Fish of Maui

Maui is pretending to be asleep so he can sneakily listen to his brothers. They are saying they are going fishing in the morning, without Maui because they are jealous of his powers. When the brothers are asleep, Maui slips out of bed and hides in the bottom  of the waka’ and waited for them to paddle him to their destination but the  trickster was coming with them. And his four brothers were in shock when they saw Maui. And then Maui commanded his four brothers to keep paddling until  his brothers begged and begged for Maui to stop. But  Maui was not  satisfied with the fishing spot ‘ and the land was out of sight. And his brothers begged and begged for Maui to stop  but he didn't  one by one his brothers fell asleep. Next morning Maui satisfied with the fishing spot.  For revenge his brothers gave him no bait so he struck himself on the nose with the jawbone of his ancestors and swang the jawbone around his head and let it go like a spear.  The bone struck wood and locked in the arm of a carving Maui on the other side of the jawbone did not know that the jawbone was snared on the tekoteko which was rooted deep in the back of a giant being and Maui didn't know that . Maui was not landing a fish like he thought but fishing a land.Maui tugged and tugged and Maui wrenched and Maui tried hard so he   heaved and he strained every muscle in his body. The bottom of the sea Maui saw  something’ it was beginning to stir’ above’  Maui chanted  karakia then what Maui was fishing began to rise to the surface Maui braced himself the ocean churn and boil then Maui started to pull on the line. His brothers were terrified and made no move to help their brother Maui’ and they clung the bucking craft. The fish was thrashed in fury’ the fish is strength was not as strong as Maui’s strength’ then the fish ballooned to the surface. Then Maui saw how big the fish was the tail  stretched to the far north and his head was in the far south. Maui told his brothers to not touch him while  I am gone. The fish was smooth and flat I do not want it him damaged replied Maui. But the moment Maui was out of site his four brothers began to hack out their share and used the paddles. Maui’s brothers hit and hit the big fish and sliced into the fish’s flesh . In no time Maui looked at the fish and  the fish was jagged from Maui’s brothers from hitting it with the paddles and it was valleys  and ranges. The fish of Maui was now a rugged land. You may have visited the North island or be living on it. It is the north island of New Zealand .doesn’t it look like a battered stingray ?