Characters
Who are the four key characters?
Kupe, Hine-Te-Aparangi, Muturangi and Te Wheke.
Where do the villagers live at the beginning?
Hawaiki.
What does Te Wheke steal?
Fish and bait.
How do the people prepare for the sea journey?
They load food and drinking water into the waka.
What does Kupe throw into the sea to distract Te Wheke?
The calabashes.
Who is the protagonist?
Kupe.
Where do Kupe and his group travel to chase Te Wheke?
Across the sea.
Why are the villagers hungry?
Te Wheke steals their fish.
How does Kupe stop Te Wheke from diving?
He speaks an incantation that prevents the octopus from diving.
What does Te Wheke think has fallen into the water?
A person.
Who is the main antagonist?
Te Wheke.
Where does Te Wheke hide before escaping during the night?
In a cave.
Why does Muturangi refuse to keep Te Wheke on his side of the island?
Te Wheke would eat Muturangi’s own fish.
What makes the journey difficult? Name two things.
Any two: the long chase, storms, huge waves, low food supplies or low water supplies.
How does Kupe’s trick give him a chance to defeat Te Wheke?
Te Wheke releases the waka to grab the calabashes. Kupe can then strike him.
How does Hine-Te-Aparangi help Kupe?
Give TWO actions and explain their effects.
Her slime clue identifies Te Wheke.
The big waka prepares the group for a long chase.
The white cloud suggests they are near land.
Any two actions with their effects earn the points.
Where does Kupe return at the end of the story?
Hawaiki.
Why does Muturangi’s refusal change Kupe’s plan?
Kupe cannot rely on Muturangi to control Te Wheke.
He therefore decides to stop the octopus himself.
How do the weather and low supplies affect the group?
Storms and huge waves threaten their safety.
Low food and water supplies make it hard to continue.
The group is almost ready to give up.
Why is Kupe’s trick the turning point
in the final encounter?
The trick makes Te Wheke release the damaged waka.
It gives Kupe a chance to strike him
and changes the outcome of the conflict.