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.

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."

"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 opposite 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.

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 Adventures of Juan

_Tagalog_

Juan 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 [157] 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 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 [158], 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 wonderful 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 determined to cut it

down. But the offer of a magic pot, always full of rice and spoons

which provided whatever he wished to eat with his rice, dissuaded him,

and he started home happier than ever. Before reaching 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, Boomba'." 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.

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. 

The Story of Bantugan

_Moro_

Before the Spaniards occupied the island of Mindanao,  there lived

in the valley of the Rio Grande a very strong man, Bantugan, whose

father was the brother of the earthquake and thunder. [146]

Now the Sultan of the Island [147] had a beautiful daughter 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 regarding 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 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 [148] 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 harbors. 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 Balatama 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 give the hand of my

daughter to Bantugan in marriage."

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 cocoanuts 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."

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 Bantugan 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 daughter, 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 for the General, saying that if the

request were refused, 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 everything 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, Bantugan 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 Spanish 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 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 intermarry, 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:

"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 commanded 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 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 already 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 destroy 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 Bantugan 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 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.

The Serpent Eagle

_Igorot_

Once there lived two boys whose mother sent them every day to the

forest to get wood [108] 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:

"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!"

"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 Alligator's Fruit

_Tinguian_

Two 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.

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.

The Aderna Bird (Ang Ibong Adarna)

There was once a king who greatly desired to obtain an aderna bird,

which is possessed of magical powers, has a wonderful song, and talks

like men. This king had a beautiful daughter, and he promised her to

any one who would bring him an aderna bird. Now the quest for the

aderna bird is very dangerous, because, if the heart is not pure,

the man who touches the bird becomes stone, and the bird escapes.

There were in that country three brothers, Juan, Diego, and Pedro,

and they all agreed to set out together to catch the aderna bird. Afar

in the mountains they saw him, and Diego, being the eldest, had first

chance, and he caught the aderna bird, but being of impure life he

became a stone, and the bird flew away over the mountains.

Juan and Pedro pursued it over the rocky way till at last they saw

it again, and Pedro, being the next eldest, essayed to catch it. He,

too, being a bad man, was turned into stone and the aderna bird flew

over another mountain, and Juan, undaunted, followed alone.

When at last he saw the aderna bird he made a trap with a mirror with

a snare in front and soon caught the bird. He made a cage for it and

started on his homeward journey. When he reached the stone which was

his brother Pedro, he begged the bird to undo its work and make him

a man again, and the bird did so. Then the two went on to where Diego

was, and again Juan entreated the bird to set the other brother free,

and the bird did so.

But Pedro and Diego, far from being grateful for what Juan had done

for them, bound him, choked him, beat him, and left him for dead far

from any road or any habitation, and went on their way to the king

with the aderna bird, expecting for one the hand of the princess and

for the other a rich reward.

But the aderna bird would not sing. Said the king, "O Aderna Bird,

why do you not sing?" The bird replied, "O Mighty King, I sing only

for him who caught me." "Did these men catch you?" "No, O King, Juan

caught me, and these men have beaten him and stolen me from him." So

the king had them punished, and waited for the coming of Juan.

Juan meanwhile had freed himself from his bonds, and wandered sore

and hungry and lame through the forest. At last he met an old man

who said to him, "Juan, why do you not go to the king's house, for

there they want you very much?" "Alas," said Juan, "I am not able

to walk so far from weakness, and I fear I shall die here in the

forest." "Do not fear," said the old man, "I have here a wonderful

hat that, should you but whisper to it where you wish to go, in a

moment you are transported there through the air."

So the old man gave him the hat, and Juan put it on and said, "Hat,

if this be thy nature, carry me across the mountains to the king's

palace." And the hat carried him immediately into the presence of

the king. Then the aderna bird began to sing, and after a time Juan

married the princess, and all went well for the rest of their lives.

The Stories of Juan

Juan Gathers Guavas.

The guavas were ripe, and Juan's father sent him to gather enough

for the family and for the neighbors who came to visit them. Juan

went to the guava bushes and ate all that he could hold. Then he

began to look around for mischief. He soon found a wasp nest and

managed to get it into a tight basket. He gave it to his father

as soon as he reached home, and then closed the door and fastened

it. All the neighbors were inside waiting for the feast of guavas,

and as soon as the basket was opened they began to fight to get out

of the windows. After a while Juan opened the door and when he saw

his parents' swollen faces, he cried out, "What rich fine guavas

those must have been! They have made you both so very fat."

Juan Makes Gulay of his own Child.

After Juan was married about a year a baby was born, and he and

his wife loved it very much. But Juan was always obedient to his

wife, being a fool, and when she told him to make gulay or stew he

inquired of her of what he should make it. She replied of anac, 

meaning anac hang gabi. Then she went away for a while, and when

she returned Juan had the gulay ready. She asked for the baby and

was horrified to learn that Juan had made a stew of his own child,

having taken her words literally.

Juan Wins a Wager for the Governor.

Juan was well known for a brave man, though a fool, and the priest and

the governor wished to try him on a wager. The governor told him that

the priest was dead, and ordered him to watch the body in the church

that night. The priest lay down on the bier before the altar, and

after Juan came the priest arose. Juan pushed him down again and ran

out of the church and secured a club. Returning, he said to the priest,

"You are dead; try to get up again and I will break you to pieces." So

Juan proved himself to be a brave man, and the governor won his wager.

Juan Hides the Salt.

Juan's father came into possession of a sack of salt, which used to

be very precious and an expensive commodity. He wished it hidden in a

secure place and so told Juan to hide it till they should need it. Juan

went out and after hunting for a long time hid it in a carabao wallow,

and of course when they went to fetch it again nothing was left but

the sack.

The Man in the Shroud.

Juan, being a joker, once thought to have a little fun at others'

expense, so he robed himself in a shroud, placed a bier by the

roadside, set candles around it, and lay down so that all who went by

should see him and be frightened. A band of robbers went by that way,

and seeing the corpse, besought it to give them luck. As it happened,

they were more than usually fortunate, and when they returned they

began to make offerings to him to secure continuance of their good

fortune. As the entire proceeds of their adventures were held in

common, they soon began to quarrel over the offerings to be made. The

captain became angry, and drew his sword with a threat to run the

corpse through for causing so much dissension among his men.

This frightened the sham dead man to such a degree that he jumped up

and ran away, and the robbers, who were even more frightened than he,

ran the other way, leaving all their plunder.

Juan then returned and gathered all the money and valuables left

behind by the robbers, and carried them home. Now he had a friend

who was very curious to know how he came into possession of so much

wealth, and so Juan told him, only he said nothing about robbers,

but told his friend, whose name was Pedro, that the things were the

direct reward of God for his piety.

Pedro, being afraid of the woods, decided to lie just inside the church

door; besides, that being a more sacred place, he felt sure that God

would favor him even more than Juan. He arranged his bier with the

candles around him, and lay down to await the shower of money that

should reward his devotions. When the sacristan went to the church

to ring the bell for vespers, he saw the body lying there, and not

knowing of any corpse having been carried in, he was frightened

and ran to tell the padre. The padre, when he had seen the body,

said it was a miracle, and that it must be buried within the church,

for the sanctification of the edifice.

But Pedro, now thoroughly frightened, jumped off the bier and ran away,

and the priest and the sacristan ran the other way, so the poor man

never received the reward for his piety, and the church was deprived

of a new patron saint.

The Eagle and the Hen

One day the eagle declared his love for the hen. He flew down to search

for her, and when he had found her he said: "I wish you to be my mate."

The hen answered: "I am willing, but let me first grow wings like

yours, so I can fly as high as you." The eagle replied: "I will do so,

and as a sign of our betrothal I will give you this ring. Take good

care of it until I come again."

The hen promised to do so, and the eagle flew away.

The next day the cock met the hen. When he saw the ring around her neck

he was very much surprised and said: "Where did you get that ring? I

think you are not true to me. Do you not remember your promise to be

my mate? Throw away that ring." So she did.

At the end of a week the eagle came with beautiful feathers to dress

the hen. When she saw him she became frightened and hid behind the

door. The eagle entered, crying: "How are you, my dear hen? I am

bringing you a beautiful dress," and he showed it to the hen. "But

where is your ring? Why do you not wear it?" The hen could not at

first answer, but after a little she tried to deceive the eagle, and

said: "Oh, pardon me, sir! Yesterday as I was walking in the garden

I met a large snake, and I was so frightened that I ran towards the

house. When I reached it I found that I had lost the ring, and I

looked everywhere for it; but alas! I have not yet found it."

The eagle looked keenly at the hen and said: "I would never have

believed that you would behave so badly. I promise you that, whenever

you have found my ring, I will come down again and take you for my

mate. As a punishment for breaking your promise you shall always

scratch the ground and look for the ring, and all your chickens that

I find I will snatch away from you. That is all. Good-by." Then he

flew away.

And ever since, all the hens all over the world have been scratching

to find the eagle's ring.

Note.--The bird of whom this story is told is the dapay, or brahman

kite. It is larger than most of our hawks and is more like the eagle

in appearance, although not very large.

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.

The Tobacco of Harisaboqued (Ang tabako ni Harisabukid- Alamat ng Kanlaon)

A legend of the volcano of Canlaon on the island of Negros. It is told generally in Western Negros and Eastern Cebu. The volcano is still active, and smoke and steam rise from its crater.

Long before the strange men came over the water from Spain, there lived in Negros, on the mountain of Canlaon, an old man who had great power over all the things in the earth. He was called Harisaboqued, King of the Mountain.

When he wished anything done he had but to tap the ground three times and instantly a number of little men would spring from the earth to answer his call. They would obey his slightest wish, but as he was a kind old man and never told his dwarfs to do anything wrong, the people who lived near were not afraid. They planted tobacco on the mountain side and were happy and prosperous.

The fields stretched almost to the top of the mountain and the plants grew well, for every night Harisaboqued would order his dwarfs to attend to them, and though the tobacco was high up it grew faster and better than that planted in the valley below.

The people were very grateful to the old man and were willing to do anything for him; but he only asked them not to plant above a line he had ordered his little men to draw around the mountain near the top. He wished that place for himself and his dwarfs.

All obeyed his wish and no one planted over the line. It was a pretty sight to see the long rows of tobacco plants extending from the towns below far up to the line on the mountain side.

One day Harisaboqued called the people together and told them that he was going away for a long time. He asked them again not to plant over the line, and told them that if they disregarded this wish he would carry all the tobacco away and permit no more to grow on the mountain side until he had smoked what he had taken. The people promised faithfully to obey him. Then he tapped on the ground, the earth opened, and he disappeared into the mountain.

Many years passed and Harisaboqued did not come back. All wondered why he did not return and at last decided that he would never do so. The whole mountain side was covered with tobacco and many of the people looked with greedy eyes at the bare ground above the line, but as yet they were afraid to break their promise.

At last one man planted in the forbidden ground, and, as nothing happened, others did the same, until soon the mountain was entirely covered with the waving plants. The people were very happy and soon forgot about Harisaboqued and their promise to him.

But one day, while they were laughing and singing, the earth suddenly opened and Harisaboqued sprang out before them. They were very much frightened and fled in terror down the mountain side. When they reached the foot and looked back they saw a terrible sight. All the tobacco had disappeared and, instead of the thousands of plants that they had tended so carefully, nothing but the bare mountain could be seen.

Then suddenly there was a fearful noise and the whole mountain top flew high in the air, leaving an immense hole from which poured fire and smoke.

The people fled and did not stop until they were far away. Harisaboqued had kept his word.

Many years have come and gone, but the mountain is bare and the smoke still rolls out of the mountain top. Villages have sprung up along the sides, but no tobacco is grown on the mountain. The people remember the tales of the former great crops and turn longing eyes to the heights above them, but they will have to wait. Harisaboqued is still smoking his tobacco.