Tanemauroa Chapter 3 Summary

One day Tanemahuta was strolling in the forest when he saw that his children were starting to get sick because bugs were eating them. So, he asked his brother Tanehokahoka for help. Tanehokahoka called all of his children the birds of the sky together. Tanemahuta told the birds that someone was eating his children. He also said that one of the birds needed to come down so that his children could be saved. So Tanehokahoka asked Tui “ E’tui will you come down from the trees”. Tui looked up at the sun that came through the leaves and said: “ nope, I’m too scared of the dark”. So Tanehokahoka turned to Pukeko and said “Pukeko, will you come down to the forest bottoms”. Pukeko looked down at the cold wet earth and said: “ not a chance, I do not want to get my feet wet”.
Then Tanehokahoka turned to pipiwharauroa and asked “ pipiwharauroa, will you come down from the forest roof “.
Pipiwharauroa looked up at the sun filtering through the leaves then down at the cold damp earth and said: “ no, I’m to busy building my nest”. Great sadness filled the heart of Tanehokahoka for he knew that if one of his children did not come down, not only would his brother's children perish, but the birds would lose their homes. As Tanemahuta’s last hope he turned to Kiwi and said “E’kiwi will you come to the forest bottom”. Kiwi looked up at the sun filtering through the leaves, then down at the cold damp earth then he said “Okay”. Joy filled the hearts of Tanehokahoka and Tanemahuta because this bird had given them hope. But, Tanemahuta thought that he should warn kiwi of what would happen if kiwi came to the forest
floor. Tanemahuta warned kiwi that if he came to the forest floor he would lose his brightly feathered wings and he would grow strong stumpy legs to break the logs on the ground. Kiwi looked up at the sun filtering through the leaves then at the other birds and their brightly feathered wings and said a silent goodbye, then he turned to Tanehokahoka and said “okay”. Then, Tanehokahoka faced the other birds and said: “ E’tui because you were too afraid you will now have two white feathers as the mark of a coward”. “ Pukeko, because you did not want to get your feet wet from now and forever you will live in will live in swamps”. “Finally, pipiwharauroa, because you were to busy building your nest from now on you will not make your nest, but lay your eggs in other birds nests.” ”And you kiwi, because of your great sacrifice from now on you will be the most loved and well-known bird of them all.”