Love story of Hinemoa and Tutanekai

Hinemoa was a Chieftainess of a tribe,who lived in a village of Owhata,located by the shores of lake Rotorua.On lake Rotorua there is the Island of Mokoia,four kilometers across the water from Owhata.On this Island there lived another well born but unfortunately illegitimate young man named Tutanekai.The tribes of the two young lovers would sometimesvisit together for special occasions, so it was during these times that Hinemoa and Tutanekai would come toknow one another and fall in love with each other.The love of Hinemoa and Tutanekai would growstronger and stronger with each passing day,and there were times in the evening whenTutanekai would declare his love for Hinemoa from the Island of Mokoia.
Tutanekai would sit on the verandah of his house,which was on a hillside overlooking the Lake,and he would play his flute.A gentle breeze in the evening would carry the sounds thatTutanekai played drifting across the waters of lake Rotorua.Hinemoa as she stood on the shores of the lake wouldlisten intently, embracing the music fromTutanekai as he declared his love for her.However as often as it happens in life Hinemoa`srelatives suspected that she had fallenin love with Tutanekai and although he wasconsidered a nice young man, it was notthe wishes of the tribe that the two should unite together in marriage.Every night they would ensure that all the canoes werebeached up so that Hinemoa would not be able to pullthe canoe into the water and make her way across the laketo be with her lover Tutanekai.One evening as Hinemoa stood on the shores of the lake with herheart so heavy and eyes full of tears, listening to the melody of Tutanekai`s flute, she felt she could bear it no longer.She lashed together six gourds in order to keep her afloat and waded herself out intothe lake, being guided along by the music of Tutanekai,she swam the long journey to Mokoia Island.When she finally reached the island after hours of exhaustion,she came across a hot pool and entered it.She was trembling with cold from the journeybut her heart was full of joy.Sometime later Hinemoa could hear footsteps coming andshe saw what appeared to be the shadow of a man filling a cala bash with water from a cold spring next to the hot pool.At that moment Hinemoa imitated the sound of a mans voice andcalled out loudly “Who is that for!”“I am the servant of Tutanekai, this water is for my master”, came the reply.Hinemoa`s heart was glad knowing that she was so closeto Tutanekai`s home. She then seized the calabash from the servant and broke it on the rocks.The servant then raced back to his master Tutanekai andreported to him the strange incident that occurredat the hot pool, but Tutanekai was too tired and heart broken to do anything.The servant once again returned to fill the calabash with water and again Hinemoa seized thewater calabash and broke it on the rocks.This would happen time and time again untilTutanekai finally decided to dosomething about the matter himself.Taking hold of his club he quickly hurried down to the pool to kill this stranger thathad insulted him. Calling out for the intruder to identify himself, Tutanekai quickly madehis way around the hot pool reaching aroundthe edges, until finally he grabbed the armof the adversary pulling him out of the water into the moonlight.“Tutanekai” she whispered, “It is I Hinemoa”Tutanekai surprised as he was, stood and stared at her in the moonlight, they thenembraced each other as the two young lovers made their way back to Tutanekai`s house.No longer would they be separated from each other again.The next morning as the two lovers slept in late,Tutanekai`s father sent his servant off to wake him,it was then reported by the servant that as he approached the door ofTutanekai`s house, as he looked into the room he could seetwo pairs of feet and not one lying in Tutanekai`s bed.After that Hinemoa and Tutanekai emerged together embracing one another.From that moment on their union and love for one another wasaccepted by their relatives and tribes.