The Story of Benito

_Tagalog_

Benito was an only son who lived with his father and mother in a

little village. They were very poor, and as the boy grew older and

saw how hard his parents struggled for their scanty living he often

dreamed of a time when he might be a help to them.

One evening when they sat eating their frugal meal of rice the father

told about a young king who lived in a beautiful palace some distance

from their village, and the boy became very much interested. That

night when the house was dark and quiet and Benito lay on his mat

trying to sleep, thoughts of the young king repeatedly came to his

mind, and he wished he were a king that he and his parents might

spend the rest of their lives in a beautiful palace.

The next morning he awoke with a new idea. He would go to the king and

ask for work, that he might in that way be able to help his father

and mother. He was a long time in persuading his parents to allow

him to go, however, for it was a long journey, and they feared that

the king might not be gracious. But at last they gave their consent,

and the boy started out The journey proved tiresome. After he reached

the palace, he was not at first permitted to see the king. But the

boy being very earnest at last secured a place as a servant.

It was a new and strange world to Benito who had known only the life

of a little village. The work was hard, but he was happy in thinking

that now he could help his father and mother. One day the king sent

for him and said:

"I want you to bring to me a beautiful princess who lives in a land

across the sea. Go at once, and if you fail you shall be punished

severely,"

The boy's heart sank within him, for he did not know what to do. But

he answered as bravely as possible, "I will, my lord," and left the

king's chamber. He at once set about preparing things for a long

journey, for he was determined to try at least to fulfil the command.

When all was ready Benito started. He had not gone far before he

came to a thick forest, where he saw a large bird bound tightly

with strings.

"Oh, my friend," pleaded the bird, "please free me from these bonds,

and I will help you whenever you call on me."

Benito quickly released the bird, and it flew away calling back to

him that its name was Sparrow-hawk.

Benito continued his journey till he came to the sea. Unable to find

a way of crossing, he stopped and gazed sadly out over the waters,

thinking of the king's threat if he failed. Suddenly he saw swimming

toward him the King of the Fishes who asked:

"Why are you so sad?"

"I wish to cross the sea to find the beautiful Princess," answered

the boy.

"Well, get on my back," said the Fish, "and I will carry you across."

So Benito stepped on his back and was carried to the other shore.

Soon he met a strange woman who inquired what it was he sought,

and when he had told her she said:

"The Princess is kept in a castle guarded by giants. Take this magic

sword, for it will kill instantly whatever it touches." And she handed

him the weapon.

Benito was more than grateful for her kindness and went on full of

hope. As he approached the castle he could see that it was surrounded

by many giants, and as soon as they saw him they ran out to seize him,

but they went unarmed for they saw that he was a mere boy. As they

approached he touched those in front with his sword, and one by one

they fell dead. Then the others ran away in a panic, and left the

castle unguarded. Benito entered, and when he had told the Princess

of his errand, she was only too glad to escape from her captivity

and she set out at once with him for the palace of the king.

At the seashore the King of the Fishes was waiting for them, and they

had no difficulty in crossing the sea and then in journeying through

the thick forest to the palace, where they were received with great

rejoicing. After a time the King asked the Princess to become his wife,

and she replied:

"I will, O King, if you will get the ring I lost in the sea as I was

crossing it"

The King immediately thought of Benito, and sending for him he

commanded him to find the ring which had been lost on the journey

from the land of the giants.

It seemed a hopeless task to the boy, but, anxious to obey his master,

he started out. At the seaside he stopped and gazed over the waters

until, to his great delight, he saw his friend, the King of the Fishes,

swimming toward him. When he had been told of the boy's troubles,

the great fish said: "I will see if I can help you," and he summoned

all his subjects to him. When they came he found that one was missing,

and he sent the others in search of it. They found it under a stone

so full that it could not swim, and the larger ones took it by the

tail and dragged it to the King.

"Why did you not come when you were called?" inquired the King Fish.

"I have eaten so much that I cannot swim," replied the poor fish.

Then the King Fish, suspecting the truth, ordered it cut open,

and inside they found the lost ring. Benito was overjoyed at this,

and expressing his great thanks, hastened with the precious ring to

his master.

The King, greatly pleased, carried the ring to the Princess and said:

"Now that I have your ring will you become my wife?"

"I will be your wife," replied the Princess, "if you will find my

earring that I lost in the forest as I was journeying with Benito."

Again the King sent for Benito, and this time he commanded him to

find the earring. The boy was very weary from his long journeys, but

with no complaint he started out once more. Along the road through

the thick forest he searched carefully, but with no reward. At last,

tired and discouraged, he sat down under a tree to rest.

Suddenly there appeared before him a mouse of great size, and he was

surprised to find that it was the King of Mice.

"Why are you so sad?" asked the King Mouse.

"Because," answered the boy, "I cannot find an earring which the

Princess lost as we were going through the forest together."

"I will help you," said the Mouse, and he summoned all his subjects.

When they assembled it was found that one little mouse was missing,

and the King sent the others to look for him. In a small hole among

the bamboo trees they found him, and he begged to be left alone,

for, he said, he was so full that he could not walk. Nevertheless

they pulled him along to their master, who, upon finding that there

was something hard inside the mouse, ordered him cut open; and inside

they found the missing earring.

Benito at once forgot his weariness, and after expressing his great

thanks to the King Mouse he hastened to the palace with the prize. The

King eagerly seized the earring and presented it to the Princess,

again asking her to be his wife.

"Oh, my King," replied the Princess, "I have one more request to

make. Only grant it and I will be your wife forever."

The King, believing that now with the aid of Benito he could grant

anything, inquired what it was she wished, and she replied:

"Get me some water from heaven and some from the lower world, and I

shall ask nothing more."

Once more the King called Benito and sent him on the hardest errand

of all.

The boy went out not knowing which way to turn, and while he was

in a deep study his weary feet led him to the forest. Suddenly he

thought of the bird who had promised to help him, and he called,

"Sparrowhawk!" There was a rustle of wings, and the bird swooped

down. He told it of his troubles and it said:

"I will get the water for you."

Then Benito made two light cups of bamboo which he fastened to the

bird's legs, and it flew away. All day the boy waited in the forest,

and just as night was coming on the bird returned with both cups

full. The one on his right foot, he told Benito, was from heaven,

and that on his left was from the lower world. The boy unfastened

the cups, and then, as he was thanking the bird, he noticed that the

journey had been too much for it and that it was dying. Filled with

sorrow for his winged friend, he waited and carefully buried it,

and then he hastened to the palace with the precious water.

When the Princess saw that her wish had been fulfilled she asked the

King to cut her in two and pour over her the water from heaven. The

King was not able to do this, so she cut herself, and then as he

poured the water over her he beheld her grow into the most beautiful

woman he had ever seen.

Eager to become handsome himself, the King then begged her to pour

over him the water from the other cup. He cut himself, and she did

as he requested, but immediately there arose a creature most ugly

and horrible to look upon, which soon vanished out of sight. Then

the Princess called Benito and told him that because he had been

so faithful to his master and so kind to her, she chose him for

her husband.

They were married amid great festivities and became king and queen of

that broad and fertile land. During all the great rejoicing, however,

Benito never forgot his parents. One of the finest portions of his

kingdom he gave to them, and from that time they all lived in great

happiness.

The Widow's Son

_Subanun_ (_Mindanao_)

In a little house at the edge of a village lived a widow with her

only son, and they were very happy together. The son was kind to his

mother, and they made their living by growing rice in clearings on

the mountain side and by hunting wild pig in the forest.

One evening when their supply of meat was low, the boy said:

"Mother, I am going to hunt pig in the morning, and I wish you would

prepare rice for me before daylight."

So the widow rose early and cooked the rice, and at dawn the boy

started out with his spear and dog.

Some distance from the village, he entered the thick forest. He walked

on and on, ever on the lookout for game, but none appeared. At last

when he had traveled far and the sun was hot, he sat down on a rock to

rest and took out his brass box [138] to get a piece of betel-nut. He

prepared the nut and leaf for chewing, and as he did so he wondered

why it was that he had been so unsuccessful that day. But even as he

pondered he heard his dog barking sharply, and cramming the betel-nut

into his mouth he leaped up and ran toward the dog.

As he drew near he could see that the game was a fine large pig,

all black save its four legs which were white. He lifted his spear

and took aim, but before he could throw the pig started to run,

and instead of going toward a water course it ran straight up the

mountain. The boy went on in hot pursuit, and when the pig paused he

again took aim, but before he could throw it ran on.

Six times the pig stopped just long enough for the boy to take aim,

and then started on before he could throw. The seventh time, however,

it halted on the top of a large flat rock and the boy succeeded in

killing it.

He tied its legs together with a piece of rattan and was about to

start for home with the pig on his back, when to his surprise a door

in the large stone swung open and a man stepped out.

"Why have you killed my master's pig?" asked the man.

"I did not know that this pig belonged to anyone," replied the widow's

son. "I was hunting, as I often do, and when my dog found the pig I

helped him to catch it"

"Come in and see my master," said the man, and the boy followed him

into the stone where he found himself in a large room. The ceiling and

floor were covered with peculiar cloth that had seven wide stripes

of red alternating with a like number of yellow stripes. When the

master of the place appeared his trousers were of seven colors,

[139] as were also his jacket and the kerchief about his head.

The master ordered betel-nut, and when it was brought they chewed

together. Then he called for wine, and it was brought in a jar so

large that it had to be set on the ground under the house, and even

then the top came so high above the floor that they brought a seat

for the widow's son, and it raised him just high enough to drink

from the reed in the top of the jar. He drank seven cups of wine,

and then they ate rice and fish and talked together.

The master did not blame the boy for killing the pig, and declared that

he wished to make a brother of him. So they became friends, and the

boy remained seven days in the stone. At the end of that time, he said

that he must return to his mother who would be worried about him. In

the early morning he left the strange house and started for home.

At first he walked briskly, but as the morning wore on he went more

slowly, and finally when the sun was high he sat down on a rock to

rest. Suddenly looking up, he saw before him seven men each armed with

a spear, a shield, and a sword. They were dressed in different colors,

and each man had eyes the same color as his clothes. The leader, who

was dressed all in red with red eyes to match, spoke first, asking

the boy where he was going. The boy replied that he was going home

to his mother who would be looking for him, and added:

"Now I ask where you are going, all armed ready for war."

"We are warriors," replied the man in red. "And we go up and down the

world killing whatever we see that has life. Now that we have met you,

we must kill you also."

The boy, startled by this strange speech, was about to answer when he

heard a voice near him say: "Fight, for they will try to kill you,"

and upon looking up he saw his spear, shield, and sword which he had

left at home. Then he knew that the command came from a spirit, so he

took his weapons and began to fight. For three days and nights they

contended, and never before had the seven seen one man so brave. On

the fourth day the leader was wounded and fell dead, and then, one

by one, the other six fell.

When they were all killed, the widow's son was so crazed with fighting

that he thought no longer of returning home, but started out to find

more to slay.

In his wanderings he came to the home of a great giant whose house

was already full of the men he had conquered in battle, and he called

up from outside:

"Is the master of the house at home? If he is, let him come out

and fight."

This threw the giant into a rage, and seizing his shield and his

spear, the shaft of which was the trunk of a tree, he sprang to the

door and leaped to the ground, not waiting to go down the notched

pole which served for steps. He looked around for his antagonist,

and seeing only the widow's son he roared:

"Where is the man that wants to fight? That thing? It is only a fly!"

The boy did not stop to answer, but rushed at the giant with his knife;

and for three days and nights they struggled, till the giant fell,

wounded at the waist.

After that the widow's son stopped only long enough to burn the giant's

house, and then rushed on looking for someone else to slay. Suddenly

he again heard the voice which had bade him fight with the seven men,

and this time it said: "Go home now, for your mother is grieved at

your absence." In a rage he sprang forward with his sword, though he

could see no enemy. Then the spirit which had spoken to him made him

sleep for a short time. When he awoke the rage was spent.

Again the spirit appeared, and it said: "The seven men whom you killed

were sent to kill you by the spirit of the great stone, for he looked

in your hand and saw that you were to marry the orphan girl whom

he himself wished to wed. But you have conquered. Your enemies are

dead. Go home now and prepare a great quantity of wine, for I shall

bring your enemies to life again, and you will all live in peace."

So the widow's son went home, and his mother, who had believed him

dead, was filled with joy at his coming, and all the people in the town

came out to welcome him. When he had told them his story, they hastened

to get wine, and all day they bore jarsful to the widow's house.

That night there was a great feast, and the spirit of the great stone,

his seven warriors, the friendly spirit, and the giant all came. The

widow's son married the orphan girl, while another beautiful woman

became the wife of the spirit of the stone.