2. Several mountains once stood, like noble gods, high
above the land in the centre of the North Island.
Tongariro, the greatest of them all, lived beside
Ngauruhoe, Ruapehu and Taranaki.

3. lovely maiden Pihanga, with her cloak of deep
green bush folded closely around her
shoulders.

4. Pihanga was an object of great beauty.
All the mountain gods loved her, but the
one she chose was the venerable white-
haired Tongariro.

5. What had been a long, peaceful
xistence for the mountain gods
as disturbed when Taranaki could
o longer keep his feelings in
heck, and dared to make advances
o Pihanga.

6. A mighty conflict between Tongariro
and Taranaki ensued, which shocke
the very foundations of the earth. Th
mountains belched forth their anger
darkness clouded the sky.

7. When peace finally came to the land
Tongariro, considerably lowered in
height, stood close by Pihanga's
side.

8. ranaki, wild with grief and anger, tore himself
om his roots with a mighty wrench and left his
omeland. He plundered recklessly towards the
tting sun. Great was his path of sorrow, for as
fled, Taranaki had torn a long, deep wound
rough the earth

9. Upon reaching the
ocean turned north,
finally coming to rest
grand isolation, a
mountain in his own

10. Soon from the side of Tongariro there sprang forth a stream of clear water
which filled and healed the wound that Taranaki had made in the earth

11. n forests, filled with the
g birds, grew on the banks
is newly formed river,
h we know today as the