Tērā tētahi rangatira o nehe, ka haere ki te tāhere manu. I tētahi rā ka mau he manu whakamīharo ki tana tāhere, ko Huia tērā.
Long ago, a chief went hunting to snare birds. One day he found a strange bird in a snare, the huia.

Ka monoatia e te rangatira tēnei manu, ā, ka hutia ētahi o ōna kura kururemu hei whakarāwai i ōna makawe. Ka tākina tana karakia hirihiri kia tau mai ai te manu nei ki mua i tana aroaro ina karangatia.
He admired the beautiful bird, plucking feathers from its tail to wear in his hair. He cast a spell so that it would appear before him when called.

I tētahi wā, ka puta te manu nei, e mirara ana ōna kura. Ka riri te rangatira. Ko tā Huia, nā tana noho ki tōna kōhanga i mirara ai ōna kura.
On one occasion, the bird’s feathers were ruffled. The chief was angry. The huia explained it was from sitting on its nest.

Ka puku te rae o te rangatira, ā, ka whakapikotia e ia ngā ngutu o Huia, e taea ai e ia ōna kura kururemu te hiki ake ki waho atu o te kōhanga, kia kore ai e mirara.
Annoyed, the chief held the huia and bent its beak into a circular shape, thus it could use its beak to pick up its tail feathers and lift them clear of the nest.

He mea whakarāpopoto, nā te kōrero a Heta Te Miha. Te Ao Hou 1968, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa.
Abbreviated from a story told by Heta Te Miha. Te Ao Hou, 1968, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa.