they went fishing again, and behold, there was the fire! And so they
were continually tantalized. Only when they were out fishing would
the fire appear, and when they returned they could not find it.

This was the way of it. The curly-tailed alae knew that Maui and
Hina had only these four sons, and if any of them stayed on shore
to watch the fire while the others were out in the canoe the alae
knew it by counting those in the canoe, and would not light the
fire. Only when they could count four men in the canoe would they
light the fire. So Maui-mua thought it over, and said to his brethren:
"To-morrow morning do you go fishing, and I will stay ashore. But do
you take the calabash and dress it in kapa, and put it in my place
in the canoe, and then go out to fish."

They did so, and when they went out to fish the next morning, the alae
counted and saw four figures in the canoe, and then they lit the fire
and put the bananas on to roast. Before they were fully baked one of
the alae cried out: "Our dish is cooked! Behold, Hina has a smart son."

And with that, Maui-mua, who had stolen close to them unperceived,
leaped forward, seized the curly-tailed alae and exclaimed: "Now
I will kill you, you scamp of an alae! Behold, it is you who are
keeping the fire from us. I will be the death of you for this."

Then answered the alae: "If you kill me the secret dies with me,
and you won't get the fire." As Maui-mua began to wring its neck, the
alae again spoke, and said: "Let me live, and you shall have the fire."

So Maui-mua said: "Tell me, where is the fire?"