44 Without Hook and Line

The people of the Maori tribe of New Zealand take their tickling seriously. Their survival depends on their ability to tickle. Tickling might not sound like a very hard or useful activity. But for the Maori, tickling is an important way to get food. The Maori practice their own brand of tickling on fish.

There are many fish in the shallow coastal waters of New Zealand. They are a main staple in the diet of the Maori. To catch the fish, a fisherman must first walk slowly and quietly in the shallow water. But the fish are wary. They often hide near jagged rocks and coral reefs. They swim quickly from one hiding place to another. But sometimes the hiding fish will sleep. This is when they are most vulnerable to the Maori’s entrancing tickle.

When he spots a sleeping fish, the keen-eyed fisherman is set to make his move. Very slowly and cautiously he bends down and starts to tickle his napping food. The sleeping fish responds to the tickle by wriggling from its hiding spot. With a quick movement, the Maori fisherman reaches for the stunned fish. He holds on as tightly as he can with both hands. Supper has been caught with a tickle. The Maori’s fish-ing techniques may be unusual, but they have been successful for many centuries.

新西兰毛利部落的人们非常重视挠痒痒。他们的生存依赖于挠痒痒的能力。挠痒痒听起来可能不是一项非常困难或有用的活动。但对毛利人来说，挠痒痒是获取食物的重要方式。毛利人对鱼有自己独特的挠痒方式。

新西兰的浅海沿岸水域有很多鱼，它们是毛利人饮食中的主要主食。为了捕鱼，渔民必须首先在浅水中缓慢而安静地行走。但鱼很警觉，它们经常躲在锯齿状的岩石和珊瑚礁附近，从一个藏身之处快速游到另一个地方。但有时，躲藏的鱼会睡觉，这时候它们最容易受到毛利人那迷人的挠痒攻击。

当敏锐的渔民发现一条睡着的鱼时，就准备采取行动了。他非常缓慢而谨慎地弯下腰，开始挠他那正在打盹的食物。睡着的鱼会因为挠痒而从藏身之处扭动出来。毛利渔民迅速出手抓住这只被弄懵的鱼，用双手尽可能紧地抓住它。一顿晚餐就通过挠痒痒捕获了。毛利人的捕鱼技巧可能很特别，但这些技巧已经成功运用了好几个世纪。