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 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 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.

Dogedog

_Tinguian_

Dogedog had always been very lazy, and now that his father and mother

were dead and he had no one to care for him, he lived very poorly. He

had little to eat. His house was old and small and so poor that it

had not even a floor. Still he would rather sit all day and idle away

his time than to work and have more things.

One day, however, when the rainy season was near at hand, Dogedog

began thinking how cold he would be when the storms came, and he felt

so sorry for himself that he decided to make a floor in his house.

Wrapping some rice in a banana leaf for his dinner, he took his long

knife and went to the forest to cut some bamboo. He hung the bundle

of rice in a tree until he should need it; but while he was working

a cat came and ate it. When the hungry man came for his dinner, there

was none left. Dogedog went back to his miserable little house which

looked forlorn to him even, now that he had decided to have a floor.

The next day he went again to the forest and hung his rice in the

tree as he did before, but again the cat came and ate it. So the man

had to go home without any dinner.

The third day he took the rice, but this time he fixed a trap in the

tree, and when the cat came it was caught.

"Now I have you!" cried the man when he found the cat; "and I shall

kill you for stealing my rice."

"Oh, do not kill me," pleaded the cat, "and I will be of some use

to you."

So Dogedog decided to spare the cat's life, and he took it home and

tied it near the door to guard the house.

Some time later when he went to look at it, he was very much surprised

to find that it had become a cock.

"Now I can go to the cock-fight at Magsingal," cried the man. And he

was very happy, for he had much rather do that than work.

Thinking no more of getting wood for his floor, he started out at

once for Magsingal with the cock under his arm. As he was crossing

a river he met an alligator which called out to him:

"Where are you going, Dogedog?"

"To the cock-fight at Magsingal," replied the man as he fondly stroked

the rooster.

"Wait, and I will go with you," said the alligator; and he drew

himself out of the water.

The two walking along together soon entered a forest where they met

a deer and it asked:

"Where are you going, Dogedog?"

"To the cock-fight at Magsingal," said the man.

"Wait and I will go with you," said the deer; and he also joined them.

By and by they met a mound of earth that had been raised by the ants,

and they would have passed without noticing it had it not inquired:

"Where are you going, Dogedog?"

"To the cock-fight at Magsingal," said the man once more; and the

mound of earth joined them.

The company then hurried on, and just as they were leaving the forest,

they passed a big tree in which was a monkey.

"Where are you going, Dogedog?" shrieked the monkey. And without

waiting for an answer he scrambled down the tree and followed them.

As the party walked along they talked together, and the alligator

said to Dogedog:

"If any man wants to dive into the water, I can stay under longer

than he."

Then the deer, not to be outdone, said:

"If any man wants to run, I can run faster."

The mound of earth, anxious to show its strength, said:

"If any man wants to wrestle, I can beat him."

And the monkey said:

"If any man wants to climb, I can go higher."

They reached Magsingal in good time and the people were ready for the

fight to begin. When Dogedog put his rooster, which had been a cat,

into the pit, it killed the other cock at once, for it used its claws

like a cat.

The people brought more roosters and wagered much money, but Dogedog's

cock killed all the others until there was not one left in Magsingal,

and Dogedog won much money. Then they went outside the town and

brought all the cocks they could find, but not one could win over

that of Dogedog.

When the cocks were all dead, the people wanted some other sport,

so they brought a man who could stay under water for a long time,

and Dogedog made him compete with the alligator. But after a while

the man had to come up first Then they brought a swift runner and he

raced with the deer, but the man was left far behind. Next they looked

around until they found a very large man who was willing to contend

with the mound of earth, but after a hard struggle the man was thrown.

Finally they brought a man who could climb higher than anyone else,

but the monkey went far above him, and he had to give up.

All these contests had brought much money to Dogedog, and now he had

to buy two horses to carry his sacks of silver. As soon as he reached

home, he bought the house of a very rich man and went to live in

it. And he was very happy, for he did not have to work any more. 

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.

How Jackyo Became Rich

A long time ago there was a young man whose name was Jackyo. He was

very poor, and by his daily labor could earn barely enough for his

food and nothing at all for his clothes. He had a little farm at some

distance from the village in which he lived, and on it raised a few

poor crops.

One pleasant afternoon Jackyo started off to visit his farm. It was

late when he reached it, and after he had finished inspecting his

crops, he turned back homewards. But the bright day had gone and the

sun had set. Night came on quickly, and the way was dark and lonely.

At last he could no longer see the road. Not a star was to be seen,

and the only sounds he heard were the sad twitterings of the birds

and soft rustling of the leaves as they were moved by the wind.

At last he entered a thick forest where the trees were very big. "What

if I should meet some wild beast," thought Jackyo; but he added half

aloud, "I must learn to be brave and face every danger."

It was not long before he was very sure that he could hear a deep

roar. His heart beat fast, but he walked steadily forward, and soon

the roar was repeated, this time nearer and more distinctly, and he

saw in the dim light a great wild ox coming towards him.

He found a large hole in the trunk of a huge tree. "I will pass the

night here in this tree," he said to himself.

In a little while an old man appeared. His body was covered with coarse

hair and he was very ugly. He looked fiercely at Jackyo from head to

foot and said: "What are you thinking of to come in here? Do you not

know that this is the royal castle of the king of evil spirits?"

Jackyo became more frightened than before and for a long time he

could not speak, but at last he stammered: "Excuse me, sir, but I

cannot go home on account of the dark night. I pray you to let me

rest here for a short time."

"I cannot let you stay here, because our king is not willing to help

any one who does not belong to his kingdom. If he did so, his kingdom

would be lost. But what is your name? Do you know how to sing?" said

the old man.

"My name is Jackyo, and I know a little bit about singing," replied

Jackyo.

"Well," said the old man, "if you know any song, sing for me." Now

Jackyo knew but one song, and that was about the names of the days of

the week except Sunday. He did not like to sing it, but the old man

urged him, saying: "If you do not sing, I will cut your head off." So

Jackyo began to sing.

It happened that the king [5] of the evil spirits, whose name was

Mensaya, heard Jackyo's song and was very much interested in it. He

called a servant, named Macquil, and said: "Macquil, go downstairs and

see who is singing down there, and when you find him, bring him to me."

Jackyo went before the king, bowed to the floor, touching the carpet

with his forehead, and stood humbly before the king.

"Let me hear your song," said the king. So Jackyo, with great respect,

sang the only song he knew. Here it is:

    Mon-day, Tues-day, Wednesday, Thurs-day, Fri-day, Sat-ur-day.

While he was singing, all the evil spirits in the cave gathered around

him to hear his song, and Mensaya asked him to sing it over and over

again. They were all so pleased with it that Mensaya ordered Macquil

to give Jackyo a large quantity of gold and silver as a reward for

his beautiful song.

When the morning came Jackyo returned home, full of joy, and became

known as the richest man in the village.