Tales of the Menehune and Other Legends of Hawai'i

Hawaiian legends and myths about menehune, the demingod Māui, and other tales of the Hawaiian Islands. Collected and edited by noted Hawaiian scholar Mary Kawena Pukui, and retold for a broad audience by Caroline Curtis, this volume is a delightful introduction to Hawai'i's rich tradition of storytelling for young and old alike. Legends about the little people of Hawaiian folklore, the demigod Maui, and other Hawaiian tales. The menehune were the little people of Hawaiian tales. As they lived in the mountain forests and only came to the lowland at night, they were not often seen. Yet the Hawaiians could describe them. They were two or three feet tall, the stories said, thickset and hairy. Some of them were never heard to talk while others talked with deep, gruff voices. The Hawaiians said their talk sounded likek the low growl of a dog, and their laughter could be heard far away. The mu, a banana eating people, were a tribe of the menehune. Legends about the little people of Hawaiian folklore, the demigod Mäui and other Hawaiian tales. Suitable to be read to younger children and read independently by older children and adults.