The Story of Dumalawi

_Tinguian_

Aponitolau and Aponibolinayen had a son whose name was Dumalawi. [47]

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 forest 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:

"Now, Son, you throw them at me, so that we can see which is the

braver."

"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."

So they went home. But Dumalawi was very sorrowful, 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 [48]

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, pointing to a certain spot in the

ground, said:

"Dig there, and you will find a jar of basi [49] 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 carried him far away. And the father went

home alone.

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, [50] 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 [51] 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 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 [52] for

the spirits. So Dapilisan sent for the betel-nuts which were covered

with gold, [53] 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

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 had food brought [54] and Dapilisan passed basi in

a little jar that looked like a fist, [55] 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 [56] according to our

custom. We shall fill the spirit house [57] nine times with different

kinds of jars."

Then she called, "You spirits [58] who live in different 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:

"No, there is still more to pay."

"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

[59] 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.