Pounamu

Tama lived in Hawaiikipamamoa with three wives and although he loved them all they often felt neglected by their husband.  They were very close, almost as close as sisters, which was really weird considering their circumstance.  One day Tangiwai came back to their whare where the other two went about their chores.

"I have reason to believe that there may be another joining our harem," she said.

The two wives stopped what they were doing.

"What do you mean?" asked one with surprise.

"I have just seen him with that little wench Taukiri, laughing and carrying on like he is but a teenager!"

"Aue!!" the two wives gasped in unison.

"I have had enough of this," Tangiwai continued, "I have been thinking of joining the crew of one of the waka who are leaving in search of new land."

"Aue!!" the two wives gasped again.

"Oh think about it you two, we do not have as much attention as it is from our husband, I would love to have him all to myself, yet we all must share him. I have had it and if I can find another beau while I'm out there then so be it."

The other two wives did think about it and the more they thought about it the more they liked the idea. They were so close that they could have been sisters and so they made a plan to go to this new land together. In the doing they would pretend that they were just maidens and if it came about then they would remarry.

Tama was indeed flirting with a young chicky who had caught his eye the other night at a hui. She made him feel so young again and although he loved his existing wives he could not help feel that one more would be no big deal. Little did he know that while he accompanied this young Taukiri to a weekend family function, his other three wives were about to set sail for a new land.

When the weekend was over Tama returned to find his whare empty.

"Paki!" He bellowed to his slave, "Where are my wives!"

Paki flew through the door, "I do not know, sir."

"Go and look for them right now!" Tama ordered.

Paki flew out just as he had flown in seconds before and not long after fled straight back in again.

"I am sorry to say Tama Sir, but Koro Kaperiera saw the three of your wives with knapsacks leaving the village on Saturday morning."

"He aha?" Tama sighed in disbelief, "Where to?"

"I am sorry Tama, Sir, he could not say more but that they headed south."

Now Tama knew of the waka that were planning to leave the shores of Hawaiiki and he also knew that they were situated to the south also.  He pondered his wives desertion, but could not come up with a reason. He knew that they loved him and he them, they were well cared for and he also knew of the envy from other husbands of their tight unity together.

"Aue!" he sighed, and bowed his head to cry.

Tama arrived at the waka site to find that most had already left, he and his slave, Paki walked about asking if anyone had seen three sisters who would have arrived on the Saturday and after much time had passed they found that Tama’s wives had travelled upon one of the first waka to leave on that very Saturday.

Tama set about making enquiries and soon found himself and his slave boarded upon one of the waka heading for the new land in search of his wives. The whole voyage he spent working away as his part of the crew and deeply pondering why his wives had left him. He came to the conclusion that perhaps they had found out about Taukiri.

On they sailed til at last landfall in the South Island of The Land of the Long White Cloud.

Tama helped the crew with what needed doing before he and Paki set out on their own in search of the other waka and their crews, and hopefully to his wives. He missed them ever so much and wondered why he had thought himself such a stud as to carry on like a young tane with that Taukiri girl. He had been contented with what he had had yet silly notions do rattle a brain when it smells the sweet scent of youth.

They travelled a long distant before they found the waka they were searching for. Some had explored the areas and were now separating to settle in. Tama found that his wives had travelled inland with one such group and so he followed their trail.

As they went they remembered things that they had been warned about, such as sacred rituals that had been performed and the need for certain respect in such areas. One day while trekking the bushland, Paki left Tama, as the need for bowel motion was urgent. Tama sat upon a dried log to wait and when Paki returned he was shocked. His slave had a dark cloud about him that could not be seen by normal sight, Paki had done something wrong; interfering with something sacred was the only way that this could have happened.

"Tell me what you have done," Tama commanded of Paki.

"What do you mean Sir, I had to go to the wharepaku."

"Where did you go and what exactly did you do!"

Now Paki was a young man and a bit simple as well, he grinned a little.

"It is not a joke, Paki, what did you do and where did you do it.... Exactly!"

The smile gone Paki tried to be serious, "Well I had to kaka, so I went right over there and then used that tree to clean my nono."

Tama shook his head, "something has happened here before we came and now you have done something wrong. We must hasten and find a tohunga".

On they went as quickly as they could. They did not make camp anywhere they just kept travelling for Tama knew that this boy was his responsibility and if anything were to happen then it would fall on to Tama’s shoulders.  Finally they caught up with the crew that had come inland and Tama asked frantically about lifting a tapu from his slave.

"Ah!" said the tohunga, "You are the ones responsible!"

Tama and Paki stepped backwards, "Aue!"

"The three sisters did pause to leave a tapu ritual and because you have desecrated that sacred place they have become no more!"

The tohunga looked accusingly at Tama and Paki.

Paki stepped forward asking if he may speak and when given consent he explained what had happened.

The tohunga did not seem to lighten up much.

"It is too late. There is nothing that can be done. The sisters lay the tapu and because of you they have become no more".

Tama had heard the first time but only now was able to speak.

"They are not sisters they are my wives and I had come in search of them."

"Huh, I thought as much," the tohunga scoffed, "Running away from a bad husband aye. Well that explains the tapu then. They have all turned to stone, do you see there husband, “he pointed, "and they cannot be restored."

With that the tohunga gathered his remaining party and turned away from Tama and Paki heading away from them.

Tama indeed looked and he saw three stones within the water of a stream. They were all green and must have been bathing when the tapu was desecrated. Tama wept and wept as he waded into the cold water to touch his beloved wives, recognizing each as he went. When he got to Tangiwai she was the only one rising above the water and his tears splashed upon her stone form and became etched within as if she had absorbed his grief in a comforting acknowledgement.

Nothing could be done for his slave Paki and forever he wore the grey cloud about him, but it did not matter for they both lived beside the stream until they passed away.

And that is one story of how greenstone came to be in the South Island.