Maui and the Goddess of Fire (A Maori tale)

How Maui brought fire to the world (a Maori tale) Maui was a demigod and was believed to have some super natural abilities. He was also curious and a clever person. One day when he was lying on the ground after supper, warming his body from a fire pit, he wondered “Where does this fire comes from?”. To test it himself he destroyed all the fire in his camp and other villages around his area with water. Next morning the villagers were confused. They did not have fire to cook and keep themselves warm. Realising it was Maui that destroyed the fire, they asked him to go to the great Goddess of Fire- Mahuika that lived under a volcano and bring a flame back to the village. Maui was glad to go to the Goddess and bring the fire since he could then find out the source of the fire. Before Maui left to meet Mahuika, an old villager warned him. “Mahuika is a good-hearted Goddess, but if you trick her, she can be very angry too” Maui set out to meet Mahuika. As he reached the burning volcano his entire body began to feel the heat of the fire. Soon, he found a small cave under the mountain and managed to get into it. As he walked inside the cave, a thundering voice asked him “Who are you why have you come here?” It was Goddess Mahuika. Maui gathered courage and explained: “All the fires in the world have been…