--- title: The Law of the Splintered Paddle — Hawaiian Historical Legends · full text with trees description: The Law of the Splintered Paddle, «Hawaiian Historical Legends» by W. D. Westervelt: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: Would you know the story of the Splintered Paddle? --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66357/18/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/) / [Hawaiian Historical Legends](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66357/) / The Law of the Splintered Paddle # The Law of the Splintered Paddle The Law of the Splintered Paddle of «Hawaiian Historical Legends» by W. D. Westervelt: the whole text, 207 sentences and 3237 words. The small number after every sentence leads to its own page with its syntax tree and pragmatics, parsed by Mova itself. **1** [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66357/18/page/2/) Would you know the story of the Splintered Paddle?[1](1/ "tree and pragmatics") It came to pass on the island of Hawaii in the year 1783.[2](2/ "tree and pragmatics") It is a true incident in the life of Ka-meha-meha, the great consolidator of the Hawaiian Kingdom.[3](3/ "tree and pragmatics") There are slightly different versions of the tale as frequently occurs when handed down verbally through different channels.[4](4/ "tree and pragmatics") The main points are substantially the same.[5](5/ "tree and pragmatics") The stalwart king descended to the plane of a highway robber and received his punishment.[6](6/ "tree and pragmatics") As a native writer says: “The foundation of the law of the splintered paddle was the greed and shame of a chief dealing with a common man.”[7](7/ "tree and pragmatics") But, like a true man, Ka-meha-meha made this incident the occasion of a decision to neither commit nor permit any more highway robbery in his kingdom.[8](8/ "tree and pragmatics") This then is the outline of the incidents which changed a king into a self-respecting and somewhat law-abiding citizen.[9](9/ "tree and pragmatics") Two Hawaiian chiefs of splendid physique were hurriedly climbing a zigzag path up the face of an exceedingly steep bluff bordering the little bay of Lau-pa-hoe-hoe.[10](10/ "tree and pragmatics") The moment they reached the summit they hastened to the edge that broke in a sheer precipice to the ocean’s brink.[11](11/ "tree and pragmatics") Eagerly they gazed over the far-reaching waters southward along the banks of the island.[12](12/ "tree and pragmatics") “There is no pursuit,” said the younger man.[13](13/ "tree and pragmatics") “No,” replied the elder chief, resting on his spear, “the men of Hilo have crawled back to their homes to heal their wounds.[14](14/ "tree and pragmatics") Their war canoes are not among the shadows on the water.[15](15/ "tree and pragmatics") Nor do their warriors move along the side of the white mountain (Mauna Kea).[16](16/ "tree and pragmatics") Our watchmen do not send the banner of smoke to the sky.”[17](17/ "tree and pragmatics") The two chiefs were of high rank.[18](18/ "tree and pragmatics") They could both trace their high chief blood through more than a thousand years of royal ancestors.[19](19/ "tree and pragmatics") However, the elder chief was of lower rank than the other, because his ancestry had not been guarded with the same jealous care that surrounded the birth of his friend.[20](20/ "tree and pragmatics") Among the Hawaiians the “Ahaalii” or “council of nobles” guarded the rank of each chief and assigned to him a place according to the purity of his blood-royal.[21](21/ "tree and pragmatics") The younger chief covered his face with his hands and uttered the Auwe—the Hawaiian wail for the dead.[22](22/ "tree and pragmatics") After a time he raised his head and spoke to his companion, whom we will call Kahai.[23](23/ "tree and pragmatics") “O my Kahai,” he said, “yesterday and the defeat at Hilo make my thoughts burn\![24](24/ "tree and pragmatics") How do the prophets chant the death of my chiefs and warriors?”[25](25/ "tree and pragmatics") “The singers in the war canoes sang softly, O King, while the boats were hurried along through the night.[26](26/ "tree and pragmatics") They sang of our friends whose bodies lie in the ferns.[27](27/ "tree and pragmatics") They pronounced curses upon the Hilo chiefs.[28](28/ "tree and pragmatics") They called the struggle ‘the bitter battle’ and that shall be its name in the coming days.”[29](29/ "tree and pragmatics") A shudder passed over the young man as he said: “My chiefs no longer lie in the ferns.[30](30/ "tree and pragmatics") In my thought I see the temple servants carrying the bodies of my friends to the altars of the gods.[31](31/ "tree and pragmatics") It is almost the hour for the evening sacrifice.[32](32/ "tree and pragmatics") The hands of the priests are red with blood.[33](33/ "tree and pragmatics") The bones of my choice companions will be used for fish hooks.[34](34/ "tree and pragmatics") Auwe-Auwe-e-e\![35](35/ "tree and pragmatics") Woe to me.[36](36/ "tree and pragmatics") My name is indeed The Lonely-one—The Desolate!”[37](37/ "tree and pragmatics") “O King! thou art Ka-meha-meha, ‘The Lonely One,’ the one supreme in royal genealogy, but not ‘The Desolate.’[38](38/ "tree and pragmatics") Your friends are with you.[39](39/ "tree and pragmatics") To-night your war chiefs would die for you.[40](40/ "tree and pragmatics") Your prophet has said: ‘The cloud of Ka-meha-meha shall rest on the mountains of all the islands.’[41](41/ "tree and pragmatics") So shall it be.[42](42/ "tree and pragmatics") The gods have said it.[43](43/ "tree and pragmatics") Your friends believe it.”[44](44/ "tree and pragmatics") Ka-meha-meha (The Only-Only) was an ideal chief.[45](45/ "tree and pragmatics") He was over six feet in height, strong and sinewy, excelling all other chiefs in athletic exercises, cruel to enemies, ruling his own household with a rod of iron, generous and brave among his friends, and filled with a fatalistic belief in his own destiny.[46](46/ "tree and pragmatics") At heart he was devoted to the interests of his country as far as he understood them.[47](47/ "tree and pragmatics") He believed that he knew best, therefore in after years when he became ruler over the group of islands he was thoroughly autocratic.[48](48/ "tree and pragmatics") The king’s will was to be the people’s will.[49](49/ "tree and pragmatics") His was a savage face, large-featured, often ferocious and repulsive.[50](50/ "tree and pragmatics") On the other hand it was capable of a vast range of playing passions.[51](51/ "tree and pragmatics") His uncle, Ka-lani-opuu, who ruled the large island of Hawaii at the time of the death of Captain Cook, had died in 1782.[52](52/ "tree and pragmatics") Ka-meha-meha had been chosen king by a number of influential chiefs in opposition to his cousin Kiwa-lao, the son of Ka-lani-opuu.[53](53/ "tree and pragmatics") War arose between the cousins.[54](54/ "tree and pragmatics") Kiwa-lao was slain in one of the early conflicts.[55](55/ "tree and pragmatics") Other chiefs, of the southern part of the island, refused to swear allegiance to Ka-meha-meha, and had continued the war.[56](56/ "tree and pragmatics") The favors of the war gods had been almost equally distributed.[57](57/ "tree and pragmatics") The last battle had been fought at Hilo.[58](58/ "tree and pragmatics") At the time when our story opens Ka-meha-meha’s attack had been repulsed with fearful loss on the part of his followers.[59](59/ "tree and pragmatics") At this time he was forty-seven years of age and just commencing the life work of a king and savage statesman.[60](60/ "tree and pragmatics") The king looked thoughtfully down into the valley where the wounded and wearied warriors were drawing the war canoes out of the inrolling surf.[61](61/ "tree and pragmatics") In the village could be heard wailing as the scanty news of the battle was hastily reported, and the people realised that some loved chief or friend would never return again to their homes.[62](62/ "tree and pragmatics") The king’s heart grew warm toward his faithful friends as he want down into the valley to tell them there was no pursuit, and they could seek rest and healing.[63](63/ "tree and pragmatics") While the chiefs were around the poi-bowl that evening he was very quiet.[64](64/ "tree and pragmatics") He was thinking of the bodies of his warriors laid on the altars before the gods of the southern districts of the island.[65](65/ "tree and pragmatics") He thought of the naked altars of his own Waipio temple, to which he had brought no captives to be slain in sacrifice.[66](66/ "tree and pragmatics") He imagined that he might go alone and do some daring deed, perhaps make a hurried raid upon some unsuspecting point of his enemy’s territories.[67](67/ "tree and pragmatics") He rose from his mat and quietly passed out into the darkness.[68](68/ "tree and pragmatics") He called a few strong boatmen and his favourite canoe steerer, launched one of the war canoes, and with sail and paddle sped southward.[69](69/ "tree and pragmatics") That night was rough for Hawaiian seas.[70](70/ "tree and pragmatics") Thunder reverberated in oft-repeated echoes from the sea cliffs.[71](71/ "tree and pragmatics") Thunder and lightning are rare in this part of the great Pacific.[72](72/ "tree and pragmatics") Heavy winds blew and dashed the waves high around the canoe.[73](73/ "tree and pragmatics") The natives say, “The chief was not in danger, because his steersman was skilful and watchful.[74](74/ "tree and pragmatics") The sea did not break over the boat, nor were they wet.[75](75/ "tree and pragmatics") Like a dolphin the boat ran over the waves.”[76](76/ "tree and pragmatics") It was a misty morning as he passed Hilo Bay, where the greater part of his enemies was encamped.[77](77/ "tree and pragmatics") His boat, far out in the shadows, was not noticed.[78](78/ "tree and pragmatics") He passed around a corner of the island and planned to surprise the natives of a noted fishing-ground, hoping to make captives and secure booty from some of the warriors against whom the recent battle had been fought.[79](79/ "tree and pragmatics") The morning light was touching the inland mountain tops.[80](80/ "tree and pragmatics") It rested, a silver star, on the snowy summit of Mauna Kea.[81](81/ "tree and pragmatics") It made a golden glory of the fire clouds of the volcano Kilauea.[82](82/ "tree and pragmatics") It glistened over the black beds of pa-hoe-hoe, or smooth, shining lava.[83](83/ "tree and pragmatics") It began to bring into strong relief the uplifted heads of the cocoanut trees of a century’s growth.[84](84/ "tree and pragmatics") The white foam of ocean waves began to be visible along the outer reef.[85](85/ "tree and pragmatics") The natives of Papai, a bay on the Puna coast, hastened into the sea to gather the delicacies which are usually found among the shell-fish along the reef, and also to set nets and snares for fish.[86](86/ "tree and pragmatics") As the mists rose from the waters, the oarsmen entered into the spirit of the adventure.[87](87/ "tree and pragmatics") Like a shark the war canoe dashed toward the fishermen.[88](88/ "tree and pragmatics") The people of Puna, looking toward the dawn on the sea, had noticed the boat far out.[89](89/ "tree and pragmatics") They asked each other, “What boat is this of the early morning?”[90](90/ "tree and pragmatics") After a little they counted the number of oarsmen.[91](91/ "tree and pragmatics") They saw that the newcomers were strangers.[92](92/ "tree and pragmatics") Then they asked a native who was visiting them, whose home was on the other side of the island: “O Paiea, do you know who this is?”[93](93/ "tree and pragmatics") Paiea looked, recognised his ruling chief and called out: “It is Ka-meha-meha!”[94](94/ "tree and pragmatics") Then the people were filled with fear, for the prowess of the chief was well known and greatly feared.[95](95/ "tree and pragmatics") They seized paddles and nets and snares and with the screaming women and children fled, rushing along the reef, falling into the deep holes, swimming and stumbling toward the mainland.[96](96/ "tree and pragmatics") The king, commanding the others not to follow, leaped from the canoe to attack two stalwart natives who had been aiding the weak to escape.[97](97/ "tree and pragmatics") The story, related by Kukahi, is that Ka-meha-meha did not succeed in overtaking any of the Puna people before they gained the shore and fled inland.[98](98/ "tree and pragmatics") Closely pursuing he called on them to stop; but with greater terror they continued their flight.[99](99/ "tree and pragmatics") Then he became angry and quickened his pace.[100](100/ "tree and pragmatics") A fisherman turned and threw his fishnet over the pursuing chief, causing him to fall down upon the sharp lava.[101](101/ "tree and pragmatics") “Blood crawled over the stones around the fallen body.”[102](102/ "tree and pragmatics") Then he tore the nets which entangled him and again rushed heedlessly on.[103](103/ "tree and pragmatics") While straining himself to see where the men were running, his foot broke through a thin shell of lava into a crevice.[104](104/ "tree and pragmatics") To pull it up was impossible.[105](105/ "tree and pragmatics") **1** [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66357/18/page/2/) - ← previous: [The Red Mouth Gun](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66357/17/) - next →: [page 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