The Story of "Itiiti's Gift"

Itiiti's family was big and jumbly. They were loud and tall and good at things. But Itiiti just felt small and clumbsy and shy.

"I'm no good at any-thing," said Itiiti.

"Don't worry," said her mother. " You will have a gift of your own."

"What could it be?" asked Itiiti.

"You will know when you find it." said her mother with a smile.

Itiiti watched her brother run. He was fast and strong.

"Run with me Itiiti," he called.

Itiiti tried to keep up but she was to slow and the steep hill made her puff so she hid in the long grass.

"What could I be good at?" she told her-self.

The grass hushed and whispered, the wind huffed and blew, and they sang her a hiltop song. Itiiti watched her sister swim. She was quick, like a fish ti the water.

"Swim with me, Itiiti," she called.

Itiiti tried to keep up but she was scared in the deep water so she lay on the warm stones on the river-bank.

"What could I be good at?" she asked.

The stones creaked and squeaked, the river trickled and gurgled, and they sang her a river-bank song. Itiiti watched her father fishing. He swung his rod and cast his line way out deep.

"Do you want to try it, Itiiti," he said.

Itiiti tried to cast deep but her line fell in the shallows where no fish swam so she sat on the sand and watched.

"What could I be good at?" she asked.

The gulls circled and cried, the waves swooshed and swirled, and they sang her a beach song.

Itiiti watched her cousin climb. He climbed right up high in the trees, to where the Tui sat.

"Climb with me, Itiiti" he called.

Itiiti tried to climb up but the trees were too big so she sat at the bottom of a Paonga tree.

"What could I be good at?" she said.

The Tui chimed and clanged, the paonga leaves rattled and rustled, and they sang her a bush song.

Itiiti watched Nanny weaving. Nanny slid the harakeke together and her fingers flashed in and out.

"Are you going to try it, Itiiti," she said.

Itiiti tried to weave but her fingers felt clumbsy so she lay back on the mat.

"What could I be good at?" she asked.

"You are good at lots of things," said Nanny.

"But I don't have a gift," whispered Itiiti.

"Of course you do," said Nanny.

"But I can't find it," said Itiiti

"Maybe if you stop looking,it will find you," said Nanny,then she gave her a kiss and carried on weaving. The harakeke slid and snapped, Nanny whistled a tune, and they sang her a weaving song. At night, Koro told stories.Itiiti listened to his voice and pictures grew in her head. Everybody talkied about theri day.

"What did you do,Itiiti?" asked Koro

Itiiti felt small and shy. She hadn't done anything she was good at.

"Nothing," she said quitely, then she climbed oon his lap and hid her face. Koro's heart beat a ryythm in this chest and his voice rumbled like a song when he talked.

Itiiti's mother started to play her guitar. The music filled the room and everybody smiled.

"Would you like to learn,Itiiti?" asked her mother.

"No," she said because she knew she wouldn't be any good.She wanted to cry so she went out-side and saton the porch.

Itiiti felt miserable. Everyone else was good at something but she could'nt find her gift.

"What could I be good at?" she asked the night.

A morepork hooted, the crikets chirped,and they sang her a song about darkness.

Itiiti thought about her dayand the things she had tried. Then she thought about the places she had looked for her gift.She thought about the hiltop and the riverbank, the beach and the bush,Nanny's weaving and Koro'sheartdeep in his chest. She felt as if her own heat might bbreak if she didn't find her gift.

"I will stop looking," she said sadly. The sound of her mothers guitar crept through the walls and circled around her. It mixed with the memories and she felt strange. Itiiti started hum. The guitar joined with her and the songs from her day filled her head. Her heart beat faster until it felt as if it was going to burst.Itiiti started to sing! Her voice rose and the beautiful songs from all around spilled out of her mouth.

"Who's that?" asked her brother and sister

"Who's that?" asked her cousin and Koro

"Who's that?" asked hermother and father

"I know," said Nanny, and they followed the voice out-side.

Itiiti didn't feel shy and clumbsy or small or slow.Itiiti felt wonderful.Her mother played the guitar and she kept on singing. The family joined in and her voice soared like a bird above them.

"What a beautiful voice" they all said.

"What a wonderful singer."

"Aaah," said Nanny."It sounds like your gift found you."

And Itiiti smiled because now she knew that it had been there all along.

THE END!!