Polynesian Mythology

A brave boy named Māui loved big adventures. But long, long ago, the sun was a speedy fellow. The sun raced across the sky so, so fast. The days were just too short for people to finish their work or play their games. Māui knew he had to do something. This is the story of how Māui slowed the sun.

Every day, Māui watched the sun zoom across the bright blue sky. Zoom, zoom, zoom. It made everyone feel tired and rushed. So, Māui made a very clever plan. He found strong, tough plants and began to weave ropes. He braided them and braided them until the ropes were stronger than a big, tall tree. He also had a magic secret. It was the magic jawbone of his ancestor. He told his brothers, “We are going to catch the sun!”.

Māui and his brothers traveled to a fiery mountain. This was where the sun slept at night. Shhh, shhh, they tiptoed very quietly. They built a strong wall of clay to hide behind and stay safe from the sun's heat. When the sun woke up, they threw their strong ropes. Gotcha. They caught the sun. The sun was so surprised. It wiggled and struggled, but the ropes were too strong. Māui stood up tall and said, “You must promise to move more slowly!”.

The sun agreed to go more slowly. From that day on, the sun walked gently across the sky. The days grew longer and longer. People had time to grow yummy food and build cozy homes. They had time to fish in the big, blue sea and play fun games. This story reminds us that even when a problem is as big as the sun, being clever and brave can make the world a better, brighter place for everyone.