The Star Fishes

One day a long, long time ago there were seven little fishes and there mother. One day the mother fish said to her little fishes that Tataraimaka was out fishing today so stay close to the rocks. The fishes were having so much fun that they forgot about there mothers warning and Tataraimaka fished the seven little fishes up with his big net. The seven little fishes were crying so hard that they made the sea salty with there tears. Tane, the sun god, felt so sorry for the little fishes that he pulled the fishes up into the sky and they became starfishes. All the fishes were named except for one little fish which will be left nameless for a lonely child. That child’s name would be that nameless fish’s name and the fishes would look after that lonely child for life. Now the stars are called Matariki and when they are seen in early June it is the start of the Maori New Year.