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A long time ago, a big beautiful green sea turtle named Honu-po'o-kea laid an egg on the shores of the black sand beach of Punalu'u. The egg was dark and smooth, just like the wood of the kauila trees nearby.

Honu-po'o-kea and her mate carefully covered the egg. While digging into the black sand, they created a spring of fresh water.

After a while, the egg hatched into a magic turtle named Kauila. Kauila lived at the bottom of the spring that her parents had made.

Children came to play in the spring. Sometimes Kauila would turn herself into a girl so she could play with them. She always watched over the children, keeping them safe while they played by the ocean.

Green sea turtles, called "honu", still come to the black sand beaches of Punalu'u on the Big Island of Hawaii.

In 1995, a stone monument was placed at Punalu'u Beach to honor the honu and the legend of Kauila, the magic sea turtle whose parents brought the gift of fresh spring water to ancient Hawaiians and who continues to watch over children who play at the beach.

From which island is this legend?
Hawaii
Jamaica
Tahiti
Hawaii Where is Punalu'u Beach?
California
Hawaii
French Polynesia
Hawaii What color is the sand on Punalu'u Beach?
black
brown
white
black What is Kauila named after?
a fresh water spring
the black sand
the trees near where she was born
the trees near where she was born What does "honu" mean?
black sand beach
green sea turtle
parent
green sea turtle How did Kauila's parents make a fresh water spring?
by digging in the sand to cover the egg
by dropping flowers in the water
by putting kauila wood on the sand
by digging in the sand to cover the egg How is Kauila magic?
She watches over children at the beach.
She can turn into a mermaid.
Both are true.
She watches over children at the beach. Why was a monument placed at Punalu'u Beach?
to tell the legend of Kauila
to honor the honu
Both are true.
Both are true.

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