The Battle of the Crabs

_Visayan_

One 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 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

covered 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 appeared 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.

The First Monkey

_Visayan_

Many 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 grandmother. 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 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.

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, planning 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."

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 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 themselves 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.

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.

Aponibolinayen and the Sun

_Tinguian_

One 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, Aponibolinayen 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 beauties of this spring, she beheld

a small house nearby, 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, [2] 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 morning 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, [3] 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 house and was startled to see that it appeared to be on fire. [4]

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 Aponibolinayen, 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 looks like a flame of fire," 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 [5]

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 supper ready for him. He began to be troubled, however,

to know where the food came from, for though he brought home a fine

fish every night, Aponibolinayen 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 boiling water.

"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.

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.

"Oh, no, you cannot," said the Sun, "for it is very hot up there,

[6] 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 something fall near her. Turning to look, she

beheld a bundle of beautiful blankets and pillows which she began to

unroll, and inside she found the most beautiful woman she had ever

seen. Frightened at her discovery, 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 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 Aponibolinayen. "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 returned, and they

decided that at the next moon [7] they would perform a ceremony for

the spirits [8] and invite all the relatives who were mourning for

Aponibolinayen.

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 ceremony that

they might not overlook him.

They sent for the betel-nuts that were covered with gold, [9] 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 Aponibolinayen, but none appeared and they

were greatly troubled. Finally they went to the old woman, Alokotan,

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 Aponibolinayen are making for the spirits. If

you do not want to go, I will grow on your head." [10]

"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 married a stone; and they compelled

her to take off her beads [11] 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. 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 ceremony for the spirits,

and I will pay your father and mother the marriage price [12] for you."

This pleased Aponibolinayen very much, and they used magic so that

they had many neighbors who came to pound rice [13] for them and to

build a large spirit house. [14]

Then they sent oiled betel-nuts to summon their relatives 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 surprised 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 rejoiced that this

couple had found the son whom they had thought lost. They named him

Aponitolau, and his parents paid the marriage price for his wife--the

spirit house nine times full of valuable jars. [15]

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 Adventures of Juan

Juan was lazy, Juan was a fool, and his mother never tired of scolding

him and emphasizing her words by a beating. When Juan went to school

he made more noise at his study than anybody else, but his reading

was only gibberish.

His mother sent him to town to buy meat to eat with the boiled rice,

and he bought a live crab which he set down in the road and told to

go to his mother and be cooked for dinner. The crab promised, but as

soon as Juan's back was turned ran in the other direction.

Juan went home after a while and asked for the crab, but there was

none, and they ate their rice without ulam. [12] His mother then

went herself and left Juan to care for the baby. The baby cried and

Juan examined it to find the cause, and found the soft spot on its

head. "Aha! It has a boil. No wonder it cries!" And he stuck a knife

into the soft spot, and the baby stopped crying. When his mother came

back, Juan told her about the boil and that the baby was now asleep,

but the mother said it was dead, and she beat Juan again.

Then she told Juan that if he could do nothing else he could at least

cut firewood, so she gave him a bolo and sent him to the woods.

He found what looked to him like a good tree and prepared to cut it,

but the tree was a magic tree and said to Juan, "Do not cut me and I

will give you a goat that shakes silver money from its whiskers." Juan

agreed, and the bark of the tree opened and the goat came out, and

when Juan told him to shake his whiskers, money dropped out. Juan was

very glad, for at last he had something he would not be beaten for. On

his way home he met a friend, and told him of his good fortune. The

man made him dead drunk and substituted another goat which had not

the ability to shake money from its whiskers, and when the new goat

was tried at home poor Juan was beaten and scolded.

Back he went to the tree, which he threatened to cut down for lying

to him, but the tree said, "No, do not kill me and I will give you

a magic net which you may cast even on dry ground or into a tree-top

and it will return full of fish," and the tree did even so.

Again he met the friend, again he drank tuba [13] until he was dead

drunk, and again a worthless thing was substituted, and on reaching

home he was beaten and scolded.

Once more Juan went to the magic tree, and this time he received a

magic pot, always full of rice; and spoons always full of whatever

ulam might be wished, and these went the way of the other gifts,

to the false friend.

The fourth time he asked of the tree he was given a magic stick

that would without hands beat and kill anything that the owner

wished. "Only say to it 'Boombye, boomba,' and it will obey your word,"

said the tree.

When Juan met the false friend again, the false friend asked him what

gift he had this time. "It is only a stick that if I say, 'Boombye,

boomba,' will beat you to death," said Juan, and with that the stick

leaped from his hand and began to belabor the wicked man. "Lintic na

cahoy ito ay! [14] Stop it and I will give you everything I stole from

you." Juan ordered the stick to stop, but made the man, bruised and

sore, carry the net, the pot, and the spoons, and lead the goat to

Juan's home. There the goat shook silver from his beard till Juan's

three brothers and his mother had all they could carry, and they dined

from the pot and the magic spoons until they were full to their mouths.

"Now," said Juan, "you have beaten me and called me a fool all my life,

but you are not ashamed to take good things when I get them. I will

show you something else. Boombye, boomba!" and the stick began to

beat them all. Quickly they agreed that Juan was head of the house,

and he ordered the beating to stop.

Juan now became rich and respected, but he never trusted himself

far from his stick day or night. One night a hundred robbers came

to break into the house, to take all his goods, and kill him, but

he said to the stick, "Boombye, boomba!" and with the swiftness of

lightning the stick flew around, and all those struck fell dead till

there was not one left. Juan was never troubled again by robbers,

and in the end married a princess and lived happily ever after.

Juan, the Student

There was once a poor couple who lived happily in a quiet place. They

had one son, named Juan, whom at first they loved very much; but

afterwards, either because their extreme poverty made it difficult

for them to support him, or because of his wickedness and waywardness,

they began to hate him, and made plans to kill him.

In order to carry out this purpose, the father called his son to him

one evening, and said: "My son, to-morrow we will go to the mountain to

get some lumber with which to repair our house. I want you to prepare

our breakfast very early, so that we may set out before the sun rises."

On the next morning they arose very early and ate their breakfast. As

it consisted only of rice and a few small fishes, it was soon finished,

and they set out for the mountain. When they had arrived at a lonely

spot, the man seized his son and fastened him to a large tree. Then

he took his bolo and cut down the tree in such a way as to cause it

to fall on the boy and kill him. Then he returned home, thinking that

he should have no more trouble on account of his son.

Early the next morning, the man heard a noise as of some one

approaching the house. On opening a window he perceived his son,

whom he supposed he had killed on the previous day, coming towards

the house and bearing a heavy load of wood. When the boy had come

near he asked where he should put the wood. At first the father was

too much frightened to reply, but at last he told his son to put the

wood down near the house.

For a long time Juan lived at home, but his parents hated him

continually, and at last decided to give him poison. One day they sent

him on a long trip, giving him seven pieces of poisoned bread for his

food along the way. When he had become weary and hungry from walking,

he sat down under a tree and began to open the handkerchief to get from

it some of the bread to eat. Suddenly a number of crows flew down from

the tree, seized the bread, ate it, and almost immediately died. The

boy at once perceived the intention of his parents and returned

home. As soon as he arrived there, he declared to his father and

mother his intention of leaving them and going elsewhere to live. As

soon as they heard him, they were full of joy, and readily gave him

the desired permission.

He went to a distant town, and decided to study. He made such progress

that his teachers were charmed with his diligence. He was very fond

of debates with his schoolmates, and one day asked them the following

riddle: "Two tried to kill one, one killed seven, two were left, and

one went away." They searched through the books for the answer to the

riddle, but as they were unable to find it, they agreed that Juan was

the cleverest one among them, since they could not answer his riddle.

One day the student met a young lady to whom he gave the riddle. She

asked for a little time in which to study it, and this being granted,

went home, disguised herself as a young man and, returning, asked

Juan to tell the answer to the riddle. "For I know," she said,

"that many students have tried to find the solution of this riddle,

but have not been successful." Juan finally granted her request,

and told her the answer to the riddle, which was the story of his life.

Then the young lady returned home, put on her own clothes, and went

back to the student's house, to give him the answer to his riddle. When

Juan heard her answer, he thought her a very clever young woman,

since she had succeeded where so many young men had failed, so he

fell in love with the young lady and married her.