How the Tuatara Got His Spikes

Max' s Myth

Long, long ago in New Zealand there was a great chief called Tane Hoka Hoka, who was God of the birds. On the shores of Wairoa lived a tuatara called Koa Koa but he didn't have a home. While Koa Koa was walking past a big rock he spotted a white bird up ahead. He looked to both sides of him and he noticed a hole so he walked into it. Soon he spotted a white bird in front of him. The bird saw him and fluffed up his feathers like a white tea cosy. The bird spoke. "Why are you in my hole? You bad, bad lizard." The bird called to Tane Hoka Hoka. "This bad, bad lizard has been in my hole", said the bird. The chief got angry and carved thirty spikes and made a big bow out of wood and flax. One by one he fired them and they landed down the lizard's spine, head and tail. First they went down the head, then onto the spine and after that onto the tail. "Now we will say goodbye to the chief, Tane Hoka Hoka and the tuatara, Koa Koa and last of all the white bird who fluffed up his feathers like a white tea cosy. His name was actually Cosy.

Max H