his hands over those of No. 1—i.e., stroking the back of them towards himself, and repeating this:—

Hukea, hukea,
Te hapi papaku
Ma to kuia
Ma Whare-rau-roa.
Kia hoki mai
I te kohi tawa
Kinikini raupaka
Te hoia to taringa
He hapi kumara
He hapi taro
He hapi kereru
He hapi Koko
He hapi kaka.

Child No. 1 asks, “Na wai koe i tono mai?”

Child No. 2 replies, “Na Pitau.”

Child No. 1 asks, “Pitau whea?”

Child No. 2 replies, “Pitau toro.”

Child No. 1 asks, “Toro hea?”

Child No. 2 replies, “Toro tai.”

Child No. 1 asks, “Tai whea?”

Child No. 2 replies, “Tai matua.”

Child No. 1 asks, “Matua wera?”

Child No. 2 replies, “I te ahi.”

Child No. 1 asks, “Pi koko?”

Child No. 2 asks, “Me aha koia?”

Child No. 1 replies either “Me whakaora” or “Me patu.”

Should the first of these replies, meaning “Spare him,” be given by No. 1, he will receive a light box on the ear. Should the second answer, meaning “Strike him,” be given, he will then be spared the blow.

Child No. 2 then takes the hands of No. 1, which are still pressed together, and bends the two thumbs away from the fingers, saying, “He hapi kumara.” He then pushes the two forefingers over against the thumbs, saying, “He hapi taro.” And so on until all the pairs of fingers are pushed over and are thus close together again. No. 1 then opens his hands in cup form, into which No. 2 darts an extended thumb and forefinger, as if hastily picking something out of the hollowed hands. Meanwhile No. 1 tries to catch the hand of No. 2 as it is thus darted. When so caught the game is ended.