From Maori Folklore of the Cook Islands
In Rarotonga, at the pretty village of Aorrangi, is the small fountain of Vaitipi. On the night after full moon, a woman and a man of dazzling white complexion rose up out of the crystal water. When the inhabitants of this world were supposed to be asleep, they came up from the shades to steal taro, plantains, bananas, and cocoa-nuts. All these good things they took back to nether-world to devour raw.
Little did the fairies think that they had been seen by mortals, and that a plan was being devised to catch them. A large scoop net of strong cinet was made for this purpose, and constant watch set at the fountain by night. On the first appearance of the new moon they again came up, and, as usual, went off to pillage the plantations. The great net was no carefully outspread at the bottom of the fountain, and then they gave chase to the fair beings from spirit-world. The fairy girl was the first to reach the fountain, and dived down. She was at once caught in the net, and carried off in triumph. But in replacing the net after the struggle, a small space remained uncovered; through this tiny aperture the male fairy contrived to escape.
The lovely captive became the cherished wife of the chief Ati, who now carefully filled up the fountain with great stones, lest his fairy spouse should return to nether-world.
They lived very happily together. She was known all over Rarotonga as the “peerless one (Tapairu) of Ati.” She got reconciled to the ways of mortals, and grew content with her novel position. In the course of time she became pregnant, and when the period for her delivery had come, she said to her husband, “Perform on me the Caesarean operation, and then bury my dead body. But cherish tenderly our child.” Ati refused to accede to this proposition, but allowed Nature to take her course, so that the fairy became the living mother of a fair boy.
When at length the child had become strong, the mother one day wept bitterly in the presence of her husband. She told him that it was grief at the destruction of all mothers in the shades upon the birth of the first-born. Would he consent to her return thither in order that so cruel a custom should be put an end to? Ati should accompany her. This was agreed upon, and accordingly the great stones were dragged up from the bottom of the fountain. All kinds of vegetable gums were now collected, and the fairy carefully besmeared the entire person of Ati, so as to facilitate his descent to the lower world.
Holding firmly the hand of her human husband, the fairy dived to the bottom of the fountain, and nearly reached the entrance to the invisible world. But Ati was so dreadfully exhausted, that out of pity for him she returned. Five times was this process repeated – in vain! The fair one from spirit-land wept because her husband was not permitted to accompany her; for only the spirits of the dead and immortals can enter.
Sorrowfully embracing each other, the “peerless one” said, “I alone will go to spirit-world to teach what I have learnt from you.” At this she again dived down into the clear waters, and was never again seen on earth. Ati went sorrowfully back to his old habitation; and thenceforth their boy was called “Ati-ve’e” (At-the-forsaken), in memory of his lost fairy mother. He was surpassingly fair, like his mother from spirit-land; but his descendants are dark, like ordinary mortals.
It is to this lovely fairy woman the old song of the Ati clan alludes:
She has descended again to spirit-world!
Men praised the divine being first seen
By Ati at the fountain.
But his heart is now filled with grief.
Hence the origin of the common name “Tapairu” (peerless one), in memory of their fairy ancestress.
Source:
Myths and Songs From the South Pacific, William Wyatt Gill, 1876
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