▁or ▁suffer ▁mis fort une ▁in ▁the ▁next ▁er u ption . ▁Another ▁legend , ▁Pe le ' s ▁Cur se , ▁states ▁that ▁Pe le ' s ▁wr ath ▁will ▁fall ▁on ▁anyone ▁who ▁removes ▁items ▁from ▁her ▁island . ▁Every ▁year ▁numerous ▁small ▁natural ▁items ▁are ▁returned ▁by ▁post ▁to ▁the ▁National ▁Park s ▁Service ▁by ▁tour ists ▁seeking ▁Pe le ' s ▁forg iveness . ▁It ▁is ▁believed ▁Pe le ' s ▁Cur se ▁was ▁invent ed ▁in ▁the ▁mid - 2 0 th ▁century ▁to ▁d eter ▁tour ist ▁dep red ation . ▁ ▁When ▁business man ▁George ▁Ly c urg us ▁ran ▁a ▁hotel ▁at ▁the ▁rim ▁of ▁K ī la ue a , ▁called ▁the ▁Vol cano ▁House ▁from ▁ 1 9 0 4 ▁through ▁ 1 9 2 1 , ▁he ▁would ▁often ▁" p ray " ▁to ▁Pe le ▁for ▁the ▁sake ▁of ▁the ▁tour ists . ▁Park ▁officials ▁f rown ed ▁upon ▁his ▁practices ▁of ▁toss ing ▁items , ▁such ▁as ▁g in ▁bott les ▁( after ▁drink ing ▁their ▁contents ), ▁into ▁the ▁cr ater . ▁ ▁William ▁Hy de ▁R ice ▁included ▁an ▁ 1 1 - page ▁summary ▁of ▁the ▁leg ends ▁of ▁Pe le ▁in ▁his ▁ 1 9 2 3 ▁collection ▁of ▁Hawai ian ▁leg ends , ▁a ▁repr int ▁of ▁which ▁is ▁available ▁online ▁from ▁the ▁Bern ice ▁P . ▁Bishop ▁Museum ' s ▁Special ▁Publications ▁section . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 3 ▁the ▁Vol cano