Ko Hēni rāua ko Hōne
Nā M.A. Peka
Tērā ētahi tamariki Pākehā ko Hēni rāua ko Hōne ngā ingoa. He tamariki tino pīrangi ēnei ki te Māori, ā, he kaha hoki tō rāua hiahia kia mōhio ki tō tātau reo ātaahua. Mehemea i te rongo rāua i ētahi kupu Māori i te whare kura, ka oma mai rāua ki a au, kia whakaaturia he aha te tikanga o aua kupu. Nāwai rā, ka mōhio haere ngā tamariki nei ki te kōrero Māori. I ngā pō, ka haramai rāua ki taku kāinga kia akona rāua ki ētahi waiata Māori. Ko tō rāua kōkā, haere ai ki te kura-pō ki te ako ki te mahi tāniko, ā, ki te ako hoki i tō tātau reo.
Whakahīhī atu a ia i te otinga o te tātua tāniko mō Hōne, me te tīpare tāniko mō Hēni, ā , i tōna mōhio hoki ki ētahi kupu Māori, me ētahi o ā tātau waiata.
He tamaiti pīrangi hoki a Hōne ki te whakatipu pīkaokao, ka whāngaia e ia tana pīpī manu, ā, ka pakeke. Ko te ingoa o tana manu ko Mākere. Noho haere ai te manu nei i runga i ngā ringaringa o tōna pahikara.
I mua o tōna haerenga ki te kura i ngā ata, ka karanga a ia ki tana pīkaokao, "Mākere, Mākere, haramai ki te hāereere i runga i taku pahikara i mua o taku haerenga ki te kura."
Ka rere a Mākere, ā, ka noho ki runga i ngā ringaringa o te pahikara o Hōne. Ka huri haere a Hōne rāua ko Mākere, ā, ka hoki a ia ki te kāinga. Me mahi nui ka rere a Mākere ki raro i te pahikara, ahakoa haere a Hōne ki te kura; ka oma haere tonu a Mākere ki muri whai haere ai, ā, ngaro noa atu a Hōne.
I ngā ahiahi, ka haere a Mākere ki te rori tatari ai kia mutu te kura a Hōne, ka rere ai a ia ki runga i tōna tauranga i te pahikara o Hōne.
He wāhi motuhake tonu mō te kōhanga a Mākere kai runga i te parani o tō rātau whare. Kāore e tata mai ētahi o ngā pīkaokao, kurī, pōti rānei, ki te whare o Hōne mā, ka whāia e Mākere, ka timotimoia e ia. Tētahi mea kino ki a ia, ki te mau a Hēni i tōna panekoti kōtimana ka whāia a ia e Mākere, nāwai rā ka mataku a Hēni ki te mau i tōna panekoti.
Ka tae ki te wā i haere ai a Hōne ki te kāreti noho ai, ka whakamomori a Mākere, kāore e kai; i ngā ahiahi, ka haere ki te rori tatari ai ki a Hōne. Ka aroha tōna kōkā, ka haere ki te tiki i a Hōne kia hoki mai ki te kāinga. I te kitenga o Mākere i tōna rangatira, i a Hōne, ka rere ki runga i a ia. Kāti, kāore hoki e taea e Hōne te noho i te kāinga. I mua o tōna hokinga ki te kāreti, ka haere a ia ki te mau i a Mākere ki te pāmu pīkaokao a ētahi o ōna whanaunga, ā, he roa te wā, kātahi anō a Mākere ka wareware ki a Hōne.
Tamariki mā, he mea nui tēnei, te aroha ki te kararehe. Ki te whakatipu koutou i te kararehe, kāore koe e wareware i a ia, ahakoa he pīkaokao, he kurī, he poti, he pārera, he hōiho, he kau rānei, ka aroha tonu a ia ki a koe.