From the Maori Folklore of the Cook Islands
The only children of Potiki were twins: the elder, a girl, was named Piri-ere-ua, or Inseparable; the younger was a boy. These children were naturally fond of each other: whatever the sister wished the brother agreed to. Unhappily, however, their mother, Tarakorekore, was a scold, and gave them no peace. One night the mother went torch-fishing on the reef. The tide, rising at midnight, put an end to her sport; but not before she had obtained a basket full of small bony red fish, called kuku. Upon arriving home, according to invariable native custom, she woke her husband and cooked the fish. Four divisions were made; the parents eating their portions at once. The mother would not agree to her husband’s suggestion to wake the children to partake of the warm and savoury midnight feast. However, she carefully put away their portions into their baskets.
Now, Inseperable and her twin-brother were all the time awake, but did not let their parents know the circumstance. In vain they waited for their mother to fetch them to share their good things. Potiki and Tarakorekore enjoyed a thorough good supper, but their children were not to get a taste until morning. The twins wept in secret. As soon as they parents were soundly asleep, Inseparable proposed to her brother that they should flee away for ever. At first the boy hesitated, but eventually agreed to comply with his sister’s wishes. Cautiously opening the sliding door of their house, they started on their journey. Upon reaching an elevated point of rock, they sat down and again wept, each filling a little natural hollow in the rock with their parting tears, without, however, in the least relenting in their purpose. At last they leaped up into the sky, Inseparable holding on to the extremity of her brother’s girdle.
As soon as the morning star became visible, the mother went to rouse the children, so that they might eat their fish and taro; but they were gone. Their little bed of fragrant dried grass was cold, though moist with tears. Hastily summoning her husband, a strict search was made. The path taken by the twins was traced by their tears. The little hollows filled from their eyes revealed the spot where they had last rested on earth. But no further trace could be discovered. In utter perplexity the now sorrowful and repentant parents looked up at the sky, where the sun had not yet risen, and, to their great surprise, saw their beloved children shining brightly there. Vainly they called on Inseparable and her brother to return. To stay longer on earth without these dearly loved, though ungrateful, children could not be thought of: so then father and mother leaped right up into the heavens in hot pursuit of the “Twins.” But the children had got the start of their parents, and made the best of their way through the azure vault. This strange chase is still going on; for the parents have never yet succeeded in overtaking their truant children. All four shine brightly: the parents Potiki and Tarakorekore, being larger, exceed their children in brilliancy. Brother and dearly-loved sister, still linked together, pursue their never-ceasing flight, resolved never again to meet their justly enraged parents.
[ Inseparable and her brother are two double stars in Scorpii. The irate parents are the two bright stars of Scorpii).
Source:
Myths and Songs From the South Pacific, William Wyatt Gill, 1876
Kotharian Lightning 