Rata and the Totara tree

 Rata mother told him to go make a waka out of a magnificent Totara tree. He chopped down the tree.Since the sun was setting he decided to leave the waka carving until morning.The birds and insects were worried that tanemahuta would be angry so they put it back together.Rata came back the next day to find the tree still standing,once again he chopped it down. Rata left because it was sundown and decided to make his waka in the morning.Once again the birds and insects put the tree back up.  When he came back for the third time the tree was still standing. So he chopped it down one more time and hid behind the trees to find out what happens to the mighty totara. The insects and birds started putting it back together and he demanded a explanation and the birds told him that he had forgotten the rules but Tanemahuta let him chop down the tree in the end as long as he didn’t break the rules.

The moral of the story: that we all depend on each other,follow the rules.

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

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