Long ago, in the little village of Koloa, there lived a boy called Māui Kisikisi. His grandfather, Māui Motu’a, lived in Pulotu (the land beneath the land), and his father, Māui Atalanga, moved between the two, visiting his son and father.

In Koloa, there was no fire. The people ate their food cold and raw. The only place that held fire was Pulotu.

Every day, Māui Atalanga went down to Pulotu to visit Māui Motu’a. Māui Kisikisi would watch his father and wonder about the land underneath. One day, Māui Kisikisi decided he could no longer just watch and wonder, so he followed his father, slowly creeping behind him. He watched as his father separated bamboo stalks, revealing a hole in the ground, and jumped down to Pulotu. Māui Kisikisi followed down the hole after his father.

Down in Pulotu, Māui Kisikisi saw Māui Motu’a peeling cooked yams beside the fire. He snuck up to his grandfather and stole the peelings. Māui Kisikisi savoured the taste of the sweet, warm peelings. Māui Kisikisi knew that Māui Motu’a was blind and couldn’t see him, so he quickly took one of the yams.

Māui Motu’a reached for the yams and realised one was missing. Māui Kisikisi thought he would be caught, so he scampered up the nearest nonu tree, grabbed one of its fruits, took a bite and threw it down towards his grandfather. Māui Motu’a felt the fruit and the bite of his grandson and called out in anger, “Māui Kisikisi, I know it is you!”

Māui Atalanga heard the commotion and rushed over, “Māui Kisikisi, come with me and weed in the plantation; you need�to stay out of trouble.” Māui Kisikisi followed his father in shame. He began weeding, and then his father called out�a warning, “Keep pulling up those weeds, son, but�whatever you do, do not look behind you as you�go!” Of course, Māui Kisikisi’s curiosity got the�better of him and he looked behind.

Māui Atalanga saw his son disobeying him and decided it was time for Māui Kisikisi to return to Koloa before he caused any more problems.

Māui Atalanga pulled Māui Kisikisi back towards the hole. Māui Kisikisi knew that this would be his last chance to take fire to Koloa, so as he passed the fire, he dragged his tupenu through it so it caught alight. As father and son climbed up the hole, Māui Atalanga smelt smoke and he realised what his son had done.

When they reached the top of the hole back in Koloa, Māui Atalanga ordered the rain to extinguish the fire in Māui Kisikisi’s cloth. But Māui Kisikisi was too fast. He commanded the fire to leave his cloth and go into the trees.

To this day, when we rub two sticks together we can create fire. This is because Māui Kisikisi put fire into the trees.