In a Māori tradition of the Whanganui area, Tukoio, a mortal man, finds a maero (monster) and attacks it, cutting off its arms, legs and head. He brings the head back, but it is still alive and calling for help. Tukoio does not want to fight a whole clan of maero, so he drops the head and returns later with reinforcements, only to find that the maero has put itself back together and returned to the forest.

[edit] References

• Tukoio, A chief of the upper Whanganui. Journal of the Polynesian Society, Vol 15:43-44, 1906.
• Bacon, Ronald Leonard, 2004. Mohoao, the fierce fairy person: a story from the forests of Whanganui. Waiatarua Pub: Auckland, New Zealand. ( A children's reader).

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