He mahi tinihanga
Nā Koro Heke
I ngā rā o mua noa atu, ka noho ētahi koroua i Otautahanga, he kāinga e tata ana ki Kihikihi, ā, ki Te Awamutu hoki.
Nā, ki ngā kōrero, he ngārara tā aua koroua nei, ā, noho ai ki roto i tētahi ana, kei raro tonu iho i tō rātou kāinga. Kei reira tonu taua ana nei ināianei, engari kei roto i te pāmu a te Pākehā. Kua wātea katoa ngā taha, ā, he pai noa iho te kuhu atu ki roto. E kī ana ētahi, he taniwha taua ngārara nei, he kai tangata hoki. Nā, mataku ana te tangata i taua wāhi nei.
Nō tētahi rā, ka haere ngā kaumātua nei ki te hui i Maketū, he papa kāinga tawhito kei Kāwhia, arā, kei te moenga o Tainui. Ka waiho ma tā rāua mōkai kōtiro hei tiaki, hei whāngai ake hoki i tā rāua ngārara.
Ka maminga te tamāhine nei ki te whāngai i taua mea nei, ā, nō tētahi rangi, i tana haerenga atu ki te rua o te ana, e tatari mai ana taua ngārara. I te kaha pea o tana hemo kai, ā, me te whakatakariri, kainga iho ana e ia taua kōtiro nei
I te paunga o tana kai, kātahi te taniwha nei ka mōhio kua hē ia, ā, i mua o te hokinga mai o te koroua rā, ka oma ia, ka heke. Kei reira anō tana putanga atu, ka whai haere i te reporepo nei, ā, ka tae ki te awa o Mangahoe, haere atu ana ki te moana.
Nō muri noa iho nei, ka keria e tētahi Māori kei reira e noho ana, he tereina, kia kaha ai te haere a te wai, kia maroke ai tana whenua. I a ia e mahi ana, ka mea ia kia tinihangatia e ia tētahi koroheke anō, he tohunga ki ngā kōrero Māori o mua.
Ka hoki mai ki te kāinga, kua tae ki tētahi o ngā māpere karaehe a ana tamariki, ka haere atu ki te koroua nei, ka mea atu, "E hoa, nāku te mea nei i kite i taku repo. Kāore e kore, he whatu tēnei no te ngārara e kōrero pikitia nei."
I te rongonga atu o te kaumātua nei i te kōrero nei, oho tonu atu tana ngākau, timata tonu atu te whaikōrero ki taua māpere nei, ā, ki te karakia hoki, hei ārai atu i ngā aitua.
Kātahi ka āta mauria atu e ia taua whatu māpere nei ki tētahi wāhi tapu, tanumia atu ana me ana poroporoaki.
Ā, mate noa taua koroua nei, kore rawa taua tangata tinihanga nei i kaha ki te whakaatu ki te kaumātua rā, he māpere karaehe noa iho taua whatu ngārara rā.