Te Reo Rata and Totara

Te Reo Rata and Totara

SUMMARY: Rata was told to go cut down the mighty totara and carve a waka out of it. Rata went out the next morning and cut it down with his axe. That night the birds and insects put the tree back together. He went out again the next day to be shocked that the tree was back standing up again. By the end of the day he had started to carving out his waka it became night time and he stuck around hiding in the bushes then the creatures came out and he grabbed the piwakawaka and demanded why they kept putting the totora back up. They said because you haven't asked for permission so he asked and the birds of the forests call tanemahuta he was allowed to so the birds said come back tomorrow and it will be carved so the birds set to work. The next morning he came to a beautiful carved waka.

Moral:  

Tiakina nga manu, ka ora te ngahere. ka ora te ngahere, ka ora te manu.

Look after the birds and the forest flourishes. If the forest flourishes, the birds flourish

If you want to get trees from the forest you need to get permission from the birds and tane mahuta.