Aiai son of the fishing god, had just gotten married to a wonderful, beautiful, and fun wife named, Ka-ua, daughter of the chief of Honolulu on the island of Oahu.

***

A long time past and Aiai wanted to visit his father. So Aiai asked everyone he saw," Have you ever met a fisherman named Ku-ula? "

Everyone answered, " No."

Later one day a traveler from Maui returned and Aiai asked him the same question. That person who returned from Maui answered, " Yes, I have seen a lonely man named Ku-ula. I have seen him waiting for his seabird."

Now Aiai, son of the fishing god, said good-by to his lovely wife, Ka-ua, and set sail to Maui. As he was paddling to Maui, he thought about his father's seabird and the seabird bringing the pearl fish hook from the heavens.

Finally, when Aiai saw land he automatically shouted out, " Ku-ula , Ku-ula! Ku-ula, my father!"

There was a silent second. "Aiai, my son," Ku-ula called out.

"Is that you father? " asked Aiai.

"Yes, it is my son, " answered Ku-ula.

Then Aiai saw a sad and lonely man standing on the reef standing doing nothing.

Later on Aiai's father asked, " Aiai, every time I try to fish for aku, I don't catch any. Could you find my pearl fish hook because it was stolen? Take my seabird along with you because he might remember what the pearl fish hook looked like."

When he returned to Oahu with the seabird, Aiai found out that his wife really wanted to eat aku so he went out fishing with his father-in-law, the chief of Oahu. To his surprise he saw that his father-in-laws was catching a lot of aku. The seabird and Aiai knew it could only be the pearl fish hook that could bring up that many fish. How was he to get the fish hook back from his father-in-law?

When Aiai went home, he found his wife disappointed that he had not brought home any aku. This is when he got an idea.

He asked his wife to borrow the pearl fish hoof from her father. This she did and her father loaned it to her.

Early the next morning, Aiai and the seabird went out with the pearl fish hook and caught four aku. Aiai was satisfied with his catch. He then held the fish hook out for the seabird to take hold of. The seabird returned the hook to the rightful owner, Aiai's father.

***

Now everyone was happy because Aiai's wife, Ku-ua, got her aku that she wanted so badly. Aiai's father could once again fish for aku. The only thing left to do was to tell his father-in-law that the fish hook had been returned to the owner.

Thompson Vivian. Hawaiian Tales of Heroes and Champions. New York:Holiday House,1971.