One day,Tanemahuta was walking through the forest.He looked up to see that his children were reaching for the sky.He noticed that they were getting sick because the bugs were eating them.
His brother Tanehokahoka called all his children,the birds of the air together.Tanemahuta told them that something was eating his children. He needed someone to come down and live on the floor and look after them.The birds didn’t reply to him. All of the birds were quiet except the Kiwi.
Tui looked up at the fiery hot sun and looked down at the dark damp forest floor. Tui did not want to live on the forest floor because he was afraid of darkness.
Pukeko looked down at the forest floor and saw the cold damp earth.Then Pukeko said that he did not want to live on the forest floor because he did not want his feet to get wet.
Pipiwharauroa looked around at his family and said that he was busy building his nest. He also could not go and live on the forest floor.
Tanehokahoka was sad because he knew that no one would help save his children. Then the Kiwi looked around at the sun and at his family, and the cold dark forest floor. After that the Kiwi agreed to live on the forest floor.
Tanehokahoka and Tanemahuta felt very happy for the kind Kiwi was giving them hope. Tanemahuta felt that he should warn the kiwi that he would lose his beautiful feathers and he has to grow strong legs to survive on the forest floor.
Then Tanemahuta punished those birds who did not listen to him. The Tui had to wear two white feathers to show that he was a coward. The Pukeko had to live in the swamp for ever. Pipiwharauroa was not allowed to build a nest anymore. He had to lay his eggs in other birds nests.
Tanemahuta made the Kiwi to be the most famous and loved bird of them all. The kiwi lived on the forest floor and looked after Tanemahuta’s children.
