The legend of the laughing Gecko : a Hawaiian fantasy /
Bruce Hale
- Hawaii Words Pictures Publishing 1989
Moki the Geckos outrageous laugh lands him in trouble, then rescues him from a tight spot with the Black Bufo. This story also tells how the gecko came to be considered good luck in Hawaii. Deep in the heart of the blue Pacific Ocean, in the days before ice cream sundaes and color TV, the Hawaiian people lived in harmony with the animals. One day, the king and queen called together all the animals and all the people for a special meeting. This was to be the great Aumakua Choosing, when each family would choose its aumakua, or sacred guardian animal. It is on that day our story takes place. The peace of a soft Hawaiian morning was shattered by the laugh of a gecko. "Oh, it's that Moki again," said Nene Goose, covering her ears. "I do wish that boy would shut up," said the dog, Mrs. Ilio, to her husband. "He sounds awful."
It was true. Moki the Gecko had a laugh that could shake the leaves off the trees or frighten the fish in the sea. His laugh bothered the Bufo toads. It irritated Pua'a the Pig. It even worried Moki's parents.