MATIHUA'S PRESENTS
MATIHUA WAS beautiful. Everyone loved her. Three of the young me of the village wanted to marry her. But she did not know which one to choose.
"You must choose one quickly," said her father one day. "If you go on like this I shall never have grandchildren!"
"But which is the best one?" asked Matihua. "Which one is kindest? Which one will look after me?"
"That I don't know," said her father. "You must take the one you like best."
But poor Matihua did not know which of the young men she liked best. So she went to the wise woman and asked for her help.
"Ask each of the men to give a present," said the ole woman. "Marry the man who buys you the best one."
The next day Matihua said to the three young men, "I will marry the one who gives me the best present!"
The three young men went off to the town to look for presents.
In the town the three young men met a very old man. He was selling a mirror, a coconut and an umbrella. The asked the old man which would make the best present. He said, "Well, all of them are good. The coconut milk will cure anyone who is ill. The mirror will show you anything that you want to see. The umbrella will take you anywhere you want to go.
The three young men each got one of the magic presents to give to Matihua. When the one who had bought the mirror into it, he saw that Matihua was very ill.
"We must go back to her quickly," he said.
"Sit on my umbrella," said the second young man. "We can all get there quickly, then."
Very soon they were by Matihua's bedside. Each young man gave his present to her.
The first young man said, "I bought this mirror, so that I can always see you."
The second young man said, "I bought this umbrella so that I can always come to you."
The third young man said, "I bought this coconut so that I can always make you better if you are ill."
Matihua listened to all of them. The she turned to the third young man and she said, "You have all bouhgt me useful presents, but I choose you for my husband. You thought of me. The others thought only of themselves. Give me some coconut milk to drink, please."
She drank the milk and was quite well again. Then she and Razili (for that was his name) were married, and they lived happily together for ever and ever. They are still alive, for if they are ill they drink the magic coconut milk. It makes them well again!
from google
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