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Show 17 Roa's family would feast well that night upon his abundant catch. The bottom of his canoe was covered with parore. the black perch and oatiki, the flounder. Ika-tere. the father of fish, had indeed blessed him this day. His own father had taught him the ways of tohora. the whale, the largest of fishes, as well as the ways of Inanga, the whitebait, which was the smallest of fishes. Roa's father, Tur-i, had also taught him the ways of the land, his land that he loved so well, the Land of the Long White Cloud. He was at home on its white sand beaches to its thick ferned forests and tree laden mountains. He knew well the beautiful red-flowered pohutakawa tree, the kaikamoko, the mahoe, the giant totara, and the mighty kauri, from which his canoe was crafted by his own hands. He recognized the chatter and songs of all the forest birds: nitoitoi the robin, koekoea the cuckoo, hongi the crow, tiraueke the saddleback, wharauroa the short-tailed cuckoo, kuku the pigeon, ruru the owl, narera the duck, and tiwaiwaka the fantail. Tane-muhuta the father of the forest, the birds, insects and living creatures, had been kind in blessing him also with this knowledge. |