder. The nets, of shining silver threads, were filled with leaping, flashing fish, gleaming in the moonlight like spangled dancers of the deep.

"Clear the nets! In with them again!" cried the fairies.

They gathered the fish and strung them on threads of flax, laughing, chattering and singing all the time. Then into the sea again the nets were cast.

The King watched, creeping nearer and nearer, but always in the shadow. "I must see how those nets are made," he said.

At last he stood amongst the fairies, unseen because the moon had slipped behind a cloud. He began to haul at one of the nets, helping the fairies to pull it to the shore. When it came to land he seized one end and tried to see how it was made. The knots were hard to understand.' He was still puzzling over them when the fairies said: "In with the net again." He had to let it go.

He walked to the next net as it came up, but still he could not see how the knots were made. He grew so interested in the nets that he forgot about the moon, till suddenly a cry rose from the fairies: "A mortal A mortal is amongst us ! "

He looked up. The cloud had passed, the moon shone full upon him, the fairies were flying in dismay to their boats. They sprang in, pushed off, and rowed far out to sea, leaving the King alone on the empty beach.

He turned sadly shorewards. All is lost," he said. "I have nothing to take back to my people. A little longer, and I should have found the secret of those knots."

His foot caught in something-he almost fell. Stooping, he saw to his great joy that a net lay at his feet. In their hurried flight the fairies had forgotten it.

He gathered it up with thankful hands."The voice spoke truly," he whispered, this is indeed what I sought. Now I can teach my people to make nets."

When morning dawned he set off on his home- ward journey. At each resting-place he practised the knots with strips of flax, until by the time he arrived at home he was ready to teach his people how to make them.

The land was filled with joy at his return, for the people had mourned him as dead. He showed them the net and told of his adventure with the fairies. He taught them the knots he showed them how to make nets for themselves. Then they all went fishing with their new nets, catching hundreds of fish where in former times they had caught twos and threes, and storing up a plentiful supply for winter use. So the good King obtained a blessing from his people. To this day they use the nets he taught them first to make.