Tui and Tuna, Page 1 of 3

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Tui the beautiful greenish black songbird loved drinking the nectar from the yellow kowhai flowers growing on a low branch that hung down near the stream. Her slim hooked beak dipped into each flower and her snowy white bib bobbed up and down with her movements. Looking down she saw Tuna, the eel, near a sunken log, rubbing his head on a stone just out of the water. "What are you doing Tuna?"

"I have something in my eye pretty Tui, a seed I think, or perhaps a fish scale." Tui flew down and perched on a rock nearby. "Show me Tuna, perhaps I can help. I have a clever beak that may be able to pull it out."

"I will show you, Tui, but you must be very careful of that sharp beak near my eye."
"Oh don't worry. I will take great care. I just hope you won't try to eat me."
"I would never do such a thing to a beautiful songbird like you, Tui. That would be a very wicked thing to do." Tuna lifted up his head and Tui saw the tiny grass seed stuck in the corner of his eye. She gently grasped it with her strong hooked beak and pulled it out. "There." She said. "It was a seed but it's out now. How does that feel?"

"Dear Tui... it is such a relief. I can't thank you enough, I was so worried and it stung and itched and burned all at once, but now it is gone." Tuna and Tui carried on talking. They spoke of the Spring weather and the Summer soon to come. They spoke of the other dwellers in the forest and creeks. Tui sang for Tuna. She sang of the treetop flowers like kowhai, clematis and rata. Tuna told Tui of the rivers and lakes, the far away sea where he was born and how the currents had brought him across the ocean to the river mouth. The hot sun made Tuna uncomfortable as he usually slept the day away in the shade. They found so much of interest to discuss that they spoke for hours telling each other of their different worlds. The dark came then and at first Tui was afraid. She usually spent all but the brightest moonlit nights safely tucked up in her nest high among the treetops. She had heard strange noises, squeaks and scuttling in the darkness. Tuna assured her she would be safe with him around and besides they still had so much to discuss.

They spoke long into the night tui shivering in the cold, but when the morning finally came Tui felt much better. She kept Tuna entertained with her songs till she felt weak and had to fly up to the kowhai branch and refresh herself with nectar. Tuna sucked down a few insects, then on they talked into the next night until midnight when Tui suddenly fell off the stone and was fast asleep there on the creek bed. Tuna had to guard her with great vigilance all night so he could not feed. He had a nasty sunburn too and he wanted to sit on the bottom and let the clear cold water ease the pain. He was a very loyal eel though and did not leave Tui for a moment.

Tui woke up a bit late the next morning and was very confused to find herself on her side among cold stones beside the creek. Her legs and one of her wings were stiff from cold and it took a few minutes before she could stand properly. She had a sip of water then said to Tuna "Oh you wonderful eel. You have kept guard over me all night, but now we both need to feed though I can not bear to leave you for long."

"You are very welcome Tui, though you did look a little funny when you fell asleep so suddenly and fell off that rock. I do not want us to be apart for long either. When you come back Tui I will be on the other side of this log in the shade."

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