The Striped Blanket

_Tinguian_

Three 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.