Here's part of a story. Read and listen.

As you read and listen, you'll come across a number of Maori words.

If you don't know their meaning, go to an excellent Maori dictionary in http://kel.otago.ac.nz/translator/ when you've finished the story. (Right click to open this site in a separate window.)

Listen to those words that are underlined in the dictionary once you've found their English meanings.

Smashed Pants by Apirana Taylor

'Mrs Johnston, ' said Hapai., 'I smashed my pants.'

'No Hapai,' said his teacher as she smiled. 'You didn't smash your pants. You ripped them. Now write this sentence out fifty times on the board in block letters,' she continued. 'I RIPPED MY PANTS.'

Hapai wrote the sentence. His face went red and he felt stupid. He wished he could run out the door and never come back. When he had finished Mrs Johnston looked at what he'd done. 'No, Hapai,' she said, 'that's wrong. Look at what you've written.
I RIPED MY PANTS. I RIPED MY PANTS. I RIPED MY PANTS.'

Hapai looked at the sentences on the board. He couldn't see what was wrong. His eyes went watery. It felt as if he'd been standing in front of the class all his life. The room seemed hot and stuffy. He found it hard to breathe. A voice inside him said, 'HE TAMAITI KUWARE KOE.' You are a stupid kid.

'You did not smash your pants,' continued Mrs Johnston. 'Nor did you ripe them. You RIPPED your pants, Hapai. RIPPED.'

'Tee hee heee.' The rest of the class tittered behind his back. Hapai felt stupid. He wanted to go to the toilet. 'Stop holding yourself like that, Hapai. Go and sit down and get on with the rest of your work,' said Mrs Johnston. 'Some people never learn,' she added with a smile.

He sat at the back of the class feeling uncomfortable and unable to understand why he felt angry and resentful.

Learn, thought Hapai. He hated learning because he felt so stupid. He was fifteen years old and only in the third form. When he was a little boy he seldom went to school. He lived in Kapakapa.

There were no shops in Kapakapa. Kapakapa was a few old shacks in the bush on a hillside. You crossed two streams on horseback and had to ride for half an hour just to get to the road.

Hapai lived with his grandparents. He felt calm and safe with his grandmother. Nani Heni always had a hug for him. His grandfather Koro Paki taught him how to hunt wild pigs with dogs and a knife and when to plant and sow. Koro Paki told him stories about the taniwha who lived in the stream and the battles his people fought.

Nani Heni and Koro Paki spoke no English. They spoke only Maori. Hapai's first language was Maori. He thought and dreamed in Maori. Koro Paki often said, 'he tamaiti tino koi koe.' You are a bright and sharp little child. Hapai felt happy and proud. He was always keen to learn from his grandfather.

When Hapi was eleven he and his grandparents left Kapakapa and went to live in town. 'Me haere koe ki te kura.' You must go to school, said Nani Heni. 'You must learn to talk English,' Koro Paki told him.

Hapai felt that would be easy. Was he not bright and sharp? On his first day back from primary school Hapai showed his grandparents what he'd learnt. He wrote the words cat rat and mat in his book. Nani Heni shook her head with amazement. 'Katahi te tamaiti tino pai.' What a good boy you are, she said.

Learning English got harder. He didn't know you weren't allowed to talk Maori. He asked Mrs Sanson, 'Kei hea te whare paku.' Where is the toilet? She said, 'You must not talk Maori at school. You'll learn. It's no good.'

By the time he got to the third form he understood and spoke simple English. But if someone asked him a difficult question he had to translate the question into Maori. Then he translated his answer from Maori into English.

He got tired having to think and talk English all the time. Sometimes he dreamed in English. Sometimes he felt it was bad to think and talk in Maori. He made mistakes. Sometimes some of his classmates called him dumb and stupid.

He felt stupid and dumb now. The day started off beautifully. The dew sparkled in the grass as he walked across the paddock. He didn't see the black bull hiding in the bushes. The bull charged at Hapai and tried to hook him with its horns. Hapai ran. He reached the fence just before the bull caught him. As he leapt the fence he ripped his pants on the barbed wire. The tear ripped its way up his trouser leg and across his bottom. What could he tell his teacher? He tried to tell her in his best English. 'Mrs Johnston,' he's said, " I smashed my pants.'

When the bell went for the end of period Hapai slammed the door behind him as he walked out. Mrs Johnston looked up and made a clicking noise with her tongue. 'Tsk tsk,' she said as she shook her head. That boy is trouble, she thought. I'll talk to the headmaster.

The word went around. Hapai Rikihana told the teacher he smashed his pants. It was funny. Even Hapai thought it was funny, but it stopped being funny when people made a big thing of it and you felt stupid.

When he walked out of the toilets Marty Robinson the biggest bully in the school waited for him. 'No one likes you,' said Marty. 'Hapai Pork pie. Hapai Pork pie,' he called. 'Smashed yuh pants did yuh.' Only stupid people say stupid things. 'You smashed yuh pants. You smashed yuh pants,' he chanted.

Hapai charged at Marty and wrestled him to the ground. Both boys got each other in a headlock as they rolled about in the dirt. 'Fight fight fight fight, 'chanted the boys as they gathered around to watch.

'What's going on?' It was the headmaster Mr Matheson. The chanting stopped. So did the fighting. 'He hit me first,' said Marty.

'Boy,' said Mr Matheson as he pointed at Hapai, 'I'll see you in my office.'

Hapai felt small in the headmaster's office. He wished he could turn into a speck of dust and float out the window never to be seen again. 'We don't allow violence of any sort here,' said Mr Matheson in a kindly but stern voice. 'I won't take matters further. All right?' Hapai nodded. But he didn't feel all right.

When he got home he sat at his grandparents' feet and cried. He poured out his heart in Maori. I told you we shouldn't send him to school, said Nani Heni. My parents wouldn't let me go to school when I was a girl because the teachers strapped the children.

'Listen,' said Koro Paki. You are not stupid you are bright. You are descended from many great chiefs. They were bright and very tough. Very tough. They were true warriors. When the world was difficult for them and their whanau they tried harder.

That night Hapai thought about what Koro Paki told him. When he went to school the next day he decided to try harder. He read more books. He studied all the time. When he left college he was dux of the school.
He became a teacher.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * *

Activity 1

A number of people tried to teach Hapai. They all used different methods.

A

Choose the method each one used from the list below.

B

Who did he learn best from? Tick the correct box.

Activity 2

A

Think about the story you've read so far. Think about what the characters do and say. What message/s or idea/s do you think this storyline suggests? There are many possible ideas you could come up with.

Write your ideas in the space below.

B

Choose the theme that you think fits the story best.

Now think of an ending to the story that reinforces the theme you've chosen. Continue the storyline, keeping the characters consistent with the first part of the story. Write at least eight lines.

Go back and check spelling and punctuation.

Activity 3

Now listen to the way Apirana Taylor, the author, ended his story. It may be very different from your ending and that's fine.

What message does he want the reader to find in his story - what is the theme of Smashed Pants?

Write your answer in the space below.

Please complete the following fields and then click 'Send this work'.