Man was coming down the mountain with a full water gourd. Such a long, hot, rough trail, all the way up to the spring and down again! In the shade of a rock he stopped to rest. A little breeze reached him with cooling fingers. Man sat down, leaned against the cool rock, and fell asleep.
Along came a small, curious ‘elepaio bird. He lighted on a tree to look at Man. Then he flew to the rock and cocked his head this way and that as he made sure Man was asleep. At last he hopped down to the water gourd and examined it with his bright eyes. Back went his head and hammer, hammer, hammer, his small bill struck the gourd until a tiny hole appeared. ‘Elepaio watched the water trickle through the hole, then flew back to the tree.
Man awoke and picked up his gourd. How light it felt! Then he noticed a wet spot where the gourd had rested. He saw the hole. “Who has done this?” he asked angrily. He caught sight of ‘Elepaio. “Naughty bird!” he shouted and aimed a pebble.
The pebble struck ‘Elepaio’s leg, and away flew the angry bird. He found ‘Io, the hawk. “O friend ‘Io,” he shouted, “help me! Help me to punish Man!”
“What has Man done?” asked ‘Io sharply. “If Man has harmed a little bird, he shall indeed be punished!”
“He threw a stone and hit my leg. See!” and ‘Elepaio limped as he hopped along a twig.
“Why did Man do that?” ‘Io asked. “What had you done?”
“Nothing at all!” answered ‘Elepaio innocently. “I only pecked a little hole in his water gourd.”
“And let out all the water that he brought from the mountain spring!” ‘Io exclaimed. “I don’t blame Man for being angry! Be off, you naughty bird!”
‘Elepaio went to Pueo, the owl. “I need your help, Pueo,” he said. “I need your help to punish Man. See what he has done to me!”
“Poor little bird!” said Pueo kindly. “What a cruel thing for Man to do! What had you done to him?”
“I didn’t even touch him!” ‘Elepaio exclaimed. “I only pecked a hole in his water gourd, a tiny hole.”
“Oh, naughty ‘Elepaio! All the water could run out of a tiny hole. I don’t blame Man for being angry. Be off with you!”
So ‘Elepaio flew away and found ‘I‘iwi, but ‘I‘iwi too called him a naughty bird. At last he came to ‘Amakihi flitting about among lehua blossoms. “O ‘Amakihi,” he cried, “see what Man has done! See how lame I am all because of that cruel Man!”
‘Amakihi hopped about watching the limping bird. “Too bad! Too bad!” he chirped. “What had you done, ‘Elepaio? What had you done?”
“Nothing! Nothing but peck a tiny hole in his water gourd!”
“Served you right!” chirped ‘Amakihi, hopping about and shaking his tail as if he laughed at ‘Elepaio. “Served you right!”
“Useless bird!” shouted ‘Elepaio angrily.
“Maybe I’m useless,” chirped ‘Amakihi, shaking his tail again, “but at least I don’t go about making trouble!”
Told by Mary Kawena Pūku‘i