He rite te āhua o ētahi taniwha ki te mangō. Tērā tētahi whanga i te raki, ko Mangonui. Nā, i tapaina te whanga nei mō tētahi taniwha kaitiaki (he mangō) nāna te waka a Riukaramea i ārahi ki roto i te whanga. Kāore i ārikarika ngā kōrero tuku iho a te Māori mō te mangō hei taniwha.
Pānia rāua ko Moremore
Ko ‘Pānia o te ākau’ tētahi o ngā kōrero whaiāipo nui rawa atu a te Māori. He puhi moana a Pānia. Kia tō te rā ka kauhoe a Pānia ki uta noho ai, ā, hei te ata pō ka hoki a ia ki tōna kāinga i te moana. He pū harakeke tōna wāhi huna, kei te taha o tētahi puna wai māori i te take o te pari o Hukarere i te rohe o Ahuriri. Nāwai ā, ka mate wai a Karitoki, tētahi o ngā rangatira, ka haramai ki te puna wai tiki inu māna. I a ia e inu ana, ka kite i a Pānia, ka whakahokia ki tōna kāinga hei hoa wāhine mōna. Hāunga tērā, ia ata ka hoki a Pānia ki te moana.
Nāwai, ā, ka whānau mai he tamaiti tāne ki a Pānia, ko Moremore te ingoa, kāore ōna makawe. Ka kuhu te māharahara ki te rangatira rā, kei riro tana wahine rāua ko tana tama ki te iwi o te moana. Ka haere te rangatira rā kia kite i tētahi tohunga, ka kī atu te tohunga rā ki a ia, ki te waihotia e ia he kai māoa ki runga i te wahine rā me te tamaiti rā, kore rawa rāua e hoki ki te moana. Ka whai te rangatira rā i ngā tohutohu a te tohunga; heoi, ka hapa, ka whakatokangia a Pānia ka tū ki te moana mō ake tonu atu, ka hurihia a Moremore hei mangō. Noho ai ia ki tētahi ana i te moana. Ko te rae o Ahuriri tētahi o ngā wāhi haerea ai e ōna uri. He kaitiaki a Moremore o ngā takutai me ngā kokoru i ngā wā ka haere tōna iwi ki te mahi ika, ki te mahi mātaitai.
Tūtaeporoporo
Nō te awa o Whanganui a Tūtaeporoporo. He mangō a ia i tōna ahunga ki te ao. Tērā te rangatira rā a Tuariki, ka hopu i tētahi mangō ka waiho ki roto i tētahi awa. Ka nui haere te tipu o te mangō rā, ka nui haere tōna hanga. Nāwai ā, ka panoni te āhua o taua mangō – ka mārō haere, ka taratara haere tōna kiri, ka puta he parirau pekapeka i tōna tuarā, ka huri tana hiku kia rite ki tō te mokomoko. Ka huirapa ōna waewae kia rite ki tō te manu, ko ōna matihao anō he kārearea. Ko tōna ūpoko pērā i te manu kore huruhuru. Ka noho tonu ōna niho pērā tonu i ō te mangō.
Ka taka ki tētahi rā, ka patua a Tuariki e tētahi taua nō Whanganui. Ka matika a Tūtaeporoporo ki te ranaki i te mate o tōna rangatira, ka kauhoe ki te pūaha o te awa o Whanganui. Kia tae ki reira ka noho a Tūtaeporoporo ki tētahi rua i raro i tētahi pari tino teitei. Nāwai ā, ka kitea atu ētahi waka e haere mai ana i te awa. Ka whāia e Tūtaeporoporo kia mau, ka horomia katoatia aua tāngata rā, tae rawa atu ki ō rātou waka.
Koinei te wā tuatahi ka ngau te taniwha rā ki te kiko tangata – me te reka! Kainga katoatia ai e ia ngā tāngata katoa ka haere i te awa. Ka mārama ngā tāngata mō te taniwha rā, ka taka rautaki ki te patu i a ia. Ka kōrero tētahi koroua ko Tama tōna ingoa, kia tīkina a Ao-kehu, he toa rongonui mō te patu taniwha. Waihoki, ka kitea a Ao-kehu rātou ko ana toa whitu tekau me ā rātou māripi e rua. Ka tohua e Ao-kehu tōna iwi kia whakaawaawa i tētahi rākau e uru ai he tangata ki roto. Whāia, me hanga he popoki. Kātahi ka kuhu a Ao-kehu ki roto i te rākau rā, ka taupokina ki te pōtae, ka purupurua ngā wāhi pūare ki te uku, kia pai te mānu i te wai. Nāwai, ka rongo a Tūtaeporoporo i a Ao-kehu, ka haere mai, ka horomia e ia te poro rākau. Ka puta a Ao-kehu i te rākau rā, ka tīmata tana haehae i te puku o te taniwha me te māripi.
Tē taea e Tūtaeporoporo te aha. Nō te rewanga o tōna tinana ki runga, ka paea ki te tahatika o te awa. Ka haramai te iwi rā; kia pokaina tōna tinana, ka puta mai ngā kai i tōna puku – he tangata, he waka, he rākau whawhai, he whao, he pounamu, he aha atu. Ka tanumia ngā tūpāpaku; heoi, ka waihotia noatia a Tūtaeporoporo hei kai mā te manu me te ika.
