Maui lived on a beautiful island in the middle of the Pacific, with his mother and father. Surrounded by the sea and with as much fish and coconuts as they could eat, life was good. Or it was for Maui. However, Maui couldn’t help but notice that his mother – Hina – spent all day rushing about on the beach.
“Mumma, Mumma,” he called. “Have you forgotten, we live on a beach? Come, relax, have a cup of coconut.”
But Hina looked up at the sky, “No time, Maui, no time,” she said. “The Sun charges through the sky at such speed. I must get this Kapa dry before he is gone.”
Kapa was a material, made from the bark of trees. Maui’s mother used it to make clothes to sell at the market.
“Oh, come now, Mumma,” Maui gave her his best smile. “Surely, you can spare a minute or two to sit with your favourite son?”
But Hina shook her head. “Sorry, son, that sun…” she pointed to the sky. “Belts through the sky so fast, I have no time to spare.”
Maui tutted, “Suit yourself,” he said and laid back in the warm sand. Maui didn’t believe his mother had no time to relax. If he could laze around all day and still be a hero, surely, she could lay out a few bits of bark and then enjoy her life.
“She must be disorganised,” Maui decided. “I bet if I watch her for a whole day, I can work out where she’s going wrong.” Maui was sure he could make his mother’s life better. “I bet all she needs is a few time management tips.
The next day Maui sat under a palm tree and watched his mother. She did not stop once. No sooner had she finished setting down the bark to dry than the Sun began its descent and she had to fetch it all in again.
“Huh,” Maui muttered. “I guess my mumma was right. The Sun is going too fast.” Well, he could fix that. Maui jumped up and bounded up a nearby mountain. “Oi! Burny-beams!” he called.
The Sun paused in its race to the horizon and turned its light on Maui. “Are you talkin’ to me?” There wasn’t anyone else in the sky.
“Yeah, roasty-rays, slow down, would you? Give us time to chill-ax?”
The Sun had already had its eyes on the horizon. “Sure, sure,” he called, charging off. “I’ll slow down tomorrow.”
The next morning, Maui whistled as he prepared a lovely breakfast of fresh fruit and fish for his mother. With the Sun promising to take his time, Maui was determined his mother was going to have a nice relaxing day.
“Mumma, Mumma. Come, put your feet up. Enjoy a little pineapple.”
But Hina looked up at the sky and saw the Sun hurtling towards the horizon. “No time, son,” she said. “That Sun will be gone before we know it.”
Maui frowned up at the sky. Instead of slowing down, the Sun was travelling even faster than usual. This was not acceptable. Maui stormed up the mountain. “Hey, Shiny-shafts! What’s the hurry?”
“Woo hoo!” the Sun streamed past. “Look at me! I’m like a supersun, blink and I’m gone!”
“Oh, come on,” Maui shouted. “Just ease off a bit, you’re going way too fast.”
“Uh uh! No such thing!” the Sun whizzed on. “I wanna go faster. I wanna be as fast as sound.” And the Sun burned brighter and harder, pushing on across the sky.
“Hey!” Maui jumped from mountain to mountain, chasing after the Sun. “Slow down!”
“Make me!” the Sun laughed. “Oh, that’s right. You can’t. See ya! Wouldn’t wanna be ya!” And with that the Sun glimmered and gleamed over the horizon.
“Fine!” Maui was not one to turn down a challenge and he wasn’t about to let the Sun get the better of him. “I will make you,” he said. “All I need is a really, really, really strong rope.” But where could Maui find a rope strong enough to tame the Sun? “I’ll make one myself,” he said. And Maui set about his task.
First, he gathered a cluster of coconuts and tore the thick fibres from the outside.
“Just time for a little coconut shake break,” he slurped down the coconut milk, then dove into the ocean. Down he swam, until he came to the palace of his sister, the Sea Goddess.
“Hey, sis, look! A sea serpent!” Maui pointed to some seaweed behind her and when his sister turned to look, Maui plucked a handful of her hair from her head.
“Owwww!” she cried, whirling around to get him. But Maui was already swimming away. Using long, spindly needles from the Silversword plant, Maui weaved the hair and the fibres together, making sixteen of the strongest ropes ever made.
“Whoooshhh!” called the Sun as he blazed through the sky. “Just call me the Rapido-Orb!”
“Catchy,” Maui muttered.
The Sun was having so much fun moving so fast, he didn’t take any notice of Maui. He knew there was no one brave or foolish enough to take him on.
Maui waited until the Sun had set. “Hey, pearly-plate,” he called to the moon.
“Are you talking to me?” the Moon went crimson at the sight of him. She’d always had a massive crush on Maui.
“Do me a favour, twinkly-chops, let me know when the Sun’s coming back,” Maui gave her a dazzling smile.
“OK,” the Moon shimmered. That night she shone brighter than usual. Maui used her light to help him see in the dark. Because he also needed the help of…
“Psst, Nighty-night,” Maui called. The Night had always had a soft spot for Maui. She agreed to help him, “Anything to teach that Sun a lesson.”
So, under the cover of night and with the Moon at his back, Maui laid sixteen traps for the Sun.
“That ought to do it,” he said, just in time.
The first rays of sunlight crept over the horizon and straight into Maui’s trap.
“Hey! What the…?” Once the Sun was rising, he couldn’t pull back. One by one his streams fell into Maui’s traps. “Oi! Let me go!” he shouted. But it was too late, the Sun was caught and Maui held firm to the ends of the ropes. “Not until you agree to slow down,” he said.
“Noooooo!” whined the Sun. “I like going fast.”
“Then you’ll never go anywhere again,” Maui said with a grin and sat down on the beach, where there were a few stray coconuts for him to drink.
The Sun wriggled and squirmed and twisted and turned trying to get free, but it was no good. Maui’s ropes were too strong.
“OK, OK, I’ll make you a deal,” the Sun said, eventually. “I’ll slow down half the time, if I can go fast the other half?”
Maui finished his coconut. “Deal,” he said and cut the Sun free.
From that day on the Sun travelled slowly across the Pacific for half the year, making the days stretch for hours. The people called this time of year the Summer. The other half of the year, the Sun whizzed through the sky, quick as a flash, they called this time of year winter. In the winter, Maui’s mother would rush around getting everything done, but in the summer, she would relax, take it easy and enjoy living life on the beach.
The End
“Mumma, Mumma,” he called. “Have you forgotten, we live on a beach? Come, relax, have a cup of coconut.”
But Hina looked up at the sky, “No time, Maui, no time,” she said. “The Sun charges through the sky at such speed. I must get this Kapa dry before he is gone.”
Kapa was a material, made from the bark of trees. Maui’s mother used it to make clothes to sell at the market.
“Oh, come now, Mumma,” Maui gave her his best smile. “Surely, you can spare a minute or two to sit with your favourite son?”
But Hina shook her head. “Sorry, son, that sun…” she pointed to the sky. “Belts through the sky so fast, I have no time to spare.”
Maui tutted, “Suit yourself,” he said and laid back in the warm sand. Maui didn’t believe his mother had no time to relax. If he could laze around all day and still be a hero, surely, she could lay out a few bits of bark and then enjoy her life.
“She must be disorganised,” Maui decided. “I bet if I watch her for a whole day, I can work out where she’s going wrong.” Maui was sure he could make his mother’s life better. “I bet all she needs is a few time management tips.
The next day Maui sat under a palm tree and watched his mother. She did not stop once. No sooner had she finished setting down the bark to dry than the Sun began its descent and she had to fetch it all in again.
“Huh,” Maui muttered. “I guess my mumma was right. The Sun is going too fast.” Well, he could fix that. Maui jumped up and bounded up a nearby mountain. “Oi! Burny-beams!” he called.
The Sun paused in its race to the horizon and turned its light on Maui. “Are you talkin’ to me?” There wasn’t anyone else in the sky.
“Yeah, roasty-rays, slow down, would you? Give us time to chill-ax?”
The Sun had already had its eyes on the horizon. “Sure, sure,” he called, charging off. “I’ll slow down tomorrow.”
The next morning, Maui whistled as he prepared a lovely breakfast of fresh fruit and fish for his mother. With the Sun promising to take his time, Maui was determined his mother was going to have a nice relaxing day.
“Mumma, Mumma. Come, put your feet up. Enjoy a little pineapple.”
But Hina looked up at the sky and saw the Sun hurtling towards the horizon. “No time, son,” she said. “That Sun will be gone before we know it.”
Maui frowned up at the sky. Instead of slowing down, the Sun was travelling even faster than usual. This was not acceptable. Maui stormed up the mountain. “Hey, Shiny-shafts! What’s the hurry?”
“Woo hoo!” the Sun streamed past. “Look at me! I’m like a supersun, blink and I’m gone!”
“Oh, come on,” Maui shouted. “Just ease off a bit, you’re going way too fast.”
“Uh uh! No such thing!” the Sun whizzed on. “I wanna go faster. I wanna be as fast as sound.” And the Sun burned brighter and harder, pushing on across the sky.
“Hey!” Maui jumped from mountain to mountain, chasing after the Sun. “Slow down!”
“Make me!” the Sun laughed. “Oh, that’s right. You can’t. See ya! Wouldn’t wanna be ya!” And with that the Sun glimmered and gleamed over the horizon.
“Fine!” Maui was not one to turn down a challenge and he wasn’t about to let the Sun get the better of him. “I will make you,” he said. “All I need is a really, really, really strong rope.” But where could Maui find a rope strong enough to tame the Sun? “I’ll make one myself,” he said. And Maui set about his task.
First, he gathered a cluster of coconuts and tore the thick fibres from the outside.
“Just time for a little coconut shake break,” he slurped down the coconut milk, then dove into the ocean. Down he swam, until he came to the palace of his sister, the Sea Goddess.
“Hey, sis, look! A sea serpent!” Maui pointed to some seaweed behind her and when his sister turned to look, Maui plucked a handful of her hair from her head.
“Owwww!” she cried, whirling around to get him. But Maui was already swimming away. Using long, spindly needles from the Silversword plant, Maui weaved the hair and the fibres together, making sixteen of the strongest ropes ever made.
“Whoooshhh!” called the Sun as he blazed through the sky. “Just call me the Rapido-Orb!”
“Catchy,” Maui muttered.
The Sun was having so much fun moving so fast, he didn’t take any notice of Maui. He knew there was no one brave or foolish enough to take him on.
Maui waited until the Sun had set. “Hey, pearly-plate,” he called to the moon.
“Are you talking to me?” the Moon went crimson at the sight of him. She’d always had a massive crush on Maui.
“Do me a favour, twinkly-chops, let me know when the Sun’s coming back,” Maui gave her a dazzling smile.
“OK,” the Moon shimmered. That night she shone brighter than usual. Maui used her light to help him see in the dark. Because he also needed the help of…
“Psst, Nighty-night,” Maui called. The Night had always had a soft spot for Maui. She agreed to help him, “Anything to teach that Sun a lesson.”
So, under the cover of night and with the Moon at his back, Maui laid sixteen traps for the Sun.
“That ought to do it,” he said, just in time.
The first rays of sunlight crept over the horizon and straight into Maui’s trap.
“Hey! What the…?” Once the Sun was rising, he couldn’t pull back. One by one his streams fell into Maui’s traps. “Oi! Let me go!” he shouted. But it was too late, the Sun was caught and Maui held firm to the ends of the ropes. “Not until you agree to slow down,” he said.
“Noooooo!” whined the Sun. “I like going fast.”
“Then you’ll never go anywhere again,” Maui said with a grin and sat down on the beach, where there were a few stray coconuts for him to drink.
The Sun wriggled and squirmed and twisted and turned trying to get free, but it was no good. Maui’s ropes were too strong.
“OK, OK, I’ll make you a deal,” the Sun said, eventually. “I’ll slow down half the time, if I can go fast the other half?”
Maui finished his coconut. “Deal,” he said and cut the Sun free.
From that day on the Sun travelled slowly across the Pacific for half the year, making the days stretch for hours. The people called this time of year the Summer. The other half of the year, the Sun whizzed through the sky, quick as a flash, they called this time of year winter. In the winter, Maui’s mother would rush around getting everything done, but in the summer, she would relax, take it easy and enjoy living life on the beach.
The End
There are lots of stories about Maui from lots of different places, mine is related to Hawaii. I used two sources to create this story, which you can read here and here, you can read more about Maui here.
As with many of my stories this tale was rewritten for Onebillion.org open source education. If you want to retell this version or republish, I would appreciate credit or a link back to the site. Many thanks.
As with many of my stories this tale was rewritten for Onebillion.org open source education. If you want to retell this version or republish, I would appreciate credit or a link back to the site. Many thanks.
