A chief named Rangirarunga had a daughter so celebrated for her beauty
that the fame of it had reached all parts of these islands. A young
hero named Takarangi also heard of her beauty, and it may be that his
heart sometimes dwelt long on the thoughts of such loveliness. They
belonged to different tribes, and war broke out between them, during
which the fortress of the girl's father was besieged. Soon the
inhabitants were near dying from want of food and water. At last the
old chief Rangirarunga, overcome by thirst, stood on the top of the
defences and cried out to the enemy: "I pray you to give me one drop
of water." Some were willing, and got calabashes of water, but others
were angry thereat and broke them in their hands. The old chief then
appealed to the leader of the enemy, who was Takarangi, and asked him
if he could calm the wrath of these fierce men. Takarangi replied:
"This arm of mine is one which no dog dares to bite." But what he was
really thinking was, "That dying old man is the father of Rau-mahora,
of that lovely maid. Ah, how should I grieve if one so young and
innocent should die tormented with the want of water." Then he filled
a calabash with fresh cool water, and the fierce warriors looked on in
wonder and silence while he carried it to the old man and his
daughter. They drank, both of them, and Taka-rangi gazed eagerly at
the young girl, and she too looked eagerly at Takarangi; long time
gazed they each one at the other; and as the warriors of the army of
Takarangi looked on, lo, he had climbed up and was sitting at the
young maiden's side; and they said, amongst themselves, "O comrades,
our lord Takarangi loves war, but one would think he likes Rau-mahora
almost as well."
At last a sudden thought struck the heart of the aged chief; so he
said to his daughter, "O my child, would it be pleasing to you to have
this young chief for a husband?" And the young girl said, "I like
him." Then the old man consented that his daughter should be given as
a bride to Takarangi, and he took her as his wife. Thence was that war
brought to an end, and the army of Takarangi dispersed.