Maui and the Sun - Polynesian

On a beautiful, sunny island lived a hero named Maui. The island was warm and the ocean waves sang all day, but there was a big, big problem. The sun was a super-fast runner. This story is called the myth of Maui and the Sun. Every morning, the sun would zip across the bright blue sky. Whoosh. It went so fast that the days were too short. There was not enough daylight to finish work or play fun games. Maui knew he had to do something to help his people. He had a very clever plan.

Maui went to his brave brothers for help. Together, they made strong, long ropes. They twisted and twisted the coconut fibers to make the ropes super strong. Then, they traveled all the way to a giant, tall mountain. This was the mountain where the sun slept at night. Maui and his brothers hid behind big, gray rocks. They waited very, very quietly. Shhh. When the sun began to peek over the mountain with its first bright light, they were ready. One, two, three, go. They threw their strong ropes and caught the sun in a big net.

The bright, warm sun was very surprised. It wiggled and jiggled, but the ropes were too strong. Maui spoke to the sun with a polite voice. 'Please, Sun, can you slow down? My people need more time in the day.' The sun looked down and saw that everyone needed longer, warmer days to be happy. So, the sun agreed. From that day on, it moved slowly and gently across the sky. Now, the days are long and bright. Everyone has time to grow food, build homes, and play in the warm sunshine. This story shows that a clever idea and a brave heart can solve even the biggest problems.