Under Hawaiian skies, a narrative of the romance, adventure and history of the Hawaiian Islands, a complete historical account, by Albert Pierce Taylor.

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UNDER HAWAIIAN SKIES

the side of the pond which are said by Hawaiians to have been
resting places for the mermaids while they dried their hair and
watched the fishes at play.
(;reat billows rolled in from the sea upon the shore from Waimea to Kahuku. The mermaids, legions of them, played upon
them. They were the white crests which creamed the tops of
the billows and became hazy in appearance as the waves gathered mnomentum and beat upon the rocks. On windy days when
the trade winds blew strong from the great cold regions of the
north, the mermaids played at their best and rode and rode upon
the friendly billows, which seemed glad to carry them in.
A great shark dwelt along this shore, a friend of the mermaids.
I-e watched over them and kept them from harm, for there were
other sharks in the waters beyond which were not friendly.
\Among these was a cruel shark which lived beyond Kahuku, a
rapacious, hungry, devouring denizen of the deep. Often he
swam (lown the coast and with greedy eyes watched the mermaids
at play and his jaws snapped as he thought of the dainty morsels
he might have were it not they were so jealously guarded.
The cruel shark gradually swam into the region of mermaids.
He played and disported himself to attract their attention, but
they always fled to the shore and remained in the security of the
great rocks. Hte was ingenuous and in their presence revealed
none of the cruel traits of his nature. Finally, he met the protecting shark, and, assuming an air of gentleness, gradually dismissed the suspicions of the guardian, and they became friends.
The cruel shark came often to the sea of mermaids. Feeling
secure, they played even when he was near. But the cunning
shark awaited his opportunity. One day the protector swam
dlown the coast in search of delicate food for his mermaids.
The cruel shark found the opportunity at last. He swam beneatl the sea out towards the great (leel). He swam fast and
repeated this often, until lie had prodtuced a treacherous undertow. Back and forth l'e swam, makling the sea lnore and more
treacherous, while the mermaids played in their innocent way
near the shore. In time, the cruel shark planned that when they