Paaiea’s Fish Pond and the Girls roasting Breadfruit
Posted: Dec 12, 2010
See it on Tours:
On the west side of the Big Island of Hawaii there lays a volcano called Hualalai. Years ago there was a vast fishpond at the base of the volcano that belonged to a chief named Paaiea. One day an old lady came down the mountain to ask for fish from the fishermen. The konohiki, or overseer, refused to give her anything and turned her away rudely. On her way home, a kind hearted fisherman offered her some fish to take with her. She thanked him and instructed him to hang a piece of kapa cloth on the corner of his house.
On her way home, the old lady also stopped at a village higher up on the hill, where she came across two young girls roasting breadfruit. When asked who they were roasting the breadfruit for, one of them replied “for Madame Pele.” They shared their breadfruit with the old lady, who thanked them and also told them to put a piece of kapa cloth on their house as well.
That night a great fire was seen on the mountain. Initially thought to be a camp fire, it become obvious that the fire was in fact a lave flow that came to engulf the village and fill in the fish pond. By the time the villagers realized that the old beggar lady who they had scored was actually Madame Pele, it was too late. The only houses spared were those of the generous fisherman and the young girls, who had followed her heed to hang kapa cloth on their houses.
