The Tale of Hinekiwi and the Mischievous Pīwakawaka - Day 29
In a lush, green ngahere (forest) cloaked in mist, where ancient rimu and kahikatea trees reached to touch the sky, lived Hinekiwi, the small and humble brown kiwi. Hinekiwi was known for her quiet and hardworking nature. Every night, under the cover of darkness, she would dig through the soft soil with her long beak, finding juicy worms and grubs to eat.
Nearby lived Pīwakawaka, the mischievous fantail. With his flitting wings and cheeky nature, Pīwakawaka delighted in playing tricks on the other animals. Though clever and charming, he often pushed his games too far.
One evening, as the moon rose and bathed the forest in silver light, Hinekiwi was busy digging near the roots of a giant tōtara tree. She had found a patch of rich, damp earth teeming with plump worms, a rare treasure. As she carefully plucked one from the soil, Pīwakawaka swooped down, chattering loudly.
“Ah, Hinekiwi! What a feast you’ve found!” Pīwakawaka said, his voice light and teasing. “Surely you don’t need all those worms?”
Hinekiwi looked up, startled. “I worked hard to find these, Pīwakawaka. Please, let me eat in peace.”
But Pīwakawaka was not one to take no for an answer. With a flick of his tail, he darted down, snatched a worm from Hinekiwi’s beak, and zipped into the trees. Hinekiwi called after him, but the cheeky bird only laughed and disappeared into the shadows.
The next evening, as Hinekiwi searched for food, Pīwakawaka reappeared. This time, he didn’t just take one worm—he stirred up the soil with his wings, scattering Hinekiwi’s carefully dug treasures. “Such fun!” he chirped, leaving her with little to eat.
Hinekiwi was patient and wise. Though upset, she didn’t confront Pīwakawaka directly. Instead, she hatched a plan.
The following night, Hinekiwi ventured deeper into the ngahere to a place she knew well—a boggy patch near the edge of a stream, filled with fat worms. But this time, she made sure to spread word among the forest creatures that she had found an especially rich spot for foraging.
It wasn’t long before Pīwakawaka heard the news. Eager for an easy meal, he fluttered over. As Hinekiwi pretended to dig, Pīwakawaka darted down to steal a worm. But instead of finding soft earth, he landed in sticky, muddy clay! His wings flapped furiously, but the more he struggled, the deeper he sank.
“Help! Hinekiwi, help!” he called, his usual cheer replaced by panic.
Hinekiwi calmly approached. “Why should I help you, Pīwakawaka? You’ve stolen from me and made my hard work even harder.”
“I’m sorry!” Pīwakawaka cried. “I only wanted to have fun. I didn’t realize I was hurting you.”
Hinekiwi looked at the struggling bird and sighed. She was kind at heart and knew everyone in the ngahere played a role in the balance of life. “Very well,” she said. Using her strong beak, she dug around the sticky clay until Pīwakawaka was free.
From that night on, Pīwakawaka changed his ways. He still loved to play, but he no longer stole from Hinekiwi or anyone else. And when he saw Hinekiwi working late into the night, he would flutter close and chirp cheerful songs to keep her company.
The moral of the story:
Respect others’ efforts, for kindness is repaid with kindness — but mischief will stick to you like mud.
Poll: Is it ok to regift something that you have been given?
🎁 Holiday Gift Chat!
Do you ever regift?
What’s your take on asking for a receipt if a gift doesn’t fit?
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78.5% Yes! It's better to regift what I don't need
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21.5% No. It's the thought and effort that matters
Today’s Mind-Bender is the Last of the Year! Can You Guess It Before Everyone Else? 🌟🎁🌲
I dance in the sky with green and gold, a spectacle few are lucky to behold; I’m best seen in the south, a celestial sight—what am I, lighting up the New Zealand night?
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Charities turning away high numbers of volunteer applications
Charities are turning away people wanting to volunteer amidst a flood of interest they say is linked to the high rate of unemployment.
It comes as some businesses receive thousands of applications for paid roles and people look for experience anywhere they can.
The advocacy organisation Volunteering NZ has been tracking the trend. Spokesperson Margaret McLachlan said there has been a considerable rise in applications for volunteer roles across a range of charities.
Many application forms asks people to divulge if they are job hunters.
"Over the last year or so, they are seeing more people coming in who are saying they are in that category. They are looking for work but doing volunteering while that process is taking place."
"As unemployment increases and the cost of living, times are tougher for everybody."
At the same time, she said community organisations supporting social services were busier and needed more helpers.
McLachlan said depending on the organisation, they might want to do a police check, a reference check and an interview.
"In some cases it can be a process to go through and not always, and that can take some time.
"It's actually the same barriers that a person might find in finding a job, can also apply to volunteering. It's not always a easy option."
SPCA had 120 op shops and animal rescue centres across the country in which volunteers worked.
General manager of retail Cathy Crichton said they received about 1300 extra applications for volunteer roles, a 32 percent increase, from June to November 2025, compared to 2024.
"There's definitely a nudge forward which is very exciting and we're very grateful."
But it meant they were not accepting any more volunteers in some areas.
"Because the applications are up it's a unique scenario. But at this point in time, in smaller locations, we've actually got a hold in 19 locations in New Zealand where we are at capacity - and that's very rare and it's a very new trend."
Crichton said anyone seeking volunteer work should think creatively about what skills they can offer - it could be in administration or marketing.
"We'd love to welcome as many people as we could because the more hands on deck the more we can do and the more we can contribute to the community."
She said people were self-motivated to apply for volunteer work.
The unemployment rate rose to 5.3 percent in the September quarter, meaning 160,000 people were jobless. The next quarterly figures are out in February.
"There's a willingness to give back and contribute to the community. Unemployment being high really does encourage people to engage with the workforce and get experience," Crichton said.
"It really is about staying connected with the community and meeting others."
She said they had also seen an increase in young people seeking volunteer work experience.
"It's a great opportunity to get work experience and a reference and there's an appeal there as an employer...I really do think it adds value to a CV."
Stats NZ data showed over half of New Zealanders, 53 percent, volunteered during March 2025 and of those, 27.6 percent volunteered through an organisation and 40.8 percent volunteered directly for another person.
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