Legend of Pupualenalena.

Pupualenalena was a dog that once lived in Puako, Hawaii, with its own master. After a while his master was kidnapped by Kanikaa, a spirit, so the dog went and lived with another master. It was the usual thing for the new master to go out fishing, so he took the dog with him, making it sit behind him in the canoe. Every time a fish was caught the dog would eat it up, and as the dog kept on doing this for some time, the master said: “Yes, I have no objections to your eating the fish, if you can only supply me with my favorite drink, the awa, then it would be all right for you to eat the fish.”

While the master was saying this, the dog Pupualenalena understood him. In the evening the dog disappeared. This absence was because it went to steal awa down in the valley of Waipio. At this time Hakau the king was living at Waipio. He owned a large field of awa, just at the foot of the Puaahuku cliff. This was the field where Pupualenalena came and got awa. At daybreak he would reach home with his awa, when his master would take it, cut it up and prepare some and drink it. The master after this had all the awa he wanted and the dog kept him supplied for many days. The dog, however, went to the place so often that after a while very little of the field was left; so Hakau began to be suspicious and therefore set guards over the field. While the guards were watching one night, the dog came to the field and began pulling up the awa; when he had a sufficient amount for a load it took up the load and returned home. The guards then were sure that a dog was pulling the king’s awa, so they followed it. The dog being much faster than the guards it got away; but one fellow who was a good runner kept up the chase until Pupualenalena was finally tracked to Puako. When the guard saw the dog’s master he was covered with scales from the constant use of awa. The guard then approached him and asked: “Say, is this your dog?” The master replied: “Yes.” The guard then said: “You two have sinned [560]against the king, Hakau. Your dog has been stealing the awa which belongs to the king.” The guard then took the man and his dog and brought them to Hakau in the valley of Waipio. When they arrived in the presence of Hakau, Hakau asked: “Is this your dog?” “Yes, it is mine,” answered the man. Hakau asked: “Have you been drinking my awa then?” “Yes, I have been drinking it. I thought that the awa came from some place nearer home. But I am mistaken, and that he has been getting it from Waipio, here.” Hakau replied: “Yes, I am going to kill both of you for taking my awa.”

During this time, in the reign of Hakau, there was a large shell used as a trumpet, called Kuana, that was owned by the spirits which lived above Waipio. This shell was blown every night and the sound from it made Hakau angry. So he said to the master of Pupualenalena: “I will, however, save you and your dog if you will get me the shell owned by the spirits.” While Hakau was speaking, Pupualenalena heard and understood the king’s wish. That night the shell was again blown by the spirits. At midnight the king of the spirits retired leaving the guards to keep watch; but later on they also fell asleep. Pupualenalena then stole in and jumped over the sleeping guards. Seeing the shell hanging over the king, it jumped over him, took the shell, stuck his head in through the loop of the string by which it was hung up and ran off with it. While in its flight and just as he was out of the house one side of the shell struck a rock and a piece of the shell was broken off. Upon hearing the crack of the shell the spirits woke up and gave chase, but they were unable to catch the dog.

When the dog arrived in the presence of Hakau with the shell, he was so happy that he thereupon placed the master and his dog on a piece of land near by, and they became great favorites with Hakau. [559]