Презентация легенды о Хименоа

Hinemoa was the beautiful daughter of a Maori chief who lived on the shore of a great lake.

   Hinemoa liked one of them most of all. He was a young man from a small island of the lake, and he loved Hinemoa very dearly.

But when Hinemoa told her father that she loved him, the old chief got very angry and said that the young man was not noble. “Noble or not,” answered Hinemoa, “he is the man I love!” This made the chief still more angry. He said, “If he comes to the shore again, I will kill him.”

Every night Hinemoa went to the shore of the lake but she never found a canoe there which could take her over the water. Hinemoa’s father had told his men to take canoes away every night and hide them. However, Hinemoa didn’t lose hope. She decided to swim to the island.

One night she started on her long dangerous swim. The night was dark and she could not see the island. She was a strong swimmer but after many hours she became weak. Just then the moon came out and she saw that the island was quite near. 

A few minutes more and she felt the stones under her feet. At the place where she came ashore there was a hot spring. She entered the warm water, rested and warmed her cold body. Then she found the young man. They became husband and wife. They lived happily for many years.   The hot spring that gave Hinemoa life and strength is known even now as Hinemoa’s Bath.