He kai anō te kōtero
Nā Kohine Mackie
"He aha te kōtero? " te pātai a Rawinia ki tōna kuia. E hauhake ana te whānau i tā rātau māra rīwai. Ko Rawinia tērā e noho ana i te taha o tōna tipuna kuia i te wā e kōmaka ana i ngā rīwai.
"Aro mai, e Moko, māku koe e ako," te whakahoki a tōna kuia.
"Tuatahi, me kōmaka koe i ngā rīwai papai. He pai ngā mea kāre i te pai rawa mō te tunu hei kai."
"Anei tētahi e Kui," te kī a Rawinia.
"Kāo, he kamorā kē tēnā rīwai. Kāhore e pai ana hei kōtero,'' te kī a tōna Kuia.
"He aha ai? " te pātai a Rawinia.
"Nātemea kua whitingia e te rā. Titiro ki tōna kiri, kua kākāriki kē, he tohu tēnā. Mēna ka kai koe i tēnā rīwai ka mamae tō puku."
Ka kī a Rawinia ki te kamorā, "Kāre koe e pai hei kai, kamorā." Ka makaia atu ki te taha. E kōrero tonu ana tōna kuia i a ia e mahi ana," Kia mutu to kōmaka i ō rīwai, ka rau ki roto i tētahi pēke, ka here kia tika tonu. Me tūpato anō, kia kore he puare i ts pēke."
Ka haere a Rawinia ki te titiro i te pēke mehemea he puare tōna. I muri o tērā, ka āwhina ia i tōna kuia ki te tūkuku he harakeke hei here i tā rāua pēke.
Te Puna Wai
"Kua tika ināianei ki te hari ngā pēke ki te wai," te kī a tōna kuia i muri mai o te herenga o te waha o te pēke. "Haramai, haere tāua ki te kimi wāhi pai."
"Ka haere tāua ki te awa?"
"Ehē ... he whānui rawa te awa. He tino pai ngā kōawa, kāre e tino rahi. Whai mai koe i ahau." Kāhore i roa kua tae rāua ki tētahi kōawa.
"Me tuku te pēke ki konei?" te pātai a Rawinia.
"Taihoa ... i mua i tō rautanga i ō rīwai ki roto i te wai, mahia he puna."
"He aha te puna, e Kui?"
"Anei, me titiro mai koe Rawinia, kia mōhio ai koe ki te mahi puna."
I kari te kuia o Rawinia, i tētahi hōpua iti, ka kī atu ki a Rawinia, "Anei, he puna wai tēnei."
"Āe, e Kui he pai hei kaukau."
"Kao, mehemea he kai kei konei, kāhore e pai ki te horoi."
"Āe, e Kui."
Pākorokoro
Nō te ōtinga o te puna wai, ka tīmata te kuia nei ki te mahi pākorokoro
"He aha tēnā, e Kui?"
"He pākorokoro tēnei hei pupuri i ā tāua pēke kia kore e riro i te wai." I mauria mai e te kuia o Rawinia he papa rākau hei mahi pākorokoro. Kāhore e tino roa rawa ngā papa. Ka poua e ia e whā ngā pou ki roto i te wai, kātahi ka pākati i ngā taha mā ngā papa. E rite ana ki te pouaka tapawhā. Kāhore i piri ngā papa ki ngā taha kia puta ai te wai.
Ka hōhā a Rawinia, ka kī a ia, "Kia tere, e Kui, āhea tāua ka mutu"
Tuku ki te wai
Kua mutu te mahi i te pākorokoro. "Kua pai ināianei ki te tuku i ngā pēke ki roto i te wai. Haere mai Rawinia," te kī a tōna kuia. Ka āwhina a Rawinia i tōna kuia ki te hiki i ngā pēke rīwai, ka tuku ki roto o te pākorokoro kei roto i te wai. "Ka herea ngā pēke ki ētahi o ngā pou, kia mau ai, kia kore e riro i te wai," te kī a tōna kuia.
"Kua mutu, e Kui?"
"Taihoa," te kī a tōna kuia, "Ināianei me taupokia e tāua kia kore e kitea e te kararehe."
"Ēhea kararehe?" te pātai a Rawinia.
"E ngā poaka. Ka kainga ā tāua rīwai e te poaka. He kau hoki tētahi kararehe ka takatakahi i tā tāua puna."
Whawhati mānuka
I whatia e te kuia nei he pūrārā mānuka. Ka āwhina atu a Rawinia ki te heri i aua pūrārā mānuka ki te taha o te puna wai. Nō te mutunga o tērā, ka uwhia e te kuia nei he pēke ki runga o te pākorokoro. Kātahi anō ka uwhi i ngā pūrārā mānuka. I te mutunga kāhore koe e mōhio he kai kei roto i te wai.
"Kua mutu ināianei," te kī a te kuia.
"Āhea tāua ka kai i ngā kōtero?" te pātai a Rawinia.
"He roa tonu tāua e tiaki ana kia ngāwari ngā rīwai. Māku anō koe e whakamōhio atu."
"E hia te roa, e Kui?"
"He rite anō ki te kānga wai tōna roa i roto i te wai, he rahi tonu ngā marama, engari, e Moko, kia tae ki tērā wā ka hoki mai anō tāua."
Te wā whakapiro
He roa te wā ka wareware a Rawinia ki ngā kōtero, engari tōna kuia, ia wā ka haere ia ki te tirotiro mehemea kai te pai, kāhore i te takatakahia e te kau, i kitea rānei e te poaka. Nā wai rā ka hoki anō te kuia ki te titiro i ngā kōtero, ka kite ia kua reri ki te tango, hei tunu kai. I whakaaro ia me tunu ētahi mō te huritau o Rawinia.
Te tiki kai
I te Rāhoroi, ka kī atu te kuia o Rawinia, "E Moko, kua tae ki te wā ka hoki tāua ki te puna ki te tiki i ngā kōtero."
"U...u...u... kua pai mō te kai?"
"Āe, e Moko, mauria mai tā tāua kete. Kai te pīrangi au ki te tunu ētahi kōtero mō tēnei ahiahi."
Oma tonu a Rawinia ki te tiki i te kete, ka oma ia ki te puna wai. "Kia tere mai e Kui," tana akiaki atu me te pekepeke ki runga me te oma āwhio ki te puna.
"Kia tūpato Rawinia, kei tanuku ngā taha o te puna i a koe."
Ka tae mai tōna kuia, ka tūturi ki runga i ōna pona, me Rawinia hoki.
"Tangohia ngā pūrārā mānuka, Rawinia," tana whakahau i tana mokopuna. Ka mutu tērā, ka tangohia te pēke uwhi, kātahi ka kūmea te pēke kōtero ki waho o te wai.
"Auē, te keha hoki! Kua pirau kē ēnā rīwai, e Kui! Me whiu! Kāre e pai hei kai." Ko tērā te kī a Rawinia, me te kōtē anō i ōna pongāihu mā ōna matihao.
Ka kata tōna kuia, ka kī a ia, "Kāhore, e Moko, ko tēnei tōna āhua. Ahakoa tōna haunga, kia tunua e au, ka kai koe. He tino reka."
"I...i...i... ka mau te anuanu! Kāhore au e kai! Kua pirau kē! P-u-u-u tino keha!"
Ka kī te kuia o Rawinia,
"Tērā tētahi kōrero, e Moko,
Kāhore te kai kino e rere ki te pai tangata,
Ko te tangata pai ka rere ki te kai kino.
Me maumahara koe ki tēnei kōrero."
Kāhore a Rawinia i whakautu, engari ki ōna mahara, kāhore i te kai pai, he keha.
He kai anō
Ka tango te kuia i te pūtiki o te waha o te pēke, ka hoatu ētahi rīwai ki roto i tā rāua kete. Tino kaha te heke o te wai o ngā kōtero nei i roto i te kete. Ka pūtikihia e ia te waha o te pēke, ka whakahokia ki roto o te puna, ka uwhi anō kia kore e kitea e ngā kararehe. Ka hoki rāua ki te kāinga.
"E noho, e Moko, ka titiro mai. Tuatahi, pīhoretia te kiri, kātahi ka kōtē i te wai ki waho."
Ka rere a Rawinia ki te mahi me te pupuri anō i tōna hā, me te puhipuhi anō "P-u-u-u!" Kia roa ia e mahi ana, kua kore ia e tino rongo i te haunga.
"Me kō te wai kia puta ki waho," te kī atu a tōna kuia. "Ināianei ka mahi porohita ka pēpēhi, rite ana ki te mahi panekeke.
E runa ngā mea i oti i a Rawinia. Nō te mutunga katoa, ka paraitia ētahi ki roto i te pata. Ka māoa ka hoatu tētahi kia kai a Rawinia. Āta tiki noa iho a Rawinia me te kore o tōna waha e hiahia ki te huaki.
"E kai," te kī a tōna kuia. Ka kati a Rawinia i ōna karu, ka hāmama tōna waha ka ngau ia i te kōtero.
"Mmmmmmm ... he reka, e Kui. Hōmai anō tētahi. Tino pai te kōtero." I maumahara ia ki te kōrero a tōna kuia.
"E kore te kai kino e rere ki te pai tangata
Ko te tangata pai ka rere ki te kai kino."
E kore au e whakahī, ahakoa he aha te kai a muri ake nei, tōna whakaaro.