The Legend of Rona

Rona was a lazy one. She really was. Her husband spoiled her too.
"Get me some water, " she would cry.
"Cook me some kumara (ubi)."
"Aie, kare." she would say. "Yes, dear.
Rona got up one morning and said to her husband. "I feel like a big fish for dinner."
"I'll get you one, kare," he said. "I'll be as quick as I can.'
"Take all day if you like. I've got some sleep to catch up on," she said.
Rona sat on the beach watching her husband paddle his canoe out to sea. She rolled out a whariki and lay down in the warm sun. Pretty soon, she was fast asleep. She slept all day until the sun went down.
When she awoke, she felt very thirsty and she lifted her gourd to have a drink, but it was empty.
"Where's that husband of mine. I'm hungry and I need a drink of water." She called out to her husband, but there was no answer.
"Pai kare. I'll have to get the water myself."
Evening had fallen as she walked past a tree on her way to the creek.
Te Marama, the moon, sailed overhead, lighting her way. But suddenly, Te Marama went behind a cloud and Rona could not see where she was going. She tripped on a rock and fell over bumping her knee. She was extremely angry. She looked up at the sky and cried out to the moon.
"Pokokohua!" she screamed.
"You craggy head!"
Te Marama stopped immediately. he said, "Are you talking to me?"
"Yes, I am! Look at what you made me do!" screamed Rona.
How dare you call me such a disgusting name!" said Te Marama.
Then, without another word, the moon zoomed in towards the earth and caught hold of Rona. She quickly grabbed the branch of a nearby tree, but the moon was far too strong. The tree came out by its roots and Rona was pulled up to the sky.
When Rona's husband returned home with a fish that almost filled his waka (canoe), he could not find his wife. He looked inside their whare (hut). He went down by the creek and down to the beach. Then, he looked up at Te Marama.
There, he saw his wife looking down at him. "Come and see the big fish I caught for you!" he said.
But Rona could only look down sadly and she could say nothing.
To this day, when there is a full moon, you will see Rona. She stands on the moon's face with the gourd in her hand. She looks down still holding on to the ngaio tree.

This story is from New Zealand.
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