Tainui The Protector
Long ago in the eighteen hundreds there once lived a strong, fearless taniwha called Tainui. Tainui looked like strong protector and dark green slimy scales. Two brown eyes and Two gigantic wings and A long sharp tail. Tainui was loved by many. He was a hero to lots but a failure and a show off to one, Tāwhiri the god of the wind.
Tāwhiri was grey and very muscly, Tāwhiri was always angry so he always caused a lot of threatening storm’s that can go on for days. Tāwhiri was so jealous 0f Tainui because he always got what he wanted, whenever he wanted it. One time Tāwhiri got furious! He was sick of being left out so he came down to the land and tried to tell the people of the South Island and the Stewart Island how Tāwhiri used to be a hero until Tainui came along and took his place. They didn’t believe him, they just thought that he was a useless god who causes uncontrollable disasters.
Later that day Tāwhiri came up with an idea to kidnap his wife and his children to make him feel like what he felt like when his wife and children left and when he took his spot. Tāwhiri’s plan was to kidnap Tainui’s Children and wife and if he wanted his family back he would have to fight him or Tainui’s family would become his slaves.
That next day Tāwhiri travelled down to Stewart Island and aggressively snatched Tainui’s family out of the oak tree and said in a loud determined voice, “If you don’t meet me at Blue lake at 2 o’clock you will regret it!” Tainui was frightened but he would not let Tāwhiri take his family just like that. He got prepared and travelled to Blue lake right away.
When Tainui got there he saw Tāwhiri with two spears in his hand and his family trapped away in a cave covered in rocks with a little opening at the top.
“If I win, I take your place and rule New Zealand and also keep your family as my slaves,” Tāwhiri said in a determined voice. Then Tainui added, “But if I win, I get my family and you will be banished from Stewart Island and the South Island and I will still be the Leader of New Zealand.”
The fight began! Tainui was trying his hardest but wasn’t winning. Tāwhiri wanted to be the rangatira of New Zealand. The battle went for hours. Tainui felt like he wasn’t going to beat the great Tāwhiri, then Tainui got knocked to the ground and felt like he was going to die.
He looked up and saw Tāwhiri race to the cave where Tainui’s children and wife were and he grabbed them and sprinted away. Tainui got up awkwardly and yelled, “Hey Tāwhiri, I’m not finished yet!” Tāwhiri stopped in fright and turned around quickly, he stared at Tainui in a very angry way, he couldn’t let him win again.
“Not another time you will win Tainui!!” He screamed.
Tāwhiri chucked Tainui’s family into the cave as powerfully as he could. Tainui and Tāwhiri ran into each other like at a bullfight. Tāwhiri got flung into the air very fast and hit a mossy gigantic boulder. Then something incredible happened; Tainui didn’t even move one inch. Tainui was so surprised and excited that he just found out that he was stronger than the great Tāwhiri.
Tainui picked up his family very carefully and started to go back home when Tāwhiri woke up and saw him walking away happily. Tāwhiri got up silently and took a deep breathe in and blew out to blow Tainui far away in the moana. What he didn’t know was that Tainui already knew he was trying to banish him. Tainui swiftly went over to Tāwhiri and took him by the hand said in a clear voice, “I won. Now you are going to be banished from the South Island and Stewart Island forever. You shall live in Wellington for as long as you live.” And just like that, Tāwhiri was gone.
Tainui and his wife and children left their journey out of Blue lake and travelled back to Stewart Island. In the end Tainui was still the leader of the South Island and Stewart Island, while back in Wellington Tainui heard that Tāwhiri had caused a lot of wind and destruction.
The End
By Milan Jamieson
