Philippine
Folk. Tales
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
PHILIPPINE
FOLK TALES
COMPILED AND
ANNOTATED
BY
MABEL COOK COLE
ILLUSTRATIONS FROM
tttOTOGKAPHS BT
FAY-COOPER COLE
CHICAGO
A. C. McCLURG & CO.
1916
Ks>;
'
Copyright
A. C. McClurg & Co.
1916
Published November, 1916
Copyrighted in Great Britain
V. F. HAU. PRINTING COMPANY, CHICAGO
PREFACE
T?ROM time to time since the American occupation
of the Islands, Philippine folk-tales have appeared
in scientific publications, but never, so far as the writer
is aware, has there been an attempt to offer to the
general public a comprehensive popular collection of
this material. It is my earnest hope that this collec-
tion of tales will give those who are interested oppor-
tunity to learn something of the magic, superstitions,
and weird customs of the Filipinos, and to feel the
charm of their wonder-world as it is pictured by these
dark-skinned inhabitants of our Island possessions.
In company with my husband, who was engaged in
ethnological work for the Field Museum of Natural
History, it was my good fortune to spend four years
among the wild tribes of the Philippines. During this
time we frequently heard these stories, either related
by the people in their homes and around the camp fires
or chanted by the pagan priests in communion with
the spirits. The tales are now published in this little
volume, with the addition of a few folk-legends that
have appeared in the Journal of American Folk-Lore
and in scientific publications, here retold with some ad-
ditions made by native story-tellers.
I have endeavored to select typical tales from tribes
widely separated and varying in culture from savagery
to a rather high degree of development. The stories
365544
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
are therefore divided into five groups, as follows:
Tinguian, Igorot, the Wild Tribes of Mindanao,
Moro, and Christian.
The first two groups, Tinguian and Igorot, are
from natives who inhabit the rugged mountain region
of northwestern Luzon. From time immemorial they
have been zealous head-hunters, and the stories teem
with references to customs and superstitions connected
with their savage practices. By far the largest num-
ber belong to the Tinguian group. In order to appre-
ciate these tales to the fullest extent, we must under-
stand the point of view of the Tinguian. To him they
embody all the known traditions of "the first times 1 '
of the people who inhabited the earth before the
present race appeared, of the ancient heroes and their
powers and achievements. In them he finds an ex-
planation of and reason for many of his present laws
and customs.
A careful study of the whole body of Tinguian
mythology points to the conclusion that the chief char-
acters of these tales are not celestial beings but typical,
generalized heroes of former ages, whose deeds have
been magnified in the telling by many generations of
their descendants. These people of "the first times"
practiced magic. They talked with jars, created hu-
man beings out of betel-nuts, raised the dead, and had
the power of changing themselves into other forms.
This, however, does not seem strange or impossible
to the Tinguian of today, for even now they talk with
jars, perform certain rites to bring sickness and
death to their foes, and are warned by omens received
[vi]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
through the medium of birds, thunder and lightning,
or the condition of the liver of a slaughtered animal.
They still converse freely with certain spirits who dur-
ing religious ceremonies are believed to use the bodies
of men or women as mediums for the purpose of
advising and instructing the people.
Several of the characters appear in story after story.
Sometimes they go under different names, but in the
minds of the story-tellers their personality and rela-
tionships are definitely established. Thus Ini-init of
the first tale becomes Kadayadawan in the second,
Aponitolau in the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth, and
Ligi in the seventh. Kanag, the son of Aponitolau
and Aponibolinayen, in the fifth tale is called Du-
malawi.
These heroes had most unusual relations with the
heavenly bodies, all of which seem to have been re-
garded as animate beings. In the fourth tale Aponi-
tolau marries Gaygayoma, the star maiden who is the
daughter of the big star and the moon. In the first
story the same character under the name of Ini-init
seems to be a sun-god : we are told that he is "the sun,"
and again "a round stone which rolls." Thereupon we
might conclude that he is a true solar being; yet in the
other tales of this collection and in many more known
to the Tinguian he reveals no celestial qualities. Even
in tKe first story he abandons his place in the sky and
goes to live on earth.
In the first eight stories we read of many customs
of "the first times" which differ radically from those
of the present. But a careful analysis of all the known
OH]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
lore of this people points to the belief that many of
these accounts depict a period when similar customs
did exist among the people, or else were practiced by
emigrants who generations ago became amalgamated
with the Tinguian and whose strange customs finally
became attributed to the people of the tales. The
stories numbered nine to sixteen are of a somewhat
different type, and in them the Tinguian finds an ex-
planation of many things, such as, how the people
learned to plant, and to cure diseases, where they se-
cured the valuable jars and beads, and why the moon
has spots on its face. All these stories are fully be-
lieved, the beads and jars are considered precious, and
the places mentioned are definitely known. While the
accounts seem to be of fairly recent origin they conflict
neither with the fundamental ideas and traditions of
"the first times" nor with the beliefs of today.
Stories seventeen to twenty-three are regarded as
fables and are told to amuse the children or to while
away the midday hours when the people seek shaded
spots to lounge or stop on the trail to rest. Most
of them are known to the Christianized tribes through-
out the Islands and show great similarity to the tales
found in the islands to the south and, in some cases,
in Europe. In many of them the chief incidents are
identical with those found elsewhere, but the story-
tellers, by introducing old customs and beliefs, have
moulded and colored them until they reflect the com-
mon ideas of the Tinguian.
The third group includes stories from several wild
tribes who dwell in the large island of Mindanao.
[ viii ]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
Here are people who work in brass and steel, build
good dwellings, and wear hemp clothing elaborately
decorated with beads, shell disks, and embroidery, but
who still practice many savage customs, including
slavery and human sacrifice.
The fourth division gives two tales from the Moro
'(hardy Malayan warriors whose ancestors early be-
came converts to the faith of Mohammed). Their
teachers were the Arabian traders who, about 1400,
succeeded in converting many of the Malay Islanders
to the faith of the prophet.
The last group contains the stories of the Christian-
ized natives those who accepted the rule of Spain
and with it the Catholic religion. Their tales, while
full of local color, nevertheless show the influence of
the European tutors. They furnish an excellent op-
portunity to contrast the literature of the savage head-
hunters with that of the Moro and Christian tribes
and to observe how various recent influences have mod-
ified the beliefs of people who not many centuries ago
were doubtless of a uniform grade of culture. It is
interesting, too, to note that European tales brought
into the Islands by Mohammedan and Christian rulers
and traders have been worked over until, at first
glance, they now appear indigenous.
Owing to local coloring, these tales have various
forms. Still we find many incidents which are held
in common by all the tribes of the Archipelago and
even by the people of Borneo, Java, Sumatra, and
India. Some of these similarities and parallelisms are
indicated in the foot-notes throughout the book.
[be]
CONTENTS
GROUP 1 1 TINGUIAN
PAGE
Aponibolinayen and the Sun 6
Aponibolinayen 17
Gawigawen of Adasen 25
The Story of Gaygayoma Who Lives up Above . . 37
The Story of Dumalawi 44
The Story of Kanag 50
The Story of Tikgi 56
The Story of Sayen 60
The Sun and the Moon 65
How the Tinguian Learned to Plant 66
Magsawi 68
The Tree with the Agate Beads 71
The Striped Blanket 73
The Alan and the Hunters 7
The Man and the Alan
Sogsogot 79
The Mistaken Gifts 82
The Boy Who Became a Stone 84
The Turtle and the Lizard . t/. . . . . , .86
The Man with the Cocoanuts 88
The Carabao and the Shell 89
The Alligator's Fruit 90
Dogedog 91
GROUP II : IGOROT
X The Creation 99 X
The Flood Story IO2 ^
[xi]
CONTENTS
PAGE
Lumawig on Earth 105
How the First Head Was Taken 1 1 1
The Serpent Eagle 113
The Tattooed Men 115
Tilin, the Rice Bird 117
GROUP III : THE WILD TRIBES OF MINDANAO
Bukidnon
How the Moon and Stars Came to Be 124
The Flood Story . . . 125 ,
Magbangal 127
How Children Became Monkeys 130
Bulanawan and Aguio 131
Bagobo
Origin 133
Lumabet 135
Bilaan
The Story of the Creation *39X
In the Beginning 141
Mandaya
The Children of the Limokon 143
The Sun and the Moon 145
Subanun
The Widow's Son 147
[xii]
CONTENTS
GROUP IV : MORO
PAGE
Mythology of Mindanao 157
The Story of Bantugan 163
GROUP VI THE CHRISTIANIZED TRIBES
1 to can o
The Monkey and the Turtle 176
The Poor Fisherman and His Wife 179
The Presidente Who Had Horns 181
The Story of a Monkey 183
The White Squash 185
Tagalog
The Creation Story 187 *
The Story of Benito 189
The Adventures of Juan 196
Juan Gathers Guavas 200
Visayan
The Sun and the Moon 201
The First Monkey 202
The Virtue of the Cocoanut 204
Mansumandig 206
Why Dogs Wag Their Tails 210
The Hawk and the Hen 212
The Spider and the Fly 214
The Battle of the Crabs 215
Pronunciation of Philippine Names 217
[xiii]
ILLUSTRATIONS
PAGE
A Tinguian gentleman Frontispiece
Tinguian hunters 26
Returning from the hunt 26
Hunting with the blowgun 27
Sugar cane press 40
Vats for boiling sugar cane juice 40
Grinding corn 41
Making a harrow 41
Elevated living rooms reached by ladders 56
Cocoanut trees tower above the homes 56
Section of a Tinguian village 57
A settlement in the mountains 57
The talking jars 68
Playing the nose flute 68
Tinguian potters at work 69
Seeding and combing cotton 69
Bamboo rafts 90
Hauling bamboo 90
Rice terraces in the mountains 91
A rice field 91
Type of Mandaya tree house 124
Swinging bridge over Padada river 125
A net maker 160
Bringing water from the stream 160
Bagobos, Davao, Mindanao 161
A rice granary 196
Methods of transportation 197
A store in a Christianized village 197
[xv]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
Tinguian
INTRODUCTION
'TpHE dim light of stars filtered through the leafy
-*- canopy above us, and the shadowy form of our
guide once more appeared at my horse's head. It
was only for an instant, however, and then we were
plunged again into the inky darkness of a tropical
jungle.
We had planned to reach the distant Tinguian vil-
lage in the late afternoon, but had failed to reckon
with the deliberateness of native carriers. It was only
by urging our horses that we were able to ford the
broad Abra ere the last rays of the sun dropped be-
hind the mountains. And then, in this land of no twi-
lights, night had settled quickly over us.
We had made our way up the mountain-side,
through the thick jungle, only to find that the trail,
long imperceptible to us, had escaped even the keen
eyes of our guide. For several hours we wandered
about, lost in the darkness.
On and on we went, through narrow paths, steep in
places, and made rough and dangerous by sharp rocks
as well as by those long creepers of the jungle whose
thorny fingers are ever ready to seize horse or rider.
Occasionally we came out of the forest, only to cross
rocky mountain streams; or perhaps it was the same
stream that we crossed many times. Our horses, be-
coming weary and uncertain of foot, grew more and
[3]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
more reluctant to plunge into the dark, swiftly flowing
water. And our patience was nearly exhausted when
we at last caught sight of dim lights in the valley be-
low. Half an hour later we rode into Manabo.
I shall never forget that first picture. It was a weird
spectacle. Coming out of the darkness, we were al-
most convinced that we had entered a new world.
Against the blackness of the night, grass-roofed houses
stood outlined in the dim light of a bonfire ; and squat-
ting around that fire, unclad save for gay blankets
wrapped about their shoulders, were brown-skinned
men smoking long pipes, while women bedecked with
bright beads were spinning cotton. As they worked
in the flickering light, they stretched their distaffs at
arm's length into the air like witches waving their
wands ; and with that the elfland picture was complete.
In the stillness of the night a single voice could be
heard reciting some tale in a singsong tone, which was
interrupted only when peals of laughter burst forth
from the listeners, or when a scrawny dog rose to
bark at an imaginary noise until the shouts of the men
quieted him and he returned to his bed in the warm
ashes. Later we learned that these were the regular
social gatherings of the Tinguian, and every night dur-
ing the dry season one or more of these bonfires were
to be seen in the village.
After we had attained to the footing of welcome
guests in these circles, we found that a good story-
teller was always present, and, while the men smoked,
the women spun, and the dogs slept, he entertained us
with tales of heroes who knew the magic of the betel-
[4]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
nut, or with stories of spirits and their power over the
lives of men.
The following are some of the tales heard first
around the camp fire of the distant mountain village.
APONIBOLINAYEN AND THE SUN
Tinguian
day Aponibolinayen and her sister-in-law went
out to gather greens. They walked to the woods
to the place where the siksiklat grew, for the tender
leaves of this vine are very good to eat. Suddenly
while searching about in the underbrush, Aponiboli-
nayen cried out with joy, for she had found the vine,
and she started to pick the leaves. Pull as hard as
she would, however, the leaves did not come loose,
and all at once the vine wound itself around her body
and began carrying her upward. 1
Far up through the air she went until she reached
the sky, and there the vine set her down under a tree.
Aponibolinayen was so surprised to find herself in the
sky that for some time she just sat and looked around,
and then, hearing a rooster crow, she arose to see if
she could find it. Not far from where she had sat
was a beautiful spring surrounded by tall betel-nut
trees whose tops were pure gold. Rare beads were
the sands of the spring, and the place where the women
set their jars when they came to dip water was a large
golden plate. As Aponibolinayen stood admiring the
incident is strikingly similar to the story in North American
folk-lore of the maiden captured and carried upward by a vine. Sev-
eral other points of likeness appear in the lore of Malaysia, Polynesia,
and America.
[6]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
beauties of this spring, sHe beheld a small house near-
by, and she was filled with fear lest the owner should
find her there. She looked about for some means
of escape and finally climbed to the top of a betel-nut
tree and hid.
Now the owner of this house was Ini-init, 1 the Sun,
but he was never at home in the daylight, for it was
his duty to shine in the sky and give light to all the
world. At the close of the day when the Big Star
took his place in the sky to shine through the night,
Ini-init returned to his house, but early the next morn-
ing he was always off again.
From her place in the top of the betel-nut tree,
Aponibolinayen saw the Sun when he came home at
evening time, and again the next morning she saw him
leave. When she was sure that he was out of sight
she climbed down and entered his dwelling, for she
was very hungry. She cooked rice, and into a pot of
boiling water she dropped a stick which immediately
became fish, 2 so that she had all she wished to eat.
When she was no longer hungry, she lay down on
the bed to sleep.
Now late in the afternoon Ini-init returned from
his work and went to fish in the river near his house,
and he caught a big fish. While he sat on the bank
cleaning his catch, he happened to look up toward his
'See Preface, p. vii.
''This incident is unique so far as American or European folk-lore
is concerned, yet it is common in Tinguian tales, while similar stories
are found among the neighboring Ilocano and Igorot tribes of the
Philippines, as well as in Borneo, Java, and India.
[7]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
house and was startled to see that it appeared to be
on fire. 1 He hurried home, but when he reached the
house he saw that it was not burning at all, and he
entered. On his bed he beheld what looked like a
flame of fire, but upon going closer he found that it
was a beautiful woman fast asleep.
Ini-init stood for some time wondering what he
should do, and then he decided to cook some food and
invite this lovely creature to eat with him. He put
rice over the fire to boil and cut into pieces the fish
he had caught. The noise of this awakened Aponi-
bolinayen, and she slipped out of the house and back
to the top of the betel-nut tree. The Sun did not see
her leave, and when the food was prepared he called
her, but the bed was empty and he had to eat alone.
That night Ini-init could not sleep well, for all the
time he wondered who the beautiful woman could be.
The next morning, however, he rose as usual and set
forth to shine in the sky, for that was his work.
That day Aponibolinayen stole again to the house
of the Sun and cooked food, and when she returned
to the betel-nut tree she left rice and fish ready for the
Sun when he came home. Late in the afternoon Ini-
init went into his home, and when he found pots of
hot rice and fish over the fire he was greatly troubled.
After he had eaten he walked a long time in the fresh
air. "Perhaps it is done by the lovely woman who
*The belief that beauty is capable of radiating great light is not
peculiar to Tinguian tales, for it is also found in the Malay legends
and in those of India. It is not impossible that they had a common
origin.
[8]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
looks like a flame of fire, 1 ' he said. "If she comes
again I will try to catch her."
The next day the Sun shone in the sky as before, and
when the afternoon grew late he called to the Big Star
to hurry to take his place, for he was impatient to reach
home. As he drew near the house he saw that it again
looked as if it was on fire. He crept quietly up the
ladder, and when he had reached the top he sprang
in and shut the door behind him.
Aponibolinayen, who was cooking rice over the fire,
was surprised and angry that she had been caught;
but the Sun gave her betel-nut 1 which was covered
with gold, and they chewed together and told each
other their names. Then Aponibolinayen took up the
rice and fish, and as they ate they talked together and
became acquainted.
After some time Aponibolinayen and the Sun were
married, and every morning the Sun went to shine in
the sky, and upon his return at night he found his sup-
per ready for him. He began to be troubled, how-
ever, to know where the food came from, for though
'The betel-nut is the nut of the areca palm. It is prepared for
chewing by being cut into quarters, each piece being wrapped in betel-
leaf spread with lime. It produces a blood-red spittle which greatly
discolors the teeth and lips, and it is used extensively throughout the
Philippines. While it appears to have been in common use among
the Tinguian at the time these stories originated, it has now been dis-
placed by tobacco, except at ceremonies when it is prepared for chew-
ing; it is also placed on the animals offered for sacrifice to the spirits.
Throughout the tales great significance is given to the chewing of
betel-nuts before names are told or introductions given, while from
the quids and spittle it appears to have been possible to foretell events
and establish relationships.
[9]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
he brought home a fine fish every night, Aponiboli-
nayen always refused to cook it.
One night he watched her prepare their meal, and
he saw that, instead of using the nice fish he had
brought, she only dropped a stick into the pot of boil-
ing water.
u Why do you try to cook a stick?" asked Ini-init in
surprise.
"So that we can have fish to eat," answered his
wife.
"If you cook that stick for a month, it will not be
soft," said Ini-init. "Take this fish that I caught in
the net, for it will be good."
But Aponibolinayen only laughed at him, and when
they were ready to eat she took the cover off the pot
and there was plenty of nice soft fish. The next night
and the next, Aponibolinayen cooked the stick, and
Ini-init became greatly troubled for he saw that though
the stick always supplied them with fish, it never grew
smaller.
Finally he asked Aponibolinayen again why it was
that she cooked the stick instead of the fish he brought,
and she said:
"Do you not know of the woman on earth who has
magical power and can change things?"
"Yes," answered the Sun, "and now I know that
you have great power."
"Well, then," said his wife, "do not ask again why
I cook the stick."
And they ate their supper of rice and the fish which
the stick made.
[10]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
One night not long after this Aponibolinayen told
her husband that she wanted to go with him the next
day when he made light in the sky.
u Oh, no, you cannot," said the Sun, "for it is very
hot up there, 1 and you cannot stand the heat."
"We will take many blankets and pillows," said the
woman, "and when the heat becomes very great, I will
hide under them."
Again and again Ini-init begged her not to go, but
as often she insisted on accompanying him, and early
in the morning they set out, carrying with them many
blankets and pillows.
First, they went to the East, and as soon as they
arrived the Sun began to shine, and Aponibolinayen
was with him. They traveled toward the West, but
when morning had passed into noontime and they had
reached the middle of the sky Aponibolinayen was so
hot that she melted and became oil. Then Ini-init put
her into a bottle and wrapped her in the blankets and
pillows and dropped her down to earth.
Now one of the women of Aponibolinayen's town
was at the spring dipping water when she heard some-
thing fall near her. Turning to look, she beheld a
bundle of beautiful blankets and pillows which she be-
gan to unroll, and inside she found the most beautiful
woman she had ever seen. Frightened at her discov-
ery, the woman ran as fast as she could to the town,
where she called the people together and told them
to come at once to the spring. They all hastened to
Compare with the story of Phaeton in Bulfinch, The Age of Fable,
p. 50.
[II]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
the spot and there they found Aponibolinayen for
whom they had been searching everywhere.
"Where have you been?" asked her father; "we
have searched all over the world and we could not
find you."
"I have come from Pindayan," answered Aponi-
bolinayen. "Enemies of our people kept me there till
I made my escape while they were asleep at night."
All were filled with joy that the lost one had re-
turned, and they decided that at the next moon 1 they
would perform a ceremony for the spirits 2 and invite
all the relatives who were mourning for Aponi-
bolinayen.
So they began to prepare for the ceremony, and
while they were pounding rice, Aponibolinayen asked
her mother to prick her little finger where it itched,
and as she did so a beautiful baby boy popped out.
The people were very much surprised at this, and they
noticed that every time he was bathed the baby grew
very fast so that, in a short time, he was able to walk.
Then they were anxious to know who was the husband
of Aponibolinayen, but she would not tell them, and
they decided to invite everyone in the world to the cere-
mony that they might not overlook him.
*The Tinguian have no calendar, but reckon time by the recurrence
of the moon.
B It is the present custom of the Tinguian to make numerous cere-
monies for the spirits. These vary in length from a few hours to
seventeen days. During this period animals are slaughtered, small
houses are built, mediums deliver messages from the spirits, and there
is much feasting and dancing.
[12]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
They sent for the betel-nuts that were covered with
gold, 1 and when they had oiled them they commanded
them to go to all the towns and compel the people to
come to the ceremony.
"If anyone refuses to come, grow on his knee,"
said the people, and the betel-nuts departed to do as
they were bidden.
As the guests began to arrive, the people watched
carefully for one who might be the husband of Aponi-
bolinayen, but none appeared and they were greatly
troubled. Finally they went to the old woman, Alo-
kotan, who was able to talk with the spirits, and
begged her to find what town had not been visited by
the betel-nuts which had been sent to invite the people.
After she had consulted the spirits the old woman said :
"You have invited all the people except Ini-init who
lives up above. Now you must send a betel-nut to
summon him. It may be that he is the husband of
Aponibolinayen, for the siksiklat vine carried her up
when she went to gather greens."
So a betel-nut was called and bidden to summon
Ini-init.
The betel-nut went up to the Sun, who was in his
house, and said:
"Good morning, Sun. I have come to summon you
to a ceremony which the father and mother of Aponi-
*When ripe, the betel-nut is covered with a golden husk, and it is
possibly because of this that they were said to be covered with gold.
The present-day Tinguian, in place of sending the betel-nut, sends a
small piece of gold to any relative or friend whom he specially wishes
to induce to attend a ceremony.
[13]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
bolinayen are making for the spirits. If you do not
want to go, I will grow on your head."
"Grow on my head," said the Sun. "I do not wish
to go."
So the betel-nut jumped upon his head and grew
until it became so tall that the Sun was not able to
carry it, and he was in great pain.
"Oh, grow on my pig," begged the Sun. So the
betel-nut jumped upon the pig's head and grew, but it
was so heavy that the pig could not carry it and squealed
all the time. At last the Sun saw that he would have
to obey the summons, and he said to the betel-nut:
"Get off my pig and I will go."
So Ini-init came to the ceremony, and as soon as
Aponibolinayen and the baby saw him, they were very
happy and ran to meet him. Then the people knew
that this was the husband of Aponibolinayen, and they
waited eagerly for him to come up to them. As he
drew near, however, they saw that he did not walk,
for he was round; and then they perceived that he
was not a man but a large stone. All her relatives
were very angry to find that Aponibolinayen had mar-
ried a stone; and they compelled her to take off her
beads 2 and her good clothes, for, they said, she must
now dress in old clothes and go again to live with the
stone.
So Aponibolinayen put on the rags that they brought
her and at once set out with the stone for his home.
seems to be peculiar to Tinguian folk-lore.
2 Except when she is in mourning a Tinguian woman's arms are
always covered with beads placed strand above strand.
[14]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
No sooner had they arrived there, however, than he
became a handsome man, and they were very happy.
"In one moon," said the Sun, "we will make a cere-
mony for the spirits, and I will pay your father and
mother the marriage price 1 for you."
This pleased Aponibolinayen very much, and they
used magic so that they had many neighbors who came
to pound rice 2 for them and to build a large spirit
house. 3
Then they sent oiled betel-nuts to summon their rela-
tives to the ceremony. The father of Aponibolinayen
did not want to go, but the betel-nut threatened to grow
on his knee if he did not. So he commanded all the
people in the town to wash their hair and their clothes,
and when all was ready they set out.
When they reached the town they were greatly sur-
prised to find that the stone had become a man, and
they chewed the magic betel-nuts to see who he might
be. It was discovered that he was the son of a couple
in Aponibolinayen's own town, and the people all re-
joiced that this couple had found the son whom they
had thought lost. They named him Aponitolau, and
*The parents of a boy choose his bride when the children are very
young. A great celebration is then held, and relatives and friends of
both parties decide on the price to be paid for the girl. Partial pay-
ment is made at once, and the remainder goes over until the marriage
proper takes place, when the boy and girl are about twelve or four-
teen years of age. In this instance Ini-init makes the customary pay-
ment for his bride, though the marriage had already taken place.
The friends and retainers pound rice and prepare food for all
the guests who attend the ceremony.
"A spirit house is one of the small houses built during a ceremony.
[15]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
his parents paid the marriage price for his wife the
spirit house nine times full of valuable jars. 1
After that all danced and made merry for one moon,
and when the people departed for their homes Ini-init
and his wife went with them to live on the earth.
'The reference is probably to ancient Chinese jtrs.
[16]
APONIBOLINAYEN
Tinguian
'T^HE most beautiful girl in all the world was
-*- Aponibolinayen of Nalpangan. Many young
men had come to her brother, Aponibalagen, to ask
for her hand in marriage, but he had refused them
all, for he awaited one who possessed great power.
Then it happened that the fame of her beauty spread
over all the world till it reached even to Adasen; and
in that place there lived a man of great power named
Gawigawen.
Now Gawigawen, who was a handsome man, had
sought among all the pretty girls but never, until he
heard of the great beauty of Aponibolinayen, had he
found one whom he wished to wed. Then he deter-
mined that she should be his wife; and he begged his
mother to help him win her. So Dinawagen, the
mother of Gawigawen, took her hat which looked like
a sunbeam and set out at once for Nalpangan; and
when she arrived there she was greeted by Ebang, the
mother of the lovely maiden, who presently began to
prepare food for them. 1
a The custom, which still exists to a certain degree, was to offer food
to a guest before any matter was discussed. In ancient times this was
considered very necessary, as it still is among the Apayao who live
north of the Tinguian. With them to refuse food is to refuse friend-
ship.
[17]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
She put the pot over the fire, and when the water
boiled she broke up a stick and threw the pieces into
the pot, and immediately they became fish. Then she
brought basi 1 in a large jar, and Dinawagen, counting
the notches in the rim, 2 perceived that the jar had been
handed down through nine generations. They ate and
drank together, and after they had finished the meal,
Dinawagen told Aponibalagen of her son's wishes,
and asked if he was willing that his sister should
marry Gawigawen. Aponibalagen, who had heard of
the power of the suitor, at once gave his consent. And
Dinawagen departed for home, leaving a gold cup as
an engagement present. 3
Gawigawen was watching at the door of his house
for his mother's return, and when she told him of her
success, he was so happy that he asked all the people
in the town to go with him the next day to Nalpangan
to arrange the amount he must pay for his bride.*
Now the people of Nalpangan wanted a great price
for this girl who was so beautiful, and the men of the
two towns debated for a long time before they could
come to an agreement. Finally, however, it was
decided that Gawigawen should fill the spirit house
eighteen times with valuable things; and when he had
done this, they were all satisfied and went to the yard
*A drink made of fermented sugar-cane.
^he old jars possessed by the Tinguian today have notches broken
in the rim, one for each generation through whose hands it has passed.
8 When the first negotiations are made the boy's parents offer some
gift, nowadays usually a small bead. If this is accepted it signifies
the willingness of the girl's parents to consider the match.
4 See note i, p. 15.
[18]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
where they danced and beat on the copper gongs. 1 All
the pretty girls danced their best, and one who wore
big jars about her neck made more noise than the others
as she danced, and the jars sang "Kitol, kitol, kanitol;
inka, inka, inkatol."
But when Aponibolinayen, the bride of Gawigawen,
came down out of the house to dance, the sunshine
vanished, so beautiful was she; and as she moved
about, the river came up into the town, and striped
fish bit at her heels.
For three months the people remained here feasting
and dancing, and then early one morning they took
Aponibolinayen to her new home in Adasen. The
trail that led from one town to the other had become
very beautiful in the meantime: the grass and trees
glistened with bright lights, and the waters of the tiny
streams dazzled the eyes with their brightness as
Aponibolinayen waded across. When they reached
the spring of Gawigawen, they found that it, too, was
more beautiful than ever before. Each grain of sand
had become a bead, and the place where the women
set their jars when they came to dip water had become
a big dish.
Then said Aponibalagen to his people, "Go tell
'The music for the dances is made by beating on drums and copper
gongs. A man and a woman enter the circle, each carrying a large
square of cloth on outstretched arms. Keeping time to the music with
their hands and feet, they move about, coming near to each other and
then drawing farther apart. The woman follows the movements of
the man and finally places her cloth on his outstretched arms, thus end-
ing the dance; another couple then takes their place.
[19]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
Gawigawen to bring an old man, for I want to make
a spring for Aponibolinayen."
So an old man was brought and Aponibalagen cut
off his head and put it in the ground, and sparkling
water bubbled up. 1 The body he made into a tree to
shade his sister when she came to dip water, and the
drops of blood as they touched the ground were
changed into valuable beads. Even the path from the
spring to the house was covered with big plates, and
everything was made beautiful for Aponibolinayen.
Now during all this time Aponibolinayen had kept
her face covered so that she had never seen her hus-
.band, for although he was a handsome man, one of
the pretty girls who was jealous of the bride had told
her that he had three noses, and she was afraid to
look at him.
After her people had all returned to their homes,
she grew very unhappy, and when her mother-in-law
commanded her to cook she had to feel her way
around, for she would not uncover her face. Finally
she became so sad that she determined to run away.
One night when all were asleep, she used magical
power and changed herself into oil. 2 Then she slid
*An interesting parallel to this is found in the Dayak legend of
Limbang, where a tree springs from the head of a dead giant; its
flowers are beads; its leaves, cloth; and the fruit, jars. See Roth,
The Natives of Sarawak and British North Borneo, Vol. I, p. 372.
2 Throughout the Tinguian tales the characters are frequently de-
scribed as changing themselves into oil, centipedes, birds, and other
forms. This power is also found among the heroes of Dayak and
Malay tales. See Roth, op. at., Vol. I, p. 312; Perham, Journal Straits
Branch R., Asiatic Society, No. 16, 1886 ; Wilkinson, Malay Beliefs, pp.
32, 59 (London, 1906).
[20]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
through the bamboo floor and made her escape with-
out anyone seeing her.
On and on she went until she came to the middle
of the jungle, and then she met a wild rooster who
asked her where she was going.
"I am running away from my husband," replied
Aponibolinayen, "for he has three noses and I do not
want to live with him."
"Oh," said the rooster, "some crazy person must
have told you that. Do not believe it. Gawigawen
is a handsome man, for I have often seen him when
he comes here to snare chickens." *
But Aponibolinayen paid no heed to the rooster, and
she went on until she reached a big tree where perched
a monkey, and he also asked where she was going.
"I am running away from my husband," answered
the girl, "for he has three noses and I do not want to
live with him."
"Oh, do not believe that," said the monkey. "Some-
one who told you that must have wanted to marry
him herself, for he is a handsome man."
Still Aponibolinayen went on until she came to the
ocean, and then, as she could go no farther, she sat
down to rest. As she sat there pondering what she
should do, a carabao 2 came along, and thinking that
lr nie Tinguian place a tame rooster in an open spot in the forest
and surround him with a line to which slip nooses are attached. The
crowing of this bird attracts wild ones which come to fight him and
are caught in the nooses.
"The water buffalo now used as the beast of burden throughout the
Philippinet.
[21]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
she would ride a while she climbed up on its back.
No sooner had she done so than the animal plunged
into the water and swam with her until they reached
the other side of the great ocean.
There they came to a large orange tree, and the
carabao told her to eat some of the luscious fruit while
he fed on the grass nearby. As soon as he had left her,
however, he ran straight to his master, Kadayadawan,
and told him of the beautiful girl.
Kadayadawan was very much interested and quickly
combed his hair and oiled it, put on his striped coat 1
and belt, and went with the carabao to the orange tree.
Aponibolinayen, looking down from her place in the
tree, was surprised to see a man coming with her friend,
the carabao, but as they drew near, she began talking
with him, and soon they became acquainted. Before
long, Kadayadawan had persuaded the girl to become
his wife, and he took her to his home. From that
time every night his house looked as if it was on fire,
because of the beauty of his bride.
After they had been married for some time, Kada-
yadawan and Aponibolinayen decided to make a cere-
mony 2 for the spirits, so they called the magic
betel-nuts 3 and oiled them and said to them,
"Go to all the towns and invite our relatives to come
to the ceremony which we shall make. If they do not
'The ordinary dress of the Tinguian man is a clout and a striped
belt, in which he carries his tobacco and small articles. Some of them
also possess striped cotton coats, which they wear on special occasions.
2 See note 2, p. 12.
"See note i, p. 13.
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
want to come, then grow on their knees until they are
willing to attend."
So the betel-nuts started in different directions and
one went to Aponibalagen in Nalpangan and said,
"Kadayadawan is making a ceremony for the spirits,
and I have come to summon you to attend."
"We cannot go," said Aponibalagen, "for we are
searching for my sister who is lost"
"You must come," replied the betel-nut, "or I shall
grow on your knee."
"Grow on my pig," answered Aponibalagen; so the
betel-nut went on to the pig's back and grew into a tall
tree, and it became so heavy that the pig could not
carry it, but squealed all the time."
Then Aponibalagen, seeing that he must obey, said
to the betel-nut,
"Get off my pig, and we will go."
The betel-nut got off the pig's back, and the people
started for the ceremony. When they reached the
river, Gawigawen was there waiting to cross, for the
magic nuts had forced him to go also. Then Kada-
yadawan, seeing them, sent more betel-nuts to the
river, and the people were carried across by the nuts.
As soon as they reached the town the dancing began,
and while Gawigawen was dancing with Aponibolinayen
he seized her and put her in his belt. 1 Kadayadawan,
who saw this, was so angry that he threw his spear and
killed Gawigawen. Then Aponibolinayen escaped and
J This peculiar idea, which frequently appears in Tinguian tales,
is also found in Javanese literature. See Bezmer, Volksdichtung aut
Indonesien, p. 47 (Haag, 1904).
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
ran into the house, and her husband brought his victim
back to life, and asked him why he had seized the
wife of his host. Gawigawen explained that she was
his wife who had been lost, and the people were very
much surprised, for they had not recognized her at first.
Then all the people discussed what should be done
to bring peace between the two men, and it was finally
decided that Kadayadawan must pay both Aponibala-
gen and Gawigawen the price that was first demanded
for the beautiful girl.
After this was done all were happy; and the
guardian spirit of Kadayadawan gave them a golden
house in which to live.
GAWIGAWEN OF ADASEN
Tinguian
A PONIBOLINAYEN was sick with a headache,
^ * and she lay on a mat alone in her house. Sud-
denly she remembered some fruit that she had heard
of but had never seen, and she said to herself, u Oh, I
wish I had some of the oranges of Gawigawen of
Adasen."
Now Aponibolinayen did not realize that she had
spoken aloud, but Aponitolau, her husband, lying in
the spirit house 1 outside, heard her talking and asked
what it was she said. Fearing to tell him the truth lest
he should risk his life in trying to get the oranges for
her, she said: "I wish I had some biw" (a fruit).
Aponitolau at once got up, and, taking a sack, went
out to find some of the fruit for his wife. When he
returned with the sack full, she said :
"Put it on the bamboo hanger above the fire, and
when my head is better I will eat it."
So Aponitolau put the fruit on the hanger and
returned to the spirit house, but when Aponibolinayen
tried to eat, the fruit made her sick and she threw it
away.
"What is the matter?" called Aponitolau as he heard
her drop the fruit
'See note 3, p. 15.
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
"I merely dropped one," she replied, and returned
to her mat.
After a while Aponibolinayen again said:
"Oh, I wish I had some of the oranges of Gawigawen
of Adasen," and Aponitolau, who heard her from the
spirit house, inquired:
"What is that you say?"
"I wish I had some fish eggs," answered his wife;
for she did not want him to know the truth.
Then Aponitolau took his net and went to the
river, determined to please his wife if possible. When
he had caught a nice fish he opened it with his knife
and took out the eggs. Then he spat on the place
he had cut, and it was healed and the fish swam
away. 1
Pleased that he was able to gratify his wife's wishes,
he hastened home with the eggs; and while his wife
was roasting them over the fire, he returned to the
spirit house. She tried to eat, but the eggs did not
taste good to her, and she threw them down under the
house to the dogs.
"What is the matter?" called Aponitolau. "Why
are the dogs barking?"
"I dropped some of the eggs," replied his wife, and
she went back to her mat.
By and by she again said :
"I wish I had some of the oranges of Gawigawen
of Adasen."
lr The powerful deeds of these heroes often resemble the miraculoui
achievements of biblical and ancient times.
[26]
TINGUIAN HUNTERS
RETURNING FROM THE HUNT
HUNTING WITH THE BLOWGUN
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
But when her husband asked what she wished, she
replied :
"I want a deer's liver to eat."
So Aponitolau took his dogs to the mountains, where
they hunted until they caught a deer, and when he had
,cut out its liver he spat on the wound, and it was healed
so that the deer ran away.
But Aponibolinayen could not eat the liver any more
than she could the fruit or the fish eggs; and when
Aponitolau heard the dogs barking, he knew that she
had thrown it away. Then he grew suspicious and,
changing himself into a centipede, 1 hid in a crack in the
floor. And when his wife again wished for some of
the oranges, he overheard her.
"Why did you not tell me the truth, Aponibolina-
yen?" he asked.
"Because," she replied, u no one who has gone to
Adasen has ever come back, and I did not want you to
risk your life."
Nevertheless Aponitolau determined to go for the
oranges, and he commanded his wife to bring him rice
straw. After he had burned it he put the ashes in the
water with which he washed his hair. 2 Then she,
brought cocoanut oil and rubbed his hair, and fetched
a dark clout, a fancy belt, and a head-band, and she
baked cakes for him to take on the journey. Aponi-
^ee note 2, p. 20.
"The Tinguian of today do not possess soap, but in its place they
use the ashes from rice straw, or not infrequently they soak the bark
from a certain tree in the water in which they are to wash their hair.
[27]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
tolau cut a vine 1 which he planted by the stove, 2 and
told his wife that if the leaves wilted she would know
that he was dead. Then he took his spear and head-ax 3
and started on the long journey.
When Aponitolau arrived at the well of a giantess,
all the betel-nut trees bowed. Then the giantess
shouted and all the world trembled. "How strange,"
thought Aponitolau, "that all the world shakes when
that woman shouts." But he continued on his way
without stopping.
As he passed the place of the old woman, Alokotan,
she sent out her little dog and it bit his leg.
"Do not proceed," said the old woman, "for ill luck
awaits you. If you go on, you will never return to
your home."
*The lawed vine. In ancient Egypt and in India it was a common
belief that friends or relatives could tell from the condition of a cer-
tain tree or vine whether the absent one was well or dead: if the
vine thrived, they knew that all was well, but if it wilted they mourned
for him as dead. It is interesting to find the identical belief in the
northern Philippines.
''The Tinguian stove consists of a bed of ashes in which three stones
are sunk, and on these the pots are placed.
3 It appears that these people of ancient times possessed the same
weapons as those of today. The Tinguian ordinarily wears a head-ax
thrust into his belt, and when at work this is his hand tool. When on
a hunt or during warfare he also carries a wooden shield and a steel-
pointed spear from eight to ten feet in length. For attacks at a dis-
tance he depends on the spear, but in a close encounter he uses his
head-ax and shield, the latter being oblong in shape and having two
prongs at one end and three at the other. The two prongs are to
be slipped about the neck of the victim while the head-ax does its
work, or the three prongs may be slipped about the legs in the same
way.
[28]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
But Aponitolau paid no attention to the old
woman, and by and by he came to the home of the
lightning.
"Where are you going ?" asked the lightning.
"I am going to get some oranges of Gawigawen of
Adasen," replied Aponitolau.
"Go stand on that high rock that I may see what
your sign is," commanded the lightning.
So he stood on the high rock, but when the lightning
flashed Aponitolau dodged.
"Do not go," said the lightning, "for you have a
bad sign, and you will never come back."
Still Aponitolau did not heed.
Soon he arrived at the place of Silit (loud thunder) ,*
who also asked him :
"Where are you going, Aponitolau?"
"I am going to get oranges of Gawigawen of
Adasen," he replied.
Then the thunder commanded:
"Stand on that high stone so that I can see if you
have a good sign."
He stood on the high stone, and when the thunder
made a loud noise he jumped. Whereupon Silit also
advised him not to go on.
In spite of all the warnings, Aponitolau continued
his journey, and upon coming to the ocean he used
this and other incidents it is evident that these people talked
with the lightning and thunder. They still have great regard for the
omens derived from these forces; but it is now believed that thunder
is the dog of Kadaklan, the greatest of all the spirits, and that by the
barking of this dog, the god makes known his desires.
[29]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
magical power, so that when he stepped on his head-ax
it sailed away, carrying him far across the sea to the
other side. Then after a short walk he came to a
spring where women were dipping water, and he asked
what spring it was.
"This is the spring of Gawigawen of Adasen,"
replied the women. "And who are you that you dare
come here?"
Without replying he went on toward the town, but
he found that he could not go inside, for it was sur-
rounded by a bank which reached almost to the sky.
While he stood with bowed head pondering what
he should do, the chief of the spiders came up and asked
why he was so sorrowful.
"I am sad," answered Aponitolau, "because I cannot
climb up this bank."
Then the spider went to the top and spun a thread, 1
and upon this Aponitolau climbed up into town.
Now Gawigawen was asleep in his spirit house, and
when he awoke and saw Aponitolau sitting near, he
was surprised and ran toward his house to get his
spear and head-ax, but Aponitolau called to him, saying:
"Good morning, Cousin Gawigawen. Do not be
angry; I only came to buy some of your oranges for
my wife."
Then Gawigawen took him to the house and brought
a whole carabao 2 for him to eat, and he said:
1 Stories in which animals come to the assistance of human beings
are found in many lands. One of those best known to Europeans is
where the ants sort the grain for Cinderella.
3 See note 2, p. 21.
[30]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
"If you cannot eat all the carabao, you cannot have
the oranges for your wife."
Aporritolau grew very sorrowful, for he knew that
he could not eat all the meat, but just at that moment
the chief of the ants and flies came to him and inquired
what was the trouble. As soon as he was told, the
chief called all the ants and flies and they ate the whole
carabao. Aponitolau, greatly relieved, went then to
Gawigawen and said:
"I have finished eating the food which you gave
me."
Gawigawen was greatly surprised at this, and, lead-
ing the way to the place where the oranges grew,
he told Aponitolau to climb the tree and get all he
wanted.
As he was about to ascend the tree Aponitolau
noticed that the branches were sharp knives, so he went
as carefully as he could. Nevertheless, when he had
secured two oranges, he stepped on one of the knives
and was cut. He quickly fastened the fruit to his spear,
and immediately it flew away straight to his town and
into his house.
Aponibolinayen was just going down the bamboo
ladder out of the house, and hearing something drop
on the floor she went back to look and found the
oranges from Adasen. She eagerly ate the fruit,
rejoicing that her husband had been able to reach the
place where they grew. Then she thought to look at
the vine, whose leaves were wilted, and she knew that
her husband was dead.
Soon after this a son was born to Aponibolinayen,
PHILIPPINE FOLK. TALES
and she called his name Kanag. He grew rapidly,
becoming a strong lad, and he was the bravest of all
his companions. One day while Kanag was playing
out in the yard, he spun his top and it struck the gar-
bage pot of an old woman, who became very angry
and cried: ,
"If you were a brave boy, you would get your father
whom Gawigawen killed."
Kanag ran to the house crying, and asked his mother
what the old woman meant, for he had never heard
the story of his father's death. As soon as he learned
what had happened, the boy determined to search for
his father, and, try as she would, his mother could not
dissuade him.
As he was departing through the gate of the town
with his spear and head-ax, Kanag struck his shield
and it sounded like a thousand warriors.
"How brave that boy is !" said the surprised people.
"He is braver even than his father."
When he reached the spring of the giantess, he again
struck his shield and shouted so that the whole world
trembled. Then the giantess said :
"I believe that someone is going to fight, and he
will have success."
As soon as Kanag reached the place where the old
woman, Alokotan, lived, she sent her dog after him,
but with one blow of his head-ax he cut off the dog's
head. Then Alokotan asked where he was going, and
when he had told her, she said:
"Your father is dead, but I believe that you will find
him, for you have a good sign."
[32]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
He hurried on and arrived at the place where light-
ning was r and it asked :
"Where are you going, little boy?"
"I am going to Adasen to get my father," answerd
Kanag.
"Go stand on that high rock that I may see what
your sign is," said the lightning.
So he stood on the high rock, and when the bright
flash came he did not move, and the lightning bade
him hasten on, as he had a good sign.
The thunder, which saw him passing, also called
to ask where he was going, and it commanded him to
stand on the high rock. And when the thunder made
a loud noise Kanag did not move, and it bade him go
on, as his sign was good.
The women of Adasen were at the spring of Gawiga-
wen dipping water, when suddenly they were startled
by a great noise. They rose up, expecting to see a
thousand warriors coming near; but though they looked
all around they could see nothing but a young boy
striking a shield.
"Good morning, women who are dipping water,"
said Kanag. "Tell Gawigawen that he must prepare,
for I am coming to fight him."
So all the women ran up to the town and told
Gawigawen that a strange boy was at the spring and
he had come to fight.
"Go and tell him," said Gawigawen, "that if it is
true that he is brave, he will come into the town, if he
can."
When Kanag reached the high bank outside the
[33]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
town, he jumped like a flitting bird up the bank into
the town and went straight to the spirit house of
Gawigawen. He noticed that the roofs of both the
dwelling and the spirit houses were of hair, and that
around the town were many heads, 1 and he pondered :
"This is why my father did not return. Gawigawen
is a brave man, but I will kill him."
As soon as Gawigawen saw him in the yard he said:
"How brave you are, little boy; why did you come
here?"
"I came to get my father," answered Kanag; "for
you kept him when he came to get oranges for my
mother. If you do not give him to me, I will kill you."
Gawigawen laughed at this brave speech and said:
"Why, one of my fingers will fight you. You shall
never go back to your town, but you shall stay here and
be like your father."
"We shall see," said Kanag. "Bring your arms and
let us fight here in the yard."
Gawigawen was beside himself with rage at this bold
speech, and he brought his spear and his head-ax which
was as big as half the sky. Kanag would not throw
first, for he wanted to prove himself brave, so Gawiga-
wen took aim and threw his head-ax at the boy. Now
Kanag used magical power, so that he became an ant
J It was the ancient custom to place the heads of slain enemies at
the gate or around the town, and this practice still prevails with some
of the surrounding tribes. More recently it was the custom to expose
the head at the gate of the town for three days, after which followed
a great celebration when the skulls were broken and pieces were given
to the guests.
[34]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
and was not hit by the weapon. Gawigawen laughed
loudly when he looked around and could not see the
boy, for he thought that he had been killed. Soon,
however, Kanag reappeared, standing on the head-ax,
and Gawigawen, more furious than ever, threw his
spear. Again Kanag disappeared, and Gawigawen was
filled with surprise.
Then it was Kanag's turn and his spear went
directly through the body of the giant. He ran
quickly and cut off five of the heads, 1 but the sixth he
spared until Gawigawen should have shown him his
father.
As they went about the town together, Kanag found
that the skin of his father had been used for a drum-
head. His hair decorated the house, and his head was
at the gate of the town, while his body was put beneath
the house. After he had gathered all the parts of the
body together, Kanag used magical power, and his
father came to life.
"Who are you?" asked Aponitolau; "how long have
I slept?"
"I am your son," said Kanag. "You were not
asleep but dead, and here is Gawigawen who kept you.
Take my head-ax and cut off his remaining head."
So Aponitolau took the head-ax, but when he struck
Gawigawen it did not injure him.
"What is the matter, Father?" asked Kanag; and
*In their beliefs of today the Tinguian recognize many giants,
some with more than one head. In a part of the ritual of one cere-
mony we read, "A man opens the door to learn the cause of the bark-
ing and he sees a man, fat and tall, with nine heads."
[31]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
taking the weapon he cut off the sixth head of
Gawigawen.
Then Kanag and his father used magic so that the
spears and head-axes flew about, killing all the people
in the town, and the heads and valuable things went
to their home.
When Aponibolinayen saw all these come into her
house, she ran to look at the vine by the stove, and it
was green and looked like a jungle. Then she knew
that her son was alive, and she was happy. And when
the father and son returned, all the relatives came to
their house for a great feast, and all were so happy
that the whole world smiled.
[36]
THE STORY OF GAYGAYOMA WHO LIVES
UP ABOVE
Tingulan
E day, while Aponitolau sat weaving a basket
under his house, he began to feel very hungry
and longed for something sweet to chew. Then he
remembered that his field was still unplanted. He
called to his wife who was in the room above, and said:
"Come, Aponibolinayen, let us go to the field and plant
some sugar-cane."
So Aponibolinayen came down out of the house with
a bamboo tube, 1 and while she went to the spring to
fill it with water, Aponitolau made some cuttings, and
they went together to the field, which was some distance
from the house.
Aponitolau loosened the earth with his long stick 2
and set out the cuttings he had brought, while his wife
sprinkled them with water from the bamboo tube. And
when they had filled the field, they returned home,
happy to think of the splendid cane they should have.
After seven days Aponitolau went back to the field
J A large bamboo pole, with all but the end section cut out, serves
for a water bucket.
2 A long bamboo pole, in one end of which a hard-wood point is
inserted. This is thrust into the ground, and in the hole thus made
the grain or cuttings are planted. This old method is still in use in
some sections of the mountains, but on the lowlands a primitive plow
is used to break the soil.
[37]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
to see if the plants had lived, and he found that the
leaves were already long and pointed. This delighted
him, and while he stood looking at it he grew impa-
tient and determined to use his magical power so that
the cane would grow very fast. In five days he again
visited the field and found that the stalks were tall and
ready to chew. He hurried home to tell Aponiboli-
nayen how fast their plants had grown, and she was
proud of her powerful husband.
Now about this time Gaygayoma, who was the
daughter of Bagbagak, a big star, and Sinag, the moon,
looked down from her home in the sky, and when she
saw the tall sugar-cane growing below, she was seized
with a desire to chew it. She called to her father,
Bagbagak, and said:
u Oh, Father, please send the stars down to the earth
to get some of the sugar-cane that I see, for I must
have it to chew."
So Bagbagak sent the stars down, and when they
reached the bamboo fence that was around the field
they sprang over it, and each broke a stalk of the cane
and pulled some beans which Aponibolinayen had
planted, and the stems of these beans were of gold.
Gaygayoma was delighted with the things that the stars
brought her. She cooked the beans with the golden
stems and spent long hours chewing the sweet cane.
When all that the stars brought was gone, however, she
grew restless and called to her father, the big star:
"Come, Father, and go with me to the place where
the sugar-cane grows, for I want to see it now."
Bagbagak called many stars to accompany him, and
[38]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
they all followed Gaygayoma down to the place where
the sugar-cane grew. Some sat on the bamboo fence,
while others went to the middle of the field, and all
ate as much as they wished.
The day following this, Aponitolau said to his wife :
"Aponibolinayen, I am going to the field to see if
the bamboo fence is strong, for the carabao will try
to get in to eat our sugar-cane."
So he set out, and when he reached the field and
began looking along the fence to see if it was strong,
he kept finding the stalks that the stars had chewed,
and he knew that someone had been there. He went
into the middle of the field, and there on the ground
was a piece of gold, and he said to himself:
"How strange this is ! I believe some beautiful girl
must have chewed my cane. I will watch tonight, and
maybe she will return for more." ,
As darkness came on he had no thought of returning
home, but he made his meal of the sugar-cane, and
then hid in the tall grass near the field to wait. By
and by dazzling lights blinded his eyes, and when he
could see again he was startled to find many stars fall-
ing from the sky, and soon he heard someone breaking
the cane. Suddenly a star so large that it looked like
a flame of fire fell into the field, and then a beautiful
object near the fence took off her dress which looked
like a star, and she appeared like the half of the
rainbow.
Never had Aponitolau seen such sights; and for a
while he lay shaking with fear.
"What shall I do?" he said to himself. "If I do
[39]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
not frighten these companions of the beautiful girl,
they may eat me."
With a great effort he jumped up and frightened the
stars till they all flew up, and when the pretty girl
came looking for her dress she found Aponitolau sit-
ting on it. 1 "You must forgive us," she said, "for your
sugar-cane is very sweet, and we wanted some to chew."
"You are welcome to the sugar-cane," answered
Aponitolau. "But now we must tell our names accord-
ing to our custom, for it is bad for us to talk until we
know each other's names."
Then he gave her some betel-nut and they chewed
together, 2 and he said:
"Now it is our custom to tell our names."
"Yes," said she; "but you tell first."
"My name is Aponitolau and I am the husband of
Aponibolinayen."
"I am Gaygayoma, the daughter of Bagbagak and
Sinag up in the air," said the girl. "And now, Aponi-
tolau, even though you have a wife, I am going to take
you up to the sky, for I wish to marry you. If you are
not willing to go, I shall call my companion stars to
eat you."
Aponitolau shook with fear, for he knew now that
the woman was a spirit; and as he dared not refuse,
he promised to go with her. Soon after that the stars
*In European, Asiatic, African, and Malaysian lore we find stories
of beings with star dresses: when they wear the dresses they are
stars; when they take them off they are human. See Cox, An Intro-
duction to Folklore, p. 121 (London, 1904).
2 See note i, p. 9.
[40]
SUGAR CANE PRESS
VATS FOR BOILING SUGAR CANE JUICE
GRINDING CORN
MAKING A HARROW
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
dropped a basket that Gaygayoma had ordered them
to make, and Aponitolau stepped in with the lovely star
and was drawn quickly through the air up to the sky.
They were met on their arrival by a giant star whom
Gaygayoma introduced as her father, and he told
Aponitolau that he had acted wisely in coming, for had
he objected, the other stars would have eaten him.
After Aponitolau had lived with the stars for some
time, Gaygayoma asked him to prick between her last
two fingers, and as he did so a beautiful baby boy
popped out. They named him Takyayen, and he grew
very fast and was strong.
All this time Aponitolau had never forgotten Aponi-
bolinayen who, he knew, was searching for him on the
earth, but he had been afraid to mention her to the
stars. When the boy was three months old, however,
he ventured to tell Gaygayoma of his wish to return to
the earth.
At first she would not listen to him, but he pleaded so
hard that at last she consented to let him go for one
moon. 1 If he did not return at the end of that time,
she said, she would send the stars to eat him. Then
she called for the basket again, and they were lowered
to the earth. There Aponitolau got out, but Gayga-
yoma and the baby returned to the sky.
Aponibolinayen was filled with joy at the sight of
her husband once more, for she had believed him
dead, and she was very thin from not eating while he
was away. Never did she tire of listening to his
'See note i, p. 12.
[41]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
stories of his life among the stars, and so happy was
she to have him again that when the time came for
him to leave she refused to let him go.
That night many stars came to the house. Some
stood in the windows, while others stayed outside by
the walls; and they were so bright that the house
appeared to be on fire.
Aponitolau was greatly frightened, and he cried out
to his wife :
"You have done wrong to keep me when I should
have gone. I feared that the stars would eat me if I
did not obey their command, and now they have come.
Hide me, or they will get me."
But before Aponibolinayen could answer, Bagbagak
himself called out:
"Do not hide from us, Aponitolau, for we know
that you are in the corner of the house. Come out or
we shall eat you."
Trembling with fear, Aponitolau appeared, and
when the stars asked him if he was willing to go with
them he dared not refuse.
Now Gaygayoma had grown very fond of Aponito-
lau, and she had commanded the stars not to harm him
if he was willing to return to her. So when he gave
his consent, they put him in the basket and flew away
with him, leaving Aponibolinayen very sad and lonely.
After that Aponitolau made many trips to the earth,
but at Gaygayoma's command he always returned to
the sky to spend part of the time with her.
One day when Takyayen was a little boy, Aponitolau
took him down to the earth to see his half-brother,
[42]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
Kanag. The world was full of wonders to the boy
from the sky, and he wanted to stay there always. But
after some time while he and Kanag were playing out
in the yard, big drops of water began to fall on them.
Kanag ran to his mother and cried:
"Oh, Mother, it is raining, and the sun is shining
brightly!"
But Aponitolau, looking out, said, "No, they are
the tears of Gaygayoma, for she sees her son down
below, and she weeps for him."
Then he took Takyayen back to his mother in the
sky, and she was happy again.
After that Takyayen was always glad when he was
allowed to visit the earth, but each time when his
mother's tears began to fall, he returned to her. When
he was old enough, Aponitolau selected a wife for him,
and after that Takyayen always lived on the earth,
but Gaygayoma stayed in the sky.
[43]
THE STORY OF DUMALAWI
Tingman
\ PONITOLAU and Aponibolinayen had a son
** whose name was Dumalawi. 1 When the son had
become a young man, his father one day was very
angry with him, and tried to think of some way in which
to destroy him. The next morning he said to
Dumalawi :
"Son, sharpen your knife, and we will go to the for-
est to cut some bamboo."
So Dumalawi sharpened his knife and went with his
father to the place where the bamboo grew, and they
cut many sticks and sharpened them like spears at
the end.
Dumalawi wondered why they made them thus, but
when they had finished, Aponitolau said:
u Now, Son, you throw them at me, so that we can
see which is the braver.' 1
u No, Father," answered Dumalawi. "You throw
first, if you want to kill me."
So Aponitolau threw the bamboo sticks one by one
at his son, but he could not hit him. Then it was the
son's turn to throw, but he said :
"No, I cannot. You are my father, and I do not
want to kill you."
1 See Preface, p. vii.
[44]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
So they went home. But Dumalawi was very sor-
rowful, for he knew now that his father wanted to
destroy him. When his mother called him to dinner
he could not eat.
Although he had been unsuccessful in his first
attempt, Aponitolau did not give up the idea of getting
rid of his son, and the next day he said:
"Come, Dumalawi, we will go to our little house in
the field 1 and repair it, so that it will be a protection
when the rainy season sets in."
The father and son went together to the field, and
when they reached the little house, Aponitolau, point-
ing to a certain spot in the ground, said :
"Dig there, and you will find a jar of basi 2 which
I buried when I was a boy. It will be very good to
drink now."
Dumalawi dug up the jar and they tasted the wine,
and it was so pleasing to them that they drank three
cocoanut shells full, and Dumalawi became drunk.
While his son lay asleep on the ground, Aponitolau
decided that this was a good time to destroy him, so
he used his magical power and there, arose a great
storm which picked up Dumalawi in his sleep and car-
ried him far away. And the father went home alone.
*It is the custom to have a small bamboo house built from fifteen
to twenty feet from the ground near the rice fields, and in this some-
one watches every day during the growing season to see that nothing
breaks in to destroy the grain. Often flappers are placed in different
parts of the field and a connecting string leads from these to the little
house, so that the watcher by pulling this string may frighten the birds
away from the grain.
2 See note i, p. 18.
[45]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
Now when Dumalawi awoke, he was in the middle
of a field so wide that whichever way he looked, he
could not see the end. There were neither trees nor
houses in the field and no living thing except himself.
And he felt a great loneliness.
By and by he used his magical power, and many
betel-nuts grew in the field, and when they bore fruit
it was covered with gold.
"This is good," said Dumalawi, "for I will scatter
these betel-nuts and they shall become people, 1 who
will be my neighbors."
So in the middle of the night he cut the gold-covered
betel-nuts into many small pieces which he scattered in
all directions. And in the early morning, when he
awoke, he heard many people talking around the house,
and many roosters crowed. Then Dumalawi knew
that he had companions, and upon going out he walked
about where the people were warming themselves 2 by
fires in their yards, and he visited them all.
In one yard was a beautiful maiden, Dapilisan, and
after Dumalawi had talked with her and her parents,
he went on to the other yards, but she was ever in his
thoughts. As soon as he had visited all the people,
he returned to the house of Dapilisan and asked her
parents if he might marry her. They were unwilling
at first, for they feared that the parents of Dumalawi
might not like it; but after he had explained that his
*See Preface, p. vi.
3 The nights in the mountains are cold, and it is not at all uncom-
mon in the early morning to see groups of people with blankets
wrapped tightly about them, squatting around small fires in the yards.
[46]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
father and mother did not want him, they gave their
consent, and Dapilisan became his bride.
Soon after the marriage they decided to perform a
ceremony 1 for the spirits. So Dapilisan sent for the
betel-nuts which were covered with gold, 2 and when
they were brought to her, she said:
"You betel-nuts that are covered with gold, come
here and oil yourselves and go and invite all the people
in the world to come to our ceremony."
So the betel-nuts oiled themselves and went to invite
the people in the different towns.
Soon after this Aponibolinayen, the mother of
Dumalawi, sat alone in her house, still mourning the
loss of her son, when suddenly she was seized with a
desire to chew betel-nut.
"What ails me?" she said to herself; why do I
want to chew? I had not intended to eat anything
while Dumalawi was away."
So saying, she took down her basket that hung on
the wall, and saw in it a betel-nut covered with gold,
and when she was about to cut it, it said:
"Do not cut me, for I have come to invite you to
the ceremony which Dumalawi and his wife are to
make."
Aponibolinayen was very happy, for she knew now
that her son still lived, and she told all the people to
wash their hair and prepare to go to the rite. So they
washed their clothes and their hair and started for the
home of Dumalawi; and Aponitolau, the father of the
*8ee note a, p. 12. "See note i, p. 13.
[47]
PHILIPPINE FOLKTALES
boy, followed, but he looked like a crazy man.
When the people reached the river near the town,
Dumalawi sent alligators to take them across, but
when Aponitolau got on the alligator's back it dived,
and he was thrown back upon the bank of the river.
All the others were carried safely over, and Aponitolau,
who was left on the bank alone, shouted as if crazy
until Dumalawi sent another alligator to carry him
across.
Then Dumalawi ha I food brought 1 and Dapilisan
passed basi in a little jar that looked like a fist, 2 and
though each guest drank a cupful of the sweet wine the
little jar was still a third full. After they had eaten
and drunk, Aponibolinayen spoke, and, telling all the
people that she was glad to have Dapilisan for a
daughter-in-law, added :
"Now we are going to pay the marriage price 3
according to our custom. We shall fill the spirit house 4
nine times with different kinds of jars."
Then she called, "You spirits 5 who live in different
'See note i, p. 17.
2 Compare with the biblical story of the loaves and fishes. For
similar incidents among the Igorot of the Philippines, in Borneo, and
in India, see Jenks, The Bontoc Igorot, p. 202; Seidenadel, The
Language of the Bontoc Igorot, pp. 491, 41 ff. (Chicago, 1909) ; Roth,
The Natives of Sarawak and British North Borneo, Vol. I, p. 319;
Tawney, Katha Sarlt Sagara, Vol. II, p. 3 (Calcutta, 1880) ; Bezemer,
Volksdlchtung aus Indoneslen, p. 49 (Haag, 1904).
3 See note i, p. 15.
4 See note 3, p. 15.
6 There appear to have been two classes of spirits, one for whom
the people had the utmost respect and reverence, and another whom
they looked upon as being of service to mortals.
[48]
Photo by Philippine Bureau of Science
TYPE OF MANDAYA TREE HOUSE
ft,
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
springs, get the jars which Dumalawi must pay as a
marriage price for Dapilisan."
The spirits did as they were commanded, and when
they brought the jars and had filled the spirit house
nine times, Aponibolinayen said to the parents of
Dapilisan:
"I think that now we have paid the price for your
daughter."
But Dalonagan, the mother of Dapilisan, was not
satisfied, and said:
u No, there is still more to pay.' 1
"Very well," replied Aponibolinayen. "Tell us what
it is and we will pay it."
Then Dalonagan called a pet spider and said:
"You big spider, go all around the town, and as
you go spin a thread 1 on which Aponibolinayen must
string golden beads." So the spider spun the thread
and Aponibolinayen again called to the spirits of the
springs, and they brought golden beads which they
strung on the thread. Then Dalonagan hung on the
thread, and when it did not break she declared that
the debt was all paid.
After this the people feasted and made merry, and
when at last they departed for home Dumalawi refused
to go with his parents, but remained with his wife in
the town he had created.
1 See note i, p. 30.
[49]
THE STORY OF KANAG
Tinguian
TT7"HEN the rice 1 had grown tall and it was near
the time for it to ripen, Aponitolau and Aponi-
bolinayen grew fearful lest the wild pigs should break
in and destroy all their crop, so they sent their son,
Kanag, to the field to guard the grain. Kanag will-
ingly went to the place, but when he found that the
fences were all strong so that the pigs could not get
in, and he was left with nothing to do, life in the little
watch-house 2 grew lonely, and the boy became very
unhappy.
Each day Aponitolau carried cooked rice and meat
to his son in the field, but Kanag could not eat and
always bade his father hang it in the watch-house until
he should want it. Each time Aponitolau found the
food of the day before still untouched, and he began to
suspect that the boy was unhappy at having to guard
the grain. But he said nothing of his fears to
Aponibolinayen.
J The word used in the original is langpadan, meaning mountain rice.
This variety requires no irrigation and is planted to some extent at
the present day, but the great bulk of the grain now used is grown
in wonderfully terraced fields on the mountain sides, where water
for irrigating is brought from distant streams through a system of
flume and bamboo tubes. The fact that only the mountain rice is men-
tioned in the tales reflects a very ancient life before irrigated fields
were known.
2 See note i, p. 45.
Cso]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
One day after his father had returned home, Kanag
was so lonely that he used his magical power and
became a little bird and flew up into the top of a tree.
The next day when Aponitolau came to the field he
looked everywhere for his son, and when he could not
find him he called, and from the top of a bamboo tree
a little bird answered him. Realizing what had hap-
pened, the father was very sad and begged his son to
come back and be a boy again, but Kanag only
answered:
"I would rather be a bird 1 and carry the messages
of the spirits to the people."
At last the father went home alone, and he and the
boy's mother were filled with grief that they had lost
their son.
Some time after this, Aponitolau prepared to go out
to fight. He took his spear and shield and head-ax
and started early one morning, but when he reached
the gate of the town, Kanag flew over him, giving him
a bad sign, so he turned back. The next morning he
started again, and this time the little bird gave him a
good sign, and knowing that nothing would injure him,
he went on.
After a long journey he reached a hostile town
where the people said they were glad to see him, and
added that because he was the first of his people who
had dared to enter their town they intended to keep
him there.
'The labeug is the omen bird and is believed to be the direct mes-
senger of Kadaklan, the great spirit, to the people.
[51]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
"Oh," said Aponitolau, "if you say that I cannot
return home, call all your people together and we will
fight."
"You are very brave," answered his enemies, "if
you wish to fight us all."
And when the people had gathered together they
laughed at him and said, "Why, one of our fingers
would fight you."
Nevertheless, Aponitolau prepared to fight, and
when the bravest of the enemy threw his spear and
head-ax at him he jumped and escaped. They noticed
that he jumped very high, so they all ran at him,
throwing their spears and trying to kill him.
But Aponitolau caught all their weapons, and then
while they were unarmed he threw his own spear, and
it flew about among them until it had killed them all.
Then he sent his head-ax, and it cut off all the heads
of the enemy; and he used magical power so that these
heads went to his home in Kadalayapan.
After that Aponitolau sat down by the gate of the
town to rest, and the little bird, flying over his head,
called down:
"The sign that I gave you was good, Father, and
you have killed all your enemies."
"Yes," said the man, and as he started on the home-
ward journey the little bird always flew near him.
When he reached home, he stuck the heads around
the town, 1 and commanded the people to go out all
over the world and invite everyone and especially the
*See note i, p. 34.
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
pretty girls to come to a party in celebration of his
victory.
The people came from all parts of the world, and
while they played on the gongs and danced, Aponitolau
called to Kanag and said:
"Come down, my son ; do not stay always in the tops
of the trees. Come and see the pretty girls and see
which one you want to marry. Get the golden cup and
give them basi to drink."
But Kanag answered, "I would rather stay in the
tops of the trees and give the signs when anyone goes
to fight."
Then the father and mother pleaded with him to
become a boy once more, begging his forgiveness and
promising never again to send him to guard the rice.
But he would not listen to them, and only flew away.
Finding that they could not win him that way, Aponi-
tolau and Aponibolinayen called the spirit servants, and
commanded them to follow Kanag wherever he went,
and to find a girl whom he would want to marry. So
the spirit servants went after him, and wherever he
went they followed.
By and by they stopped near a well, and there the
spirit servants used magic so that all the pretty girls
nearby felt very hot; and in the early morning, they
came to the well to bathe. One among them was so
beautiful that she looked like a flame of fire 1 among
the betel-nut blossoms, and when the servants saw her
washing her hair they ran to Kanag and begged him
'See note i, p. 8.
[53]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
to come and see her. At first he would not listen to
them, but after a while he flew into the top of a betel-
nut tree near by, and when he caught sight of her, he
flew into the tree above her head.
"But," said he to the servants, "what can I do if I
become a man now, for I have no clothes and no
head-band?"
"Do not worry about that," said the spirit servants,
"for we have everything here for you."
So Kanag became a man and put on the clothes and
head-band, and he went to speak to the girl. He gave
her betel-nut, and they chewed together, and he said:
"My name is Kanag and I am the son of Aponitolau
and Aponibolinayen."
Then the girl said: "My name is Dapilisan and
I am the daughter of Bangan and Dalonagan."
When Dapilisan went home Kanag followed her,
and he told her parents his name and how he had
changed into a little bird. And when he had finished
he asked if he might marry their daughter. Bangan
and his wife were greatly pleased that Kanag wanted
Dapilisan for his wife, but they were afraid that his
parents might object, so they sent a messenger to
invite Aponitolau and Aponibolinayen to come to visit
them.
As soon as Kanag' s parents heard that their son had
become a man they were very happy and started at
once to go to him, carrying many fine presents. Before
arrangements for the wedding could be made, it was
necessary to decide on the price to be paid for the girl.
A long discussion took place. Bangan and Dalonagan
[54]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
finally said that the spirit house must be filled nine
times with different kinds of jars.
When this was done Dalonagan raised her eyebrows,
and half of the jars disappeared. Aponibolinayen
used her magical power and the spirit house was filled
again, and then Dalonagan said to her:
"Now the web of the spider shall be put around the
town and you must put gold beads on it. If it does
not break, Kanag may marry Dapilisan."
When Aponibolinayen had put the gold beads on
the thread, Dalonagan hung on it to see if it would
hold. As it did not break, she declared that the sign
was good; and Kanag and Dapilisan were married.
Then the people played on the copper gongs, danced,
and made merry for a long time, and when they
returned to their homes Kanag and his bride went with
Aponitolau and Aponibolinayen.
[55]
THE STORY OF THE TIKGI
Tingui&n
, tikgi, tikgi, we will come to work for you.
Let us cut your rice."
Ligi 1 had gone to the field to look at his growing
rice, but when he heard this sound he looked up and
was surprised to see some birds circling above and
calling to him.
"Why, you cannot cut rice," said Ligi. "You are
birds and know only how to fly."
But the birds insisted that they knew how to cut rice ;
so finally he told them to come again when the grain
was ripe, and they flew away.
No sooner had the birds gone than Ligi was filled
with a great desire to see them again. As he went
home he wished over and over that his rice were ready
to cut. As soon as Ligi left the field the tikgi birds
began using magic so that the rice grew rapidly,
and five days later when he returned he found the
birds there ready to cut the ripened grain. Ligi
showed them where to begin cutting, and then he left
them.
When he was out of sight, the tikgi said to the rice
cutters :
"Rice cutters, you cut the rice alone." And to the
'See Preface, p. vii.
[56]
ELEVATED LIVIXG ROOMS REACHED BY LADDERS
COCOA-NUT TREES TOWER ABOVE THE HOMES
SECTION OF A TINGUIAN VILLAGE
A SETTLEMENT IN THE MOUNTAINS
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
bands which were lying nearby they said: "Bands,
you tie into bundles the rice which the cutters
cut 11
And the rice cutters and the bands worked alone,
doing as they were told.
When Ligi went again to the field in the afternoon,
the tikgi said:
"Come, Ligi, and see what we have done, for we
want to go home now."
Ligi was amazed, for he saw five hundred bundles
of rice cut. And he said:
"Oh, Tikgi, take all the rice you wish in payment,
for I am very grateful to you."
Then the tikgi each took one head of rice, saying it
was all they could carry, and they flew away.
The next morning when Ligi reached the field, he
found the birds already there and he said:
"Now, Tikgi, cut the rice as fast as you can, for
when it is finished I will make a ceremony for the
spirits, and you must come."
"Yes," replied the tikgi, "and now we shall begin
the work, but you do not need to stay here."
So Ligi went home and built a rice granary to hold
his grain, and when he returned to the field the rice
was all cut. Then the tikgi said: "We have cut all
your rice, Ligi, so give us our pay, and when you go
home the rice will all be in your granary."
Ligi wondered at this, and when he reached home
and saw that his granary was full of rice, he doubted
if the tikgi could be real birds.
Not long after this Ligi invited all his relatives from
[57]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
the different towns to help him make the ceremony for
the spirits. 1 As soon as the people arrived, the tikgi
came also; and they flew over the people's heads and
made them drink basi until they were drunk. Then
they said to Ligi:
"We are going home now; it is not good for us to
stay here, for we cannot sit among the people."
When they started home Ligi followed them until
they came to the bana-asi tree, and here he saw them
take off their feathers and put them in the rice gran-
ary. Then suddenly they became one beautiful
maiden.
"Are you not the tikgi who came to cut my rice?"
asked Ligi. "You look to me like a beautiful
maiden."
"Yes," she replied; "I became tikgi and cut rice for
you, for otherwise you would not have found me."
Ligi took her back to his house where the people were
making the ceremony, and as soon as they saw her they
began chewing the magic betel-nuts to find who she
might be.
The quid 2 of Ebang and her husband and that of
the tikgi went together, so they knew that she was their
daughter who had disappeared from their house one
day long ago while they were in the fields. In answer
to their many questions, she told them that she had
Before the bundles of ripened rice can be put into the granary a cere-
mony is made for the spirits. The blood of a pig is mixed with cooked
rice and put in the granary as an offering for the spirit who multiplies
the grain, otherwise the crop would run out in a short time.
2 See note i, p. 9.
[58]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
been in the bana-asi tree, where Kaboniyan 1 had car-
ried her, until the day that she changed herself into
the tikgi birds and went to the field of Ligi.
Ligi was very fond of the beautiful girl and he
asked her parents if he might marry her. They were
very willing and decided on a price he should pay.
After the wedding all the people remained at his
house, feasting and dancing for three months.
J The spirit who stands next in importance to Kadaklan, the great
spirit. It was he who taught the people all good things, and finally
he married a woman from Manabo in order to bind himself more
closely to them. See "How the Tinguian Learned to Plant."
[59]
THE STORY OF SAYEN 1
Tingui&n
T N the depths of a dark forest where people seldom
* went, lived a wizened old Alan. 2 The skin on her
wrinkled face was as tough as a carabao hide, and her
long arms with fingers pointing back from the wrist
were horrible to look at. Now this frightful creature
had a son whose name was Sayen, and he was as hand-
some as his mother was ugly. He was a brave man,
also, and often went far away alone to fight.
On these journeys Sayen sometimes met beautiful
girls, and though he wanted to marry, he could not
decide upon one. Hearing that one Danepan was more
beautiful than any other, he determined to go and ask
her to be his wife.
Now Danepan was very shy, and when she heard
that Sayen was coming to her house she hid behind the
door and sent her servant, Laey, out to meet him.
And so it happened that Sayen, not seeing Danepan,
married Laey, thinking that she was her beautiful mis-
tress. He took her away to a house he had built at
the edge of the forest, for though he wished to be near
J This story is considered by the Tinguian to be of rather recent
origin. They believe that Sayen lived not so very long ago, yet the
stories woven around him are very similar to the ancient ones.
2 See "The Alan and the Hunters."
[60]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
his old home, he dared not allow his bride to set eyes
on his ugly mother.
For some time they lived happily together here, and
then one day when Sayen was making a plow under
his house, he heard Laey singing softly to their baby
in the room above, and this is what she sang:
"Sayen thinks I am Danepan, but Laey I am. Sayen
thinks I am Danepan, but Laey I am."
When Sayen heard this he knew that he had been
deceived, and he pondered long what he should do.
The next morning he went to the field to plow, for
it was near the rice-planting time. Before he left the
house he called to his wife:
"When the sun is straight above, you and the baby
bring food to me, for I shall be busy in the field."
Before he began to plow, however, he cut the bam-
boo supports of the bridge which led to the field, so
that when Laey and the baby came with his food, they
had no sooner stepped on the bridge than it went down
with them and they were drowned. Sayen was again
free. He took his spear and his shield and head-ax
and went at once to the town of Danepan, and there
he began killing the people on all sides.
Terror spread through the town. No one could
stop his terrible work of destruction until Danepan
came down out of her house, and begged him to spare
part of the people that she might have some from whom
to borrow fire. 1 Her great beauty amazed him and
*The Tinguian now use flint and steel for making a flame, but it
is not at all uncommon for them to go to a neighbor's house to borrow
a burning ember to start their own fire.
[61]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
he ceased killing, and asked her to prepare some betel-
nut for him to chew, as he was very tired. She did so,
and when he had chewed the nut he spat on the people
he had killed and they came to life again. Then he
married Danepan and took her to his home.
Now it happened about this time that the people of
Magosang were in great trouble. At the end of a suc-
cessful hunt, while they were dividing the meat among
themselves, the Komow, 1 a murderous spirit that looks
like a man, would come to them and ask how many they
had caught. If they answered, "Two," then he would
say that he had caught two also ; and when they went
home, they would find two people in the town dead.
As often as they went to hunt the Komow did this, and
many of the people of Magosang were dead and those
living were in great fear. Finally they heard of the
brave man, Sayen, and they begged him to help them.
Sayen listened to all they told, and then said:
"I will go with you to hunt, and while you are divid-
ing the meat, I will hide behind the trees. When the
Komow comes to ask how many deer you have, he
will smell me, but you must say that you do not know
where I am."
So the people went to hunt, and when they had
killed two deer, they singed them over a fire and began
to divide them. Just then the Komow arrived and
said:
"How many have you?"
*The neighboring Ilocano, a Christianized tribe, know the Komow
as a fabulous bird which is invisible, yet steals people and their pos-
sessions.
[62]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
"We have two," replied the people.
"I have two also," said the Komow, "but I smell
Sayen."
"We do not know where Sayen is," answered the
people; and just then he sprang out and killed the
Komow, and the people were greatly relieved.
Now when Kaboniyan, 1 a great spirit, heard what
Sayen had done, he went to him and said:
"Sayen you are a brave man because you have killed
the Komow. Tomorrow I will fight with you. You
must remain on the low ground by the river, and I will
go to the hill above."
So the following day Sayen went to the low ground
by the river. He had not waited long before he heard
a great sound like a storm, and he knew that Kaboniyan
was coming. He looked up, and there stood the great
warrior, poising his spear which was as large as a big
tree.
"Are you brave, Sayen?" called he in a voice like
thunder as he threw the weapon.
"Yes," answered Sayen, and he caught the spear.
This surprised Kaboniyan, and he threw his head-ax
which was as large as the roof of a house, and Sayen
caught that also. Then Kaboniyan saw that this was
indeed a brave man, and he went down to Sayen and
they fought face to face until both were tired, but
neither could overcome the other.
When Kaboniyan saw that in Sayen he had found one
as strong and brave even as himself, he proposed that
'See note i, p. 59.
[63]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
they go together to fight the people of different towns.
And they started out at once. Many people were killed
by this strong pair, and why they themselves could
never be captured was a great mystery. For it was
not known that one was the spirit Kaboniyan, and the
other the son of an Alan.
If he was surrounded in a river, Sayen would become
a fish 1 and hide so that people could not find him. And
if he was entrapped in a town, he would become a
chicken and go under the house in a chicken-coop. In
this way he escaped many times.
Finally one night after he had killed many in one
town, the people decided to watch him, and they saw
him go to roost with the chickens. The next day they
placed a fish trap under the house near the chicken-
coop, and that night when Sayen went under the house
he was caught in the trap and killed.
1 See note 2, p. 20.
THE SUN AND THE MOON
Tingui&n
the Sun and the Moon quarreled with each
other, and the Sun said:
"You are only the Moon and are not much good.
If I did not give you light, you would be no good at
all."
But the Moon answered:
"You are only the Sun, and you are very hot. The
women like me better, for when I shine at night, they
go out doors and spin."
These words of the Moon made the Sun so angry
that he threw sand in her face, and you can still see
the dark spots on the face of the Moon.
[65]
HOW THE TINGUIAN LEARNED TO PLANT
Tinguian
N the very old times the Tinguian did not know how
i
to plant and harvest as they now do. For food they
had only the things that grew in the forests and fish
from the streams. Neither did they know how to cure
people who became ill or were injured by evil spirits,
and many died who might otherwise have lived. 1
Then Kadaklan, the Great Spirit who lives in the
sky, saw that the people often were hungry and sick,
and he sent one of his servants, Kaboniyan, to the earth
to teach them many things. And it happened this way:
Dayapan, a woman who lived in Caalang, had been
sick for seven years. One day when she went to the
spring to bathe, there entered her body a spirit who had
rice and sugar-cane with him, and he said to her:
"Dayapan, take these to your home and plant them
in the ground, and after a while they will grow large
enough to reap. Then when they are ripe, build a
granary to put the rice in until you shall need it, and
a sugar-press to crush the cane. And when these are
finished, make the ceremony Sayung, and you will be
well."
1 This tale is of special importance to the Tinguian since it explains
how they learned two of the most important things of their present
life to plant and to cure the sick. It also shows how death came into
the world.
[66]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
Dayapan was filled with wonder at these strange
things, but she took the rice and the sugar-cane and
went home as she was commanded. While she was
trying to plant them in the ground the Spirit again
entered her body and showed her just what to do.
Since then the Tinguian have planted crops every year,
and because they do as Kaboniyan 1 taught the woman
they have plenty to eat.
When Dayapan had reaped the first rice and cane,
she began to make the ceremony Sayung, and the
Spirit came again and directed her. And when it was
finished and she was cured, he told her to take a dog
and a cock and go to bathe in the river as a sign that
the ceremony was finished. So she went to the river
and tied the dog and the cock near the water, but
while she was bathing the dog ate the cock.
Dayapan wept bitterly at this and waited a long
time for Kaboniyan, and when at last he came, he said:
"If the dog had not killed the cock, no person would
die when you make this ceremony; but this is a sign,
and now some will die and some will get well."
Dayapan called all the people together, and told
them the things that the spirit had taught her; and
they could see that she had been made well. After
that, when people became ill they called Dayapan to
treat them. And it was as the Spirit had said; some
died and others were made well.
1 Sec note i, p. 59.
[67]
MAGSAWI
Tinguian
A GREAT many years ago some Tinguian left their
-^ little village in the valley early one morning and
made their way toward the mountains. They were off
on a deer hunt, 1 and each carried his spear and
head-ax, while one held in leash a string of lean dogs
eager for the chase.
Part way up the mountainside the dogs were freed,
and the men separated, going different ways in search
of game. But ere long the sharp barking of a dog
called all in his direction, for they believed that he
had a deer at bay. As they approached the spot, how-
ever, the object did not look like a deer, and as they
drew nearer they were surprised to find that it was a
large jar. 2
*It is a common sight in a Tinguian village early in the morning
during the dry season to see a number of men armed with spears and
head-axes leaving for the mountains. They usually take with them,
to assist in the chase, a string of half-starved dogs. Often a net is
stretched across the runway of game, and then, while some of the
hunters conceal themselves near by, others seek to drive the game
into the net, where it is speared to death.
2 Ancient Chinese jars are found throughout the interior of the
Philippines and are very closely associated with the folk-lore of the
Tinguian. Some of the jars date back to the loth century, while many
are from the i2th and i4th centuries, and evidently entered the
Islands through pre-Spanish trade. They are held in great value and
are generally used in part payment for a bride and for the settlement
of feuds. For more details see Cole, Chinese Pottery in the Philip-
pines, Pub. Field Museum of Nat. Hist., Vol. XII, No. i.
[68]
THE TALKING JARS
(Magsawi on the left)
PLAYING THE NOSE FLUTE
TINGUIAN POTTERS AT WORK
SEEDING AND COMBING THE COTTON
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
Filled with curiosity they pressed on, but the jar
evaded them. Faster and faster they ran, but the
object, disappearing at times and then coming into
view again, always escaped them. On and on they
went until at last, tired out, they sat down on a wooded
hill to rest and to refresh themselves with betel-nut
which they took from brass boxes attached to their
belts.
As they slowly cut the nuts and wrapped them in the
lime and leaf ready for chewing, they talked of nothing
but the wonderful jar and the mysterious power it
possessed. Then just as they were about to put the
tempting morsels into their mouths they stopped, star-
tled by a strange soft voice which seemed to be near
them. They turned and listened, but could see no
person.
"Find a pig which has no young," said the voice,
"and take its blood, for then you will be able to catch
the jar which your dog pursued."
The men knew then that the mysterious jar belonged
to a spirit, so they hastened to do as the voice com-
manded, and when they had secured the blood the
dog again brought the jar to bay. The hunters tried
to seize it, but it entered a hole in the ground and
disappeared. They followed, and found themselves in
a dark cave 1 where it was easy to catch the jar, for
there was no outlet save by the hole through which
they had entered.
J This cave is situated in the mountains midway between Patok and
Santa Rosa. In this vicinity are numerous limestone caves, each of
which has its traditions.
[69]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
Though that was many years ago, the jar still lives,
and its name is Magsawi. Even now it talks; but
some years ago a crack appeared in its side, and since
then its language has not been understood by the
Tinguian. 1
Sometimes Magsawi goes on long journeys alone
when he visits his wife, a jar in Ilocos Norte, or his
child, a small jar in San Quintin; but he always returns
to Domayco on the hillside near the cave.
a Cabildo of Domayco, the envied owner of this jar, has refused
great sums offered for its purchase, and though men from other tribes
come bringing ten carabao at one time, they cannot tempt him to sell.
[70]
M
THE TREE WITH THE AGATE BEADS
Tinguian
ORE than a hundred seasons ago, a Tinguian
went one day to the mountains to hunt. Accom-
panied by his faithful dog, he made his way steadily
up the mountain side, only halting where it was neces-
sary to cut a path through the jungle. And the dog
ran here and there searching in the thick underbrush.
On and on he went without seeing any game, and
then, when he was almost at the top of the highest
peak, the dog gave a sharp yelp, and out of the brush
leaped a fine deer. Zip ! went the man's spear, and it
pierced the animal's side. For an instant he waited,
but the deer did not fall. On it ran with unslackened
speed, and a moment later it plunged into a hole in
the ground with the man and dog in close pursuit.
A short distance from the entrance the cave opened
out into large, spacious rooms, and before he realized
it the man was hopelessly lost. In the distance he
could hear the baying of the dog, and with no other
guide he hurried on through the darkness.
Following the sound, he went for a long time from
one unfamiliar room to another, stumbling in the
darkness and striking against the stone walls, and then
suddenly his outstretched hands grasped a small tree
on which berries grew.
Astonished at finding anything growing in this dark
[71]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
place, he broke off a branch, and as he did so the
shrub began to talk in a strange language. Terrified,
the man ran in the direction he had last heard the
dog, and a moment later he found himself in the open
air on the banks of the Abra River, with the dead deer
at his feet.
When he examined the twig which he still held in
his hand, he saw to his great surprise that the berries
were agate beads of great value. 1 And packing the
deer on his back, he hastened home where he told his
wonderful story.
The sight of the beautiful beads convinced the peo-
ple that he told the truth, and a number of men at once
returned with him to secure the tree.
Their quest, however, was unsuccessful, for ere they
reached the spot the evil spirit had taken the tree
away and on the walls of the cave it had made strange
carvings which even to this day can be seen.
iThese beautiful agate beads are still worn by the Tinguian women,
who prize them very highly. They are rarely sold and each is worth
more than a carabao.
[72]
THE STRIPED BLANKET
'TpHREE Tinguian once went to the mountains to
-*- hunt deer. They took their blankets with them,
for they expected to be gone several days, and the
nights in the mountains are cold.
The blankets of two of the men were of the blue-
and-white designs such as are commonly worn by the
Tinguian, but that of the third was covered with red
and yellow stripes like the back of a little wild pig.
At night the men rolled up in their blankets and
lay down under a tree to sleep; but while the one in
the striped blanket was still awake two spirits came
near and saw him.
"Oh," he heard one spirit say to the other, "here
we have something to eat, for here is a little wild pig."
Then the man quickly took the blanket off one of
his sleeping companions and put his own in its place.
Very soon the spirits came and ate the man under the
striped blanket.
Since that time the Tinguian never sleep under that
kind of a blanket if they are where the spirits can get
them.
[73]
THE ALAN AND THE HUNTERS
Tinguian
TWO men once went to hunt wild pig in the moun-
tains, and after some time they speared and killed
one, but they had no fire over which to singe it.
One man climbed a tree to see if there was a fire
near by, and discovering smoke at some distance, he
started toward it. When he reached the place, he
found that the fire was in the house of an Alan, 1 and
he was very much afraid; but creeping up into the
house, he found that the Alan and her baby were fast
asleep.
He stepped on tip-toe, but nevertheless the Alan
was awakened and called out:
"Epogow, 2 what do you want?"
"I should like to get some fire," said the man, "for
we have killed a wild pig."
The Alan gave him the fire, and then taking her
basket she went with him to the place where the pig
was.
After they had singed the animal, the Alan cut it
up with her long nails and handed the liver to the
1 The Alan are supposed to be deformed spirits who live in the
forests. They are as large as people, but have wings and can fly.
Their toes are at the back of their feet, and their fingers point back-
ward from their wrists.
2 The name by which spirits call human beings.
[74]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
man, telling him to take it to her house to feed the
baby.
The man started, and on the way he ate the liver.
When he reached the Alan's house he did not know
what to do. For some time he looked around, and
then seeing a large caldron of hot water on the fire,
he threw the baby into it and went back.
"Did the baby eat well?" asked the Alan.
"Very well," said the man.
Then she put most of the meat into her basket and
started home. As soon as she had gone, the man told
his companion what he had done, and they were so
frightened that they ran to hide.
When the Alan reached home and found the baby
dead in the hot water, she was very angry and started
back immediately to find the men, who, in the mean-
time, had climbed a high tree that stood near the water.
The Alan looked down into the water, and seeing
the reflection of the men, she reached in her long hand
with the fingers that pointed backward, but when she
could not touch them, she looked up and saw them in
the tall tree.
"How did you get up there?" she cried angrily.
"We climbed up feet first," called down the men.
The Alan, determined to get them, caught hold of
a vine and started up the tree feet first, but before she
quite reached them, they cut the vine and she fell to
the ground and was killed. 1
''This treatment of the Alan is typical of that accorded to the less
powerful of the spirits by the Tinguian today. At the ceremonies
they often make fun of them and cheat them in the sacrifices.
[75]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
Then the men came down and went to the Alan's
house, where they found a jar full of beads and an-
other of gold, and these they brought with them when
they returned home.
[76]
A
THE MAN AND THE ALAN
Tingman
TINGUIAN was once walking along a trail in
the wood when he heard a strange sound in a
large tree near him, and looking up he was startled to
see that it was the home of the Alan spirits who live
in the wood.
He stopped and gazed for a moment at the horrible
creatures, large as people, hanging from the limbs of
the tree with their heads down like bats. They had
wings to fly, and their toes were at the back of their
feet, while their long fingers, which pointed backward,
were fastened at the wrist.
"Surely," thought the man, "these terrible beings
will eat me if they can catch me. I will run away as
fast as I can while they are asleep." He tried to run
but he was too frightened, and after a few steps he fell
face down on the ground.
At this the Alan began to wail loudly, for they saw
him fall and believed him dead. And they came down
out of the tree with gold and beads which they laid
on him.
After a while the man gathered courage and, jump-
ing up, he cried as loudly as he could, "Go away!"
The Alan did not move, but they looked at him and
said: "Give us the one bead nagaba [a peculiar bead
of double effect], and you may have the rest." When
[77]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
the man refused to do this, they were angry and turned
away, crying, "Then we are going to burn your house,
for you are a bad man."
Thereupon the man went home as fast as he could
go, but very soon after that his house burned, for the
Alan kept their word.
SOGSOGOT
Tinguian
day, a long time ago, some men went to the
mountains to hunt deer and wild pig, and among
them was one named Sogsogot.
They all went into the thick forest to look for
game, but after a while Sogsogot called his dog and
withdrew to an open spot near by, where he waited
for the deer to come out.
While he stood there eagerly watching, a big bird 1
swooped down, caught him in its claws, and carried
him away. Far off over the mountains the bird soared,
until finally it came to a big tree where it had its nest,
and here it left the man and flew away.
Sogsogot's first thought was to make his escape, but
he found that the tree was so tall that he could not
get down, and after a time he ceased his attempts to
get away and began to look over his companions in
the nest two young birds and three little pigs.
By and by he became hungry, so he cut up the three
little pigs, and after he had eaten all he wished he fed
the two birds. When this meat was gone the mother
bird brought more pigs and deer, and the man had all
he could eat. Then he fed the little birds, which grew
1 Known to the Tinguian as Banog. This bird occupies much the
same place with the Tinguian as does the garuda in East Indian folk-
lore.
[79]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
very fast and soon were able to fly. One day when
they were standing on the edge of the nest Sogsogot
caught hold of the birds' legs, and they fluttered down
and carried him safely to the ground.
He hastened home as fast as he could go and told
the people of his wonderful trip. They made a cere-
mony for the spirits, and all the people rejoiced that
the lost man had returned.
Some time after this Sogsogot went to a hostile
town to fight, and while he was gone his wife died.
On the way back to his town he met the spirit of his
wife driving a cow and two pigs, and not knowing that
she was a spirit he asked her where she was going.
"I am not a person any more," she answered him;
"I am dead." And when he wanted to touch her
hand, she gave him only her shortest finger. He begged
to go with her so she said, u Go first to our home and
get a white chicken; then follow the footmarks of the
cow and pigs."
He did as she commanded him, and after a while
he came to a place where she was bathing in the river.
She said to him;:
"Now you may come with me to our spirit town. 1 I
shall hide you in the rice-bin and shall bring food to
you every day. But at night the people in the town
will want to eat you, and when they come to the bin
you must take some of the feathers of the white chicken
and throw at them."
a This tale gives to the Tinguian his idea of the future world.
Sogsogot is supposed to have lived only a short time ago, and his
experiences are well known to all the people.
[80]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
The man went with her, and when they arrived at
the spirit town she hid him in the rice-bin. At night
the people came to eat him, as she had said they would;
but when he threw the chicken feathers at them they
were frightened away.
For two weeks Sogsogot lived in this place, but
when the feathers were nearly gone he was afraid to
stay any longer, for every night the spirits came to eat
him. He begged his wife to allow him to go, and
finally she showed him the way home, giving him rice
to eat on his journey.
As soon as the man arrived home and inquired for
his wife, the people told him that she had died and
they had buried her under the house. Then he knew
that it was her spirit that had taken him to the strange
town.
[81]
w
THE MISTAKEN GIFTS
Tingman
HEN Siagon was about eight years old his
parents began looking for a girl who would
make a suitable wife. At last when they had decided
on a beautiful maiden, who lived some distance from
them, they sent a man to her parents to ask if they
would like Siagon for a son-in-law.
Now when the man arrived at the girl's house the
people were all sitting on the floor eating periwinkle,
and as they sucked the meat out of the shell, they
nodded their heads. The man, looking in at the door,
saw them nod, and he thought they were nodding at
him. So he did not tell them his errand, but returned
quickly to the boy's parents and told them that all
the people at the girl's house were favorable to the
union.
Siagon's parents were very much pleased that their
proposal had been so kindly received, and immediately
prepared to go to the girl's house to arrange for the"
wedding.
Finally all was ready and they started for her
house, carrying with them as presents for her parents
two carabao, two horses, two cows, four iron kettles,
sixteen jars of basi, two blankets, and two little
pigs.
The surprise of the girl's people knew no bounds
[82]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
when they saw all this coming to their house, for they
had not even thought of Siagon marrying their
daughter. 1
'See note i, p. 15. Practically this same tale is told by the neigh-
boring Ilocano, from whom it may have been borrowed; but here the
Tinguian custom of paying a marriage price is introduced.
[83]
o
THE BOY WHO BECAME A STONE
Tinguian
NE day a little boy named Elonen sat out in the
yard making a bird snare, and as he worked, a
little bird called to him: "Tik-tik-lo-den" (come and
catch me).
"I am making a snare for you," said the boy;
but the bird continued to call until the snare was
finished.
Then Elonen ran and threw the snare over the bird
and caught it, and he put it in a jar in his house while
he went with the other boys to swim.
While he was away, his grandmother grew hungry,
so she ate the bird, and when Elonen returned and
found that his bird was gone, he was so sad that he
wished he might go away and never come back. He
went out into the forest and walked a long distance,
until finally he came to a big stone and said: "Stone,
open your mouth and eat me." And the stone opened
its mouth and swallowed the boy.
When his grandmother missed the boy, she went out
and looked everywhere, hoping to find him. Finally
she passed near the stone and it cried out, "Here he is."
Then the old woman tried to open the stone but she
could not, so she called the horses to come and help
her. They came and kicked it, but it would not break.
Then she called the carabao and they hooked it, but
[84]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
they only broke their horns. She called the chickens,
which pecked it, and the thunder, which shook it, but
nothing could open it, and she had to go home without
the boy.
[85]
THE TURTLE AND THE LIZARD
Tinguian
A TURTLE and a big lizard once went to the field
-^*- of Gotgotapa to steal ginger. 1 When they reached
the place the turtle said to the lizard:
"We must be very still or the man will hear us and
come out."
But as soon as the lizard tasted the ginger he was
so pleased that he said:
"The ginger of Gotgotapa is very good."
"Be still," said the turtle; but the lizard paid no
attention to the warning, and called louder than ever:
"The ginger of Gotgotapa is very good."
Again and again he cried out, until finally the man
heard him and came out of the house to catch the
robbers.
The turtle could not run fast, so he lay very still,
and the man did not see him. But the lizard ran and
the man chased him. When they were out of sight,
the turtle went into the house and hid under a cocoanut
shell upon which the man used to sit. 2
The man ran after the lizard for a long distance,
1 This type of story is also found farther to the south, where the
cleverness of the small animal causes him to triumph over the strong.
2 The Tinguian house contains neither tables nor chairs. The people
usually squat on the floor, sitting on their heels; if anything is used as
a seat it is a bit of cocoanut shell or a small block of wood.
[86]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
but he could not catch him. After a while he came back
to the house and sat down on the shell.
By and by, the turtle called, "Kook." The man
jumped up and looked all around. Unable to tell where
the noise came from, he sat down again.
A second tinte the turtle called, and this time the
man looked everywhere in the house except under the
shell, but could not find the turtle. Again and again
the turtle called, and finally the man, realizing that all
his attempts were unsuccessful, grew so excited that
he died.
Then the turtle ran out of the house, and he had
not gone far before he met the lizard again. They
walked along together until they saw some honey in a
tree, and the turtle said:
"I will go first and get some of the honey."
The lizard would not wait, but ran ahead, and when
he seized the honey, the bees came out and stung him.
So he ran back to the turtle for help.
After a while they came to a bird snare, and the
turtle said:
"That is the silver wire that my grandfather wore
about his neck."
Then the lizard ran fast to get it first, but he was
caught in the snare and was held until the man came
and killed him. Then the wise turtle went on alone.
THE MAN WITH THE COCOANUTS
Tinguian
NE day a man who had been to gather his cocoa-
nuts loaded his horse heavily with the fruit. On
the way home he met a boy whom he asked how long
it would take to reach the house.
"If you go slowly," said the boy, looking at the load
on the horse, "you will arrive very soon; but if you
go fast, it will take you all day."
The man could not believe this strange speech, so
he hurried his horse. But the cocoanuts fell off and he
had to stop to pick them up. Then he hurried his
horse all the more to make up for lost time, but the
cocoanuts fell off again. Many times he did this, and
it was night when he reached home. 1
J Here we have a proverbial tale, one in which the Tinguian ex-
presses the idea, "Haste makes waste."
[88]
THE CARABAO AND THE SHELL
Tinguian
NE very hot day, when a carabao went into the
river to bathe, he met a shell and they began
talking together.
"You are very slow," said the carabao to the shell.
"Oh, no," replied the shell. "I can beat you in a
o
race."
"Then let us try and see," said the carabao.
So they went out on the bank and started to run.
After the carabao had gone a long distance he
stopped and called, "Shell!"
And another shell lying by the river answered, "Here
I am!"
Then the carabao, thinking that it was the same
shell with which he was racing, ran on.
By and by he stopped again and called, "Shell!"
Again another shell answered, "Here I am !"
The carabao was surprised that the shell could keep
up with him. But he ran on and on, and every time
he stopped to call, another shell answered him. But
he was determined that the shell should not beat him,
so he ran until he dropped dead. 1
1 Another version of this tale is found in British North Borneo in
the story of the plandok and the crab, while to European children
it is known as the race between the turtle and the hare.
[89]
T
THE ALLIGATOR'S FRUIT
Tinguian
WO women went to gather some wild fruit from
a vine which belonged to the alligator.
"You must be careful not to throw the rind with
your teeth marks on it where the alligator can see it,"
said one of the women to the other as they sat eating
the fruit.
But the other woman paid no attention and threw
the rind showing teeth marks into the river, where the
alligator saw it.
Thus he knew at once who had taken his fruit, and
he was very angry. He went to the house of the
woman and called to the people :
"Bring out the woman that I may eat her, for she
has eaten my fruit."
"Very well," answered the people. "But sit down
and wait a little while."
Then they put the iron soil-turner into the fire, and
when it was red hot, they took it to the door and said
to the alligator:
"Here, eat this first."
He opened his mouth, and they pushed the red hot
iron down his throat, and he died.
[90]
BAMBOO RAFTS
HAULING BAMBOO
RICE TERRACES IN THE MOUNTAINS
A RICE FIELD
(Showing bird flappers)
DOGEDOG
Tinguian
T^\OGEDOG had always been very lazy, and now
*"^ that his father and mother were dead and he had
no one to care for him, he lived very poorly. He had
little to eat. His house was old and small and so
poor that it had not even a floor. Still he would rather
sit all day and idle away his time than to work and
have more things.
One day, however, when the rainy season was near
at hand, Dogedog began thinking how cold he would
be when the storms came, and he felt so sorry for
himself that he decided to make a floor in his house.
Wrapping some rice in a banana leaf for his dinner,
he took his long knife and went to the forest to cut
some bamboo. He hung the bundle of rice in a tree
until he should need it; but while he was working a
cat came and ate it. When the hungry man came for
his dinner, there was none left. Dogedog went back
to his miserable little house which looked forlorn to
him even, now that he had decided to have a floor.
The next day he went again to the forest and hung
his rice in the tree as he did before, but again the cat
came and ate it. So the man had to go home without
any dinner.
The third day he took the rice, but this time he fixed
a trap in the tree, and when the cat came it was caught.
[90
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
"Now I have you !" cried the man when he found the
cat; "and I shall kill you for stealing my rice."
"Oh, do not kill me," pleaded the cat, "and I will
be of some use to you."
So Dogedog decided to spare the cat's life, and he
took it home and tied it near the door to guard the
house.
Some time later when he went to look at it, he was
very much surprised to find that it had become a cock.
"Now I can go to the cock-fight at Magsingal,"
cried the man. And he was very happy, for he had
much rather do that than work.
Thinking no more of getting wood for his floor, he
started out at once for Magsingal with the cock under
his arm. As he was crossing a river he met an alligator
which called out to him :
"Where are you going, Dogedog?"
"To the cock-fight at Magsingal," replied the man
as he fondly stroked the rooster.
"Wait, and I will go with you," said the alligator;
and he drew himself out of the water.
The two walking along together soon entered a for-
est where they met a deer and it asked:
"Where are you going, Dogedog?"
"To the cock-fight at Magsingal," said the man.
"Wait and I will go with you," said the deer; and
he also joined them.
By and by they met a mound of earth that had been
raised by the ants, and they would have passed without
noticing it had it not inquired:
"Where are you going, Dogedog?"
[92]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
"To the cock-fight at Magsingal," said the man once
more; and the mound of earth joined them.
The company then hurried on, and just as they were
leaving the forest, they passed a big tree in which was
a monkey.
"Where are you going, Dogedog?" shrieked the
monkey. And without waiting for an answer he
scrambled down the tree and followed them.
As the party walked along they talked together, and
the alligator said to Dogedog:
"If any man wants to dive into the water, I can stay
under longer than he."
Then the deer, not to be outdone, said:
"If any man wants to run, I can run faster."
The mound of earth, anxious to show its strength,
said:
"If any man wants to wrestle, I can beat him."
And the monkey said:
"If any man wants to climb, I can go higher."
They reached Magsingal in good time and the peo-
ple were ready for the fight to begin. When Dogedog
put his rooster, which had been a cat, into the pit, it
killed the other cock at once, for it used its claws
like a cat.
The people brought more roosters and wagered
much money, but Dogedog' s cock killed all the others
until there was not one left in Magsingal, and Dogedog
won much money. Then they went outside the town
and brought all the cocks they could find, but not one
could win over that of Dogedog.
When the cocks were all dead, the people wanted
[93]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
some other sport, so they brought a man who could
stay under water for a long time, and Dogedog made
him compete with the alligator. But after a while the
man had to come up first. Then they brought a swift
runner and he raced with the deer, but the man was
left far behind. Next they looked around until they
found a very large man who was willing to contend
with the mound of earth, but after a hard struggle the
man was thrown.
Finally they brought a man who could climb higher
than anyone else, but the monkey went far above him,
and he had to give up.
All these contests had brought much money to Doge-
dog, and now he had to buy two horses to carry his
sacks of silver. As soon as he reached home, he
bought the house of a very rich man and went to live
in it. And he was very happy, for he did not have to
work any more. 1
1 The story shows the influence of the Christianized natives, among
whom cock-fighting is a very popular sport. It is found only among
those Tinguian who come into contact with this class.
[94]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
Igorot
INTRODUCTION
'IpHREE or four days' journey to the south and east
-* of the Tinguian live the Igorot; but so difficult
are the trails over the mountains and through the
swift rivers that there is little intercourse between the
two tribes, consequently each believes the other a people
to be feared. Salt, weapons, and jars are sometimes
exchanged, but the customs and beliefs are not sim-
ilar. Each group leads its own life and is governed
by its own spirits.
From a distance an Igorot village looks like a group
of haystacks nestling among the hills ; but viewed more
closely, it is found to consist of houses whose board
sides are almost hidden by the overhanging grass roofs.
The upper part of the house is used as a storehouse,
while below, on a ground floor, the family cooks and
eats. In one end there is a tiny boxlike bedroom where
the father, mother, and small children sleep. After
they are two or three years old the girls spend the
night in a dormitory, while the boys sleep in the men's
council house.
These people have splendid terraced fields on the
mountain sides where water is brought from the streams
through troughs and ditches. Here both men and
women are busy early and late cultivating the rice,
sweet potatoes, and small vegetables on which they
live. The men are head-hunters and ardent warriors,
[97]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
each village demanding a head in payment for any
taken by a hostile village.
Watching over the Igorot, controlling the winds and
the rains, and providing good crops and health for the
people, is the Great Spirit, Lumawig, who lives in the
sky. He is believed to have created the Igorot and
even to have lived among them on the earth. He no
longer visits them in person, they say, but each month
they perform a ceremony at which they pray to him to
protect them and entreat him to favor them with
health and good crops.
The following tales are told by the fathers and
mothers to the children to teach them how things came
to be as they are.
[98]
THE CREATION
Igorot
T N the beginning there were no people on the earth.
* Lumawig, 1 the Great Spirit, came down from the
sky and cut many reeds. 2 He divided these into pairs
which he placed in different parts of the world, and
then he said to them, "You must speak." Immedi-
ately the reeds became people, and in each place was
a man and a woman who could talk, but the language
of each couple differed from that of the others.
Then Lumawig commanded each man and woman to
marry, which they did. By and by there were many
children, all speaking the same language as their par-
1 Lumawig is the greatest of all spirits and now lives in the sky,
though for a time his home was in the Igorot village of Bontoc. He
married a Bontoc girl, and the stones of their house are still to be
seen in the village. It was Lumawig who created the Igorot, and
ever since he has taken a great interest in them, teaching them how to
overcome the forces of nature, how to plant, to reap and, in fact,
everything that they know. Once each month a ceremony is held in
his honor in a sacred grove, whose trees are believed to have sprung
from the graves of his children. Here prayers are offered for health,
good crops, and success in battle. A close resemblance exists between
Lumawig of the Igorot and Kaboniyan of the Tinguian, the former
being sometimes called Kambun'yan.
2 The Bukidnon of Mindanao have the following story: During a
great drought Mampolompon could grow nothing on his clearing
except one bamboo, and during a high wind this was broken. From
this bamboo came a dog and a woman, who were the ancestors of the
Moro. See "The White Squash," note i, p. 186.
[99]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
ents. These, in turn, married and had many chil-
dren. In this way there came to be many people on the
earth.
Now Lumawig saw that there were several things
which the people on the earth needed to use, so he set
to work to supply them. He created salt, and told
the inhabitants of one place to boil it down and sell
it to their neighbors. But these people could not
understand the directions of the Great Spirit, and
the next time he visited them, they had not touched
the salt.
Then he took it away from them and gave it to the
people of a place called Mayinit. 1 These did as he
directed, and because of this he told them that they
should always be owners of the salt, and that the other
peoples must buy of them.
Then Lumawig went to the people of Bontoc and
told them to get clay and make pots. They got the
clay, but they did not understand the moulding, and
the jars were not well shaped. Because of their failure,
Lumawig told them that they would always have to
'At the north end of the village of Mayinit are a number of brackish
hot springs, and from these the people secure the salt which has made
the spot famous for miles around. Stones are placed in the shallow
streams flowing from these springs, and when they have become en-
crusted with salt (about once a month) they are washed and the water
is evaporated by boiling. The salt, which is then a thick paste, is
formed into cakes and baked near the fire for about half an hour,
when it is ready for use. It is the only salt in this section, and is in
great demand. Even hostile tribes come to a hill overlooking the town
and call down, then deposit whatever they have for trade and with-
draw, while the Igorot take up the salt and leave it in place of the
trade articles.
[100]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
buy their jars, and he removed the pottery to Samoki. 1
When he told the people there what to do, they did
just as he said, and their jars were well shaped and
beautiful. Then the Great Spirit saw that they were
fit owners of the pottery, and he told them that they
should always make many jars to sell.
In this way Lumawig taught the people and brought
to them all the things which they now have.
*The women of Samoki are known as excellent potters, and their
ware is used over a wide area. From a pit on a hillside to the north
of the village they dig a reddish-brown clay, which they mix with a
bluish mineral gathered on another hillside. When thoroughly mixed,
this clay is placed on a board on the ground, and the potter, kneeling
before it, begins her moulding. Great patience and skill are required
to bring the vessel to the desired shape. When it is completed it is
set in the sun to dry for two or three days, after which it is ready for
the baking. The new pots are piled tier above tier on the ground and
blanketed with grass tied into bundles. Then pine bark is burned
beneath and around the pile for about an hour, when the ware is suf-
ficiently fired. It is then glazed with resin and is ready to market.
[101]
o
THE FLOOD STORY
Igorot
NCE upon a time, when the world was flat and
there were no mountains, there lived two brothers,
sons of Lumawig, the Great Spirit. The brothers were
fond of hunting, and since no mountains had formed
there was no good place to catch wild pig and deer,
and the older brother said:
"Let us cause water to flow over all the world and
cover it, and then mountains will rise up." x
So they caused water to flow over all the earth, and
when it was covered they took the head-basket 2 of the
town and set it for a trap. The brothers were very
much pleased when they went to look at their trap, for
they had caught not only many wild pigs and deer but
also many people.
Now Lumawig looked down from his place in the
sky and saw that his sons had flooded the earth and
that in all the world there was just one spot which was
not covered. And he saw that all the people in the
world had been drowned except one brother and sister
who lived in Pokis.
1 The mythology of nearly all peoples has a flood story. For the
Tinguian account see note on page 103. For the Bukidnon story see
p. 125.
2 A bamboo basket, in which the heads of victims are kept prior to
the head-taking celebration.
[102]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
Then Lumawig descended, and he called to the boy
and girl, saying:
"Oh, you are still alive."
"Yes," answered the boy, "we are still alive, but we
are very cold."
So Lumawig commanded his dog and deer to get
fire 1 for the boy and girl. The dog and the deer
swam quickly away, but though Lumawig waited a
long time they did not return, and all the time the boy
and girl were growing colder.
Finally Lumawig himself went after the dog and the
deer, and when he reached them he said:
"Why are you so long in bringing the fire to Pokis?
Get ready and come quickly while I watch you, for the
boy and girl are very cold."
Then the dog and the deer took the fire and started
to swim through the flood, but when they had gone
only a little way the fire was put out.
Lumawig commanded them to get more fire and they
did so, but they swam only a little way again when
that of the deer went out, and that of the dog would
have been extinguished also had not Lumawig gone
quickly to him and taken it.
As soon as Lumawig reached Pokis he built a big
fire which warmed the brother and sister; and the
'The folk-lore of all countries has some story accounting for the
acquisition of fire. The Tinguian tale is as follows: Once in the very
old times Kaboniyan sent a flood which covered all the land. Then
there was no place for the fire to stay, so it went into the bamboo, the
stones, and iron. That is why one who knows how can still get fire
out of bamboo and stones.
[103]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
water evaporated so that the world was as it was
before, except that now there were mountains. The
brother and sister married and had children, and thus
there came to be many people on the earth.
[104]
LUMAWIG ON EARTH
Igorot
NE day when Lumawig, 1 the Great Spirit, looked
down from his place in the sky he saw two sisters
gathering beans. And he decided to go down to visit
them. When he arrived at the place he asked them
what they were doing. The younger, whose name was
Fukan, answered:
"We are gathering beans, but it takes a long time
to get enough, for my sister wants to go bathing all
the time."
Then Lumawig said to the older sister:
"Hand me a single pod of the beans."
And when she had given it to him, he shelled it into
the basket and immediately the basket was full. 2 The
younger sister laughed at this, and Lumawig said to
her:
"Give me another pod and another basket."
She did so, and when he had shelled the pod, that
basket was full also. Then he said to the younger
sister:
"Go home and get three more baskets."
She went home, but when she asked for three more
baskets her mother said that the beans were few and
^ee note i, p. 99.
2 The magical increase of food is a popular subject with the Tin-
guian, appearing in many of their folk-tales. See note 2, p. 48.
[105]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
she could not need so many. Then Fukan told her of
the young man who could fill a basket from one pod
of beans, and the father, who heard her story, tfaid :
"Go bring the young man here, for I think he must
be a god."
So Fukan took the three baskets back to Lumawig,
and when he had filled them as he did the other two,
he helped the girls carry them to the house. As they
reached their home, he stopped outside to cool himself,
but the father called to him and he went up into the
house and asked for some water. The father brought
him a cocoanut shell full, and before drinking Lumawig
looked at it and said:
"If I stay here with you, I shall become very
strong."
The next morning Lumawig asked to see their chick-
ens, and when they opened the chicken-coop out came
a hen and many little chicks. "Are these all of your
chickens?" asked Lumawig; and the father assured
him that they were all. He then bade them bring rice
meal that he might feed them, and as the chickens ate
they all grew rapidly till they were cocks and hens.
Next Lumawig asked how many pigs they had, and
the father replied that they had one with some little
ones. Then Lumawig bade them fill a pail with sweet
potato leaves and he fed the pigs. And as they ate
they also grew to full size.
The father was so pleased with all these things that
he offered his elder daughter to Lumawig for a wife.
But the Great Spirit said he preferred to marry the
younger; so that was arranged. Now when his brother-
[106]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
in-law learned that Lumawig desired a feast at his wed-
ding, he was very angry and said:
"Where would you get food for your wedding feast?
There is no rice, nor beef, nor pork, nor chicken. "
But Lumawig only answered, "I shall provide our
wedding feast."
In the morning they all set out for Lanao, for
Lumawig did not care to stay any longer in the house
with his brother-in-law. As soon as they arrived he
sent out for some tree trunks, but the trees that the
people brought in were so small that Lumawig himself
went to the forest and cut two large pine trees which
he hurled to Lanao.
When the people had built a fire of the trees he
commanded them to bring ten kettles filled with water.
Soon the water was boiling hot and the brother-in-law
laughed and said:
"Where is your rice? You have the boiling water,
but you do not seem to think of the rice."
In answer to this Lumawig took a small basket of
rice and passed it over five kettles and they were full.
Then he called "Yishtjau," and some deer came run-
ning out of the forest. These were not what he wanted,
however, so he called again and some pigs came. He
told the people that they were each to catch one
and for his brother-in-law he selected the largest and
best.
They all set out in pursuit of the pigs and the others
quickly caught theirs, but though the brother-in-law
chased his until he was very tired and hot he could not
catch it. Lumawig laughed at him and said:
[107]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
"You chase that pig until he is thin and still you
cannot catch it, though all the others have theirs."
Thereupon he grasped the hind legs of the pig and
lifted it. All the people laughed and the brother-in-
law said:
"Of course you can catch it, because I chased it until
it was tired."
Lumawig then handed it to him and said, "Here,
you carry it" But no sooner had the brother-in-
law put it over his shoulder than it cut loose and ran
away.
"Why did you let it go?" asked Lumawig. "Do you
care nothing for it, even after I caught it for you?
Catch it again and bring it here."
So the brother-in-law started out again, and he
chased it up stream and down, but he could not catch it.
Finally Lumawig reached down and picked up the pig
and carried it to the place where the others were
cooking.
After they had all eaten and drunk and made their
offerings to the spirits, Lumawig said:
"Come, let us go to the mountain to consult the omen
concerning the northern tribes."
So they consulted the omen, but it was not favorable,
and they were starting home when the brother-in-law
asked Lumawig to create some water, as the people
were hot and thirsty.
"Why do you not create water, Lumawig?" he re-
peated as Lumawig paid no attention to him. "You
care nothing that the people are thirsty and in need
of drink."
[108]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
Then they quarreled and were very angry and Luma-
wig said to the people, u Let us sit down and rest."
While they rested, Lumawig struck the rock with
his spear and water came out. 1 The brother-in-law
jumped up to get a drink first, but Lumawig held him
back and said he must be the last to drink. So they all
drank, and when they had finished, the brother-in-law
stepped up, but Lumawig gave him a push which sent
him into the rock and water came from his body.
u You must stay there," said Lumawig, "because
you have troubled me a great deal." And they went
home, leaving him in the rock.
Some time after this Lumawig decided to go back
to the sky to live, but before he went he took care that
his wife should have a home. He made a coffin of
wood 2 and placed her in it with a dog at her feet and
a cock at her head. And as he set it floating on the
water, 3 he told it not to stop until it reached Tinglayen.
Then, if the foot end struck first, the dog should bark;
*Note the similarity to the story of Moses in this account of Lumawig
striking the rock and water coming out. There is a possibility that
this incident was added to the story after the advent of the Catholic
missionaries.
2 Usually one or more new coffins can be found in an Igorot village.
They are made from a log split in two lengthwise, each half being
hollowed out. Since their manufacture requires some days, it is neces-
sary to prepare them ahead of time. After the body is put in, the
cover is tied on with rattan and the chinks sealed with mud and lime.
3 A somewhat similar idea is found among the Kulaman of southern
Mindanao. Here when an important man dies he is placed in a coffin,
which resembles a small boat, the coffin being then fastened on high
poles near the sea. See Cole, Wild Tribes of Davao District, Min-
danao, Pub. Field Museum of Nat. Hist., Vol. XII, No. 2, 1913.
[109]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
and if the head end was the first to strike, the cock
should crow. So it floated away, and on and on, until
it came to Tinglayen.
Now a widower was sharpening his ax on the bank
of the river, and when he saw the coffin stop, he went
to fish it out of the water. On shore he started to open
it, but Fugan cried out, "Do not drive a wedge, for I
am here." So the widower opened it carefully and
took Fugan up to the town, and then as he had no wife
of his own, he married her.
[no]
o
HOW THE FIRST HEAD WAS TAKEN 1
Igorot
NE day the Moon, who was a woman named
Kabigat, sat out in the yard making a large cop-
per pot. The copper was still soft and pliable like
clay, and the woman squatted on the ground with the
heavy pot against her knees while she patted and
shaped it. 2
Now while she was working a son of Chal-chal, the
Sun, came by and stopped to watch her mould the
form. Against the inside of the jar she pressed a stone,
while on the outside with a wooden paddle dripping
with water she pounded and slapped until she had
worked down the bulges and formed a smooth surface.
The boy was greatly interested in seeing the jar
grow larger, more beautiful, and smoother with each
stroke, and he stood still for some time. Suddenly the
Moon looked up and saw him watching her. Instantly
she struck him with her paddle, cutting off his head.
Now the Sun was not near, but he knew as soon as
is story, first recorded by Dr. A. E. Jenks, gives the origin of the
custom of head-hunting, which plays such an important part in the
life of the Igorot. The Igorot claim to have taken heads ever since
Lumawig lived on earth and taught them to go to war, and they de-
clare that it makes them brave and manly. The return of a successful
war party is the signal for a great celebration.
is is also the common way of making pottery.
[in]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
the Moon had cut off his son's head. And hurrying
to the spot, he put the boy's head back on, and he was
alive again.
Then the Sun said to the Moon, "You cut off my
son's head, and because you did this ever after on the
earth people will cut off each other's heads."
[112]
THE SERPENT EAGLE 1
Igorot
there lived two boys whose mother sent them
every day to the forest to get wood 2 for her
fires. Each morning, as they started out, she gave
them some food for their trip, but it was always poor
and there was little of it, and she would say:
"The wood that you brought yesterday was so poor
that I cannot give you much to eat today."
The boys tried very hard to please her, but if they
brought nice pine wood she scolded them, and if they
brought large dry reeds she said:
"These are no good for my fire, for they leave too
much ashes in the house."
Try as they would, they failed to satisfy her; and
their bodies grew very thin from working hard all
day and from want of enough to eat.
One morning when they left for the mountains the
mother gave them a bit of dog meat to eat, and the
boys were very sad. When they reached the forest one
of them said:
1 Here we have a story, recorded by Dr. A. E. Jenks, with a twofold
value: it is told to the children as a warning against stinginess, and
it also explains the origin of the serpent eagle.
2 There is no jungle in the greater part of the Igorot country, the
mountains being covered by cogon grass with occasional pine trees.
At a distance these have a strange appearance, for only the bushy
tops are left, the lower branches being cut off for fuel.
[113]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
"You wait here while I climb the tree and cut off
some branches."
He went up the tree and soon called down, "Here
is some wood," and the bones of his arm dropped to
the ground.
"Oh," cried his brother, "it is your arm I"
"Here is some more wood," cried the other, and
the bones of the other arm dropped to the ground.
Then he called again, and the bones of his leg fell,
then those of his other leg, and so on till all the bones
of his body lay on the ground.
"Take these home," he said, "and tell the woman
that here is her wood; she only wanted my bones."
The younger boy was very sad, for he was alone,
and there was no one to go down the mountain with
him. He gathered up the bundle of wood, wondering
meanwhile what he should do, but just as he finished a
serpent eagle called down from the tree tops:
"I will go with you, Brother."
So the boy put the bundle of wood on his shoulder,
and as he was going down the mountain, his brother,
who was now a serpent eagle, flew over his head.
When he reached the house, he put down the bundle
and said to his mother:
"Here is your wood."
When she looked at it she was very much frightened
and ran out of the house.
Then the serpent eagle circled round and round
above her head and called:
"Quiukok! quiukok! quiukok! I do not need your
food any more."
THE TATTOOED MEN 1
Igorot
there were two young men, very good
friends, who were unhappy because neither of
them had been tattooed. 2 They felt that they were not
as beautiful as their friends.
One day they agreed to tattoo each other. One
marked the breast and back of the other, his arms and
legs, and even his face. And when he had finished, he
took soot off the bottom of a cooking-pot and rubbed
it into all the marks ; and he was tattooed beautifully.
The one who had done the work said to the other:
"Now, my friend, you are very beautiful, and you
must tattoo me."
Then the tattooed one scraped a great pile of black
soot off the cooking-pots, and before the other knew
what he was about, he had rubbed it all over him from
the top of his head to the bottom of his feet; and he
'First recorded by Dr. A. E. Jenks.
2 Tattooing is a painful process, but Igorot men, women, and
children willingly submit to it for the sake of beauty. The design is
first drawn on the skin with an ink made of soot and water: then
the skin is pricked through the pattern and the soot is rubbed into the
wounds. Various designs appear on the face, arms, stomach, and
other parts of the body, but the most important of all markings is that
on the breast of an Igorot man. This designates him as the taker of
at least one human head, and he is thus shown to be worthy of the
respect of his tribe.
["5]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
was very black and greasy. The one who was covered
with soot became very angry and cried:
"Why do you treat me so when I tattooed you so
carefully?"
They began to fight, but suddenly the beautifully tat-
tooed one became a great lizard which ran away and
hid in the tall grass, while the sooty one became a crow
and flew away over the village. 1
story also accounts for the origin of the crow and the lizard,
both of which are common in the Igorot country.
[116]
TILIN, THE RICE BIRD 1
Igorot
day when a mother was pounding out rice to
cook for supper, her little girl ran up to her and
cried:
"Oh, Mother, give me some of the raw rice to
eat."
"No," said the mother, "it is not good for you to
eat until it is cooked. Wait for supper."
But the little girl persisted until the mother, out of
patience, cried:
"Be still. It is not good for you to talk so much !"
When she had finished pounding the rice, the woman
poured it into a rice winnower and tossed it many times
into the air. As soon as the chaff was removed she
emptied the rice into her basket and covered it with
the winnower. Then she took the jar upon her head,
and started for the spring to get water.
Now the little girl was fond of going to the spring
with her mother, for she loved to play in the cool
water while her mother filled the jars. But this time
she did not go, and as soon as the woman was out of
sight, she ran to the basket of rice. She reached down
'This story, first recorded by Dr. A. E. Jenks, while it explains the
origin of the little rice bird, also points a moral, namely, that there is
punishment for the disobedient child.
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
to take a handful of the grain. The cover slipped so
that she fell, and was covered up in the basket.
When the mother returned to the house, she heard
a bird crying, "King, king, nik ! nik ! nik !" She listened
carefully, and as the sound seemed to come from the
basket, she removed the cover. To her surprise, out
hopped a little brown rice bird, and as it flew away it
kept calling back:
"Goodbye, Mother; goodbye, Mother. You would
not give me any rice to eat."
[118]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
Wild Tribes of Mindanao
INTRODUCTION
ABOUT one thousand miles to the south and east
of the Tinguian and Igorot is the Island of Min-
danao, which is inhabited by mortals and immortals
entirely unknown to the mountain tribes of the north.
In the northern part of this great island are the
Bukidnon timid, wild people who, attacked from
time to time by the Moro on one side and the Manobo
on the other, have drawn back into scattered homes in
the hills. Here they live in poor dwellings raised high
from the ground. Some even build in trees, their shel-
tered and secret positions making them less subject to
attack.
They are not a warlike people, and their greatest
concern is for the good will of the numerous spirits
who watch over their every act. At times they gather
a little hemp or coffee from the hillside or along the
stream bank and carry it to the coast to exchange for
the bright cloth which they make into gay clothes.
But they do not love work, and the most of their time
is spent in resting or attending ceremonies made to
gain the good will of the immortals.
In this country the belief prevails that there are
spirits in the stones, in the baliti trees, in the vines, the
cliffs, and even the caves. And never does a man start
on a journey or make a clearing on the mountain side
until he has first besought these spirits not to be angry
[m]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
with him but to favor him with prosperity and bring
good crops.
The greatest of the spirits is Diwata Magbabaya,
who is so awe-inspiring that his name is never men-
tioned above a whisper. He lives in the sky in a
house made of coins, and there are no windows in this
building, for if men should look upon him they would
melt into water.
About the Gulf of Davao, in the southeastern part
of this island, are a number of small tribes, each dif-
fering somewhat from the other in customs and beliefs.
Of these the most influential are the Bagobo who dwell
on the lower slopes of Mt. Apo, the highest peak in
the Philippines. They are very industrious, forging
excellent knives, casting fine articles in brass, and
weaving beautiful hemp cloth which they make into
elaborate garments decorated with beads and shell
disks.
The men are great warriors, each gaining distinction
among his people according to the number of human
lives he has taken. A number of them dress in dark
red suits and peculiar headbands which they are per-
mitted to wear only after they have taken six lives.
Notwithstanding their bravery in battle, these people
fear and have great respect for the numerous spirits
who rule over their lives.
From a great fissure in the side of Mt. Apo, clouds
of sulphur fumes are constantly rising, and it is be-
lieved to be in this fissure that Mandarangan and his
wife Darago live evil beings who look after the for-
tunes of the warriors. These spirits are feared and
[122]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
great care is taken to appease them with offerings,
while once a year a human sacrifice is made to them.
The following tales show something of the beliefs
of these and the neighboring tribes in Mindanao.
HOW THE MOON AND THE STARS CAME
TO BE
Bukidnon (Mindanao)
E day in the times when the sky was close to the
ground a spinster went out to pound rice. 1 Before
she began her work, she took off the beads from around
her neck and the comb from her hair, and hung them
on the sky, which at that time looked like coral rock.
Then she began working, and each time that she
raised her pestle into the air it struck the sky. For
some time she pounded the rice, and then she raised the
pestle so high that it struck the sky very hard.
Immediately the sky began to rise, 2 and it went up
so far that she lost her ornaments. Never did they
come down, for the comb became the moon and the
beads are the stars that are scattered about.
a The common way to pound rice is to place a bundle of the grain
on the ground on a dried carabao hide and pound it with a pestle to
loosen the heads from the straw. When they are free they are poured
into a mortar and again pounded with the pestle until the grain is
separated from the chaff, after which it is winnowed.
2 According to the Klemantin myth (Borneo), the sky was raised
when a giant named Usai accidentally struck it with his mallet while
pounding rice. See Hose and McDougall, Pagan Tribes of Borneo,
p. 143.
[124]
A
THE FLOOD STORY
Bukidnon (Mindanao)
LONG time ago there was a very big crab * which
crawled into the sea. And when he went in he
crowded the water out so that it ran all over the earth
and covered all the land.
Now about one moon before this happened, a wise
man had told the people that they must build a large
raft. 2 They did as he commanded and cut many large
trees, until they had enough to make three layers.
These they bound tightly together, and when it was
done they fastened the raft with a long rattan cord to
a big pole in the earth.
Soon after this the floods came. White water poured
out of the hills, and the sea rose and covered even the
highest mountains. The people and animals on the
raft were safe, but all the others drowned.
*A somewhat similar belief that a giant crab is responsible for the
tides is widespread throughout Malaysia. The Batak of Palawan
now believe, as also do the Mandaya of eastern Mindanao, that the
tides are caused by a giant crab going in and out of his hole in
the sea.
a The similarity of this' to the biblical story of the Flood leads us
to suppose that it has come from the neighboring Christianized or
Mohammedanized people and has been worked by the Bukidnon into
the mould of their own thought. However, the flood story is some-
times found in such a guise that it cannot be accounted for by Christian
influence. See for example, The Flood Story as told in the folk-lore
of the Igorot tribe, on p. 102 .
[125]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
When the waters went down and the raft was again
on the ground, it was near their old home, for the
rattan cord had held.
But these were the only people left on the whole
earth.
MAGBANGAL 1
Bukidnon (Mindanao)
TV/TAGBANGAL was a good hunter, and he often
-*-* went to a certain hill where he killed wild pigs
for food. One night as it was nearing the planting
season, he sat in his house thinking, and after a long
time he called to his wife. She came to him, and he
said:
"Tomorrow I shall go to the hill and clear the land
for our planting, but I wish you to stay here."
"Oh, let me go with you," begged his wife, "for
you have no other companion."
1 This celestial myth accounts for a number of constellations which
are of great importance to the Bukidnon. Magbangal appears in the
sky in alirost dipper shape, the handle being formed by his one re-
maining arm. To the west and nearly above him is a V-shaped con-
stellation which is believed to be the jaw of one of the pigs which he
killed. Still farther to the west appears the hill on which he hunted,
while three groups of stars which toward dawn seem to be following
him are said to be his hatchet, the bamboo pole in which he carried
water, and his large pet lizard. It is the appearance and position of
these constellations in the sky that show the Bukidnon when it is the
time to clear land for the yearly crops and to plant the grain; and
since this knowledge is of the utmost importance to the people, they
feel that Magbangal does them a lasting service. The hero Lafaang
of a Borneo myth, who is represented .by the constellation Orion, lost
his arm while trying to cut down a tree in a manner different from
that prescribed by his celestial wife, the constellation Pegasen. See
Hose and McDougall, Pagan Tribes of Borneo, Vol. II, p. 141.
[127]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
"No," said Magbangal, "I wish to go alone, and
you must stay at home."
So finally his wife agreed, and in the morning she
arose early to prepare food for him. When the rice
was cooked and the fish ready she called him to come
and eat, but he said:
"No, I do not want to eat now, but I will return this
afternoon and you must have it ready for me."
Then he gathered up his ten hatchets and bolos, 1 a
sharpening stone, and a bamboo tube for water, and
started for the hill. Upon reaching his land he cut
some small trees to make a bench. When it was fin-
ished, he sat down on it and said to the bolos, "You
bolos must sharpen yourselves on the stone." And the
bolos went to the stone and were sharpened. Then
to the hatchets he said, "You hatchets must be sharp-
ened," and they also sharpened themselves.
When all were ready, he said: "Now you bolos cut
all the small brush under the trees, and you hatchets
must cut the large trees." So the bolos and the hatchets
went to work, and from his place on the bench Mag-
bangal could see the land being cleared.
Magbangal's wife was at work in their house weav-
ing a skirt, but when she heard the trees continually
falling she stopped to listen and thought to herself,
"My husband must have found many people to help
him clear our land. When he left here, he was alone,
but surely he cannot cut down the trees so fast. I will
see who is helping him."
1 Long knives.
[128]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
She left the house and walked rapidly toward the
field, but as she drew nearer she proceeded more slowly,
and finally stopped behind a tree. From her hiding-
place, she could see her husband asleep on the bench,
and she could also see that the bolos and hatchets were
cutting the trees with no hands to guide them.
"Oh," said she, "Magbangal is very powerful.
Never before have I seen bolos and hatchets working
without hands, and he never told me of his power."
Suddenly she saw her husband jump up, and, seizing
a bolo, he cut off one of his own arms. He awoke and
sat up and said:
"Someone must be looking at me, for one of my
arms is cut off."
When he saw his wife he knew that she was the
cause of his losing his arm, and as they went home
together, he exclaimed :
"Now I am going away. It is better for me to go
to the sky where I can give the sign to the people when
it is time to plant; and you must go to the water and
become a fish."
Soon after he went to the sky and became the con-
stellation Magbangal; and ever since, when the people
see these stars appear in the sky, they know that it is
time to plant their rice.
HOW CHILDREN BECAME MONKEYS
Bukldnon (Mindanao)
E day a mother took her two children with her
when she went to color cloth. Not far from her
home was a mud hole 1 where the carabao liked to
wallow, and to this hole she carried her cloth, some
dye pots, and two shell spoons.
After she had put the cloth into the mud to let it
take up the dark color, she built a fire and put over it
a pot containing water and the leaves used for dyeing.
Then she sat down to wait for the water to boil, while
the children played near by.
By and by when she went to stir the leaves with a
shell spoon, some of the water splashed up and burned
her hand, so that she jumped and cried out. This
amused the children and their laughter changed them
into monkeys, and the spoons became their tails. 2
The nails of the monkeys are still black, because
while they were children they had helped their mother
dye the cloth.
1 Cloth is dyed in various colors by boiling it in water in which dif-
ferent kinds of leaves or roots have been steeped. But to produce a
bluish-black shade the fabric is partly buried in mud until the desired
color is obtained.
2 Monkeys are numerous throughout the Philippines, and it is doubt-
less their human appearance and actions that have caused the differ-
ent tribes to try to account for their origin from man. Here we have
the most likely way that the Bukidnon can see for their coming.
[130]
L
BULANAWAN AND AGUIO
Bukldnon (Mindanao)
ANGGONA and his wife had twin boys named
Bulanawan and Aguio. One day, when they were
about two years old, the mother took Bulanawan to
the field with her when she went to pick cotton. She
spread the fiber she had gathered the day before on
the ground to dry near the child, and while she was
getting more a great wind suddenly arose which wound
the cotton around the baby and carried him away. Far
away to a distant land the wind took Bulanawan, and
in that place he grew up. When he was a man, he
became a great warrior. 1
One day while Bulanawan and his wife were walk-
ing along the seashore, they sat down to rest on a
large, flat rock, and Bulanawan fell asleep. Now
Aguio, the twin brother of Bulanawan, had become a
great warrior also, and he went on a journey to this
distant land, not knowing that his brother was there.
It happened that he was walking along the seashore
in his war-dress 2 on this same day, and when he saw
1 This is one of a series of tales dealing with mythical heroes of
former times whose acts of prowess are still recounted by Bukidnon
warriors.
2 A heavy padded hemp coat with a kilt which is supposed to turn
spears. Over the shoulder is worn a sash in which are a few peculiar
stones and charms which are believed to protect its wearer. Warriors
[131]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
the woman sitting on the large, flat rock, he thought
her very beautiful, and he determined to steal her.
As he drew near he asked her to give him some of
her husband's betel-nut to chew, and when she refused
he went forward to fight her husband, not knowing
they were brothers. As soon as his wife awakened
him Bulanawan sprang up, seized her, put her in the
cuff of his sleeve, 1 and came forth ready to fight. Aguio
grew very angry at this, and they fought until their
weapons were broken, and the earth trembled.
Now the two brothers of the rivals felt the earth
tremble although they were far away, and each feared
that his brother was in trouble. One was in the moun-
tains and he started at once for the sea ; the other was
in a far land, but he set out in a boat for the scene of
the trouble.
They arrived at the same time at the place of battle,
and they immediately joined in it. Then the trembling
of the earth increased so much that Langgona, the
father of Aguio and Bulanawan, sought out the spot
and tried to make peace. But he only seemed to make
matters worse, and they all began fighting him. So
great did the disturbance become that the earth was in
danger of falling to pieces.
Then it was that the father of Langgona came and
settled the trouble, and when all were at peace again
they discovered that Aguio and Bulanawan were broth-
ers and the grandsons of the peacemaker.
who have taken thirty human lives are permitted to wear a peculiar
crown-shaped headdress with upstanding points.
*See note i, p. 23.
i
ORIGIN
Bagobo (Mindanao)
N the beginning there lived one man and one woman,
Toglai and Toglibon. Their first children were a
boy and a girl. When they were old enough, the boy
and the girl went far away across the waters seeking
a good place to live in. Nothing more was heard of
them until their children, the Spaniards and Americans,
came back. After the first boy and girl left, other
children were born to the couple, but they all remained
at Cibolan on Mt. Apo with their parents, until Toglai
and Toglibon died and became spirits.
Soon after that there came a great drought which
lasted for three years. All the waters dried up, so
that there were no rivers, and no plants could live.
"Surely," said the people, "Manama is punishing us
and we must go elsewhere to find food and a place to
dwell in."
So they started out. Two went in the direction of
the sunset, carrying with them stones from Cibolan
River. After a long journey they reached a place
where were broad fields of cogon grass and an abun-
dance of water, and there they made their home. Their
children still live in that place and are called Magin-
danau, because of the stones which the couple carried
when they left Cibolan.
Two children of Toglai and Toglibon went to the
[133]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
south, seeking a home, and they carried with them
women's baskets (baraan). When they found a good
spot, they settled down. Their descendants, still
dwelling at that place, are called Baraan or Bilaan,
because of the women's baskets.
So two by two the children of the first couple left
the land of their birth. In the place where each set-
tled a new people developed, and thus it came about
that all the tribes in the world received their names
from things that the people carried out of Cibolan,
or from the places where they settled.
All the children left Mt. Apo save two (a boy and
a girl), whom hunger and thirst had made too weak
to travel. One day when they were about to die the
boy crawled out to the field to see if there was one
living thing, and to his surprise he found a stalk of
sugar-cane growing lustily. He eagerly cut it, and
enough water came out to refresh him and his sister
until the rains came. Because of this, their children
are called Bagobo. 1
is a good example of the way in which people at a certain
stage try to account for their surroundings. Nearly all consider them-
selves the original people. We find the Bagobo no exception to this.
In this tale, which is evidently very old, they account for themselves
and their neighbors, and then, to meet present needs, they adapt the
story to include the white people whom they have known for not more
than two hundred years.
[134]
LUMABET
Bagobo (Mindanao)
SOON after people were created on the earth, there
was born a child named Lumabet, who lived to be
a very, very old man. He could talk when he was
but one day old, and all his life he did wonderful
things until the people came to believe that he had
been sent by Manama, the Great Spirit.
When Lumabet was still a young man he had a
fine dog, and he enjoyed nothing so much as taking
him to the mountains to hunt. One day the dog no-
ticed a white deer. Lumabet and his companions
started in pursuit, but the deer was very swift and
they could not catch it. On and on they went until
they had gone around the world, and still the deer
was ahead. One by one his companions dropped out
of the chase, but Lumabet would not give up until he
had the deer.
All the time he had but one banana and one camote
(sweet potato) for food, but each night he planted
the skins of these, and in the morning he found a
banana tree with ripe fruit and a sweet potato large
enough to eat. So he kept on until he had been around
the world nine times, and he was an old man and his
hair was gray. At last he caught the deer, and then
[135]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
he called all the people to a great feast, to sec the
animal.
While all were making merry, Lumabet told them
to take a knife and kill his father. They were greatly
surprised, but did as he commanded, and when the
old man was dead, Lumabet waved his headband over
him and he came to life again. Eight times they killed
the old man at Lumabet's command, and the eighth
time he was small like a little boy, for each time they
had cut off some of his flesh. They all wondered very
much at Lumabet's power, and they were certain that
he was a god.
One morning some spirits came to talk with Luma-
bet, and after they had gone he called the people to
come into his house.
"We cannot all come in," said the people, "for your
house is small and we are many."
"There is plenty of room," said he; so all went
in and to their surprise it did not seem crowded.
Then he told the people that he was going on a
long journey and that all who believed he had great
power could go with him, while all who remained
behind would be changed into animals and buso. 1 He
started out, many following him, and it was as he said.
1 These are evil spirits who have power to injure people. They are
ugly to look at and go about eating anything, even dead persons. A
young Bagobo described his idea of a buso as follows: "He has a long
body, long feet and neck, curly hair, and black face, flat nose, and one
big red or yellow eye. He has big feet and fingers, but small arms,
and his two big teeth are long and pointed. Like a dog, he goes
about eating anything, even dead persons." Cole, Wild Tribes of
Davao District, Field Museum Nat. Hist, Vol. XII, No. 2, p. 107.
[136]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
For those that refused to go were immediately changed
into animals and buso.
He led the people far away across the ocean to a
place where the earth and the sky meet. When they
arrived they saw that the sky moved up and down like
a man opening and closing his jaws.
"Sky, you must go up," commanded Lumabet.
But the sky would not obey. So the people could
not go through. Finally Lumabet promised the sky
that if he would let all the others through, he might
have the last man who tried to pass. Agreeing to
this, the sky opened and the people entered. But when
near the last the sky shut down so suddenly that he
caught not only the last man but also the long knife
of the man before.
On that same day, Lumabet' s son, who was hunting,
did not know that his father had gone to the sky.
When he was tired of the chase, he wanted to go to
his father, so he leaned an arrow against a baliti tree
and sat down on it. Slowly it began to go down and
carried him to his father's place, but when he arrived
he could find no people. He looked here and there
and could find nothing but a gun made of gold. 1 This
made him very sorrowful and he did not know what
to do until some white bees which were in the house
said to him:
"You must not weep, for we can take you to the
sky where your father is."
1 This is evidently an old tale in which the story-teller introduce*
modern ideas.
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PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
So he did as they bade, and rode on the gun, and
the bees flew away with him, until in three days they
reached the sky.
Now, although most of the men who followed Luma-
bet were content to live in the sky, there was one who
was very unhappy, and all the time he kept looking
down on the land below. The spirits made fun of
him and wanted to take out his intestines so that he
would be like them and never die, but he was afraid
and always begged to be allowed to go back home.
Finally Manama told the spirits to allow him to
go, so they made a chain of the leaves of the karan
grass and tied it to his legs. Then they let him down
slowly head first, and when he reached the ground he
was no longer a man but an owl. 1
1 Here, as is often the case, an origin story has been added to a
tale with which it has no logical connection.
[138]
THE STORY OF THE CREATION 1
Ella an (Mindanao)
FN the very beginning there lived a being so large
* that he can not be compared with any known thing.
His name was Melu, 2 and when he sat on the clouds,
which were his home, he occupied all the space above.
His teeth were pure gold, and because he was very
cleanly and continually rubbed himself with his hands,
his skin became pure white. The dead skin which he
rubbed 0$ his body 3 was placed on one side in a pile,
and by and by this pile became so large that he was
annoyed and set himself to consider what he could do
with it.
Finally Melu decided to make the earth; so he
worked very hard in putting the dead skin into shape,
and when it was finished he was so pleased with it that
he determined to make two beings like himself, though
smaller, to live on it.
Taking the remnants of the material left after
1 This story is well known among the Bilaan, who are one of the
tribes least influenced by the Spaniards, and yet it bears so many
incidents similar to biblical accounts that there is a strong suggestion
of Christian influence. It is possible that these ideas came through
the Mohammedan Moro.
2 The most powerful of the spirits and the one to whom the people
resort in times of danger.
3 A similar story is found in British North Borneo. See Evans,
Journal of Royal Anthropological Institute, 1913, p. 423.
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PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
making the earth he fashioned two men, but just as
they were all finished except their noses, Tau Tana
from below the earth appeared and wanted to help
him.
Melu did not wish any assistance, and a great argu-
ment ensued. Tau Tana finally won his point and
made the noses which he placed on the people upside
down. When all was finished, Melu and Tau Tana
whipped the forms until they moved. Then Melu
went to his home above the clouds, and Tau Tana
returned to his place below the earth.
All went well until one day a great rain came, and
the people on the earth nearly drowned from the water
which ran off their heads into their noses. Melu, from
his place on the clouds, saw their danger, and he came
quickly to earth and saved their lives by turning their
noses the other side up.
The people were very grateful to him, and prom-
ised to do anything he should ask of them. Before
he left for the sky, they told him that they were very
unhappy living on the great earth all alone, so he told
them to save all the hair from their heads and the dry
skin from their bodies and the next time he came he
would make them some companions. And in this way
there came to be a great many people on the earth.
I
IN THE BEGINNING
Eilaan (Mindanao)
N the beginning there were four beings, 1 and they
lived on an island no larger than a hat. On this
island there were no trees or grass or any other living
thing besides these four people and one bird. 2 One
day they sent this bird out across the waters to see
what he could find, and when he returned he brought
some earth, a piece of rattan, and some fruit.
Melu, the greatest of the four, took the soil and
shaped it and beat it with a paddle in the same manner
in which a woman shapes pots of clay, and when he
finished he had made the earth. Then he planted the
seeds from the fruit, and they grew until there was
much rattan and many trees bearing fruit.
The four beings watched the growth for a long
time and were well pleased with the work, but finally
Melu said:
"Of what use is this earth and all the rattan and
fruit if there are no people ?"
And the others replied, "Let us make some people
out of wax."
So they took some wax and worked long, fashion-
ing it into forms, but when they brought them to the
1 Melu, Fiuweigh, Diwata, and Saweigh.
2 Buswit.
[HI]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
fire the wax melted, and they saw that men could not
be made in that way.
Next they decided to try to use dirt in making people,
and Melu and one of his companions began working
on that. All went well till they were ready to make
the noses. The companion, who was working on that
part, put them on upside down. Melu told him that
the people would drown if he left them that way, but
he refused to change them.
When his back was turned, however, Melu seized
the noses, one by one, and turned them as they now
are. But he was in such a hurry that he pressed his
finger at the root, and it left a mark in the soft clay
which you can still see on the faces of people.
I
THE CHILDREN OF THE LIMOKON 1
Mandaya (Mindanao)
N the very early days before there were any people
on the earth, the limokon (a kind of dove) 2 were
very powerful and could talk like men though they
looked like birds. One limokon laid two eggs, one at
the mouth of the Mayo River and one farther up its
course. After some time these eggs hatched, and the
one at the mouth of the river became ajnan, while the
other became a woman.
The man lived alone on the bank of the river for a
long time, but he was very lonely and wished many
times for a companion. One day when he was cross-
ing the river something was swept against his legs with
such force that it nearly caused him to drown. On
examining it, he found that it was a hair, and he
determined to go up the river and find whence it
came. He traveled up the stream, looking on both
banks, until finally he found the woman, and he was
J An origin story of a very different type from those of the Bukidnon
and Bagobo. While the others show foreign influence, this appears to
be typically primitive.
2 The omen bird of the Mandaya. It is believed to be a messenger
from the spirit world which, by its calls, warns the people of danger
or promises them success. If the coo of this bird comes from the
right side, it is a good sign, but if it is on the left, in back, or in
front, it is a bad sign, and the Mandaya knows that he must change
his plans.
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PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
very happy to think that at last he could have a
companion.
They were married and had many children, who
are the Mandaya still living along the Mayo River.
THE SUN AND THE MOON
Mandaya (Mindanao)
THE Sun and the Moon were married, but the Sun
was very ugly and quarrelsome. One day he
became angry at the Moon and started to chase her.
She ran very fast until she was some distance ahead
of him, when she grew tired and he almost caught
her. Ever since he has been chasing her, at times
almost reaching her, and again falling far behind.
The first child of the Sun and Moon was a large
star, and he was like a man. One time the Sun, be-
coming angry at the star, cut him up into small pieces
and scattered him over the whole sky just as a woman
scatters rice, and ever since there have been many
stars.
Another child of the Sun and Moon was a gigantic
crab. 1 He still lives and is so powerful that every
time he opens and closes his eyes there is a flash of
lightning. Most of the time the crab lives in a large
hole in the bottom of the sea, and when he is there we
have high tide ; but when he leaves the hole, the waters
rush in and there is low tide. His moving about also
causes great waves on the surface of the sea.
The crab is quarrelsome like his father; a,nd he
sometimes becomes so angry with his mother, the
1 Thc crab was called Tambanokano.
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PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
Moon, that he tries to swallow her. 1 When the people
on earth, who are fond of the Moon, see the crab
near her, they run out of doors and shout and beat
on gongs until he is frightened away, and thus the
Moon is saved.
*An eclipse of the moon. This belief in a monster swallowing the
moon and the wild efforts to frighten it away are very widespread.
It is found among the Batak of Palawan and in other parts of
Malaysia as well as in the South Sea, Mongol, Chinese, Siamese, and
Hindoo mythology. Even in Peru we find the belief that an evil spirit
in the form of a beast was eating the moon, and that in order to scare
it the people shouted and yelled and beat their dogs to make them
add to the noise. See Karlson, Journal of Religious Psychology,
November, 1914, p. 164.
[i 4 6]
I
THE WIDOW'S SON 1
Subanun (Mindanao)
N a little house at the edge of a village lived a widow
with her only son, and they were very happy to-
gether. The son was kind to his mother, and they
made their living by growing rice in clearings on the
mountain side and by hunting wild pig in the forest.
One evening when their supply of meat was low,
the boy said:
"Mother, I am going to hunt pig in the morning,
and I wish you would prepare rice for me before day-
light."
So the widow rose early and cooked the rice, and
at dawn the boy started out with his spear and dog.
Some distance from the village, he entered the thick
forest. He walked on and on, ever on the lookout
for game, but none appeared. At last when he had
traveled far and the sun was hot, he sat down on a
rock to rest and took out his brass box 2 to get a piece
of betel-nut. He prepared the nut and leaf for chew-
ing, and as he did so he wondered why it was that he
had been so unsuccessful that day. But even as he
pondered he heard his dog barking sharply, and cram-
1 First recorded by Emerson B. Christie.
2 A brass box having three compartments, one for lime, one for the
nut, and another for the betel-leaf, which is used in preparing the nut
for chewing.
[147]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
ming the betel-nut into his mouth he leaped up and
ran toward the dog.
As he drew near he could see that the game was a
fine large pig, all black save its four legs which were
white. He lifted his spear and took aim, but before
he could throw the pig started to run, and instead of
going toward a water course it ran straight up the
mountain. The boy went on in hot pursuit, and when
the pig paused he again took aim, but before he could
throw it ran on.
Six times the pig stopped just long enough for the
boy to take aim, and then started on before he could
throw. The seventh time, however, it halted on the
top of a large flat rock and the boy succeeded in
killing it.
He tied its legs together with a piece of rattan and
was about to start for home with the pig on his back,
when to his surprise a door in the large stone swung
open and a man stepped out.
"Why have you killed my master's pig?" asked the
man.
"I did not know that this pig belonged to anyone, "
replied the widow's son. "I was hunting, as I often
do, and when my dog found the pig I helped him to
catch it."
"Come in and see my master," said the man, and
the boy followed him into the stone where he found
himself in a large room. The ceiling and floor were
covered with peculiar cloth that had seven wide stripes
of red alternating with a like number of yellow stripes.
When the master of the place appeared his trousers
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
were of seven colors, 1 as were also his jacket and the
kerchief about his head.
The master ordered betel-nut, and when it was
brought they chewed together. Then he called for
wine, and it was brought in a jar so large that it had
to be set on the ground under the house, and even
then the top came so high above the floor that they
brought a seat for the widow's son, ajid it raised him
just high enough to drink from the reed in the top of
the jar. He drank seven cups of wine, and then they
ate rice and fish and talked together.
The master did not blame the boy for killing the
pig, and declared that he wished to make a brother of
him. So they became friends, and the boy remained
seven days in the stone. At the end of that time, he
said that he must return to his mother who would be
worried about him. In the early morning he left the
strange house and started for home.
At first he walked briskly, but as the morning wore
on he went more slowly, and finally when the sun was
high he sat down on a rock to rest. Suddenly looking
up, he saw before him seven men each armed with a
spear, a shield, and a sword. They were dressed in
different colors, and each man had eyes the same color
as his clothes. The leader, who was dressed all in
1 The Subanun have adopted the Moro dress, which consists of long
trousers and a coat. The tale shows strong Moro influence through-
out. Seven is a mystic and magical number among the Malay. It is
constantly used in divination and magical practices and repeatedly
occurs in their folk-lore. Skeat explains its importance by referring
to the seven souls which each mortal is supposed to possess. See Skeat,
Malay Magic, p. 50.
[149]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
red with red eyes to match, spoke first, asking the boy
where he was going. The boy replied that he was
going home to his mother who would be looking for
him, and added:
"Now I ask where you are going, all armed ready
for war."
"We are warriors," replied the man in red. "And
we go up and down the world killing whatever we see
that has life. Now that we have met you, we must
kill you also."
The boy, startled by this strange speech, was about
to answer when he heard a voice near him say:
"Fight, for they will try to kill you," and upon looking
up he saw his spear, shield, and sword which he had
left at home. Then he knew that the command came
from a spirit, so he took his weapons and began to
fight. For three days and nights they contended, and
never before had the seven seen one man so brave.
On the fourth day the leader was wounded and fell
dead, and then, one by one, the other six fell.
When they were all killed, the widow's son was so
crazed with fighting that he thought no longer of re-
turning home, but started out to find more to slay.
In his wanderings he came to the home of a great
giant whose house was already full of the men he had
conquered in battle, and he called up from outside:
"Is the master of the house at home? If he is, let
him come out and fight."
This threw the giant into a rage, and seizing his
shield and his spear, the shaft of which was the trunk
of a tree, he sprang to the door and leaped to the
[150]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
ground, not waiting to go down the notched pole which
served for steps. He looked around for his antago-
nist, and seeing only the widow's son he roared:
"Where is the man that wants to fight? That
thing? It is only a fly!"
The boy did not stop to answer, but rushed at the
giant with his knife; and for three days and nights
they struggled, till the giant fell, wounded at the
waist.
After that the widow's son stopped only long enough
to burn the giant's house, and then rushed on looking
for someone else to slay. Suddenly he again heard
the voice which had bade him fight with the seven
men, and this time it said: "Go home now, for your
mother is grieved at your absence." In a rage he sprang
forward with his sword, though he could see no enemy.
Then the spirit which had spoken to him made him
sleep for a short time. When he awoke the rage was
spent.
Again the spirit appeared, and it said: "The seven
men whom you killed were sent to kill you by the
spirit of the great stone, for he looked in your hand
and saw that you were to marry the orphan girl whom
he himself wished to wed. But you have conquered.
Your enemies are dead. Go home now and prepare a
great quantity of wine, for I shall bring your enemies
to life again, and you will all live in peace."
So the widow's son went home, and his mother, who
had believed him dead, was filled with joy at his coming,
and all the people in the town came out to welcome
him. When he had told them his story, they hastened
[150
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
to get wine, and all day they bore jarsful to the widow's
house.
That night there was a great feast, and the spirit of
the great stone, his seven warriors, the friendly spirit,
and the giant all came. The widow's son married the
orphan girl, while another beautiful woman became
the wife of the spirit of the stone.
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
Moro
INTRODUCTION
ABOUT the year 1400 something happened which
changed the beliefs and customs of many of the
tribes of the southern Philippines and made of them
a powerful and dreaded people.
It was about this time that Arabian traders and mis-
sionaries began to establish themselves in the Islands,
and soon these were followed by hordes of Moham-
medan converts from the islands to the south. Among
the newcomers were men who became powerful rulers,
and they, in time, brought together many of the settle-
ments which formerly had been hostile to each other
and united them under the faith of Islam. Those who
accepted the new faith adopted the dress and many of
the customs of their teachers and came to be known
as Moro.
With the possession of firearms, which were intro-
duced by the newcomers, the Moro grew very daring
and were greatly feared by the other natives. And
soon they began to make long trips on the sea to the
north and south, carrying on trade and making many
surprise attacks for loot and slaves.
At the time the Spaniards discovered the Philip-
pines, the Moro were a terror to the other inhabitants,
and they continued to be so until very recent years.
They became ferocious pirates infesting the southern
seas and preying upon the rich teade which the Span-
[155]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
iards carried on with Mexico. Stone walls and watch
towers were built at advantageous points to guard
against them, but bays and creeks which afforded op-
portunities for lurking, surprise, and attack continued
to be frequented by the treacherous warriors.
Since American occupation the waters have been
made practically free from their ravages, but on land
they have continued to give trouble. The greater part
of the Moro now live in the Sulu Archipelago and on
the Island of Mindanao. They range in degree of
civilization from sea "gypsies," who wander from place
to place, living for months in their rude outrigger boats,
to settled communities which live by fishing and farm-
ing, and even by manufacturing some cloth, brass, and
steel. Their villages are near the coast, along rivers,
or about the shores of the interior lakes, the houses
being raised high on poles near or over the water, for
they live largely on food from the sea.
Their folk-lore, as will be seen from the following
tales, shows decided influence from Arabia and India,
which has filtered in through the islands to the south. 1
1 No tales illustrate to better advantage the persistence of old stories
and beliefs than do these of the Moro. They are permeated with in-
cidents very similar to those still found among the pagan tribes of the
Archipelago, while associated with these are the spirits and demons of
Hindu mythology. Finally we find the semi-historical events recorded
by the Mohammedanized Malay, the ancestors of the tellers of the
tales.
[156]
MYTHOLOGY OF MINDANAO 1
Moro
ALONG, long time ago Mindanao was covered
with water, and the sea extended over all the
lowlands so that nothing could be seen but mountains.
Then there were many people living in the country,
and all the highlands were dotted with villages and
settlements. For many years the people prospered,
living in peace and contentment. Suddenly there ap-
peared in the land four horrible monsters which, in a
short time, had devoured every human being they could
find.
Kurita, a terrible creature with many limbs, lived
partly on land and partly in the sea, but its favorite
haunt was the mountain where the rattan grew; and
here it brought utter destruction on every living thing.
The second monster, Tarabusaw, an ugly creature in
the form of a man, lived on Mt. Matutun, and far
and wide from that place he devoured the people,
laying waste the land. The third, an enormous bird
called Pah, 2 was so large that when on the wing it
covered the sun and brought darkness to the earth.
Its egg was as large as a house. Mt. Bita was its haunt,
'First recorded by N. M. Saleeby.
2 These great birds are doubtless derived from Indian literature in
which the fabulous bird garuda played such an important part.
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PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
and there the only people who escaped its voracity were
those who hid in caves in the mountains. The fourth
monster was a dreadful bird also, having seven heads
and the power to see in all directions at the same time.
Mt. Gurayn was its home and like the others it
wrought havoc in its region.
So great was the death and destruction caused by
these terrible animals that at length the news spread
even to the most distant lands, and all nations were
grieved to hear of the sad fate of Mindanao.
Now far across the sea in the land of the golden
sunset was a city so great that to look at its many
people would injure the eyes of man. When tidings
of these great disasters reached this distant city, the
heart of the king Indarapatra 1 was filled with com-
passion, and he called his brother, Sulayman, 2 begging
him to save the land of Mindanao from the monsters.
Sulayman listened to the story, and as he heard he
was moved with pity.
"I will go," said he, zeal and enthusiasm adding to
his strength, "and the land shall be avenged."
King Indarapatra, proud of his brother's courage,
gave him a ring and a sword as he wished him success
and safety. Then he placed a young sapling by his
window 3 and said to Sulayman:
u By this tree I shall know your fate from the time
J A common name in Malay and Sumatran tales.
2 Probably Solomon of the Old Testament, who is a great historic
figure among the Malay and who plays an important part in their
romances.
'See note i, p. 28.
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PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
you depart from here, for if you live, it will live; but
if you die, it will die also."
So Sulayman departed for Mindanao, and he neither
walked nor used a boat, but he went through the air
and landed on the mountain where the rattan grew.
There he stood on the summit and gazed about on
all sides. He looked on the land and the villages,
but he could see no living thing. And he was very
sorrowful and cried out:
"Alas, how pitiful and dreadful is this devastation !"
No sooner had Sulayman uttered these words than
the whole mountain began to move, and then shook.
Suddenly out of the ground came the horrible creature,
Kurita. It sprang at the man and sank its claws into
his flesh. But Sulayman, knowing at once that this
was the scourge of the land, drew his sword and cut
the Kurita to pieces.
Encouraged by his first success, Sulayman went on
to Mt. Matutun where conditions were even worse.
As he stood on the heights viewing the great devasta-
tion there was a noise in the forest and a movement
in the trees. With a loud yell, forth leaped Tara-
busaw. For a moment they looked at each other,
neither showing any fear. Then Tarabusaw threat-
ened to devour the man, and Sulayman declared that
he would kill the monster. At that the animal broke
large branches off the trees and began striking at Sulay-
man who, in turn, fought back. For a long time the
battle continued until at last the monster fell exhausted
to the ground and then Sulayman killed him with his
sword.
[159]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
The next place visited by Sulayman was Mt. Bita.
Here havoc was present everywhere, and though he
passed by many homes, not a single soul was left. As
he walked along, growing sadder at each moment, a
sudden darkness which startled him fell over the land.
As he looked toward the sky he beheld a great bird
descending upon him. Immediately he struck at it,
cutting off its wing with his sword, and the bird fell
dead at his feet; but the wing fell on Sulayman, and
he was crushed.
Now at this very time King Indarapatra was sitting
at his window, and looking out he saw the little tree
wither and dry up.
u Alas !" he cried, "my brother is dead" ; and he wept
bitterly.
Then although he was very sad, he was filled with
a desire for revenge, and putting on his sword and
belt he started for Mindanao in search of his brother.
He, too, traveled through the air with great speed
until he came to the mountain where the rattan grew.
There he looked about, awed at the great destruction,
and when he saw the bones of Kurita he knew that
his brother had been there and gone. He went on
till he came to Matutun, and when he saw the bones
of Tarabusaw he knew that this, too, was the work of
Sulayman.
Still searching for his brother, he arrived at Mt.
Bita where the dead bird lay on the ground, and as
he lifted the severed wing he beheld the bones of Sulay-
man with his sword by his side. His grief now so
overwhelmed Indarapatra that he wept for some time.
[160]
A NET MAKER
BRINGING WATER FROM THE STREAM
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
Upon looking up he beheld a small jar of water by his
side. ,This he knew had been sent from heaven, and
he poured the water over the bones, and Sulayman
came to life again. They greeted each other and
talked long together. Sulayman declared that he had
not been dead but asleep, and their hearts were full
of joy.
After some time Sulayman returned to his distant
home, but Indarapatra continued his journey to Mt.
Gurayn where he killed the dreadful bird with the
seven heads. After these monsters had all been de-
stroyed and peace and safety had been restored to the
land, Indarapatra began searching everywhere to see
if some of the people might not be hidden in the earth
still alive.
One day during his search he caught sight of a beau-
tiful woman at a distance. When he hastened toward
her she disappeared through a hole in the ground where
she was standing. Disappointed and tired, he sat
down on a rock to rest, when, looking about, he saw
near him a pot of uncooked rice with a big fire on the
ground in front of it. This revived him and he pro-
ceeded to cook the rice. As he did so, however, he
heard someone laugh near by, and turning he beheld
an old woman watching him. As he greeted her, she
drew near and talked with him while he ate the rice.
Of all the people in the land, the old woman told
him, only a very few were still alive, and they hid in
a cave in the ground from whence they never ventured.
As for herself and her old husband, she went on, they
had hidden in a hollow tree, and this they had never
[16:]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
dared leave until after Sulayman killed the voracious
bird, Pah.
At Indarapatra's earnest request, the old woman
led him to the cave where he found the headman with
his family and some of his people. They all gathered
about the stranger, asking many questions, for this was
the first they had heard about the death of the mon-
sters. When they found what Indarapatra had done
for them, they were filled with gratitude, and to show
their appreciation the headman gave his daughter to
him in marriage, and she proved to be the beautiful
girl whom Indarapatra had seen at the mouth of the
cave.
Then the people all came out of their hiding-place
and returned to their homes where they lived in peace
and happiness. And the sea withdrew from the land
and gave the lowlands to the people.
THE STORY OF BANTUGAN
Moro
T3EFORE the Spaniards occupied the island of Min-
"*^ danao, there lived in the valley of the Rio Grande
a very strong man, Bantugan, whose father was the
brother of the earthquake and thunder. 1
Now the Sultan of the Island 2 had a beautiful daugh-
ter whom Bantugan wished to marry, but the home
of the Sultan was far off, and whoever went to carry
Bantugan's proposal would have a long and hazardous
journey. All the head men consulted together regard-
ing who should be sent, and at last it was decided that
Bantugan's own son, Balatama, was the one to go.
Balatama was young but he was strong and brave, and
when the arms of his father were given him to wear
on the long journey his heart swelled with pride.
More than once on the way, however, his courage was
tried, and only the thought of his brave father gave
him strength to proceed.
Once he came to a wooden fence which surrounded
a stone in the form of a man, and as it was directly
in his path he drew his fighting knife to cut down the
a ln this case of a semi-historic being, whose father was said to be
the brother of the earthquake and thunder, we have an interesting
blending of mythological and historical facts.
2 Among Malay people the sultan is the supreme ruler of a district,
while petty rulers are known as datos.
[163]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
fence. Immediately the air became as black as night
and stones rained down as large as houses. This
made Balatama cry, but he protected himself with his
father's shield and prayed, calling on the winds from
the homeland until they came and cleared the air
again.
Thereupon Balatama encountered a great snake 1 in
the road, and it inquired his errand. When told, the
snake said:
"You cannot go on, for I am guard of this road
and no one can pass."
The animal made a move to seize him, but with
one stroke of his fighting knife the boy cut the snake
into two pieces, one of which he threw into the sea
and the other into the mountains.
After many days the weary lad came to a high rock
in the road, which glistened in the sunlight. From
the top he could look down into the city for which he
was bound. It was a splendid place with ten har-
bors. Standing out from the other houses was one
of crystal and another of pure gold. Encouraged by
this sight he went on, but though it seemed but a short
distance, it was some time before he at last stood at
the gate of the town.
It was not long after this, however, before Bala-
tama had made known his errand to the Sultan, and
that monarch, turning to his courtiers, said:
"You, my friends, decide whether or not I shall
1 Here, as in the Tinguian lore, we find heroes conversing with
animals and commanding the forces of nature to come to their aid.
[164]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
give the hand of my daughter to Bantugan in mar-
riage."
The courtiers slowly shook their heads and began
to offer objections.
Said one , "I do not see how Bantugan can marry
the Sultan's daughter because the first gift must be a
figure of a man or woman in pure gold."
"Well," said the son of Bantugan, "I am here to
learn what you want and to say whether or not it can
be given."
Then a second man spoke : "You must give a great
yard with a floor of gold, which must be three feet
thick."
"All this can be given," answered the boy.
And the sister of the Princess said: "The gifts must
be as many as the blades of grass in our city."
"It shall be granted," said Balatama.
"You must give a bridge built of stone to cross the
great river," said one.
And another: "A ship of stone you must give, and
you must change into gold all the cocoamits and leaves
in the Sultan's grove."
"All this can be done," said Balatama. "My uncles
will give all save the statue of gold, and that I shall
give myself. But first I must go to my father's town
to secure it."
At this they were angry and declared that he had
made sport of them and unless he produced the statue
at once they would kill him.
"If I give you the statue now," said he, "there will
come dreadful storms, rain, and darkness."
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
But they only laughed at him and insisted on having
the statue, so he reached in his helmet and drew it
forth.
Immediately the earth began to quake. A great
storm arose, and stones as large as houses rained until
the Sultan called to Balatama to put back the statue
lest they all be killed.
"You would not believe what I told you," said the
boy; "and now I am going to let the storm continue."
But the Sultan begged him and promised that Ban-
tugan might marry his daughter with no other gifts
at all save the statue of gold. Balatama put back
the statue into his helmet, and the air became calm
again to the great relief of the Sultan and his courtiers.
Then Balatama prepared to return home, promising
that Bantugan would come in three months for the
wedding.
All went well with the boy on the way home until
he came to the fence surrounding the stone in the form
of a man, and there he was detained and compelled
to remain four months.
Now about this time a Spanish general heard that
Bantugan was preparing to marry the Sultan's daugh-
ter, whom he determined to wed himself. A great
expedition was prepared, and he with all his brothers
embarked on his large warship which was followed by
ten thousand other ships. They went to the Sultan's
city, and their number was so great that they filled
the harbor, frightening the people greatly.
Then the General's brother disembarked and came
to the house of the Sultan. He demanded the Princess
[166]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
for the General, saying that if the request were re-
fused, the fleet would destroy the city and all its people.
The Sultan and his courtiers were so frightened that
they decided to give his daughter to the General, the
next full moon being the date set for the wedding.
In the meantime Bantugan had been preparing every-
thing for the marriage which he expected to take place
at the appointed time. But as the days went by and
Balatama did not return, they became alarmed, fearing
he was dead. After three months had passed, Ban-
tugan prepared a great expedition to go in search of
his son, and the great warship was decorated with flags
of gold.
As they came in sight of the Sultan's city, they saw
the Spanish fleet in the harbor, and one of his brothers
advised Bantugan not to enter until the Spaniards left.
They then brought their ship to anchor. But all were
disappointed that they could not go farther, and one
said, "Why do we not go on? Even if the blades of
grass turn into Spaniards we need not fear." Another
said: "Why do we fear? Even if the cannon-balls
come like rain, we can always fight." Finally some
wanted to return to their homes and Bantugan said:
"No, let us seek my son. Even though we must enter
the harbor where the Spaniards are, let us continue
our search." So at his command the anchors were
lifted, and they sailed into the harbor where the Span-
ish fleet lay.
Now at this very time the Spanish general and his
brother were with the Sultan, intending to call upon
the Princess. As the brother talked with one of the
[167]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
sisters of the Princess they moved toward the window,
and looking down they saw Bantugan's ships entering
the harbor. They could not tell whose flags the ships
bore. Neither could the Sultan when he was called.
Then he sent his brother to bring his father who was
a very old man, to see if he could tell. The father
was kept in a little dark room by himself that he might
not get hurt, and the Sultan said to his brother:
"If he is so bent with age that he cannot see, talk,
or walk, tickle him in the ribs and that will make him
young again; and, my Brother, carry him here yourself
lest one of the slaves should let him fall and he should
hurt himself."
So the old man was brought, and when he looked
out upon the ships he saw that the flags were those of
the father of Bantugan who had been a great friend
of his in his youth. And he told them that he and
Bantugan's father years ago had made a contract that
their children and children's children should inter-
marry, and now since the Sultan had promised his
daughter to two people, he foresaw that great trouble
would come to the land. Then the Sultan said to the
General:
"Here are two claimants to my daughter's hand.
Go aboard your ships and you and Bantugan make
war on each other, and the victor shall have my
daughter."
So the Spaniards opened fire upon Bantugan, and
for three days the earth was so covered with smoke
from the battle that neither could see his enemy. Then
the Spanish general said:
[168]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
"I cannot see Bantugan or the fleet anywhere, so
let us go and claim the Princess."
But the Sultan said : "We must wait until the smoke
rises to make sure that Bantugan is gone."
When the smoke rose, the ships of Bantugan were
apparently unharmed and the Sultan said:
"Bantugan has surely won, for his fleet is uninjured
while yours is badly damaged. You have lost."
"No," said the General, "we will fight it out on
dry land."
So they both landed their troops and their cannon,
and a great fight took place, and soon the ground was
covered with dead bodies. And the Sultan com-
manded them to stop, as the women and children in
the city were being killed by the cannon-balls, but the
General said:
"If you give your daughter to Bantugan we shall
fight forever or until we die."
Then the Sultan sent for Bantugan and said:
"We must deceive the Spaniard in order to get him
to go away. Let us tell him that neither of you will
marry my daughter, and then after he has gone, we
shall have the wedding."
Bantugan agreed to this, and word was sent to the
Spaniards that the fighting must cease since many
women and children were being killed. So it was
agreed between the Spaniard and Bantugan that neither
of them should marry the Princess. Then they both
sailed away to their homes.
Bantugan soon returned, however, and married the
Princess, and on the way back to his home they found
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
his son and took him with them. For about a week
the Spanish general sailed toward his home and then
he, too, turned about to go back, planning to take the
Princess by force. When he found that she had al-
ready been carried away by Bantugan, his wrath knew
no bounds. ' He destroyed the Sultan, his city, and
all its people. And then he sailed away to prepare a
great expedition with which he should utterly destroy
Bantugan and his country as well.
One morning Bantugan looked out and saw at the
mouth of the Rio Grande the enormous fleet of the
Spaniards whose numbers were so great that in no
direction could the horizon be seen. His heart sank
within him, for he knew that he and his country were
doomed.
Though he could not hope to win in a fight against
such great numbers, he called his headmen together
and said:
"My Brothers, the Christian dogs have come to de-
stroy the land. We cannot successfully oppose them,
but in the defense of the fatherland we can die."
So the great warship was again prepared, and all
the soldiers of Islam embarked, and then with Ban-
tugan standing at the bow they sailed forth to meet
their fate.
The fighting was fast and furious, but soon the great
warship of Bantugan filled with water until at last it
sank, drawing with it hundreds of the Spanish ships.
And then a strange thing happened. At the very spot
where Bantugan's warship sank, there arose from the
sea a great island which you can see today not far
[170]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
from the mouth of the Rio Grande. It is covered
with bongo palms, and deep within its mountains live
Bantugan and his warriors. A Moro sailboat passing
this island is always scanned by Bantugan's watchers,
and if it contains women such as he admires, they are
snatched from their seats and carried deep into the
heart of the mountain. For this reason Moro women
fear even to sail near the island of Bongos.
When the wife of Bantugan saw that her husband
was no more and that his warship had been destroyed,
she gathered together the remaining warriors and set
forth herself to avenge him. In a few hours her ship
was also sunk, and in the place where it sank there
arose the mountain of Timaco.
On this thickly wooded island are found white
monkeys, the servants of the Princess, who still lives
in the center of the mountain. On a quiet day high up
on the mountain side one can hear the chanting and
singing of the waiting-girls of the wife of Bantugan.
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
Christianized Tribes
INTRODUCTION
TTTHEN the Spaniards discovered the Philippines
in the sixteenth century, they found the tribes
along the coasts of the different islands already some-
what influenced by trade with China, Siam, and the
islands to the south.
Under Spanish rule the coast inhabitants, with the
exception of the Moro, soon became converts to Chris-
tianity and adopted the dress of their conquerors,
though they retained their several dialects and many
of their former customs. Then, no longer being at
war with one another, they made great advances in
civilization, while the hill tribes have remained iso-
lated, retaining their old customs and beliefs.
The tales of the Christianized tribes include a great
mixture of old ideas and foreign influences obtained
through contact with the outside world.
[175]
THE MONKEY AND THE TURTLE
Ilocano
A MONKEY, looking very sad and dejected, was
* * walking along the bank of the river one day when
he met a turtle.
"How are you?" asked the turtle, noticing that he
looked sad.
The monkey replied, "Oh, my friend, I am very
hungry. The squash of Mr. Farmer were all taken
by the other monkeys, and now I am about to die
from want of food."
"Do not be discouraged," said the turtle; "take a
bolo and follow me and we will steal some banana
plants."
So they walked along together until they found some
nice plants which they dug up, and then they looked
for a place to set them. Finally the monkey climbed
a tree and planted his in it, but as the turtle could not
climb he dug a hole in the ground and set his there.
When their work was finished they went away, plan-
ning what they should do with their crop. The
monkey said:
"When my tree bears fruit, I shall sell it and have
a great deal of money."
And the turtle said: "When my tree bears fruit, I
shall sell it and buy three varas of cloth to wear in
place of this cracked shell."
[176]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
A few weeks later they went back to the place to see
their plants and found that that of the monkey was
dead, for its roots had had no soil in the tree, but that
of the turtle was tall and bearing fruit.
"I will climb to the top so that we can get the fruit,"
said the monkey. And he sprang up the tree, leaving
the poor turtle on the ground alone.
"Please give me some to eat," called the turtle, but
the monkey threw him only a green one and ate all the
ripe ones himself.
When he had eaten all the good bananas, the monkey
stretched his arms around the tree and went to sleep.
[The turtle, seeing this, was very angry and considered
how he might punish the thief. Having decided on
a scheme, he gathered some sharp bamboo which he
stuck all around under the tree, and then he exclaimed :
"Crocodile is coming! Crocodile is coming !"
The monkey was so startled at the cry that he fell
upon the sharp bamboo and was killed.
Then the turtle cut the dead monkey into pieces, put
salt on it, and dried it in the sun. The next day, he
went to the mountains and sold his meat to other
monkeys who gladly gave him squash in return. As
he was leaving them he called back:
"Lazy fellows, you are now eating your own body;
you are now eating your own body."
Then the monkeys ran and caught him and carried
him to their own home.
"Let us take a hatchet," said one old monkey, "and
cut him into very small pieces."
But the turtle laughed and said: "That is just what
[177]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
I like. I have been struck with a hatchet many times.
Do you not see the black scars on my shell?"
Then one of the other monkeys said: "Let us throw
him into the water."
At this the turtle cried and begged them to spare
his life, but they paid no heed to his pleadings and
threw him into the water. He sank to the bottom,
but very soon came up with a lobster. The monkeys
were greatly surprised at this and begged him to tell
them how to catch lobsters.
"I tied one end of a string around my waist," said
the turtle. "To the other end of the string I tied a
stone so that I would sink."
The monkeys immediately tied strings around them-
selves as the turtle said, and when all was ready they
plunged into the water never to come up again.
And to this day monkeys do not like to eat meat,
because they remember the ancient story. 1
1 This tale told by the Ilocano is well known among both the
Christianized and the wild tribes of the Philippines, and also in
Borneo and Java. However, the Ilocano is the only version, so far as
known, which has the explanatory element: the reason is given here
why monkeys do not eat meat. The turtle is accredited with extraor-
dinary sagacity and cunning. It is another example of the type of
tale showing the victory of the weak and cunning over the strong but
stupid. Bee "The Turtle and the Lizard," p. 86.
[178]
THE POOR FISHERMAN AND HIS WIFE
Ilocano
IV/f ANY, many years ago a poor fisherman and his
*** wife lived with their three sons in a village by
the sea. One day the old man set his snare in the
water not far from his house, and at night when he
went to look at it, he found that he had caught a great
white fish. This startled the old man very much, for
he had never seen a fish like this before, and it occurred
to him that it was the priest of the town.
He ran to his wife as fast as he could and cried:
"My wife, I have caught the priest."
"What?" said the old woman, terrified at the sight
of her frightened husband.
"I have caught the priest," said the old man again.
They hurried together to the river where the snare
was set, and when the old woman saw the fish, she
cried:
"Oh, it is not the priest but the governor."
"No, it is the priest," insisted the old man, and they
went home trembling with fear.
That night neither of them was able to sleep for
thought of the terrible thing that had happened and
wondering what they should do. Now the next day
was a great holiday in the town. At four o'clock in
the morning cannons were fired and bells rang loudly.
The old man and woman, hearing all the noise and
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
not knowing the reason for it, thought that their crime
had been discovered, and the people were searching
for them to punish them, so they set out as fast as
they could to hide in the woods. On and on they went,
stopping only to rest so as to enable them to resume
their flight.
The next morning they reached the woods near Pilar,
where there also was a great holiday, and the sexton
was ringing the bells to call the people to mass. As
soon as the old man and woman heard the bells they
thought the people there had been notified of their
escape, and that they, too, were trying to catch them.
So they turned and started home again.
As they reached their house, the three sons came
home with their one horse and tied it to the trunk of
the caramay tree. Presently the bells began to ring
again, for it was twelve o'clock at noon. Not think-
ing what time of day it was, the old man and woman
ran out of doors in terror, and seeing the horse jumped
on its back with the intention of riding to the next town
before anyone could catch them. When they had
mounted they began to whip the horse. In their haste,
they had forgotten to untie the rope which was around
the trunk of the caramay tree. As the horse pulled at
the rope fruit fell from the tree upon the old man and
woman. Believing they were shot, they were so fright-
ened that they died. 1
1 A11 the events here given represent present-day occurrences, and
the story appears to have been invented purely to amuse.
[180]
THE PRESIDENTE WHO HAD HORNS
Hoc an o
there was a presidente 1 who was very un-
just to his people, and one day he became so
angry that he wished he had horns so that he might
frighten them. No sooner had he made this rash wish,
than horns began to grow on his head.
He sent for a barber who came to his house to cut
his hair, and as he worked the presidente asked:
"What do you see on my head?"
"I see nothing," answered the barber; for although
he could see the horns plainly, he was afraid to say so.
Soon, however, the presidente put up his hands and
felt the horns, and then when he inquired again the
barber told him that he had two horns.
"If you tell anyone what you have seen, you shall
be hanged," said the presidente as the barber started
away, and he was greatly frightened.
When he reached home, the barber did not intend
to tell anyone, for he was afraid; but as he thought of
his secret more and more, the desire to tell someone
became so strong that he knew he could not keep it.
Finally he went to the field and dug a hole under some
bamboo, and when the hole was large enough he
crawled in and whispered that the presidente had
headman of the town.
[181]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
horns. He then climbed out, filled up the hole, and
went home.
By and by some people came along the road on their
way to market, and as they passed the bamboo they
stopped in amazement, for surely a voice came from
the trees, and it said that the presidente had horns.
These people hastened to market and told what they
had heard, and the people there went to the bamboo to
listen to the strange voice. They informed others,
and soon the news had spread all over the town. The
councilmen were told, and they, too, went to the bam-
boo. When they had heard the voice, they ran to
the house of the presidente. But his wife said that
he was ill and they could not see him.
By this time the horns had grown until they were one
foot in length, and the presidente was so ashamed that
he bade his wife tell the people that he could not talk.
She told this to the councilmen when they came on the
following day, but they replied that they must see him,
for they had heard that he had horns, and if this were
true he had no right to govern the people.
She refused to let them in, so they broke down the
door. They saw the horns on the head of the presi-
dente and killed him. For, they said, he was no better
than an animal. 1
1 Here we have an excellent illustration of how a story brought in
by the Spaniards has been worked over into Philippine setting. This
is doubtless the classical story of Midas, but since the ass is practically
unknown in the Philippines, horns (probably carabao horns) have
been substituted for the ass's ears, which grew on Midas' head. Like-
wise the bamboo, which grows in abundance, takes the place of the
reeds in the original tale.
[182]
THE STORY OF A MONKEY
Ilocano
day when a monkey was climbing a tree in
the forest in which he lived, he ran a thorn injo
his tail. Try as he would, he could not get it out, so
he went to a barber in the town and said:
"Friend Barber, I have a thorn in the end of my
tail. Pull it out, and I will pay you well."
The barber tried to pull out the thorn with his razor,
but in doing so he cut off the end of the tail. The
monkey was very angry and cried:
"Barber, Barber, give me back my tail, or give me
your razor!"
The barber could not put back the end of the
monkey's tail, so he gave him his razor.
On the way home the monkey met an old woman
who was cutting wood for fuel, and he said to her:
"Grandmother, Grandmother, that is very hard.
Use this razor and then it will cut easily."
The old woman was very pleased with the offer and
began to cut with the razor, but before she had used
it long it broke. Then the monkey cried:
"Grandmother, Grandmother, you have broken my
razor! You must get a new one for me or else give
me all the firewood."
The old woman could not get a new razor so she
gave him the firewood.
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
The monkey took the wood and was going back to
town to sell it, when he saw a woman sitting beside
the road making cakes.
"Grandmother, Grandmother," said he, "your wood
is most gone ; take this of mine and bake more cakes."
The woman took the wood and thanked him for his
kindness, but when the last stick was burned, the
monkey cried out:
"Grandmother, Grandmother, you have burned up
all my wood ! Now you must give me all your cakes
to pay for it."
The old woman could not cut more dry wood at
once, so she gave him all the cakes.
The monkey took the cakes and started for the town,
but on the way he met a dog which bit him so that he
died. And the dog ate all the cakes.
JHE WHITE SQUASH
llocano
TN a queer little bamboo house in front of a big
* garden lived a man and his wife all alone. They
had always been kind and good to everyone, but still
they were not happy, because the child for which they
longed had never come to them. Each day for many
years they had prayed for a son or a daughter, but
their prayers had been unanswered. Now that they
were growing old they believed that they must always
live alone.
In the garden near their house this couple grew fine
white squash, and as the vines bore the year around,
they had never been in need of food. One day, how-
ever, they discovered that no new squash had formed
to take the place of those they had picked, and for
the first time in many seasons they had no vegetables.
Each day they examined the vines, and though the
big, yellow flowers continued to bloom and fade, no
squash grew on the stems. Finally, one morning after
a long wait, the woman cried out with delight, for she
had discovered a little green squash. After examin-
ing it, they decided to let it ripen that they might have
the seeds to plant. They eagerly watched it grow, and
it became a beautiful white vegetable, but by the time
it was large enough for food they were so hungry that
they decided to eat it.
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
They brought a large knife and picked it, but
scarcely had they started to open it when a voice cried
out from within, "Please be careful that you do not
hurt me."
The man and woman stopped their work, for they
thought that a spirit must have spoken to them. But
when the voice again called and begged them to open
the squash, they carefully opened it, and there inside
was a nice baby boy. 1 He could already stand alone
and could talk. And the man and his wife were over-
joyed.
Presently the woman went to the spring for a jar of
water, and when she had brought it she spread a mat
on the floor and began to bathe the baby. As the
drops of water fell off his body, they were immedi-
ately changed to gold, so that when the bath was fin-
ished gold pieces covered the mat. The couple had
been so delighted to have the baby that it had seemed
as if there was nothing more to wish for, but now that
the gold had come to them also they were happier than
ever.
The next morning the woman gave the baby another
bath, and again the water turned to gold. They now
had enough money to build a large house. The third
morning she brought water for his bath again, but he
grew very sad and flew away. At the same time all
the gold disappeared also, and the man and his wife
were left poor and alone.
1 A common fancy in Malay legends is the supernatural origin of a
child in some vegetable, usually a bamboo. See note a, p. 99.
[186]
is***
J
W
THE CREATION STORY
Tagalog
HEN the world first began there was no land,
but only the sea and the sky, and between them
was a kite. 1 One day the bird which had nowhere to
light grew tired of flying about, so she stirred up the
sea until it threw its waters against the sky. The sky,
in order to restrain the sea, showered upon it many
islands until it could no longer rise, but ran back and
forth. Then the sky ordered the kite to light on one
of the islands to build her nest, and to leave the sea
and the sky in peace.
Now at this time the land breeze and the sea breeze
were married, and they had a child which was a
bamboo. One day when this bamboo was floating
about on the water, it struck the feet of the kite which
was on the beach. The bird, angry that anything
should strike it, pecked at the bamboo, and out of one
section came a man and from the other a woman.
Then the earthquake called on all the birds and fish
to see what should be done with these two, and it was
decided that they should marry. Many children were
born to the couple, and from them came all the differ-
ent races of people.
After a while the parents grew very tired of having
1 A bird something like a hawk.
[187]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
so many idle and useless children around, and they
wished to be rid of them, but they knew of no place to
send them to. Time went on and the children became
so numerous that the parents enjoyed no peace. One
day, in desperation, the father seized a stick and began
beating them on all sides.
This so frightened the children that they fled in dif-
ferent directions, seeking hidden rooms in the house
some concealed themselves in the walls, some ran
outside, while others hid in the fireplace, and several
fled to the sea.
Now it happened that those who went into the
hidden rooms of the house later became the chiefs of
the Islands; and those who concealed themselves in
the walls became slaves. Those who ran outside were
free men; and those who hid in the fireplace became
negroes; while those who fled to the sea were gone
many years, and when their children came back they
were the white people. 1
*See note i, p. 134.
[188]
THE STORY OF BENITO
Tagalog
T3ENITO was an only son who lived with his father
*** and mother in a little village. They were very
poor, and as the boy grew older and saw how hard
his parents struggled for their scanty living he often
dreamed of a time when he might be a help to them.
One evening when they sat eating their frugal meal
of rice the father told about a young king who lived
in a beautiful palace some distance from their village,
and the boy became very much interested. That night
when the house was dark and quiet and Benito lay on
his mat trying to sleep, thoughts of the young king
repeatedly came to his mind, and he wished he were a
king that he and his parents might spend the rest of
their lives in a beautiful palace.
The next morning he awoke with a new idea. He
would go to the king and ask for work, that he might
in that way be able to help his father and mother.
He was a long time in persuading his parents to allow
him to go, however, for it was a long journey, and
they feared that the king might not be gracious. But
at last they gave their consent, and the boy started
out The journey proved tiresome. After he reached
the palace, he was not at first permitted to see the
king. But the boy being very earnest at last secured
a place as a servant.
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
It was a new and strange world to Benito who had
known only the life of a little village. The work was
hard, but he was happy in thinking that now he could
help his father and mother. One day the king sent
for him and said:
"I want you to bring to me a beautiful princess who
lives in a land across the sea. Go at once, and if you
fail you shall be punished severely."
The boy's heart sank within him, for he did not
know what to do. But he answered as bravely as pos-
sible, "I will, my lord," and left the king's chamber.
He at once set about preparing things for a long jour-
ney, for he was determined to try at least to fulfil the
command.
When all was ready Benito started. He had not
gone far before he came to a thick forest, where he
saw a large bird bound tightly with strings.
"Oh, my friend," pleaded the bird, "please free me
from these bonds, and I will help you whenever you
call on me."
Benito quickly released the bird, and it flew away
calling back to him that its name was Sparrow-
hawk.
Benito continued his journey till he came to the sea.
Unable to find a way of crossing, he stopped and gazed
sadly out over the waters, thinking of the king's threat
if he failed. Suddenly he saw swimming toward him
the King of the Fishes who asked:
"Why are you so sad?"
"I wish to cross the sea to find the beautiful Prin-
cess," answered the boy.
[190]
t
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
"Well, get on my back," said the Fish, "and I will
carry you across."
So Benito stepped on his back and was carried to
the other shore.
Soon he met a strange woman who inquired what
it was he sought, and when he had told her she said:
"The Princess is kept in a castle guarded by giants.
Take this magic sword, for it will kill instantly what-
ever it touches." And she handed him the weapon.
Benito was more than grateful for her kindness and
went on full of hope. As he approached the castle
he could see that it was surrounded by many giants,
and as soon as they saw him they ran out to seize him,
but they went unarmed for they saw that he was a
mere boy. As they approached he touched those in
front with his sword, and one by one they fell dead.
Then the others ran away in a panic, and left the castle
unguarded. Benito entered, and when he had told the
Princess of his errand, she was only too glad to escape
from her captivity and she set out at once with him
for the palace of the king.
At the seashore the King of the Fishes was waiting
for them, and they had no difficulty in crossing the
sea and then in journeying through the thick forest to
the palace, where they were received with great re-
joicing. After a time the King asked the Princess to
become his wife, and she replied:
"I will, O King, if you will get the ring I lost in
the sea as I was crossing it."
The King immediately thought of Benito, and send-
ing for him he commanded him to find the ring which
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
had been lost on the journey from the land of the
giants.
It seemed a hopeless task to the boy, but, anxious to
obey his master, he started out. At the seaside he
stopped and gazed over the waters until, to his great
delight, he saw his friend, the King of the Fishes,
swimming toward him. When he had been told of
the boy's troubles, the great fish said: "I will see if I
can help you," and he summoned all his subjects to
him. When they came he found that one was missing,
and he sent the others in search of it. They found it
under a stone so full that it could not swim, and the
larger ones took it by the tail and dragged it to the
King.
"Why did you not come when you were called?"
inquired the King Fish.
"I have eaten so much that I cannot swim," replied
the poor fish.
Then the King Fish, suspecting the truth, ordered it
cut open, and inside they found the lost ring. Benito
was overjoyed at this, and expressing his great thanks,
hastened with the precious ring to his master.
The King, greatly pleased, carried the ring to the
Princess and said :
"Now that I have your ring will you become my
wife?"
"I will be your wife," replied the Princess, "if you
will find my earring that I lost in the forest as I was
journeying with Benito."
Again the King sent for Benito, and this time he
commanded him to find the earring. The boy was
[192]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
very weary from his long journeys, but with no com-
plaint he started out once more. Along the road
through the thick forest he searched carefully, but with
no reward. At last, tired and discouraged, he sat down
under a tree to rest.
Suddenly there appeared before him a mouse of
great size, and he was surprised to find that it was the
King of Mice.
"Why are you so sad?" asked the King Mouse.
"Because," answered the boy, "I cannot find an ear-
ring which the Princess lost as we were going through
the forest together."
"I will help you," said the Mouse, and he summoned
all his subjects.
When they assembled it was found that one little
mouse was missing, and the King sent the others to
look for him. In a small hole among the bamboo trees
they found him, and he begged to be left alone, for,
he said, he was so full that he could not walk. Never-
theless they pulled him along to their master, who,
upon finding that there was something hard inside the
mouse, ordered him cut open; and inside they found
the missing earring.
Benito at once forgot his weariness, and after ex-
pressing his great thanks to the King Mouse he hast-
ened to the palace with the prize. The King eagerly
seized the earring and presented it to the Princess,
again asking her to be his wife.
"Oh, my King," replied the Princess, "I have one
more request to make. Only grant it and I will be
your wife forever."
[193]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
The King, believing that now with the aid of Benito
he could grant anything, inquired what it was she
wished, and she replied:
"Get me some water from heaven and some from
the lower world, and I shall ask nothing more."
Once more the King called Benito and sent him on
the hardest errand of all.
The boy went out not knowing which way to turn,
and while he was in a deep study his weary feet led
him to the forest. Suddenly he thought of the bird
who had promised to help him, and he called, "Spar-
rowhawk!" There was a rustle of wings, and the bird
swooped down. He told it of his troubles and it
said:
"I will get the water for you."
Then Benito made two light cups of bamboo which
he fastened to the bird's legs, and it flew away. All
day the boy waited in the forest, and just as night was
coming on the bird returned with both cups full. The
one on his right foot, he told Benito, was from heaven,
and that on his left was from the lower world. The
boy unfastened the cups, and then, as he was thanking
the bird, he noticed that the journey had been too much
for it and that it was dying. Filled with sorrow for
his winged friend, he waited and carefully buried it,
and then he hastened to the palace with the precious
water.
When the Princess saw that her wish had been ful-
filled she asked the King to cut her in two and pour
over her the water from heaven. The King was not
able to do this, so she cut herself, and then as he poured
[194]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
the water over her he beheld her grow into the most
beautiful woman he had ever seen.
Eager to become handsome himself, the King then
begged her to pour over him the water from the other
cup. He cut himself, and she did as he requested, but
immediately there arose a creature most ugly and hor-
rible to look upon, which soon vanished out of sight.
Then the Princess called Benito and told him that be-
cause he had been so faithful to his master and so kind
to her, she chose him for her husband.
They were married amid great festivities and became
king and queen of that broad and fertile land. During
all the great rejoicing, however, Benito never forgot
his parents. One of the finest portions of his kingdom
he gave to them, and from that time they all lived in
great happiness. 1
ir This is undoubtedly a workcd-over story, probably brought in from
Europe. Kings, queens, palaces, etc., were, of course, unknown to
the people before the advent of the Spaniards.
[195]
j
THE ADVENTURES OF JUAN
Tagalog
UAN was always getting into trouble. He was a
lazy boy, and more than that, he did not have good
sense. When he tried to do things, he made such
dreadful mistakes that he might better not have tried.
His family grew very impatient with him, scolding
and beating him whenever he did anything wrong. One
day his mother, who was almost discouraged with him,
gave him a bolo 1 and sent him to the forest, for she
thought he could at least cut firewood. Juan walked
leisurely along, contemplating some means of escape.
At last he came to a tree that seemed easy to cut,
and then he drew his long knife and prepared to
work.
Now it happened that this was a magic tree and it
said to Juan :
"If you do not cut me I will give you a goat that
shakes silver from its whiskers."
This pleased Juan wonderfully, both because he was
curious to see the goat, and because he would not have
to chop the wood. He agreed at once to spare the
tree, whereupon the bark separated and a goat stepped
out. Juan commanded it to shake its whiskers, and
when the money began to drop he was so delighted that
long knife.
[196]
A RICE GRANARY
METHODS OF TRANSPORTATION
A STORE IN A CHRISTIANIZED VILLAGE
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
he took the animal and started home to show his
treasure to his mother.
On the way he met a friend who was more cunning
than Juan, and when he heard of the boy's rich goat
he decided to rob him. Knowing Juan's fondness for
tuba, 1 he persuaded him to drink, and while he was
drunk, the friend substituted another goat for the magic
one. As soon as he was sober again, Juan hastened
home with the goat and told his people of the wonder-
ful tree, but when he commanded the animal to shake
its whiskers, no money fell out. The family, believing
it to be another of Juan's tricks, beat and scolded the
poor boy.
He went back to the tree and threatened to cut it
down for lying to him, but the tree said:
"No, do not cut me down and I will give you a net
which you may cast on dry ground, or even in the tree
tops, and it will return full of fish."
So Juan spared the tree and started home with his
precious net, but on the way he met the same friend
who again persuaded him to drink tuba. While he was
drunk, the friend replaced the magic net with a common
one, so that when Juan reached home and tried to show
his power, he was again the subject of ridicule.
Once more Juan went to his tree, this time deter-
mined to cut it down. But the offer of a magic pot,
always full of rice and spoons which provided what-
ever he wished to eat with his rice, dissuaded him, and
he started home happier than ever. Before reaching
J The fermented juice of the cocoanut.
[197]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
home, however, he met with the same fate as before,
and his folks, who were becoming tired of his pranks,
beat him harder than ever.
Thoroughly angered, Juan sought the tree a fourth
time and was on the point of cutting it down when once
more it arrested his attention. After some discussion,
he consented to accept a stick to which he had only to
say, "Boombye, Boomba," and it would beat and kill
anything he wished.
When he met his friend on this trip, he was asked
what he had and he replied :
"Oh, it is only a stick, but if I say 'Boombye,
Boomba' it will beat you to death."
At the sound of the magic words the stick leaped
from his hands and began beating his friend until he
cried:
"Oh, stop it and I will give back everything that I
stole from you." Juan ordered the stick to stop, and
then he compelled the man to lead the goat and to
carry the net and the jar and spoons to his home.
There Juan commanded the goat, and it shook its
whiskers until his mother and brothers had all the silver
they could carry. Then they ate from the magic jar
and spoons until they were filled. And this time Juan
was not scolded. After they had finished Juan said:
"You have beaten me and scolded me all my life,
and now you are glad to accept my good things. I am
going to show you something else: 'Boombye,
BoombaV Immediately the stick leaped out and beat
them all until they begged for mercy and promised that
Juan should ever after be head of the house.
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
From that time Juan was rich and powerful, but he
never went anywhere without his stick. One night,
when some thieves came to his house, he would have
been robbed and killed had it not been for the magic
words "Boombye, Boomba," which caused the death
of all the robbers.
Some time after this he married a beautiful princess,
and because of the kindness of the magic tree they
always lived happily. 1
1 This tale bears a striking resemblance to Grimm's "The Table, the
Ass, and the Stick," Fairy Tales.
[199]
o
JUAN GATHERS GUAVAS
Tagalog
NE day Juan's father sent him to get some ripe
guavas, for a number of the neighbors had come
in and he wanted to give them something to eat.
Juan went to the guava fimftiOG and ate all the fruit
he could hold, and then he decided to play a joke on
his father's guests instead of giving them a feast of
guavas. A wasp's nest hung near by. With some
difficulty he succeeded in taking it down and putting it
into a tight basket that he had brought for the fruit.
He hastened home and gave the basket to his father,
and then as he left the room where the guests were
seated he closed the door and fastened it.
As soon as Juan's father opened the basket the wasps
flew over the room; and when the people found the
door locked they fought to get out of the windows.
After a while Juan opened the door, and when he saw
the swollen faces of the people, he cried.
"What fine, rich guavas you must have had ! They
have made you all so fat!"
[200]
o
THE SUN AND THE MOON 1
F is ay an
NCE upon a time the Sun and the Moon were
married, and they had many children who were
the stars. The Sun was very fond of his children, but
whenever he tried to embrace any of them, he was so
hot that he burned them up. This made the Moon
so angry that finally she forbade him to touch them
again, and he was greatly grieved.
One day the Moon went down to the spring to do
some washing, and when she left she told the Sun that
he must not touch any of their children in her absence.
When she returned, however, she found that he had
disobeyed her, and several of the children had perished.
She was very angry, and picked up a banana tree to
strike him, whereupon he threw sand in her face, and
to this day you can see the dark marks on the face of
the Moon.
Then the Sun started to chase her, and they have
been going ever since. Sometimes he gets so near that
he almost catches her, but she escapes, and by and by
she is far ahead again. 2
1 These Visayan tales reflect old beliefs covered with a veneer of
European ideas. The Visayan still holds to many of the old super-
stitions, not because he has reasoned them out for himself, but because
his ancestors believed them and transmitted them to him in such stories
as these.
2 A very old explanatory tale. In a slightly varying form it is found
in other parts of the Islands.
[201]
M
THE FIRST MONKEY
F is ay an
ANY years ago at the foot of a forest-covered hill
was a small town, and just above the town on
the hillside was a little house in which lived an old
woman and her grandson.
The old woman, who was very industrious, earned
their living by removing the seeds from cotton, and
she always had near at hand a basket in which were
cotton and a long stick that she used for a spindle.
The boy was lazy and would not do anything to help
his grandmother, but every day went down to the town
and gambled.
One day, when he had been losing money, the boy
went home and was cross because his supper was not
ready.
"I am hurrying to get the seeds out of this cotton,"
said the grandmother, "and as soon as I sell it. I will
buy us some food."
At this the boy fell into a rage, and he picked up
some cocoanut shells and threw them at his grand-
mother. Then she became angry and began to whip
him with her spindle, when suddenly he was changed
into an ugly animal, and the cotton became hair which
covered his body, while the stick itself became his tail.
As soon as the boy found that he had become an
ugly creature he ran down into the town and began
[202]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
whipping his companions, the gamblers, with his tail,
and immediately they were turned into animals like
himself.
Then the people would no longer have them in the
town, but drove them out. They went to the forest
where they lived in the trees, and ever since they have
been known as monkeys. 1
1 Here we have an old type of tale explaining where monkeys came
from. See note 2, p. 130.
[203]
o
THE VIRTUE OF THE COCOANUT
Fisayan
NE day a man took his blow-gun 1 and his dog and
went to the forest to hunt. As he was making his
way through the thick woods he chanced upon a young
cocoanut tree growing in the ground.
It was the first tree of this kind that he had ever
seen, and it seemed so peculiar to him that he stopped
to look at it.
When he had gone some distance farther, his atten-
tion was attracted by a noisy bird in a tree, and he shot
it with his blow-gun. By and by he took aim at a large
monkey, which mocked him from another treetop, and
that, too, fell dead at his feet.
Then he heard his dog barking furiously in the dis-
tant bushes, and hastening to it he found it biting a
wild pig. After a hard struggle he killed the pig, and
then, feeling satisfied with his success, he took the three
animals on his back and returned to the little plant.
"I have decided to take you home with me, little
plant," he said, "for I like you and you may be of some
use to me."
He dug up the plant very carefully and started
1 The blow-gun is a Malayan weapon, which is used extensively in
the Philippines. Among certain wild tribes poisoned darts are blown
through it, but among the Christianized tribes a clay pellet is used.
[204]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
home, but he had not gone far when he noticed that
the leaves had begun to wilt, and he did not know what
to do, since he had no water. Finally, in despair, he
cut the throat of the bird and sprinkled the blood on
the cocoanut. No sooner had he done this than the
plant began to revive, and he continued his journey.
Before he had gone far, however, the leaves again
began to wilt, and this time he revived it with the blood
of the monkey. Then he hastened on, but a third time
the leaves wilted, and he was compelled to stop and
revive it with the blood of the pig. This was his last
animal, so he made all the haste possible to reach home
before his plant died. The cocoanut began to wilt
again before he reached his house, but when he planted
it in the ground, it quickly revived, and grew into a
tall tree.
This hunter was the first man to take the liquor
called tuba 1 from the cocoanut tree, and he and his
friends began to drink it. After they had become very
fond of it, the hunter said to his friends :
"The cocoanut tree is like the three animals whose
blood gave it life when it would have died. The man
who drinks three or four cups of tuba becomes like the
noisy bird that I shot with my blow-gun. One who
drinks more than three or four cups becomes like the
big monkey that acts silly; and one who becomes drunk
is like the pig that sleeps even in a mud-hole."
*See note i, p. 197.
[205]
MANSUMANDIG
Pis ay an
day a man said to his wife: "My wife, we are
getting very poor and I must go into business to
earn some money."
"That is a good idea," replied his wife. "How
much capital have you?"
"I have twenty-five centavos," 1 answered the man;
"and I am going to buy rice and carry it to the mines,
for I have heard that it brings a good price there."
So he took his twenty-five centavos and bought a
half-cavan of rice which he carried on his shoulder to
the mine. Arriving there he told the people that he
had rice for sale, and they asked eagerly how much
he wanted for it.
"Why, have you forgotten the regular price of rice?"
asked the man. "It is twenty-five centavos."
They at once bought the rice, and the man was very
glad because he would not have to carry it any longer.
He put the money in his belt and asked if they would
like to buy any more.
"Yes," said they, "we will buy as many cavans as
you will bring."
When the man reached home his wife asked if he
had been successful.
Spanish coin worth half a cent.
[206]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
"Oh, my wife," he answered, "it is a very good busi-
ness. I could not take the rice off my shoulder before
the people came to buy it."
"Well, that is good," said the wife ; "we shall become
very rich."
The next morning the man bought a half-cavan
of rice the same as before and carried it to the mine
and when they asked how much it would be, he
said:
"It is the same as before twenty-five centavos."
He received the money and went home.
"How is the business today?" asked his wife.
"Oh, it is the same as before," he said. "I could
not take the rice off my shoulder before they came
for it."
And so he went on with his business for a year, each
day buying a half-cavan of rice and selling it for the
price he had paid for it. Then one day his wife said
that they would balance accounts, and she spread a mat
on the floor and sat down on one side of it, telling her
husband to sit on the opposite side. When she asked
him for the money he had made during the year, he
asked:
"What money?"
"Why, give me the money you have received,"
answered his wife; "and then we can see how much
you have made."
"Oh, here it is," said the man, and he took the
twenty-five centavos out of his belt and handed it to
her.
"Is that all you have received this year?" cried his
[207]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
wife angrily. "Haven't you said that rice brought a
good price at the mines?"
"That is all," he replied.
"How much did you pay for the rice?"
"Twenty-five centavos."
"How much did you receive for it?"
"Twenty-five centavos."
"Oh, my husband," cried his wife, "how can you
make any gain if you sell it for just what you paid
fork," '
The man leaned his head against the wall and
thought. Ever since then he has been called "Mansu-
mandig," a man who leans back and thinks.
Then the wife said, "Give me the twenty-five cen-
tavos, and I will try to make some money." So he
handed it to her, and she said, "Now you go to the field
where the people are gathering hemp and buy twenty-
five centavos worth for me, and I will weave it into
cloth."
When Mansumandig returned with the hemp she
spread it in the sun, and as soon as it was dry she tied
it into a long thread and put it on the loom to weave.
Night and day she worked on her cloth, and when it
was finished she had eight varas. This she sold for
twelve and a half centavos a vara, and with this money
she bought more hemp. She continued weaving and
selling her cloth, and her work was so good that people
were glad to buy from her.
At the end of a year she again spread the mat on
the floor and took her place on one side of it, while her
husband sat on the opposite side. Then she poured
[208]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
the money out of the blanket in which she kept it upon
the mat. She held aside her capital, which was twenty-
five centavos, and when she counted the remainder she
found that she had three hundred pesos. Mansuman-
dig was greatly ashamed when he remembered that he
had not made a cent, and he leaned his head against
the wall and thought. After a while the woman pitied
him, so she gave him the money and told him to buy
carabao.
He was able to buy ten carabao and with these he
plowed his fields. By raising good crops they were
able to live comfortably all the rest of their lives.
[209]
WHY DOGS WAG THEIR TAILS
Visayan
A RICH man in a certain town once owned a dog
**' and a cat, both of which were very useful to him.
The dog had served his master for many years and
had become so old that he had lost his teeth and was
unable to fight any more, but he was a good guide and
companion to the cat who was strong and cunning.
The master had a daughter who was attending
school at a convent some distance from home, and very
often he sent the dog and the cat with presents to
the girl.
One day he called the faithful animals and bade
them carry a magic ring to his daughter.
"You are strong and brave, " he said to the cat.
"You may carry the ring, but you must be careful not
to drop it."
And to the dog he said: "You must accompany the
cat to guide her and keep her from harm."
They promised to do their best, and started out. All
went well until they came to a river. As there was
neither bridge nor boat, there was no way to cross but
to swim.
"Let me take the magic ring," said the dog as they
were about to plunge into the water.
"Oh, no," replied the cat, "the master gave it to me
to carry."
[210]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
"But you cannot swim well," argued the dog. "I
am strong and can take good care of it."
But the cat refused to give up the ring until finally
the dog threatened to kill her, and then she reluctantly
gave it to him.
The river was wide and the water so swift that they
grew very tired, and just before they reached the op-
posite bank the dog dropped the ring. They searched
carefully, but could not find it anywhere, and after a
while they turned back to tell their master of the sad
loss. Just before reaching the house, however, the dog
was so overcome with fear that he turned and ran
away and never was seen again.
The cat went on alone, and when the master saw
her coming he called out to know why she had returned
so soon and what had become of her companion. The
poor cat was frightened, but as well as she could she
explained how the ring had been lost and how the dog
had run away.
On hearing her story the master was very angry,
and commanded that all his people should search for
the dog, and that it should be punished by having its tail
cut off.
He also ordered that all the dogs in the world should
join in the search, and ever since when one dog meets
another he says: "Are you the old dog that lost the
magic ring? If so, your tail must be cut off." Then
immediately each shows his teeth and wags his tail to
prove that he is not the guilty one.
Since then, too, cats have been afraid of water and
will not swim across a river if they can avoid it.
[211]
THE HAWK AND THE HEN
Vis ay an
A HAWK flying about in the sky one day decided
** that he would like to marry a hen whom he often
saw on earth. He flew down and searched until he
found her, and then asked her to become his wife. She
at once gave her consent on the condition that he would
wait until she could grow wings like his, so that she
might also fly high. The hawk agreed to this and flew
away, after giving her a ring as an engagement present
and telling her to take good care of it.
The hen was very proud of the ring and placed it
around her neck. The next day, however, she met
the cock who looked at her in astonishment and said:
"Where did you get that ring? Do you not know
that you promised to be my wife ? You must not wear
the ring of anyone else. Throw it away."
And the hen threw away the beautiful ring.
Not long after this the hawk came down bringing
beautiful feathers to dress the hen. When she saw
him coming she was frightened and ran to hide behind
the door, but the hawk called to her to come and see
the beautiful dress he had brought her.
The hen came out, and the hawk at once saw that
the ring was gone.
"Where is the ring I gave you?" he asked. "Why
do you not wear it?"
[212]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
The hen was frightened and ashamed to tell the
truth so she answered:
"Oh, sir, yesterday when I was walking in the
garden, I met a large snake and he frightened me so
that I ran as fast as I could to the house. Then I
missed the ring and I searched everywhere but could
not find it."
The hawk looked sharply at the hen, and he knew
that she was deceiving him. Then he said to her:
"I did not believe that you could behave so badly.
When you have found the ring I will come down again
and make you my wife. But as a punishment for break-
ing your promise, you must always scratch the ground
to look for the ring. And every chicken of yours that
I find, I shall snatch away."
Then he flew away, and ever since all the hens
throughout the world have been scratching to find the
hawk's ring.
THE SPIDER AND THE FLY
F is ay an
ATR. SPIDER wanted to marry Miss Fly. Many
** times he told her of his love and begged her to
become his wife, but she always refused for she did
not like him.
One day when she saw Mr. Spider coming again
Miss Fly closed all the doors and windows of her house
and made ready a pot of boiling water. Then she
waited, and when Mr. Spider called, begging her to
allow him to enter, she answered by throwing boiling
water at him. This made Mr. Spider very angry and
he cried:
"I will never forgive you for this, but I and my de-
scendants will always despise you. We will never give
you any peace."
Mr. Spider kept his word, and even today one can
see the hatred of the spider for the fly.
o
THE BATTLE OF THE CRABS
Visayan
NE day the land crabs had a meeting and one of
them said:
"What shall we do with the waves? They sing so
loudly all the time that we cannot possibly sleep."
"Well," answered one of the oldest of the crabs,
"I think we should make war on them."
The others agreed to this, and it was decided that
the next day all the male crabs should get ready to
fight the waves. They started for the sea, as agreed,
when they met a shrimp.
"Where are you going, my friends?" asked the
shrimp.
"We are going to fight the waves," answered the
crabs, "for they make so much noise at night that we
cannot sleep."
"I do not think you will succeed," said the shrimp,
"for the waves are very strong and your legs are
so weak that even your bodies bend almost to the
ground when you walk." Wherewith he laughed
loudly.
This made the crabs very angry, and they pinched
the shrimp until he promised to help them win the
battle.
Then they all went to the shore. But the crabs
noticed that the eyes of the shrimp were set unlike their
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
own, so they thought his must be wrong and they
laughed at him and said:
"Friend shrimp, your face is turned the wrong way.
What weapon have you to fight with the waves?"
"My weapon is a spear on my head," replied the
shrimp, and just then he saw a big wave coming and
ran away. The crabs did not see it, however, for they
were all looking toward the shore, and they were cov-
ered with water and drowned.
By and by the wives of the crabs became worried
because their husbands did not return, and they went
down to the shore to see if they could help in the battle.
No sooner had they reached the water, however, than
the waves rushed over them and killed them.
Some time after this thousands of little crabs ap-
peared near the shore, and the shrimp often visited
them and told them of the sad fate of their parents.
Even today these little crabs can be seen on the shore,
continually running back and forth. They seem to rush
down to fight the waves, and then, as their courage
fails, they run back to the land where their forefathers
lived. They neither live on dry land, as their ancestors
did, nor in the sea where the other crabs are, but on
the beach where the waves wash over them at high tide
and try to dash them to pieces.
PRONUNCIATION OF PHILIPPINE NAMES
The vowel sounds in the following pronunciations
are those used in Webster's dictionary.
Adasen, a-da'sen
Aguio, a'ge-o
Alan, a'lan
Alokotan, a-16-ko-tan'
Aponibalagen, apo-ne-ba-la-gen'
Aponibolinayen,
apo-ne-bo-le-na'yen
Aponitolau, apo-ne-to'lou
Bagbagak, bag-ba-gak'
Bagobo, ba-go'bo
Balatama, ba-la-ta'ma
Bangan, ban'gan
Bantugan, ban-too'gan
Benito, be-ne'to
Bilaan, be-la'an
Bita, be'ta
Bontoc, bon'tok
Bukidnon, boo-kid'non
Bulanawan, boo-la-na'wan
Caalang, ka-a'lang
Cabildo, ka-bil'do
Cibolan, ci-bo'lan
Dalonagan, da-16-na'gan
Danepan, da-ne-pan'
Dapilisan, da-pe-le'san
Dayapan, di-a-pan
Dinawagen, de-na-wa'gen
Dodedog, dog-e-dog
Domayco, do-rai'ko
Dumalavui, doo-ma-la-we'
Epogow, e-po-gou'
Gawigawen, ga-we-ga'wen
Gaygayoma, gi-gi-6'ma
Gotgotapa, got-go-ta'pa
Igorot, ig-6-rot'
Ilocano, il-6-ka'no
Ilocos Norte, il-o'kos no'rte
Indarapatra, in-da-ra-pa'tra
Ini-init, e-ni-e'nit
Kabigat, ka-be-gat'
Kaboniyan, ka-bo-ne-yan'
Kadaklan, ka-dak-lan'
Kadalayapan, ka-da-la-ya'pan
Kadayadawan, ka-da-ya-da'wan
Kanag, ka'nag
Komo<w, ko'mou
Kurita, ku-re'ta
Langgona, lang-go'na
Ligi, le'ge
Limokon, le-mo'kon
Lumabet, loo-ma'bet
Lumawig, loo-ma'wig
Magbangal, mag-bang'al
Magindanau, ma-gm-da'nou
Magosang, ma-go'sang
Magsawi, mag-sa-we'
Magsingal, mag'sin-gal
Manama, man-a'ma
Mandaya, man-di'ya
Mansumandig, man-su-man-dig
Mayinit, mi-i'nit
Mayo, mi'yo
[217]
PHILIPPINE FOLK TALES
Mindanao, min-da-nou' Sulayman, soo-li'man
Nalpangan, nal-pan-gan' Tagalog, ta-ga'log
Pilar, pe'lar' Tarabusaiu, ta-ra-boo'sou
Samoki, sa-mo'ki Tikgi, tik'ge
Sayen, sa-yen' Timaco, ti-ma'ko
Siagon, se-a'gon Tinguian, ting-gi-an'
Silit, se'let Toglai, tog-la'e
Sinag, se'nag Toglibon, tog-le'bon
Sogsogot, sog-so-got' Visayan, vi-si'yan
Subanun, soo-ba'nun
[218]
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