Te taniwha apu kai
Nā Ani White
Nā Kimbra Taylor ngā pikitia
Tērā tētahi taniwha ko Okoroire tōna ingoa, e moe ana i te taha o te roto, tata tonu ki te kura o ngā tamariki o Ruamatā. Tino roa tōna moe. Tata tonu ki te rau tau pea. Tōna ohonga ake, tino hemokai ia. E koko ana tōna puku i te kore kai.
"Taku tino hemokai, te kararehe tuatahi kia whakatata mai ki konei he kai māku!"
Engari kore rawa tētahi mea iti, tētahi mea rahi rānei e whakatata atu ki a ia. Ka rongo ia ki ngā tamariki o te kura e waiata ana.
"Ahaha! He aha kē ērā momo kararehe?" tana kī. "He kai pea māku."
Kātahi tōna ihu ka tū ki te hau. He kakara tino reka e ahu mai ana. Ka whai ia i tōna ihu, ka tūpono ki ngā kai e hora ana i roto i te kāuta o te wharekura. Kātahi anō ia ka kite kai pērā. Ahakoa tōna hemokai, ka whakaaro ia mo te timotimo i ngā kai katoa, kia kitea ko tēwhea te mea tino reka.
"Tino tauhou ahau ki ēnei kai. Tērā pea he piro, tērā pea he kawa. Tērā pea kore pai mō te punua taniwha pēnei i ahau."
Ka toro atu tōna ringa ki te kai tuatahi.
"Mmm. . . he aha kē tēnei kai? Āhua rite ki ngā kēwai o tōku roto engari, he rahi kē atu me te haunga hoki!"
Ka whatia e ia tētahi o ngā waewae koura. Ka puritia tōna ihu, ka ngote i te waewae koura.
"Mmm. . . tino reka tēnei kai. Tōna waiwai, tōna ngāwari, tōna heke māniania i te korokoro ahakoa tōna haunga." Ka mitimiti a Okoroire i ōna matimati me te anga waewae o te koura mara. Kōtamutamu ana ōna ngutu i te reka o tana kai.
Ka titiro a Okoroire ki te kai tuarua. He tuna pāwhara e takoto ana. Kātahi anō ka tangohia mai ki waho o te umu, ā, kua pania i te pata. Te werawera o te tuna me te rewa o te pata, tino reka rawa atu tōna kakara.
"Mmm. . . he aha kē tēnei kai? Tino reka rawa atu tōna kakara." Ka paku hongi ia i te tuna me te kī, "Āe, ko tēnei te kakara e rongo nei ahau."
"Ka paku kinikini atu ia i te tuna me te kī, "Mmm. . . tino reka rawa atu!"
I a ia e ngotengote ana i ōna matimati hinuhinu, ka tau ōna whatu ki ngā kina poha. "Aiii. . . he aha kē tēnei kai?" Ka āta pā atu tōna ringa ki ngā anga kina.
"Auē ... tino tuatete tēnei kai! Ko wai te pōrangi kai i tēnei kai? Taihoa . . . he aha kē ēnā?" Kua kite atu a Okoroire i ngā hua o ngā kina e pipiri ana i roto o ngā anga kina. Ka tīkarohia e ia ētahi o ngā hua ki roto i tōna waha. Anō te reka!
Ko te tino reka o taua kina, tata tonu ia ki te kai i ētahi anō. Engari kua kite atu ia he paepae kiki tonu i te parengo.
Ka titiro ia ki kō atu. He ipu puata e tū ana, me tētahi paepae kikī ana i te kuku. He pūhā, he riki, he kuku i roto i te ipu. He whakamara tēnei, engari he kai tauhou ki a Okoroire.Ka koko parengo ia ki roto i tōna waha, me te kōtamutamu anō o ōna ngutu. "Hmm. . . āhua totetote tēnei kai. Ka pai pea hei kīnaki mo ētahi atu kai."
Ka mitimiti ia i tētahi o ngā kuku. "Āhua rite tēnei kai ki ngā kākahi o tōku roto, engari he āhua totetote kē atu."
Kātahi ia ka tāhoro i tētahi wāhi paku o te whakamara ki roto i te kapu o tōna ringa, ka makaia ki roto i tōna waha. Whākanakana ana ōna whatu i te reka o tēnei kai.
Kātahi ka ara anō tōna ihu ki tētahi haunga tino tauhou. E rua ngā paepae kai. He kānga kōpiro tētahi, he kānga pungarehu tētahi. He huka, he kirīmi i roto i ngā kai e rua. Ka toutou ia i ōna matimati ki roto i ngā kai e rua nei me te ngotengote hoki i ōna matimati. Anō te reka! Kua whākanakana anō ōna whatu me te kōtamutamu o ōna ngutu i te reka o ēnei kai!
Katahi a Okoroire ka noho ki te whakaaro ko tēwhea o ngā kai hei kai tonu māna.
"Ko tēwhea rā? Ko tēwhea? Koura mara, tuna pāwhara, kina poha, parengo, kuku, whakamara, kānga kōpiro, kānga pungarehu rānei? Ko tēwhea kai hei kai māku?"
Kāore i tau ōna whakaaro. Ko te reka rawa atu o ngā kai katoa. Kua tino hemokai rawa atu a Okoroire i tēnei wā. Kore taea te aha! Ka kainga e ia te koura mara me te tuna pāwhara. Ka kainga e ia te kina poha me te parengo. Ka kainga e ia te kuku me te whakamara kia pau katoa. Ka kainga e ia te kānga kōpiro me te kānga pungarehu kia pau katoa.
Kore rawa tētahi paku toenga kai! Puta rawa mai ngā tamariki o te kura ki te kai, kua kore katoa! Ko Okoroire tērā e tīraha haere ana i te kī o tōna puku.
Taniwha, taniwha apu kai e!
Taniwha, taniwha apu kai e!
Tērā pea ka moe koe
Rua rau tau, rua rau tau e!
