| Summary: | Newsletter of the North Dakota School for the Deaf. 2 THE NORTH DAKOTA BANNER New Zealand Tale Teaches the Changing of Enemies Into Friends. A long time ago iu Now Zealand there was a chief called Rangirarunga, whose town was renowned for its fortifications. War arose betweon his followers ami a neighboring tribe under the leadership of their young chief, Takarangi, whose army marched fo Rangirarunga's fortress and sat before it night and day, but they could not take it. in spite of all their assaults. At last the inhabitants of the beleaguered fort were in need of provision and water, and one day the chief Rangirarunga stood on the top of the defenses and cried to the enemy’s army, '"I pray you to give me one drop of water for my child.” Some of Tukarangi’s men pitied the man and ran with a calabash to fetch him water, but the others were angry and said it was wrong when engaged in war to be kind or to have tender feelings, and they broke the calabash so that no drop of water reached him. This went on for some time. The chief stood watching and perceiving how the meu were quarreling together; but standing a little way off he noticed a fine young warrior, wearing a long white comb made from the bone of a whale and the floating plumes of a white heron, and he knew by this that he was the chief. So Rangirarunga cried out to him, “Who art tliouf” And the young warrior answered, “I am thine enemy, Takarangi.” Then the chief called to him, "Young warrior, art thou able to still the wrathful surge which foams on the hidden rocks of the shoal of Orongomaita-kupo?” by which he meant, “Have you power over the anger of your own men V” This stirred Takarangi, who cried, “The wrathful surge shall be silted.” lie rose up then before all his army and went for water. He filled the calabash with cold water from the spring which is named Fount Oringi, and no word was spoken by all his men who looked in wonder to sec their proud leader waiting on the chief like a lowly servant. Takarangi filled the calabash and carried it up to the fortress, and the crowd of fierce and angry warriors beheld him place it in the hands of Rangirarunga, saying, "The surge is stilled; behold the water for yourself and the young girl, your child.” At these words, Rangirarunga called his daughter and she came forward eagerly to drink; gratefully they looked at Takarangi and ho looked back in pity and kindness and began to speak gently with them; and then all his warriors wore amazed to see. him climb up and sit on the top of the defenses talking as a friend. Thus the war was brought to an end, the army of Taka-r angi dispersed and went back, each man to his own village, and never again were there wars between the tribes of Takarangi and Rangirarunga; because 1'akar-angi had been brave enough and strong enough to have no fear of the wrath of his own army and had yielded to his desire to give his enemy a cup of cold water. Another story which the Maoris declare is quite true tells how the beautiful young chieftainess Hiue-Moaswam over the wide waters of Roturua. Tutanekai was a good and beautiful bov who lived with his family on the island of Mokoia with his stepfather, his mother and stepbrothers; his stepfather was as kind to him as if Tutanekai were his own son, but the stepbrothers thought they were better than Tutanekai and felt they should know all the interesting people and have them for friends. So, when they all met Iline-Moa at the parties which they attended, the stepbrothers made friends with her and pushed Tutanekai to one side. But Tutanekai had one great friend, Taki, and these two boys built an elevated balcony on the hillside and in the evening would go up and sit there and play music, Tutanekai on his horn and Taki on his flute. The sweet strains would travel right across the water to the mainland where lline-Moa lived, and every evening Hine-Moa listened and admired ami longed to know Tutanekai who played so sweetly. At last they made friends at a party, and Tutanekai invited Hine-Moa to come and see their balcony aud hear the music one evening; and she said she would paddle across in her canoe if Tutanekai would play his horn to guide her to his bank. Hine-Moa’s friends did not want her to leave them and so they hauled the canoes out of the water and hid them, and when she went for hers it was gone. She could hear the sweet music and she knew how disappointed Tutanekai would be if she did not come, but there was the water, a huge lake, between them. Then she thought. “Perhaps 1 could swim across. ’ So she took six large dry empty gourds, three on each side as floats, and went out on the .rocks and cast herself into the water. She swam for some time till she came to the stump of a sunken tree and was able to rest on that; and then she swam again, took unoher rest supported by the gourds and floating on the current of the.lake. It was quite dark and she could not see where she was going—only hear (lie horn of Tutanekai. But that guided her so well that she swam straight across to the hotspring of YVaikimihin on the island of Mokoia. She got into the hotspring to warm herself after the swim through the cold water, and just then Tutanekai sent his servant with a calabash for a drink of water. When she heard him coming, Hine-Moa called out iu a gruff voice like a man’s, “For whom do you fetch that water?” How glad she was when the servant answered, “It is for Tutanekai.” “Give it me,” said Hine-Moa in such a deep growling voice that the servant threw down the calabash and flow back and told Tutanekai there was a man at the hotspring. But when Tutanekai ran to see who the intruder was, lie found his dear friend Hine-Moa.—Selected. The Diplomat. Tho famous author and the author who was not so famous, says the New York Timet/, traveled together to the seaside inn. The proprietor of tho inn had had the famous author for a guest before, and he welcomed him back cordially. On the second day the famous man summoned the landlord for a confidential interview. “I want to talk to you about this young friend of mine,” he. said. “He is new in the writing game and earns very little money. As a favor to me, I wish you'd make his bill as small as possible.” The landlord, highly gratified at the great man’s friendly attitude, even if it touched his pockctbook, promised. Two days later lie was sent for again. “By the way,” said the great man, “don’t let my bill be any bigger than his. Boys like that are extremely touchy.” — The Youth's Companion. It is estimated that a ton of water from tho Atlantic Ocean, when evaporated, yields SI pounds of salt; a ton of Pacific water, 71) pounds; a ton of Arctic or Antarctic water, Sti pounds; a ton of water from tho Dead sea, 1ST pounds.—Selected.
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