Maui & Moana: Tales of the Demi-God | Bedtime Stories for Kids
Illustrated By: Emma Leeper
Listen to the story while you read along!
Enjoy these two authentic tales about Maui, demi-god of the Hawaiian islands, a character who was also starred in the movie, “Moanna”.
1. Maui Pulls Up the Islands
ONE DAY THE DEMI-GOD MAUI said to his four brothers, “Let’s go fishing today and this time, let’s go farther out to sea where we can catch the biggest fish in the ocean.”
“Let’s do it!” said his brothers. They prided themselves as fishermen and wanted to bring back the biggest fish in the ocean. The four brothers and Maui jumped into their canoe and started to row. When they got far out to sea and could not see land anymore, Maui jumped to the back of the canoe. He drew out his magical fishing hook. While his brothers were looking ahead, he cast the hook over the side of the canoe, and the hook sunk down deep into the blue water.
Soon, the magical hook stuck fast to the bottom of the sea. Maui pulled the fishing line tight. “Look at this tug!” he called to his brothers. “I must have hooked a giant fish!”
“Wow!” said one brother. “That one’s a winner!”
“Look at this tug!” he called to his brothers. “I must have hooked a giant fish!”
“That’s some fish you caught!” said another brother.
“Paddle ahead,” Maui called out, “so we can bring up this great fish!”
The brothers paddled with all their might. They pulled so hard that they didn’t see that the hook was pulling up the land from the bottom of the sea. Behind them, one island after another rose from the sea!
Legend says that is how Maui made the islands, where the Hawaiian people now live.
2. Maui Catches the Sun
ONE DAY MAUI, THE DEMI-GOD, wanted to see how the people who were living on the islands were managing life. What he saw when he went, made his heart skip a beat. Life was very hard for the poor people on the islands. The days were so short that there was simply not enough time in one day for people to finish what they needed to get done. If they laid out a wet blanket on the sand to dry, the blanket would still be wet the next morning. There was not time to cook the bread in the oven. There was not time for the fruit in the trees to ripen. Much was left undone and the people were always exhausted and hungry.
Much was left undone and the people were always exhausted and hungry.
“The Sun is causing this!” said Maui. “He is racing much too fast across the sky. He’s not thinking about the people who live down below on the islands, and how his speed shortens their days and makes their life hard.”
Maui knew it was up to him, a demi-god, to slow down the Sun somehow. But how? He asked his brothers for advice, his sister Hina, and others. How to slow down the Sun?
“Who do you think you are, Maui?” said a friend. “No one can slow down the Sun!”
“Even if you are a demi-god,” said another, “you know very well the Sun is too big and bright for anyone to stop.”
Yet Maui’s sister Hina did not say these sorts of things. Instead, she cut off her long magical hair, twisted her hair into ropes, and gave the ropes to Maui. Her brother, the demi-god, knew what to do. He braided the ropes into one giant lasso. When darkness fell, he took his lasso to the tallest mountain on Hawaii.
Her brother, the demi-god, knew what to do.
On top of that mountain was a huge crater that had formed eons earlier when the mountain had erupted into a giant volcano and had sent waves of hot lava gushing down its sides. After the eruption was over and the lava cooled, a giant crater remained on top the mountain. And this crater is where Maui planned to catch the Sun.
In the crater Maui waited, very still. He hid the lasso behind him, out of view. When the Sun rose at dawn, it started to race across the sky very fast. Soon the Sun was flying over the mountaintop. Brave Maui flung the lasso made of his sister’s hair over the head of the Sun. The rope caught! The Sun tried and tried to move, but was trapped!
“Let me go!” shouted the Sun.
“Not yet!” said Maui. “You move too fast across the sky. It makes the days too short and the humans below don’t have time to get things done.”
“So what if I like to go fast?” shrugged the Sun. “Who cares?”
“I care!” Maui boomed. “You have to stay here in this crater until you agree to slow down!” He pulled the lasso tight. Yet in his heart, Maui was worried. He didn’t know how much longer he could hold onto the Sun. True, his lasso was stronger than any other rope in the world. But even a lasso made from his sister’s magical hair could not last much longer without burning up, pressed against the hot rays of the Sun.
He didn’t know how much longer he could hold onto the Sun.
The Sun tried to move again, but could not. “Oh, very well!” the Sun said, at last. “I suppose I could slow down a little.” Maui was truly relieved to hear that! But the Sun added: “Only for part of the year, mind you.”
Then Maui, the demi-god, and the Sun worked out a deal. For half the year, the Sun would move at a slower pace. Those days would be longer and that would be the summer. For the other half of the year, the sun could run as fast as it wanted. Those days would be shorter and that would be the winter.
This is how Maui made the days longer for the people of the islands. At last, they could get their tasks done before the day ended. They could not only cook their dinner but eat it too, and even enjoy a rest after. The fruits on the trees had time to could grow big and sweet. Life became joyous for the people in Hawaii and Maui, the demi-god, was the reason why.
Think and Share Questions: See Other Kids Comments below!
Question 1: Maui pulls up the islands but tells his brothers he is pulling up a great big fish. Tell about a time when you did something great but you did not want others to know.
Question 2: Maui overcame the sun by being strong and brave even though he doubted himself. Tell about a time when you didn’t believe in yourself but you tried anyway.
This story is trying to show empathy
I think the moral of the story is you should always think about others.
That is does not take your lifetime to do something, and why did they need days? They can work in the dark.
As long as you believe in yourself you can do anything, even if you feel weak in your heart.
that no mater haw small you are you can still do something big
absolutely B E A U T I F U L
It teaches me to be brave and little things can help even if it’s an accident.
I think this story teaches readers that anyone can be brave and strong and caring for each other by helping one another to do things that we thought we cannot accomplish.
It was really good and the pictures were excellent.
This story is showing the reader that when you think about others and how they feel about a situation, you can be brave and do a positive thing by helping out. For example, Maui lassoed the sun to make the days of the lands longer so people on the islands could eat and then rest after they had their dinner and play for a little while. Maui also pulled up islands from the sea so people could live on the seas. All in all, this is what the story is trying to show to you.?
It tells us to keeep trying
I think the story is trying to show us how to be loving brave and courageous.
the story tells us to always keep trying
I think the story is trying to say always help others no matter how hard the task is
This story is showing the reader that when you think about others and how they feel about a situation, you can be brave and do a positive thing by helping out. For example, Maui lassoed the sun to make the days of the lands longer so people on the islands could eat then rest after they had their dinner and played for a little while. Maui also pulled up islands from the sea so people could have life and live on the seas. All in all, this is what the story is trying to show to you.
Once I made an all-star baseball team, but I didn’t want to tell others because some didn’t make the team.
I was on a hockey team and played another team that was a lot better than my team, but I still played hard and tried to do my best.
I gave a girl something she dropped, but i did not want any praise for it. I just wanted to be nice.
Sometimes in school math class i dont feel like i can do it, but i think real hard and i can.
It was a great book and I will be reading it over and over and over again because it is a great book
These are WONDERFUL stories and it teaches you about bravery and responsibility
What I think about this story is I love how it shows you what all Maui went through.
These both are good stories about bravery and pride.
For question 1:One time when got a good report card, I did not want to share it to my dad. I wanted to surprise him with the good grade. That’s exactly what I did! He was proud of me to. For question 2: I was in a video game called Fortnite and my team started off terribly. I doubted we would win. But eventually we tried and we won!
1. I once made a lemonade stand with my friend.
2. I tried beating this video game and I didn’t believe in myself.
Love it soooooooo much my son loves it
1. One time I started a new trend where I put chips in ice cream at my old school. I didn’t tell anyone but everyone started doing it and thought it was good.
2. One day I was playing fortnite and trying to learn a retake and it was hard. I didn’t think I could do it but I tried.
My grandma told me these stories because she was from Hawaii and grew up listening to them.
Maui did say those thing in the song “Your Welcome” but he never said he has siblings.
I loved the story and I’m a huge fan of Moana.
I didn’t think I would win the big soccer game I played in but I tried and won the game.
My little brother watches Moana every night so he was so excited to see this story when I was picking a story for him. Me and my family answered the questions with him before he went to bed.
I love it
My son loves it.?
i love this
My little brother loves this story, I read it to him at night so he can go to slee. I think its cool you have all the classic fairy tales to ????
I love this story and I’m still thinking about the other questions
I love it ❤️
This was FANTASTIC!
i love it
me, timmy and wynter were playing tag and wynter was it. i ran on the porch and then i got on the bench and i did a backflip. i didn’t think i could but i tried anyway, and did it right before she caught me.
once my gave me money for snacks. i had my own money in my room, so i snuck her money in her purse.
Very nice story.
I love Maui from Moana because Moana is my favorite movie so I love stories like about him cause it is fun to read but if I were his sister I would believe him because even the unexpected could happen and the is an island ? so that’s what my thoughts are!
I had no idea that Maui had a sister.
maui is very brave for helping the people
1. Gave a random homeless dog some food thought I might get in trouble so i kept it to myself.
2. Literally everything
quick joke / What do you call a really sad coffee?/ /A depreso!
1.When my mom was sick and I did dishes for her she just had a cold.
2.When I jumped of a tree in my back yard and landed on my trampoline
1. Once I went to the store and got a lot of food from the store but when my sister asked where did i get all of the food, I said mom gave me money and it was my allowance and for that i kept the candy.
2.One time i was going to ask for a bag of a chips and i asked and they said yes.
It was a good story and even though I watched the movie , the story was just as good
I like it and i dont like it
I HATE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1.When I do something for my mom 2.I am scared of heights and I got myself to go on a roller coaster
question 1 : when I was four years old I was scared to swim because I didn’t know how to swim . When I got taught how to swim I started doing good and after awhile I started getting really good. I didn’t want others to know that I didn’t know how to swim until I got great at it.
Question 2: The moment when I didn’t know how to swim . I was scared to learn how to swim because I was afraid to drown but I knew if I have giving up I would always be afraid and I wouldn’t know now. So that’s why I keep going and learning so I would achieve and I would not be afraid.
I love it because it is so much fun and it is my favorite.
Question #1: I was riding my bike with one training weal and didn’t tell anyone that the other fell off. I rode down a great track with one training weal!!!
Question #2: When i started to ride my skateboard, and there was this huge hill that was very steep. If you fell then your skin will scrape off or you can break a bone. Well, i went to that hill with my skateboard, with my cousin recording, and i made it down safely and steady. I was so proud. Also when my cousin did it he scraped the skin off his forehead.
Wow
Nice
nice and new story…
Wonderful story, put my kid rite to sleep