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Chief learns the true
value of loyalty

"Paka‘a: The Wind Gourd"

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The day came when Kuanu'uanu could not rise from his mats. His service was nearly ended and he turned to his son and whispered, "You must be the backbone of our chief. Obey him in all things, both small and great. Be careful of food and let it not be wasted. Care for all men, commoners as well as chiefs." So he died and Paka'a became the "backbone" of Keawenui.

The young man had indeed gained all his father's wisdom. He knew the land divisions of Hawai'i -- just where the boundary ran, dividing one district from another, from mountaintop to deep ocean. Under his supervision the labor of forest and garden was well done, fish were protected by kapu and all Hawai'i prospered.

And Paka'a was an expert navigator. He knew the stars. He knew storm signs and could foretell the weather. So skillfully did he manage a canoe that men called him "son of the god who rights the over-turned canoe." He knew the winds but his power over them, contained in the gourd his mother had given him, that power he had not used.

Paka'a was attentive to his master's wants. Food and 'awa were prepared to Keawe's liking. His clothing was always ready, clean and perfumed. Because of this and because of Paka'a's care for all Hawai'i the high chief rewarded his "backbone" with lands and honors. The people also loved and praised him.

But not all! Two navigators sought to gain for themselves the ruler's confidence. "Paka'a did not plan this voyage well," they would say. "We should have planned it better. In certain matters Paka'a is most unwise." Keawenui listened and began to doubt his faithful "backbone."

The young man knew nothing of this plot against him. When the high chief took from him an office or a piece of land he wondered and tried to serve better in other ways. But this went on until the two navigators had all his lands and honors. As Paka'a lost the confidence of Keawenui, lesser chiefs were quick to see and to treat him with small respect.

Finally the young man understood that his chief no longer trusted him but gave confidence and favor to the two who were his enemies. "Then let them serve him," Paka'a told himself. "I can make a good life elsewhere," and, lonely and sore at heart, he sailed away.

On Moloka'i he married a beautiful young chiefess and became a farmer. The gods sent blessings: abundant harvests, many friends and finally a son, Kuapaka'a. Yes, Paka'a had made a good life for himself, but he could not forget his chief. In his heart was love for Keawenui and deep sorrow that the chief no longer trusted him. "I put his good before all thought of self," Paka'a said often in his mind. "Do these others serve him as I did? Does Hawai'i prosper under them? Does Keawenui never think of Paka'a?"

One day a man came from Hawai'i and talked with Paka'a, not knowing who he was. "Keawenui longs for his old servant," the man said. "These navigators think of themselves and are not ready at all times to serve their chief. Keawe longs for Paka'a and has asked his kahuna if his 'backbone' is still alive."

"And what does the kahuna say?" asked Paka'a with a little smile, glad that Keawe missed him.

"Paka'a is living. That the kahuna knows, but where he cannot say."

That night Paka'a dreamed of Keawenui. In the morning he told his son about the dream. "In sleep I seemed to meet my master. He took me in his arms and wept with joy. 'O Paka'a,' he said, 'I come to seek you. When the canoes are ready I shall come. Tell me where you are living.' And in my dream I told him, 'On Ka'ula, the Bird Island.' Now why did I say that, my son? Ka'ula is far off where the sun sets. Keawe must not journey to that barren rock to look for me. We must watch for his canoes and stop him. We have the gourd of winds. You know each mele I have taught you. We must stop Keawe." In his heart Paka'a added, I must know how much he loves me. Does he want me back only to forget and cast me out once more? Somehow I must test his love. He shall not find me quickly.

Now and then men came from Hawai'i so that Paka'a had news. The making of the canoe fleet took much time. During that time Paka'a and his son were very busy planting food and building houses so that Keawe and his men could stay on Moloka'i in comfort. Then word came that the canoes were launched and had reached Maui where they heard no news of the man they sought. "Soon they will come to Moloka'i," Paka'a told his son. "Let us go uhu fishing. Keawe will not know me as I bend over my uhu net. Let us see what he will say. But do not let his canoe go farther on. Try to delay them with words. If words will not stop them, here is the wind gourd. You know each mele that will cause the winds to serve us."

The two paddled toward their fishing ground. "Here they come!" said Kuapaka'a in a low voice. "There are so many canoes they seem like a cloud that rests upon the sea. They sail steadily before the wind with mat sails as you taught them, first the small canoes, then larger ones."

Paka'a sat in the stern of the canoe bent over his net, his face hidden, but he could hear and see. "There comes the canoe of the high chief," he whispered. "See how the sunlight touches its red sail!"

"Aloha!" Kuapaka'a greeted the paddlers. "Is this a fleet of war canoes?"

"No," someone answered, "Keawenui is searching for a servant named Paka'a."

"A servant?" said the boy. "Does the high chief go with a fleet to seek a servant?"

By this time the red-sailed canoe was close, and Keawenui himself made answer: "Paka'a is not a common servant. In all things he is wise. He served his chief with no thought of himself. No man can provide for all my wants as Paka'a did. No man so wisely cares for all Hawai'i. He is my 'backbone.' Tell me, boy, is Paka'a on Moloka'i?"

"Someone said he is living on Ka'ula," the boy replied, "but do not go at once in search of him, for a storm threatens, and your canoes will suffer. Land here on Moloka'i before the storm comes and swamps you."

The two navigators laughed at this warning. "The sky is clear," they said. "A soft wind blows. We know storm signs and today there are none. Paka'a is not on Moloka'i or this boy would know of him. Let us go toward Ka'ula."

The boy chanted:

"There are pointed clouds in the heavens.
Soon will come the roar of thunder
And flash of lightning.
O you Navigators,
Trouble will come in mid-ocean!
Let the canoes come ashore.
There is food ashore.
There is kapa.
Live out the stormy days.
When the sea grows calm, go on your way.
This is a stormy day!"

"Let us listen to this boy," said Keawenui. "He may know the weather signs of his own island better than we. Let us go ashore on Moloka'i."

But the two navigators did not agree. "No storm is coming," they said again. "Let us be on our way at once." Unwillingly the high chief consented.

As Paka'a and his son watched the canoes paddle away the boy chanted:

"Watch for the waves as they twist and rise,
As they twist and beat on the canoe.
There is death to you in the small wave.
There is death to you in the large wave.
There is death to you in the long wave.
There is death to you in the short wave.
The waves will open your canoe.
They will swamp it.
The great wave will rise.
The small wave will break.
Had you obeyed my words
You might have reached the land."

But the high chief's canoes paddled toward O'ahu without heeding the boy's chant.

"The time has come!" said Paka'a. "Open the wind gourd."

Then Kuapaka'a took off the cover of the wind gourd. In a chant he called upon all the winds of Hawai'i:

"Join and cause a whirlwind.
The small canoe will swamp.
The large canoe will swamp also."

He called upon the winds of Maui and Moloka'i.

Finally he called upon the winds of Kaua'i and Ni'ihau:

"Arise, you winds of La'a,
Roaring in the mountains,
Beating on the lowlands!
Meet in a whirlwind.
The storm has come!"

It had come indeed. Father and son watched as wind and wave attacked the canoes from every side. They saw the small canoes swamp and the large ones go to their aid. Then those also were swamped. "It is enough," said Paka'a. "Cover the gourd."

Kuapaka'a obeyed, leaving only a crack through which came a gentle wind to push the canoes back toward Moloka'i. The boy chanted softly:

"Gently, gently
Comes the wind,
The rain.
The chief shivers
For he is wet.
O Keawenui,
Come ashore."

Rain quieted the waves. The watchers saw that the canoes had been righted and bailed. Now they were paddling back toward Moloka'i. "Let us paddle to meet them," Paka'a said, but still sat bent over so that no one should see his face.

"You were right, boy," called Keawenui as his canoe came close. "You knew the weather signs. We should have been wiser had we obeyed your warning. Some of our men were drowned, our food is gone and all are weary with the struggle. Can you lead us to a landing place?"

"Yes," Kuapaka'a replied. "Follow my canoe. There is a channel through the reef."

They followed and soon the canoes were beached. Paka'a slipped away and concealed himself from sight but his son went to him for direction. At his command the servants of Keawe prepared the food which father and son had planted. Fish were brought and Kuapaka'a served the tired chief the 'awa which his father had prepared.

Keawe drank. "You are a stranger to me," he told Kuapaka'a, "yet you serve me the food and drink I love. Just so did Paka'a prepare the fish and 'awa. O my boy, I long for Paka'a! If only I could find him!"

"Perhaps you will find him soon," the boy replied. He had heard from the servants the names of the men who had drowned. Among them were the two who had made trouble for his father.

The high chief made a sign for "No." "He is on Ka'ula," he replied. "That island is beyond Kaua'i. We have lost boats, men and our supplies. We must return to Hawai'i. Many days will pass before we voyage to Ka'ula." He drank again, then slept.

Kuapaka'a returned to his father. "Your enemies are dead," he said. "The ruler longs for you. Will you not make yourself known to him tomorrow? He has great love for you."

"First let him show that love," the father answered.

For some time the chief and his men rested on Moloka'i. Then they made ready to return to their own island. "Come back with me," Keawenui said to Kuapaka'a. "You serve me even as my dear friend, Paka'a, used to serve. No one can take his place, yet you prepare my food and meet my every want almost as he did. Stay with me until I find him."

The boy told his father. "Shall I go?" he asked.

"Yes, go with him. After you reach Hawai'i tell him you are my son. Then let us see how much he loves me."

So Kuapaka'a went to Hawai'i and still served Keawe as his father had taught him. One day the high chief said, "Again my fleet is ready. When the stars are right we shall sail for Ka'ula, the Bird Island. Long ago in a dream I met my dear friend, Paka'a, and he told me that he lives on that far island. Stay with me, boy, until I find my trusted servant."

"Suppose you find him on Ka'ula," the boy said, "Paka'a may not return to serve you. Men tell me you did not trust him but turned from him to his enemies. You took away his offices, his lands and honors. Do you think Paka'a will come to you again?"

Keawenui bowed his head. "I did him wrong," he said in a low voice. "Paka'a was ever true to me. He loves me and he loves Hawai'i. I shall restore his offices, his lands and honors. Paka'a will know that never again shall I doubt his loyalty and love. I think he will forgive me and return."

"I think he will," answered the boy. "O heavenly one, do you remember the day you saw me first? I was paddling a small canoe while an older man sat in the stern and fished for uhu. That man was my father Paka'a! He and I prepared shelter for you. I served you as he taught me, for Paka'a has great love for you. Every day, through all those years, he thought of you and longed to return to you. But he could not return to be cast off again."

"Never again will I cast him off!" the chief exclaimed. "Let us sail at once to Moloka'i with gifts and honors!"

So the fleet came once again to Moloka'i. It came over a quiet sea, and the people of that island saw Keawenui welcome his "backbone" as one great chief welcomes another. They saw the high chief take his old servant in his arms while tears of joy streamed down his cheeks. "My friend," he whispered, "forgive the wrong I did you and return with me to Hawai'i."

So Paka'a returned, bringing his wife and son. He lived there all his days, beloved and honored, serving his chief and all Hawai'i.

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