Our stories

AwkwardKaka

Hohe the Kaka hated his big awkward wings. 

However hard he tried while playing with his friends, they always got in his way. 

None of his friends had awkward wings. 

He wished he could hop and bounce like lamb, dance like fantail, jump like weta and swim like dolphin. 

One day Hohe was learning a new song with his friends. 

Lamb could do the hop, weta could do the jump, penguin could do the spin, fantail could do the dance, pukeko could do the run, seal could do the clap, dolphin could do the swim and huia could do the skip. 

Hohe it’s your turn his friends yelled. Everyone turned around and looked at Hohe. 

Hohe’s awkward wings meant he could not join in with the actions. 

Hohe felt left out until the group noticed they needed someone to sing! 

Hohe could use his unique voice to sing the song while his friends moved about. 

He flew up high singing, twirling, and spinning. 

Hohe realised that he could do something special that none of his friends could do and that was fly up high past the clouds and toward the sky. 

At last he knew how useful his wings could be.

KupeteKahawai

Kupe the Kahawai lives under the sea. 

He is dark blue like the ocean, strong like the waves, and his family say he is a very brave fish. 

One day, Kupe was swimming in search of food when he saw a little fish glistening in the water. 

It was only small, but Kupe had decided that little fish was going to be his kai. 

He swam quickly towards his dinner, moving through the water like the wind. 

He got closer and closer and then CHOMP! 

Kupe had the fish in his mouth but he could not swallow it! 

Then he noticed there was something sharp in his gill. 

Oh no! Kupe rememebered the stories he had heard about the fisherman that lived above the sea in their big scary boats and realsied that he was caught! 

What was he going to do now? Kupe jumped and he splashed and he squirmed to try and get away. He tried shaking side to side but he was still stuck in the hook.

Finally, Kupe used all of his strength and dived back down into the depths of te moana. 

He was free! He thanked Tangaroa, God of the Sea, for saving his life and he promised to himself that he would be more carefeul next time. 

Kupe was back where he belonged.