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  • The First Maori Fishing Net

  • A New Zealand Folktale
  • By: Bill Gordh
  • Narrated by: Bill Gordh
  • Length: 8 mins

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The First Maori Fishing Net cover art

The First Maori Fishing Net

By: Bill Gordh
Narrated by: Bill Gordh
Free with 30-day trial

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Publisher's Summary

Award-winning storyteller Bill Gordh (Film Advisory Board Award of Excellence winner, National Association of Parenting Periodicals Gold Award winner) presents this folk tale live with no script, accompanied only by his own dynamic banjo playing.

The village is next to the lagoon. The people fish with spears standing in the shallow waters. Time goes by and they are not getting any fish. They don't know what to do. They go to their chief. He seems to be in a dream and does not offer them any suggestions. Time goes by. Still no luck. One day the villagers watch as their chief goes across the beach and into the forest. The chief travels until he comes to a bay. There he sits behind a bush. He watches and a ghost ship comes sailing into the bay. You can see through the ship. Fairies are on the boat and they are fishing with a net.

The chief has never seen a net before and watches as they catch many fish. They come to shore, haul in their fish and make a fire. They throw the net off to the side. The chief knows that the fairies will leave at dawn, so while they are dancing, he blows out the fire. They make the fire again and begin their dance again. He blows out the fire again. This happens again and again. They do not get to finish their dance or cook their fish. The sun is starting to rise and the fairies set off again in their ghost ship. The chief picks up the net and brings it back to the village. They have plenty of fish from then on and they do not question their chief when he is "dreaming".

©2013 Bill Gordh (P)2014 Audible Inc.

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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.