| By Author | [ A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z | Other Symbols ] |
| By Title | [ A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z | Other Symbols ] |
| By Language |
|
Download this book: [ ASCII | HTML | PDF ] Look for this book on Amazon Tweet |
Title: Filipino Popular Tales
Author: Fansler, Dean Spruill, 1885- [Editor]
Language: English
As this book started as an ASCII text book there are no pictures available.
*** Start of this LibraryBlog Digital Book "Filipino Popular Tales" ***
Filipino Popular Tales
Collected and Edited with Comparative Notes
By
Dean S. Fansler,
1921
PREFACE.
The folk-tales in this volume, which were collected in the Philippines
during the years from 1908 to 1914, have not appeared in print
before. They are given to the public now in the hope that they will be
no mean or uninteresting addition to the volumes of Oriental Märchen
already in existence. The Philippine archipelago, from the very nature
of its geographical position and its political history, cannot but be a
significant field to the student of popular stories. Lying as it does
at the very doors of China and Japan, connected as it is ethnically
with the Malayan and Indian civilizations, Occidentalized as it has
been for three centuries and more, it stands at the junction of East
and West. It is therefore from this point of view that these tales
have been put into a form convenient for reference. Their importance
consists in their relationship to the body of world fiction.
The language in which these stories are presented is the language
in which they were collected and written down,--English. Perhaps
no apology is required for not printing the vernacular herewith;
nevertheless an explanation might be made. In the first place,
the object in recording these tales has been a literary one, not a
linguistic one. In the second place, the number of distinctly different
languages represented by the originals might be baffling even to the
reader interested in linguistics, especially as our method of approach
has been from the point of view of cycles of stories, and not from the
point of view of the separate tribes telling them. In the third place,
the form of prose tales among the Filipinos is not stereotyped; and
there is likely to be no less variation between two Visayan versions
of the same story, or between a Tagalog and a Visayan, than between
the native form and the English rendering. Clearly Spanish would not
be a better medium than English: for to-day there is more English than
Spanish spoken in the Islands; besides, Spanish never penetrated into
the very lives of the peasants, as English penetrates to-day by way
of the school-house. I have endeavored to offset the disadvantages
of the foreign medium by judicious and painstaking directions to my
informants in the writing-down of the tales. Only in very rare cases
was there any modification of the original version by the teller,
as a concession to Occidental standards. Whatever substitutions I
have been able to detect I have removed. In practically every case,
not only to show that these are bona fide native stories, but also
to indicate their geographical distribution, I have given the name
of the narrator, his native town, and his province. In many cases I
have given, in addition, the source of his information. I am firmly
convinced that all the tales recorded here represent genuine Filipino
tradition so far as the narrators are concerned, and that nothing
has been "manufactured" consciously.
But what is "native," and what is "derived"? The folklore of the
wild tribes--Negritos, Bagobos, Igorots--is in its way no more
"uncontaminated" than that of the Tagalogs, Pampangans, Zambals,
Pangasinans, Ilocanos, Bicols, and Visayans. The traditions of
these Christianized tribes present as survivals, adaptations,
modifications, fully as many puzzling and fascinating problems as
the popular lore of the Pagan peoples. It should be remembered,
that, no matter how wild and savage and isolated a tribe may be,
it is impossible to prove that there has been no contact of that
tribe with the outside civilized world. Conquest is not necessary
to the introduction of a story or belief. The crew of a Portuguese
trading-vessel with a genial narrator on board might conceivably be
a much more successful transmitting-medium than a thousand praos full
of brown warriors come to stay. Clearly the problem of analyzing and
tracing the story-literature of the Christianized tribes differs only
in degree from that connected with the Pagan tribes. In this volume
I have treated the problem entirely from the former point of view,
since there has been hitherto a tendency to neglect as of small value
the stories of the Christianized peoples. However, for illustrative
material I have drawn freely on works dealing with the non-Christian
tribes, particularly in the case of stories that appear to be native;
and I shall use the term "native" to mean merely "existent in the
Islands before the Spaniards went there."
In the notes, I have attempted to answer for some of the tales the
question as to what is native and what imported. I have not been
able to reach a decision in the case of all, because of a lack of
sufficient evidence. While the most obvious sources of importation
from the Occident have been Spain and Portugal, the possibility
of the introduction of French, Italian, and even Belgian stories
through the medium of priests of those nationalities must not be
overlooked. Furthermore, there is a no inconsiderable number of Basque
sailors to be found on the small inter-island steamers that connect
one end of the archipelago with the other. Even a very cursory glance
at the tales in this collection reveals the fact that many of them
are more or less close variants and analogues of tales distributed
throughout the world. How or when this material reached the Philippines
is hard to say. The importation of Arabian stories, for example,
might have been made over many routes. The Hindoo beast-tales, too,
might have quite circled the globe in their progress from east to west,
and thus have been introduced to the Filipinos by the Spaniards and
Portuguese. Again, the germs of a number of widespread Märchen may have
existed in the archipelago long before the arrival of the Europeans,
and, upon the introduction of Occidental civilization and culture,
have undergone a development entirely consistent with the development
that took place in Europe, giving us as a result remarkably close
analogues of the Western tales. This I suspect to have been the case
of some of our stories where, parallel with the localized popular
versions, exist printed romances (in the vernacular) with the mediaeval
flavor and setting of chivalry. To give a specific case: the Visayans,
Bicols, and Tagalogs in the coast towns feared the raids of Mindanao
Mussulmans long before white feet trod the shores of the Islands, and
many traditions of conflicts with these pirates are embedded in their
legends. The Spaniard came in the sixteenth century, bringing with
him stories of wars between Christians and Saracens in Europe. One
result of this close analogy of actual historical situation was, I
believe, a general tendency to levelling: that is, native traditions
of such struggles took on the color of the Spanish romances; Spanish
romances, on the other hand, which were popularized in the Islands,
were very likely to be "localized." A maximum of caution and a
minimum of dogmatism, then, are imperative, if one is to treat at all
scientifically the relationship of the stories of a composite people
like the Filipinos to the stories of the rest of the world.
A word might be added as to the nature of the tales. I have included
only "hero tales, serious and droll," beast stories and fables,
and pourquoi or "just-so" stories. Myths, legends, and fairy-tales
(including all kinds of spirit and demon stories) I have purposely
excluded, in order to keep the size of the volume within reasonable
limits. I have, however, occasionally drawn upon my manuscript
collection of these types to illustrate a native superstition or
custom.
Columbia University,
May, 1918.
CONTENTS.
I. HERO TALES AND DROLLS.
1. (a) Suan's Good Luck 1
(b) Suan Eket 2
2. The Charcoal-Maker who became King 10
3. The Story of Carancal 17
4. (a) Suac and his Adventures 29
(b) The Three Friends,--the Monkey, the Dog, and the Carabao 31
5. (a) How Suan became Rich 35
(b) The King's Decisions 37
6. (a) The Four Blind Brothers 42
(b) Juan the Blind Man 43
(c) Teofilo the Hunchback, and the Giant 46
(d) Juan and the Buringcantada 47
(e) The Manglalabas 49
7. (a) Sagacious Marcela 53
(b) King Tasio 55
8. (a) The Story of Zaragoza 64
(b) Juan the Peerless Robber 69
9. The Seven Crazy Fellows 75
10. (a) Juan Manalaksan 79
(b) Juan the Poor, who became Juan the King 81
11. (a) Lucas the Strong 89
(b) Juan and his Six Companions 92
(c) The Story of King Palmarin 98
12. (a) The Three Brothers 116
(b) Three Brothers of Fortune 118
(c) Pablo and the Princess 120
(d) Legend of Prince Oswaldo 122
13. (a) The Rich and the Poor 137
(b) Lucas the Rope-Maker 140
14. (a) The King and the Dervish 144
(b) The Mysterious Book 145
15. The Miraculous Cow 150
16. The Clever Husband and Wife 152
17. The Three Brothers 155
18. Juan and his Adventures 171
19. Juan wearing a Monkey's Skin 178
20. (a) How Salaksak became Rich 183
(b) Clever Juan and Envious Diego 186
(c) Ruined because of Invidiousness 188
(d) The Two Friends 190
(e) Juan the Orphan 192
21. Is he the Crafty Ulysses? 197
22. The Reward of Kindness 207
23. Pedro and Satan 211
24. The Devil and the Guachinango 214
25. Juan Sadut 223
26. An Act of Kindness 227
27. The Indolent Husband 231
28. Cecilio, the Servant of Emilio 237
29. Chonguita 244
30. The Golden Lock 248
31. Who is the Nearest Relative? 257
32. With One Centavo Juan marries a Princess 262
33. (a) The Three Humpbacks 265
(b) The Seven Humpbacks 267
34. (a) Respect Old Age 271
(b) The Golden Rule 271
35. Cochinango 276
36. Pedro and the Witch 279
37. The Woman and her Coles Plant 285
38. A Negrito Slave 287
39. Alberto and the Monsters 291
40. Juan and Maria 295
41. The Enchanted Prince 301
42. The Prince's Dream 304
43. The Wicked Woman's Reward 309
44. The Magic Ring 310
45. (a) Maria and the Golden Slipper 314
(b) Abadeja 316
46. Juan the Poor 319
47. The Fate of an Envious Woman 323
48. (a) The Monkey and Juan Pusong Tambi-Tambi 326
(b) Andres the Trapper 332
49. Juan the Fool 338
50. Juan and his Painted Hat 353
51. Juan and Clotilde 355
52. The Poor Man and his Three Sons 359
53. The Denied Mother 361
54. Tomarind and the Wicked Datu 363
II. FABLES AND ANIMAL STORIES.
55. The Monkey and the Turtle (three versions) 366
56. The Monkey and the Crocodile (two versions) 374
57. The Monkeys and the Dragon-Flies 379
58. The Monkey, the Turtle, and the Crocodile 382
59. The Iguana and the Turtle 383
60. (a) The Trial among the Animals 385
(b) The Pugu's Case 386
(c) Why Mosquitoes hum and try to get into the Holes of our
Ears 387
(d) A Tyrant 388
61. The Greedy Crow 391
62. The Humming-Bird and the Carabao 393
63. The Camanchile and the Passion 394
64. Auac and Lamiran 395
III. "JUST-SO" STORIES.
65. Why the Ant is not so Venomous as the Snake 398
66. Why Locusts are Harmful 399
67. How Lansones became Edible 401
68. Why Cocks fight One Another 403
69. Why Bats fly at Night 404
70. Why the Sun shines more brightly than the Moon 404
71. (a) Why the Culing has a Tonsure 407
(b) The Culeto and the Crow 407
(c) The Hawk and the Coling 408
72. (a) Why the Cow's Skin is Loose on the Neck 410
(b) The First Loose-Skinned Cow and the First Tight-Skinned
Carabao 411
73. Why the Monkey is Wise 412
74. (a) The Lost Necklace 414
(b) The Cock and the Sparrow-Hawk 415
75. The Story of our Fingers 416
76. Why Snails climb up Grass 417
77. Why the Cuttlefish and Squids produce a Black Liquid 419
78. Why Cocks have Combs on their Heads 420
79. (a) How the Crow became Black 420
(b) Why the Crow is Black 421
(c) The Dove and the Crow 422
80. Why the Ocean is Salty 425
81. (a) Why the Sky is Curved 426
(b) Why the Sky is High 426
82. An Unequal Match; or, Why the Carabao's Hoof is split 428
FILIPINO STORIES GIVEN IN THE NOTES.
[Only stories from my own manuscript collection are listed here. Titles
of those given in full are printed in Roman; of those given merely
in abstract, in Italics. A "(C)" after a title indicates that the
story is taken from one of the native corridos, or metrical romances
printed in the vernacular.]
Pedro's Fortunes 15
Pusong 23
Cabagboc 23
Sandapal 23
Sandangcal 23
Greedy Juan 23
Juan Tapon 23
Dangandangan 23
Tangarangan 23
Kakarangkang 29
How Piro became Rich 14
The Cripple and the Blind Man 51
Marcela outwits the King 56
Cay Calabasa (C) 57
Rodolfo (C) 60
Juan and his Six Friends 78
Edmundo (C) 87
The Three Brothers 127
The Priest and his Pupil 148
Abu-Hasan (C) 154
Don Agustin, Don Pedro, and Don Juan (C) 169
The Adarna Bird (C) (two versions) 169
Pedro and the Giants 175
The Monkey becomes King 182
Juan the Ashes-Trader 195
Colassit and Colaskel 195
Juan the Poor 202
Juan Bachiller (C) 202
Mabait and the Duende 217
The Fortunes of Andoy, an Orphan 241
Peter the Violinist 241
Duke Almanzor (C) 251
The Seven Hunchbacked Brothers 268
Juan and his Father 275
Pugut Negro (C) 280
Juan Tiñoso (C) 283
Juan and Maria (C) 298
Pitong 299
The Wonderful Tree 318
King Asuero and Juan the Poor (C) 322
Ricardo and his Adventures 347
Juan and the Robbers 348
The Adventure of Two Robbers 349
Juan Sadut 351
Juan Loco 352
The Monkey and the Crocodile 377
The Battle between the Birds and the Beasts 381
The Bacuit's Case 389
Why the Ant is not so Venomous as the Snake 399
The Origin of Locusts 399
The Origin of Locusts 400
The Adam and Eve of the Tagalogs 402
How Lanzones became Edible 402
The Sun, the Moon, and the Stars 405
The Sun and the Moon 406
Origin of the Monkey 413
The First Monkey 413
The Deer and the Snail 429
APPENDIX 431
INDEX 447
BIBLIOGRAPHY.
[The following list includes only such works as are referred to in
abbreviated form in the notes throughout the volume.]
AARNE, ANTTI. Vergleichende Märchenforschungen. Helsingfors, 1908.
Arabian Nights' Entertainments. Translated by Sir RICHARD BURTON. 10
vols., 1885. Supplemental Nights, 6 vols., 1886-88.
Bahar-i-Danush. Translated from the Persian by JONATHAN SCOTT. 3
vols. Shrewsbury, 1799.
BAIN, R. NISBET. Russian Fairy Tales. From the Skazki of Polevoi. New
York, N.D.
BASILE, G. Pentamerone. Translated by Sir RICHARD BURTON. 2
vols. London, 1893.
BATEMAN, G.W. Zanzibar Tales. Chicago, 1901.
BENFEY, THEODOR. Pantschatantra: fünf Bücher indischer Fabeln,
Märchen und Erzählungen. Aus dem Sanskrit übersetzt, mit Einleitung
und Anmerkungen. 2 vols. Leipzig, 1859.
BLUMENTRITT, FERDINAND. Diccionario mitológico (in Retana's Archivo
del bibliófilo filipino, Vol. 2, Madrid, 1896).
BOLTE (JOHANNES) UND POLÍVKA (GEORG). Anmerkungen zu den Kinder-
und Hausmärchen der Brüder Grimm. 2 vols. Leipzig, 1913, 1915. (Cited
Bolte-Polívka.)
BOMPAS, C.H. Folklore of the Santal Parganas. London, 1909.
BURTON, Sir RICHARD. See Arabian Nights' Entertainments, and Basile.
(BUSK.) Sagas from the Far East; or Kalmouk and Mongolian Traditionary
Tales. London, 1873. (Compiled by RACHEL HARRIETTE BUSK.)
CABALLERO, FERNAN. Cuentos y poesias populares Andaluces. Leipzig,
1866. See also Ingram.
CAMPBELL, A. Santal Folk-Tales. Pokhuria, India, 1891.
CAMPBELL, J. F. Popular Tales of the West Highlands. 4 vols. 1890.
CAMPBELL, KILLIS. The Seven Sages of Rome. Boston, 1907.
CHILD, FRANCIS J. English and Scottish Popular Ballads. 5 vols. in
10 parts. Boston, 1882-98.
CLOUSTON, W.A. Book of Noodles. London, 1888. (Cited Clouston 1.)
--A Group of Eastern Romances. 1889. Privately printed. (Cited
Clouston 2.)
--Popular Tales and Fictions. 2 vols. London, 1888. (Cited Clouston 3.)
COLE, FAY-COOPER. Traditions of the Tinguian. Chicago, 1915. (Cited
Cole.)
COLE, MABEL COOK. Philippine Folk Tales. Chicago, 1916. (Cited
M. C. Cole.)
COMPARETTI, D. Novelline Popolari Italiane. Rome, 1875.
COSQUIN, EMMANUEL. Contes Populaires de Lorraine. 2 vols. Paris (1887).
CRANE, THOMAS F. Italian Popular Tales. Boston, 1885.
CROOKE, W. Religion and Folklore of Northern India. 2
vols. Westminster, 1896.
DÄHNHARDT, OSKAR. Natursagen. Eine Sammlung naturdeutender Sagen,
Märchen, Fabeln und Legenden. 4 vols. Leipzig, 1907-12.
DASENT, G. W. Popular Tales from the Norse. London, N.D. (The London
Library.)
DAYRELL, ELPHINSTONE. Folk Stories from Southern Nigeria, West
Africa. London, 1910.
DRACOTT, ALICE E. Simla Village Tales. London, 1906.
DUNLOP, JOHN COLIN. History of Fiction. Edited by H. WILSON. 2
vols. London, 1896.
EVANS, IVOR H. N. Folk Stories of the Tempassuk and Tuaran Districts,
British North Borneo (in the Journal of the Royal Anthropological
Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, 43 [1913]: 422-479). (Cited
Evans.)
FANSLER, HARRIOTT E. Types of Prose Narratives. Chicago, 1911.
FLEESON, KATHERINE NEVILLE. Laos Folk-Lore of Farther India. Chicago,
1899.
Folk-Lore Journal. Folk-Lore Society. 7 vols. London, 1883-89. (Cited
FLJ.)
Folk-Lore: A Quarterly Review, current since 1890. (Cited FL.)
FRERE, M. Old Deccan Days, or Hindoo Fairy Legends Current in Southern
India. London, 1868.
GEROULD, G.H. The Grateful Dead. (Folk-Lore Society.) London, 1907.
Gesta Romanorum. Translated by the Rev. CHARLES SWAN. Revised
edition. London, 1906.
GONZENBACH, LAURA. Sicilianische Märchen. 2 vols. Leipzig, 1870.
GRIMM, THE BROTHERS. Household Tales: with the Author's
Notes. Translated from the German, and edited by M. Hunt. With an
Introduction by Andrew Lang. 2 vols. London, 1884.
GROOME, F.H. Gypsy Folk Tales. London, 1899.
HAHN, J. G. VON. Griechische und albanesische Märchen. 2 vols. Leipzig,
1864.
HARTLAND, E.S. Science of Fairy Tales. London, 1891.
HONEY, JAMES A. South African Folk Tales. New York, 1910.
HOSE (CHARLES) and McDOUGALL (WILLIAM). The Pagan Tribes of Borneo. 2
vols. London, 1912. (Cited Hose-McDougall.)
Indian Antiquary--A Journal of Oriental Research in Archaeology,
History, Literature, Languages, Philosophy, Religion, etc. Bombay
(current).
INGRAM, J. H. Spanish Fairy Tales. Translated from Fernan
Caballero. New York, N.D.
JACOBS, JOSEPH. Indian Fairy Tales. New York and London, 1913. (Cited
Jacobs 1.)
--The Fables of Æsop. I. History of the Æsopic Fable. London,
1889. (Cited Jacobs 2.)
Jataka, or Stories of the Buddha's Former Births. Translated from the
Pali by various hands. Edited by E. B. COWELL. 6 vols. Cambridge, V.D.
Journal of American Folk-Lore. (Cited JAFL.)
--Bayliss, Clara K., Tagalog Folk-Tales (JAFL 21 : 45-53).
--Benedict, Laura W., Bagobo Myths (JAFL 26 : 13-63).
--Chamberlain, A. F., Notes on Tagal Folk-Lore (JAFL 15 : 196-198).
--Gardner, Fletcher, Tagalog Folk-Tales (JAFL 20 : 104-116, 300-310).
--Maxfield, B. L., and Millington, W. H., Visayan Folk-Tales (JAFL 19 :
97-112; 20 : 89-103, 311-318).
Journal of Philology.
Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Bengal, N.S. (Cited
JRASB.) Katha-sarit-sagara. See Somadeva.
KINGSCOTE, Mrs. HOWARD. Tales of the Sun, or Folklore of Southern
India. London, 1890.
KITTREDGE, GEORGE L. Arthur and Gorlagon (in Harvard Studies and
Notes in Philology and Literature).
KNOWLES, the Rev. J.H. Folk-Tales of Kashmir. 2d ed. London, 1893.
KOHLER, REINHOLD. Kleinere Schriften. I. Zur Märchenforschung. Edited
by J. BOLTE. Weimar, 1898. (Cited Köhler-Bolte.)
LAL BEHARI DAY. Folk-Tales of Bengal. London, 1883.
LANG, ANDREW. Custom and Myth. 2d ed. London, 1885.
LEGRAND, E. Recueil de contes populaires grecs. Paris, 1881.
MACCULLOCH, J.A. The Childhood of Fiction: A Study of Folk Tales and
Primitive Thought. London, 1905.
MCCULLOCH, WILLIAM. Bengali Household Tales. London, 1912.
MEIER, E. Deutsche Volksmärchen aus Schwaben. Stuttgart, 1852.
METELERKAMP, SANNI. Outa Karel's Stories: South African Folk-Lore
Tales. London, 1914.
MIJATOVIES, Mme. Serbian Folk-Lore. London, 1874.
Orient und Occident, insbesondere in ihren gegenwärtigen Beziehungen,
etc. 3 vols. Göttingen, 1860-64.
Pantschatantra. See Benfey.
PANZER, FRIEDRICH. Studien zur germanischen
Sagengeschichte. I. Beowulf. München, 1910.
Persian Tales: The 1001 Days. Translated by AMBROSE PHILLIPS. 2
vols. London, 1722. (References are to the 6th edition.)
PITRÈ, G. Fiabe, Novelline e Racconti Popolari Siciliane. 4
vols. Palermo, 1875.
PRÖHLE, H. Kinder- und Volksmärchen. Leipzig, 1853.
RADLOFF, W. Proben der Volkslitteratur der Turkischen Stämme
Sud-Sibiriens. 6 vols. St. Petersburg, 1866-86.
RALSTON, W. R. S. Russian Folk Tales. London, 1873. (Cited Ralston 1.)
--Tibetan Tales. London, 1882. (Cited Ralston 2.)
RETANA, WENCESLAO. Aparato Bibliográfico. 3 vols. Madrid, 1906.
RITTERSHAUS, ADELINE. Die Neuisländischen Volksmärchen. Halle, 1902.
RIVIERE, J. Recueil de contes populaires de la Kabylie. Paris, 1882.
Romancero General. 2 vols. Ed. DURAN.
Romania: Recueil trimestriel. Ed. par P. MEYER et G. PARIS. Paris,
current since 1872.
Rondallayre. Lo Rondallayre. Quentos populars catalans, colleccionats
per Fr. Maspons y Labros. Barcelona, 1875.
ROTH, H. LING. The Natives of Sarawak and British North Borneo. 2
vols. London, 1896.
ROUSE, W. H.D. The Talking Thrush and Other Tales from India. London,
1899.
SCHIEFNER, ANTON VON. See Tibetan Tales.
SCHLEICHER, AUGUST. Litauische Märchen, Sprichworte, Rätsel und
Lieder. Weimar, 1857.
SCHNELLER, C. Märchen und Sagen aus Wälschtirol. Innsbruck, 1867.
SCHOTT, ARTHUR und ALBERT. Walachische Maerchen. Stuttgart, 1845.
SCOTT, JONATHAN. See Bahar-i-Danush.
SELLERS, C. Tales from the Land of Nuts and Grapes. London, 1888.
SKEAT, W. W. Fables and Folk-Tales from an Eastern Forest. Cambridge,
1901. (Cited Skeat 1.)
SKEAT, W.W. Malay Magic. London, 1900. (Cited Skeat 2.)
SOMADEVA. Katha-sarit-sagara. Translated into English by
C. H. TAWNEY. 2 vols. Calcutta, 1880, 1884.
STEEL (F. A.) and TEMPLE (R. C.). Wideawake Stories = Tales of the
Punjab. London, 1894. (Cited Steel-Temple.)
STEERE, E. Swahili Tales. London, 1870.
STOKES, MAIVE. Indian Fairy Tales. London, 1880.
STRAPAROLA, GIOVAN F. Tredici piacevoli Notti. The Nights, now first
translated into English by W. G. WATERS. 2 vols. London, 1894.
TAWNEY, C.H. See Somadeva.
THORNHILL, MARK. Indian Fairy Tales. London, 1888.
THORPE, B. Yule-Tide Stories. London, 1853.
Thousand and One Nights. See Arabian Nights' Entertainment.
Tibetan Tales. Translated from the Tibetan of the Kah-Gyur by F. ANTON
VON SCHIEFNER. Done into English from the German, with an Introduction,
by W. R. S. RALSTON. London, 1882. (Cited Ralston 2.)
Tootinameh; or Tales of a Parrot. Persian text with English
translation. Calcutta, 1792.
WALDAU, A. Böhmisches Märchenbuch. Prag, 1860.
WARDROP, M. Georgian Folk Tales. London, 1894.
WEBSTER, WENTWORTH. Basque Legends. London (2d ed.), 1879.
WRATISLAW, A. H. Sixty Slavonic Folk-Tales. Boston, 1890.
WUK. Volksmärchen der Serben. Berlin, 1854.
FILIPINO POPULAR TALES
PART I
HERO TALES AND DROLLS.
TALE 1
SUAN'S GOOD LUCK.
Narrated by Macaria Garcia. The story is popular among the Pampangans.
There was once an old woman who had an only son named Suan. [2] Suan
was a clever, sharp-witted boy. His mother sent him to school. Instead
of going to school, however, Suan climbed up the tree that stood by
the roadside. As soon as his mother had passed by from the market,
Suan hurried home ahead of her. When she reached home, he cried,
"Mother, I know what you bought in the market to-day." He then told
her, article by article. This same thing happened so repeatedly,
that his mother began to believe in his skill as a diviner.
One day the ring of the datu's [3] daughter disappeared. All the people
in the locality searched for it, but in vain. The datu called for
volunteers to find the lost ring, and he offered his daughter's hand
as a prize to the one who should succeed. Suan's mother heard of the
proclamation. So she went to the palace and presented Suan to the datu.
"Well, Suan, to-morrow tell me where the ring is," said the datu.
"Yes, my lord, I will tell you, if you will give your soldiers over
to me for to-night," Suan replied.
"You shall have everything you need," said the datu.
That evening Suan ordered the soldiers to stand around him in a
semicircle. When all were ready, Suan pointed at each one of them,
and said, "The ring is here, and nowhere else." It so happened that
Suan fixed his eyes on the guilty soldier, who trembled and became
pale. "I know who has it," said Suan. Then he ordered them to retire.
Late in the night this soldier came to Suan, and said, "I will get
the ring you are in search of, and will give it to you if you will
promise me my safety."
"Give it to me, and you shall be safe," said Suan.
Very early the next morning Suan came to the palace with a turkey in
his arms. "Where is the ring?" the datu demanded. "Why, sir, it is in
this turkey's intestines," Suan replied. The turkey was then killed,
and the ring was found inside it.
"You have done very well, Suan. Now you shall have my daughter's hand,"
said the datu. So Suan became the princess's husband.
One day the datu proposed a bet with any one who wished to prove
Suan's skill. Accordingly another datu came. He offered to bet seven
cascos [4] of treasure that Suan could not tell the number of seeds
that were in his orange. Suan did not know what to do. At midnight
he went secretly to the cascos. Here he heard their conversation,
and from it he learned the number of seeds in the orange.
In the morning Suan said boastfully, "I tell you, your orange has
nine seeds." Thus Suan won the whole treasure.
Hoping to recover his loss, the datu came again. This time he had
with him fourteen cascos full of gold. He asked Suan to tell him
what was inside his golden ball. Suan did not know what to say. So
in the dead of night he went out to the cascos, but he could learn
nothing there. The next morning Suan was summoned into the presence
of the two datus. He had no idea whatever as to what was in the ball;
so he said scornfully, "Nonsense!"
"That is right, that is right!" shouted a man. "The ball contains nine
cents." Consequently Suan won the fourteen cascos full of gold. From
now on, nobody doubted Suan's merit.
Suan Eket.
Narrated by Manuel Reyes, a Tagalog from Rizal province. He heard
the story from his grandfather.
Many years ago there lived in the country of Campao a boy named
Suan. While this boy was studying in a private school, it was said
that he could not pronounce the letter x very well--he called it
"eket." So his schoolmates nick-named him "Suan Eket."
Finally Suan left school, because, whenever he went there, the other
pupils always shouted at him, "Eket, eket, eket!" He went home,
and told his mother to buy him a pencil and a pad of paper. "I am
the wisest boy in our town now," said he.
One night Suan stole his father's plough, and hid it in a creek near
their house. The next morning his father could not find his plough.
"What are you looking for?" said Suan.
"My plough," answered his father.
"Come here, father! I will guess where it is." Suan took his pencil and
a piece of paper. On the paper he wrote figures of various shapes. He
then looked up, and said,--
"Ararokes, ararokes,
Na na nakawes
Ay na s'imburnales,"--
which meant that the plough had been stolen by a neighbor and hidden
in a creek. Suan's father looked for it in the creek near their house,
and found it. In great wonder he said, "My son is truly the wisest
boy in the town." News spread that Suan was a good guesser.
One day as Suan was up in a guava-tree, he saw his uncle Pedro
ploughing. At noon Pedro went home to eat his dinner, leaving the
plough and the carabao [5] in the field. Suan got down from the tree
and climbed up on the carabao's back. He guided it to a very secret
place in the mountains and hid it there. When Pedro came back, he
could not find his carabao. A man who was passing by said, "Pedro,
what are you looking for?"
"I am looking for my carabao. Somebody must have stolen it." "Go to
Suan, your nephew," said the man. "He can tell you who stole your
carabao." So Pedro went to Suan's house, and told him to guess who
had taken his carabao.
Suan took his pencil and a piece of paper. On the paper he wrote some
round figures. He then looked up, and said,
"Carabaues, carabaues,
Na nanakawes
Ay na sa bundokes,"--
which meant that the carabao was stolen by a neighbor and was hidden
in the mountain. For many days Pedro looked for it in the mountain. At
last he found it in a very secret place. He then went to Suan's house,
and told him that the carabao was truly in the mountain. In great
wonder he said, "My nephew is surely a good guesser."
One Sunday a proclamation of the king was read. It was as follows:
"The princess's ring is lost. Whoever can tell who stole it shall have
my daughter for his wife; but he who tries and fails, loses his head."
When Suan's mother heard it, she immediately went to the palace,
and said, "King, my son can tell you who stole your daughter's ring."
"Very well," said the king, "I will send my carriage for your son to
ride to the palace in."
In great joy the woman went home. She was only ascending the ladder
[6] when she shouted, "Suan Suan, my fortunate son!"
"What is it, mother?" said Suan.
"I told the king that you could tell him who stole the princess's
ring."
"Foolish mother, do you want me to die?" said Suan, trembling.
Suan had scarcely spoken these words when the king's carriage came. The
coachman was a courtier. This man was really the one who had stolen
the princess's ring. When Suan was in the carriage, he exclaimed in
great sorrow, "Death is at hand!" Then he blasphemed, and said aloud
to himself, "You will lose your life now."
The coachman thought that Suan was addressing him. He said to himself,
"I once heard that this man is a good guesser. He must know that
it was I who stole the ring, because he said that my death is at
hand." So he knelt before Suan, and said, "Pity me! Don't tell the
king that it was I who stole the ring!"
Suan was surprised at what the coachman said. After thinking for a
moment, he asked, "Where is the ring?"
"Here it is."
"All right! Listen, and I will tell you what you must do in order
that you may not be punished by the king. You must catch one of the
king's geese to-night, and make it swallow the ring."
The coachman did what Suan had told him to do. He caught a goose and
opened its mouth. He then dropped the ring into it, and pressed the
bird's throat until it swallowed the ring.
The next morning the king called Suan, and said, "Tell me now who
stole my daughter's ring."
"May I have a candle? I cannot guess right if I have no candle,"
said Suan.
The king gave him one. He lighted it and put it on a round table. He
then looked up and down. He went around the table several times,
uttering Latin words. Lastly he said in a loud voice, "Mi domine!"
"Where is the ring?" said the king.
Suan replied,--
"Singsing na nawala
Ninakao ang akala
Ay nas' 'big ng gansa,"--
which meant that the ring was not stolen, but had been swallowed by
a goose. The king ordered all the geese to be killed. In the crop of
one of them they found the ring. In great joy the king patted Suan
on the back, and said, "You are truly the wisest boy in the world."
The next day there was a great entertainment, and Suan and the princess
were married.
In a country on the other side of the sea was living a rich man named
Mayabong. This man heard that the King of Campao had a son-in-law
who was a good guesser. So he filled one of his cascos with gold
and silver, and sailed to Campao. He went to the palace, and said,
"King, is it true that your son-in-law is a good guesser?"
"Yes," said the king.
"Should you like to have a contest with me? If your son-in-law can
tell how many seeds these melons I have brought here contain, I will
give you that casco filled with gold and silver on the sea; but if he
fails, you are to give me the same amount of money as I have brought."
The king agreed. Mayabong told him that they would meet at the public
square the next day.
When Mayabong had gone away, the king called Suan, and said, "Mayabong
has challenged me to a contest. You are to guess how many seeds the
melons he has contain. Can you do it?" Suan was ashamed to refuse;
so, even though he knew that he could not tell how many seeds a melon
contained, he answered, "Yes."
When night came, Suan could not sleep. He was wondering what to do. At
last he decided to drown himself in the sea. So he went to the shore
and got into a tub. "I must drown myself far out, so that no one may
find my body. If they see it, they will say that I was not truly a
good guesser," he said to himself. He rowed and rowed until he was
very tired. It so happened that he reached the place where Mayabong's
casco was anchored. There he heard somebody talking. "How many seeds
has the green melon?" said one. "Five," answered another. "How many
seeds has the yellow one?"--"Six."
When Suan heard how many seeds each melon contained, he immediately
rowed back to shore and went home.
The next morning Suan met Mayabong at the public square, as
agreed. Mayabong held up a green melon, and said, "How many seeds
does this melon contain?"
"Five seeds," answered Suan, after uttering some Latin words.
The melon was cut, and was found to contain five seeds. The king
shouted, "We are right!"
Mayabong then held up another melon, and said, "How many does this
one contain?"
Seeing that it was the yellow melon, Suan said, "It contains six."
When the melon was cut, it was found that Suan was right again. So
he won the contest.
Now, Mayabong wanted to win his money back again. So he took a bottle
and filled it with dung, and covered it tightly. He challenged the
king again to a contest. But when Suan refused this time, because he
had no idea as to what was in the bottle, the king said, "I let you
marry my daughter, because I thought that you were a good guesser. Now
you must prove that you are. If you refuse, you will lose your life."
When Mayabong asked what the bottle contained, Suan, filled with rage,
picked it up and hurled it down on the floor, saying, "I consider
that you are all waste to me." [7] When the bottle was broken, it
was found to contain waste, or dung. In great joy the king crowned
Suan to succeed him. Thus Suan lived happily the rest of his life
with his wife the princess.
Notes.
Two other printed variants are--
(c) "Juan the Guesser" (in H. E. Fansler's Types of Prose Narratives
[Chicago, 1911], pp. 73-77).
(d) "Juan Pusong" (JAFL 19 : 107-108).
This story seems to be fairly widespread among the Filipinos: there
is no doubt of its popularity. The distinguishing incidents of the
type are as follows:--
A1 Lazy son decides that he will go to school no longer, and (A2)
with his ABC book or a pencil and pad of paper, he has no trouble in
making his parents think him wise. (A3) He tells his mother that he has
learned to be a prophet and can discover hidden things. (A4) He spies
on his mother, and then "guesses" what she has prepared for supper.
B He hides his father's plough (cattle), and then finds it for
him. (B1) Plays similar trick on his uncle, thereby establishing his
reputation as a diviner.
C King's daughter loses ring, and the king sends for Juan to find it
under penalty of death if he fails, or (C1) his mother volunteers
her son's services. (C2) He accidentally discovers the thief by an
ejaculation of sorrow, or (C3) shrewdly picks out the guilty one from
among the soldiers.
In either case he causes the ring to be hid in a secret place or
swallowed by a goose (turkey), in whose body it is found the next day.
D Juan marries the princess.
E By overhearing a conversation, Juan is able to tell the number of
seeds in an orange (melon), and to win a large sum of money from a
neighboring king who has come to bet with hero's father-in-law.
F Hero required to accept another bet, as to the contents of three
jars. (Method as in E,--swimming out to neighboring king's casco and
overhearing conversation.)
G Ejaculation guess as to contents of golden ball (bottle).
H Afraid of being called on for further demonstration of his skill,
hero burns his "magic" book.
These incidents are distributed among the four forms of the story
as follows:--
Version a A1A4C1C3DEG
Version b A1A2BB1C1C2DEG
Version c A1A2BCC2DE(accidentally hears answer)FH
Version d A1A3A4EB
A concluding adventure is sometimes added to version c, "Juan
the Guesser." King and queen of another country visit palace of
Juan's father-in-law and want their newly-born child baptized. Juan
is selected to be godfather. When called upon to sign the baptism
certificate, he instantly dies of shame, pen in hand: he cannot write
even his own name.
A connection between our story and Europe at once suggests
itself. "Dr. Knowall" (Grimm, No. 98) is perhaps the best-known,
though by no means the fullest, Western version. Bolte and Polívka
(2 [1915] : 402) give the skeleton of the cycle as follows:--
A1 A peasant with the name of Crab (Cricket, Rat), who buys a
physician's costume and calls himself Dr. Knowall, or (A2) who would
like to satiate himself once with three days' eating, (B) discovers
the thieves who have stolen from a distinguished gentleman a ring
(treasure), by calling out upon the entrance of the servants (or at
the end of the three days), "That is the first (second, third)!" (C)
He also guesses what is in the covered dish (or closed hand) while
commiserating himself, "Poor Crab (Cricket, Rat)!" (D1) Through
a purgative he by chance helps to find a stolen horse, or (D2) he
discovers the horse that has previously been concealed by him. (E) He
gets a living among the peasants, upon whom he has made an impression
with a short or unintelligible sermon or through the crashing-down
of the pulpit, which has previously been sawed through by him.
Bolte lists over a hundred and fifty stories containing one or more
incidents of this cycle. The discovery of the ring inside a domestic
fowl (sometimes animal) is found in most of the European versions,
as is likewise the "ejaculation guess" (our C3 and G).
These two details, however, are also found in Oriental forms of
the story, which, as a whole, have some peculiarly distinctive
traits. These (see Bolte-Polívka, 2 : 407) are (1) the rôle of the
wife, (2) the collapsing of the room, (3) the burning of the magic
book. The appearance in the Philippine versions of two of these motifs
(one in modified form), together with a third (the betting-contest
between the two kings, which is undoubtedly Eastern in origin),
leads us to believe that our story of "Juan the Guesser" is in large
measure descended directly from Oriental tradition, though it may
owe something to Occidental influence.
In two of our variants it is the mother who in her fond pride places
her son in jeopardy of losing his head. As the hero is a young
bachelor when the story opens, the exploitation of his prowess would
naturally devolve upon his mother. The burning of the magic book
is found in version c, though the incident of the collapsing of the
room or house is lacking in all our variants. The most characteristic
episode, however, in the Philippine members of this cycle, is the
betting-contest between the two kings. It is introduced five times
into the four tales. Its only other occurrence that I know of in this
cycle is in an Arabian story cited by Cosquin (2 : 192), which follows.
One day, when the king was boasting of his conjurer before some other
kings, they said to him, "We too have some diviners. Let us compare
their wits with the wisdom of your man." The kings then buried three
pots,--one filled with milk, another with honey, and the third with
pitch. The conjurers of the other kings could not say what was in
the pots. Then Asfour (the hero) was called. He turned to his wife,
and said, "All this (trouble) comes of you. We could have left the
country. The first (time) it was milk; the second, honey; the third,
pitch." The kings were dumfounded. "He has named the milk, the honey,
and the pitch without hesitation," they said, and they gave him
a pension.
The close resemblance between this detail and the corresponding one
(F) in "Juan the Guesser" is immediately evident. The fact that the
difficulty in Juan's career is overcome, not by an "ejaculation guess,"
but by a providential accident (much the same thing, however), does
not decrease the significance of the two passages.
That the betting-contest between the two kings is an Oriental
conception (very likely based on actual early custom) is further
borne out by its appearance in a remarkable group of Eastern stories
of the "Clever Lass" type (see Child, English and Scottish Ballads,
1 : 11). "The gist of these narratives," writes Professor Child,
"is that one king propounds tasks to another; in the earlier ones,
with the intent to discover whether his brother-monarch enjoys the aid
of such counsellors as will make an attack on him dangerous; in the
later, with the demand that he shall acquit himself satisfactorily,
or suffer a forfeit: and the king is delivered from a serious strait
by the sagacity either of a minister . . . or of the daughter of his
minister, who came to her father's assistance .... These tasks are
always such as require ingenuity of one kind or another, whether in
devising practical experiments, in contriving subterfuges, in solving
riddles, or even in constructing compliments."
One other Oriental variant of this story may be cited because of its
similarity to two of our tales (cf. our episodes C and C2). This is
an Anamese version, printed in the "Chrestomathie cochin-chinoise"
(Paris, 1872), 1 : 30:--
There was once a man who, being qualified for nothing, and not
knowing how to earn a living, made up his mind one day to become
a diviner. As luck had many times served him, the public came to
believe in his oracles.... He amassed a good round sum, and day
by day his success made him more bold and boastful. Once a golden
tortoise disappeared from the palace of the king. As all searches for
it resulted in nothing, some one mentioned the diviner to the king,
and begged permission to summon him. The king ordered his litter
prepared, the escort and the umbrellas of honor, and sent to have
the conjurer fetched. When the conjurer learned what was the matter,
he was very much disturbed, but he could not resist the commands
of the king. Accordingly he dressed himself, entered the litter,
and set out. Along the road the poor diviner continually bemoaned
his fate. Finally he cried out, "What is the use of groaning? The
stomach (bung) has caused it all; the belly (da) will suffer for it"
(an Anamese proverb). Now, it happened that the two litter-bearers
were named Bung and Da, and it was they who had stolen the king's gold
tortoise. When they heard the exclamation of the diviner, they believed
that they had been discovered. They begged him to have pity on them;
they confessed that they had stolen the tortoise and had hidden it
in the gutter. "Very well," said the diviner, "I will spare you; I
will say nothing; reassure yourselves." When he reached the palace,
he went through some magical performances, found the tortoise, and
was overwhelmed by the king with rewards and honors.--COSQUIN, 2 : 192.
It is entirely possible that this story and our two stories containing
the same situation are connected. Trading between Manila and Indo-China
has been going on for centuries.
The history of the Philippine story has probably been something like
this: To an early narrative about a wager between two neighboring
kings or datus, in which the winner was aided by the shrewdness of
an advisor (originally having a considerable amount of real ability),
were added other adventures showing how the advisor came to have his
post of honor. The germ of this story doubtless came from India via
the Malay migrations; the additional details possibly belong to a
much later period.
It is, moreover, not impossible that this whole cycle of the lucky
"anti-hero" grew up as a conscious antithesis to the earlier cycle
of the genuinely "Clever Lass" (see No. 7 in this collection).
In conclusion I might call attention to Benfey's treatment of this
droll in "Orient und Occident" (1 : 371 et seq.). Benfey traces the
story from the Orient, but considers that its fullest form is that
given in Schleicher's Lithuanian legends. The tale is also found in
"Somadeva," Chapter XXX (Tawney, 1 : 272-274).
TALE 2
THE CHARCOAL-MAKER WHO BECAME KING.
Narrated by José R. Perez, a Tagalog living in Manila, who heard the
story when a boy from his nurse.
Once upon a time there lived a king who had one beautiful
daughter. When she was old enough to be married, her father, as was
the custom in ancient times, made a proclamation throughout his kingdom
thus: "Whosoever shall be able to bring me ten car-loads of money for
ten successive days shall have the hand of my beautiful daughter and
also my crown. If, however, any one undertakes and fails, he shall
be put to death."
A boy, the only son of a poor charcoal-maker, heard this announcement
in his little town. He hurried home to his mother, and said that
he wanted to marry the beautiful princess and to be king of their
country. The mother, however, paid no attention to what her foolish
son had said, for she well knew that they had very little money.
The next day the boy, as usual, took his hatchet and went to the forest
to cut wood. He started to cut down a very huge tree, which would
take him several days to finish. While he was busy with his hatchet,
he seemed to hear a voice saying, "Cut this tree no more. Dip your
hand into the hole of the trunk, and you will find a purse which
will give you all the money you wish." At first he did not pay any
attention to the voice, but finally he obeyed it. To his surprise,
he got the purse, but found it empty. Disappointed, he angrily threw
it away; but as the purse hit the ground, silver money rolled merrily
out of it. The youth quickly gathered up the coins; then, picking up
the purse, he started for home, filled with happiness.
When he reached the house, he spread petates [8] over the floor of
their little hut, called his mother, and began shaking the purse. The
old woman was amazed and delighted when she saw dollars coming out
in what seemed to be an inexhaustible stream. She did not ask her
son where he had found the purse, but was now thoroughly convinced
that he could marry the beautiful princess and be king afterwards.
The next morning she ordered her son to go to the palace to inform
his Majesty that he would bring him the money he demanded in exchange
for his daughter and his crown. The guard of the palace, however,
thought that the youth was crazy; for he was poorly dressed and had
rude manners. Therefore he refused to let him in. But their talk was
overheard by the king, who ordered the guard to present the youth
before him. The king read the announcement, emphasizing the part which
said that in case of failure the contestant would be put to death. To
this condition the charcoal-maker agreed. Then he asked the king
to let him have a talk with his daughter. The meeting was granted,
and the youth was extremely pleased with the beauty and vivacity of
the princess.
After he had bidden her good-by, he told the king to send the cars
with him to get the first ten car-loads of money. The cars were sent
with guards. The drivers and the guards of the convoy were astonished
when they saw the poor charcoal-maker fill the ten cars with bright
new silver dollars. The princess, too, at first was very much pleased
with such a large sum of money.
Five days went by, and the youth had not failed to send the amount of
money required. "Five days more, and I shall surely be married!" said
the princess to herself. "Married? Yes, married life is like music
without words. But will it be in my case? My future husband is ugly,
unrefined, and of low descent. But--he is rich. Yes, rich; but what
are riches if I am going to be wretched? No, I will not marry him
for all the world. I will play a trick on him."
The next day the guard informed her that the riches of the young
man were inexhaustible, for the purse from which he got his money
seemed to be magical. When she heard this, she commanded the guard to
tell the young man that she wished to see him alone. Filled with joy
because of this sign of her favor, the youth hastened to the palace,
conducted by the guard. The princess entertained him regally, and tried
all sorts of tricks to get possession of the magical purse. At last she
succeeded in inducing him to go to sleep. While he was unconscious, the
deceitful princess stole the purse and left him alone in the chamber.
When he awoke, he saw that the princess had deserted him and that
his purse was gone. "Surely I am doomed to die if I don't leave this
kingdom at once," said he to himself. "My purse is gone, and I cannot
now fulfil my contract." He at once hurried home, told his parents to
abandon their home and town, and he himself started on a journey for
another kingdom. After much travelling, he reached mountainous places,
and had eaten but little for many a day.
By good luck he came across a tree heavily laden with fruits. The
tree was strange to him; but the delicious appearance of its fruit,
and his hunger, tempted him to try some. While he was eating, he was
terrified to find that two horns had appeared on his forehead. He tried
his best to pull them off, but in vain. The next day he saw another
tree, whose fruit appeared even more tempting. He climbed it, picked
some fruits, and ate them. To his surprise, his horns immediately
fell off. He wrapped some of this fruit up in his handkerchief,
and then went back to find the tree whose fruit he had eaten the day
before. He again ate some of its fruit, and again two horns grew out
of his head. Then he ate some of the other kind, and the horns fell
off. Confident now that he had a means of recovering his purse, he
gathered some of the horn-producing fruits, wrapped them in his shirt,
and started home. By this time he had been travelling for nearly two
years, and his face had so changed that he could not be recognized
by his own parents, or by his town-mates who had been hired by the
king to search for him for execution.
When he reached his town, he decided to place himself in the king's
palace as a helper of the royal cook. As he was willing to work without
pay, he easily came to terms with the cook. One of the conditions
of their agreement was that the cook would tell him whatever the
king or the king's family were talking about. After a few months
the charcoal-maker proved himself to be an excellent cook. In fact,
he was now doing all the cooking in the palace; for the chief cook
spent most of his time somewhere else, coming home only at meal times.
Now comes the fun of the story. One day while the cook was gone,
the youth ground up the two kinds of fruit. He mixed the kind that
produced horns with the king's food: the other kind, which caused
the horns to fall off, he mixed with water and put into a jar. The
cook arrived, and everything was ready. The table was prepared,
and the king and his family were called to eat. The queen and the
king and the beautiful princess, who were used to wearing golden
crowns set with diamonds and other precious stones, were then to be
seen with sharp ugly horns on their heads. When the king discovered
that they all had horns, he summoned the cook at once, and asked,
"What kind of food did you give us?"
"The same food that your Highness ate a week ago," replied the cook,
who was terrified to see the royal family with horns.
"Cook, go and find a doctor. Don't tell him or any one else that we
have horns. Tell the doctor that the king wants him to perform an
operation," ordered the king.
The cook set out immediately to find a doctor; but he was intercepted
by the charcoal-maker, who was eager to hear the king's order. "Where
are you going? Say, cook, why are you in such a hurry? What is the
matter?"
"Don't bother me!" said the cook. "I am going to find a doctor. The
king and his family have horns on their heads, and I am ordered to
find a doctor who can take them off."
"I can make those horns fall off. You needn't bother to find a
doctor. Here, try some of this food, cook!" said the helper, giving him
some of the same food he had prepared for the king. The cook tried it,
and it was good; but, to his alarm, he felt two horns on his head. To
prevent rumors from reaching the ears of the king, the youth then
gave the cook a glass of the water he had prepared, and the horns
fell off. While the charcoal-maker was playing this trick on the cook,
he related the story of his magical purse, and how he had lost it.
"Change your clothes, then, and get ready, and I will present you to
the king as the doctor," said the cook.
The helper then dressed himself just like a doctor of surgery, and
was conducted by the cook into the king's presence.
"Doctor, I want you to do all you can, and use the best of your wisdom,
to take off these horns from our heads. But before doing it, promise me
first that you will not unfold the matter to the people; for my queen,
my daughter, and I would rather die than be known to have lived with
horns. If you succeed in taking them off, you shall inherit one-half
of my kingdom and have the hand of my fair daughter," said the king.
"I do promise. But listen, O king! In order to get rid of those horns,
you must undergo the severest treatment, which may cause your death,"
replied the doctor.
"It is no matter. If we should die, we would rather die hornless than
live with horns," said the king.
After the agreement was written out, the doctor ordered the
treatment. The king and the queen were to be whipped until they bled,
while the princess was to dance with the doctor until she became
exhausted. These were the remedies given by the doctor.
While the king and queen were being whipped, the doctor who, we must
remember, was the cook's helper--went to the kitchen to get the jar of
water which he had prepared. The cruel servants who were scourging the
king and the queen took much delight in their task, and did not quit
until the king and queen were almost lifeless. The doctor forgot the
royal couple while he was dancing with the princess, and found them
just about to die. He succeeded, however, in giving them some of the
fruit-water he had made ready, and the horns fell off. The princess,
exhausted, also asked for a drink when she stopped dancing, and the
horns fell off her head too.
A few days afterwards the king and the queen died, and the doctor
succeeded to the throne, with the beautiful princess as his
wife. Then the doctor told her that he was the poor charcoal-maker
who had owned the magic purse that she had stolen from him. As soon
as he was seated on the throne, he made his friend the cook one of
his courtiers. Although the new king was uneducated and unrefined,
he welcomed all wise men to his palace as his counsellors, and his
kingdom prospered as it had never done under its previous rulers.
Notes.
Another Tagalog version, called "Pedro's Fortunes" and narrated by
Facundo Esquivel of Nueva Ecija, represents the hero as inheriting
the inexhaustible purse from his father.
Pedro, with his wealth, soon attracts the notice of the princess,
who slyly wheedles his purse away from him. Bent on revenge, he sets
out travelling. Hunger soon drives him to eat some beautiful blossoms
he finds on a strange tree in the mountains. No sooner has he eaten,
however, than horns grow out of his forehead. At first in despair,
but later becoming philosophical, he eats some of the leaves of the
tree. Horns disappear. Taking blossoms and leaves with him, he goes
on. He finds another tree with blossoms similar to the first. He
eats: fangs from upper jaw. Eats leaves from the same tree: fangs
disappear. Takes with him specimens of both flowers and leaves. Third
tree: blossoms tail-producing. When he reaches home, he makes a
decoction of the three kinds of flowers, then goes to the palace
and sells "lemonade from Paradise." King, queen, and princess drink:
horns, fangs, tails. All efforts to remove them vain. Proclamation
that princess's hand will be given to whoever can cure the royal
family. Disguised as a doctor, Pedro cures king, queen, and princess
with a decoction of the three kinds of leaves, first, however,
demanding and getting back his purse. Pedro is married to princess.
These two stories (No. 2 and the variant) belong to the type in which
the hero loses a magic article (or three magic articles) through the
trickery of a princess, but recovers it (them) again by the aid of
fruits (blossoms) which, if eaten, cause bodily deformity,--leprosy,
horns, a tail, a long nose, transformation into an animal, or the
like. The princess, a victim of one of these fruits, which the
hero causes her to eat unwittingly, can be restored to her former
beauty only by eating of another fruit which the hero, disguised as a
physician, supplies on condition that the magic articles first stolen
be given up. A detailed study of this cycle has been made by Antti
Aarne (pp. 85-142). Aarne names the cycle "The Three Magic Articles
and the Wonderful Fruit." After an examination of some hundred and
forty-five variants of the story, all but four of which are European,
he concludes that the tale arose among the Celts (British Isles and
France) and spread eastward (p. 135), and that the farther we go
from these two lands, the more freely are the original details of
the story handled (p. 137).
The prototype of this folk-tale Aarne reconstructs as follows
(pp. 124-125):--
There are three brothers, soldiers. Each comes into the possession of
a specific magic article. One obtains a purse which is never empty;
the second, a horn which when blown raises an army; and the third, a
mantle which transports its owner wherever he commands it to go. (The
owner of the purse begins to lead such a luxurious life, that he
becomes acquainted with the king and his family.) The king's daughter
deprives the hero of his magic purse. He gets from his brother the
second magic article, but the same thing happens again: the princess
steals the horn likewise. A third time the hero goes to the princess,
taking the mantle given him by his brother. With the help of this,
the hero succeeds in punishing the princess by transporting her to
a distant island. But she cheats him again. In the magic mantle she
wishes herself home, leaving him on the island. He happens upon an
apple-tree. He eats some of the fruit, but notices with dismay that
horns have grown from his head. After a time he finds other apples;
and when he has eaten them, the horns disappear, and he regains
his original form. Unrecognized, the youth sets out to sell to the
king's daughter some of the first apples. Without suspecting any evil,
she eats them, and horns appear on her head. No one is able to cure
her. Then the hero appears as a foreign physician at the court of
the king, and makes ready his cure. He gives the princess enough of
the good apple to cause the horns to decrease in size. In this way
he compels her to give him back the stolen articles.
The Tagalog versions of the story differ considerably from this
archetype. No brothers of the hero are mentioned. There is but one
magic object, an inexhaustible purse: hence there is no magic flight
to an island. In none of Aarne's variants do we find blossoms producing
horns which may be removed only by leaves from the same tree, as in our
variant. The tail-producing fruit is found in nine European versions
(five Finnish, two Russian, two Italian), but the fang-producing
blossom is peculiar only to our variant; likewise the "lemonade from
Paradise" method of dispensing the extract. In thirty-five of the
Finnish and Russian forms of the story the hero whips the princess
to make her give up the stolen articles, or introduces whipping as
a part of the cure (cf. No. 2). Both Filipino versions end with the
marriage of the hero to the princess, a detail often lacking in the
other versions.
It is impossible to say when or whence this tale reached the
Philippines. The fact that the story does not seem to be widespread
in the Islands suggests that its introduction was recent, while
the separate incidents point to some Finnish or Russian version as
source. The only crystallized elements found in the Philippines are
the poor hero's obtaining a magic purse, his aspiring to the hand
of the princess, her theft of the magic object, and its recovery by
means of horn-producing fruits. The complete story (2) seems to be
more native and less "manufactured" than the variant.
Besides Aarne, for a general discussion of this cycle see Cosquin, 1 :
123-132; R. Köhler's notes to Gonzenbach's No. 31, and his variants of
this story in Zeitschrift des Vereins für Volkskunde (1896); Von Hahn,
2 : 246-247; Grimm, notes to No. 122, "Donkey Cabbages" (in Tales
[ed. Hunt], 2 : 419-423). F. H. Groome's "The Seer" (No. 23), a part
of which resembles very closely the literary form of the story in
the Gesta Romanorum (ch. 120), seems to have been overlooked by Aarne.
TALE 3
THE STORY OF CARANCAL.
Narrated by José P. Caedo, a Tagalog from Batangas, Batangas.
Once upon a time there lived a couple who had long been married,
but had no child. Every Sunday they went to church and begged God to
give them a son. They even asked the witches in their town why God
would not give them a child. The witches told them that they would
have one after a year, but that when born he would be no longer than
a span. Nevertheless the couple gave thanks.
After a year a son was born to them. He was very small, as the
witches had foretold, but he was stronger than any one would expect
such a small child to be. "It is strange," said a neighbor. "Why,
he eats more food than his stomach can hold." The boy grew larger and
larger, and the amount of food he ate became greater and greater. When
he became four feet tall, his daily requirements were a cavan [9]
of rice and twenty-five pounds of meat and fish. "I can't imagine
how so small a person can eat so much food," said his mother to her
husband. "He is like a grasshopper: he eats all the time."
Carancal, as the boy was called, was very strong and very
kind-hearted. He was the leader of the other boys of the town, for
he could beat all of them in wrestling.
After a few years the family's property had all been sold to buy
food for the boy. Day after day they became poorer and poorer, for
Carancal's father had no other business but fishing. So one day when
Carancal was away playing, the wife said to her husband, "What shall
we do with Carancal? He will make us as poor as rats. It is better for
us to tell him to go earn his living, for he is old enough to work."
"No, it is a shame to send him off," said the father, "for we asked
God for him. I will take him to the forest and there kill him; and
if the neighbors ask how he died, we will say that an accident befell
him while cutting trees."
Early the next morning his father led Carancal to the forest, and they
began to cut down a very big tree. When the tree was about to fall,
Carancal's father ordered the son to stand where the tree inclined;
so that when it fell, Carancal was entirely buried. The father
immediately went home, thinking that his son had surely been killed;
but when he and his wife were talking, Carancal came home with the
big tree on his shoulders.
"Father, father, why did you leave me alone in the forest?" said the
obedient boy.
The father could not move or speak, for shame of himself. He only
helped his son unload the heavy burden. The mother could not speak
either, for fear Carancal might suspect their bad intentions toward
him. Accordingly she and her husband planned another scheme.
The next day Carancal was invited by his father to go fishing. They
rowed and rowed until they were far out into the blue sea. Then they
put their net into the water. "Carancal, dive down and see that our
net is sound," said the father. Carancal obeyed. In about a minute the
water became red and began to foam. This made the old man think that
his son had been devoured by a big fish, so he rowed homeward. When he
reached home, his wife anxiously asked if Carancal was dead; and the
husband said, "Yes." They then cooked their meal and began to eat. But
their supper was not half finished when Carancal came in, carrying a
big alligator. He again asked his father why he had left him alone
to bring such a big load. The father said, "I thought you had been
killed by a large fish." Carancal then asked his mother to cook him
a cavan of rice, for he was tired from swimming such a long distance.
The couple were now discouraged; they could not think of any way
by which to get rid of Carancal. At last the impatient woman said,
"Carancal, you had better go out into the world to see what you can do
toward earning your own living. You know that we are becoming poorer
and poorer." . . .
"Mother," interrupted the boy, "I really did not wish to go away
from you; but, now that you drive me as if I were not your son,
I cannot stay." He paused for a moment to wipe the tears from his
cheeks. "You know that I love you; but you, in turn, hate me. What
shall I do? I am your son, and so I must not disobey you. But before
I depart, father and mother, please give me a bolo, [10] a big bolo,
to protect myself in case of danger."
The parents willingly promised that he should have one, and after
two days an enormous bolo five yards long was finished. Carancal took
it, kissed the hands of his parents, [11] and then went away with a
heavy heart.
When he had left his little village behind, he did not know which way
to go. He was like a ship without a rudder. He walked and walked until
he came to a forest, where he met Bugtongpalasan. [12] Carancal asked
him where he was going; and Bugtongpalasan said, "I am wandering,
but I do not know where to go. I have lost my parents, and they have
left me nothing to inherit."
"Do you want to go with me?" said Carancal.
"Yes," said Bugtongpalasan.
"Let us wrestle first, and the loser will carry my bolo," said Carancal
as a challenge. They wrestled; and Bugtongpalasan was defeated,
so he had to carry the big bolo.
Then they continued their journey until they met Tunkodbola, [13]
whom Carancal also challenged to a wrestling-match. Tunkodbola laughed
at Carancal, and said, "Look at this!" He twisted up a tree near by,
and hurled it out of sight.
"That is all right. Let us wrestle, and we will see if you can twist
me," said Carancal scornfully. So they wrestled. The earth trembled,
trees were uprooted, large stones rolled about; but Tunkodbola was
defeated.
"Here, take this bolo and carry it!" said Carancal triumphantly;
and they continued their journey.
When they reached the top of a mountain, they saw a big man. This was
Macabuhalbundok. [14] Carancal challenged him; but Macabuhalbundok
only laughed, and pushed up a hill. As the hill fell, he said, "Look
at this hill! I gave it only a little push, and it was overthrown."
"Well, I am not a hill," said Carancal. "I can balance myself." They
wrestled together, and Carancal was once more the winner.
The four companions now walked on together. They were all wandering
about, not knowing where to go. When they were in the midst of a thick
wood, they became hungry; so Carancal, their captain, ordered one of
them to climb a tall tree and see if any house was nigh. Bugtongpalasan
did so, and he saw a big house near the edge of the forest. They all
went to the house to see if they might not beg some food.
It was a very large house; but all the windows were closed, and
it seemed to be uninhabited. They knocked at the door, but no one
answered. Then they went in, and found a table covered with delicious
food; and as they were almost famished, they lost no time in devouring
what seemed to have been prepared for them. After all had eaten,
three of them went hunting, leaving Bugtongpalasan behind to cook
more food for them against their return.
While Bugtongpalasan was cooking, he felt the earth tremble, and in
a short time he saw a big giant ascending the stairs of the house,
saying, "Ho, bajo tao cainco," [15] which means "I smell a man whom
I will eat." Bugtongpalasan faced him, but what could a man do to
a big giant? The monster pulled a hair out of his head and tied
Bugtongpalasan to a post. Then he cooked his own meal. After eating,
he went away, leaving his prisoner in the house.
When the three arrived, they were very angry with Bugtongpalasan
because no food had been prepared for them; but they untied him,
and made him get the meal. Tunkodbola was the next one left behind
as cook while the others went hunting, but he had the same experience
as Bugtongpalasan. Then Macabuhalbundok; but the same thing happened
to him too.
It was now the turn of Carancal to try his wit, strength, and
luck. Before the three left, he had them shave his head. When the
giant came and saw that Carancal's head was white, he laughed. "It
is a very fine thing to have a white head," said the giant. "Make my
head white, too."
"Your head must be shaved to be white," said Carancal, "and it is a
very difficult thing to shave a head."
"Never mind that! I want to have my head shaved," said the giant
impatiently.
Carancal then got some ropes and wax. He tied the giant tightly to
a post, and then smeared his body with wax. He next took a match and
set the giant's body on fire. Thus the giant was destroyed, and the
four lived in the house as if it were their own.
Not long afterwards a rumor reached their ears. It was to this effect:
that in a certain kingdom on the other side of the sea lived a king who
wanted to have a huge stone removed from its place. This stone was so
big that it covered much ground. The prize that would be given to the
one who could remove it was the hand of the king's prettiest daughter.
The four set out to try their strength. At that time there were
no boats for them to sail on, so they had to swim. After three
weeks' swimming, they landed on an island-like place in the sea,
to rest. It was smooth and slippery, which made them wonder what it
could be. Carancal, accordingly, drew his bolo and thrust it into
the island. How fast the island moved after the stroke! It was not
really an island, but a very big fish. Fortunately the fish carried
the travellers near the shores of the kingdom they were seeking.
When the four arrived, they immediately presented themselves to the
king, and told him that they would try to move the stone. The king
ordered one of his soldiers to show them the stone. There a big crowd
of people collected to watch the four strong men.
The first to try was Bugtongpalasan. He could hardly budge it. Then
Tunkodbola tried, but moved it only a few yards. When Macabuhalbundok's
turn came, he moved the great stone half a mile; but the king said
that it was not satisfactory. Carancal then took hold of the rope
tied to the stone, and gave a swing. In a minute the great stone was
out of sight.
The king was very much pleased, and asked Carancal to choose a princess
for his wife. "I am not old enough to marry, my lord," said Carancal
sadly (sic!). "I will marry one of my companions to your daughter,
however, if you are willing." The king agreed, and Bugtongpalasan
was made a prince.
The three unmarried men lived with Bugtongpalasan. By this time they
were known not only throughout the whole kingdom where they were, but
also in other countries. They had not enjoyed a year's hospitality
in Bugtongpalasan's home when a letter addressed to the four men
came. It was as follows:--
I have heard that you have superhuman strength, which I now greatly
need. About a week ago a monster fish floated up to the shore of my
town. It is decaying, and has a most offensive odor. My men in vain
have tried to drag the fish out into the middle of the sea. I write
to inform you that if you can rid us of it, I will let one of you
marry my prettiest daughter.
King Walangtacut. [16]
After Carancal had read the letter, he instantly remembered the
fish that had helped them in travelling. The three companions made
themselves ready, bade Bugtongpalasan good-by, and set out for
Walangtacut's kingdom. They travelled on foot, for the place was not
very far away.
In every town they passed through, the people cried, "Hurrah for
the strong men!" The king received them with a banquet, and all the
houses of the town were decorated with flags. In a word, every one
welcomed them.
After the banquet was over, the three men marched with the king and
all his counsellors, knights, dukes, and the common people to where the
decaying fish lay. In this test, too, Carancal was the only successful
one. Again he refused to marry; but as the princess was very anxious to
have a strong man for her husband, Tunkodbola was chosen by Carancal,
and he became her husband.
The fame of the strong men was now nearly universal. All the
surrounding kings sent congratulations. The heroes received offers
of marriage from many beautiful ladies of the neighboring kingdoms.
One day when Carancal and Macabuhalbundok were talking together, one
of them suggested that they go on another journey. The other agreed,
and both of them made preparations. But when they were about to start,
a letter from another king came, addressed to Carancal. The king
said in his letter that a great stone had fallen in his park. "It
is so big that I thought it was the sky that fell," he wrote. "I am
willing to marry you to my youngest daughter if you can remove it
from its present place," said the king.
The two friends accepted the invitation, and immediately began their
journey. They travelled by land and sea for many a day. At last
they reached the place. There they found the same stone which they
had removed before. As he knew that he could not move it far enough,
Macabuhalbundok did not make any attempt: Carancal was again the one
who did the work.
Once more Carancal refused to marry. "I am too young yet to marry,"
he said to the king. "In my place I will put my companion." So
Macabuhalbundok was married.
Carancal remained a bachelor, for he did not wish to have a wife. The
three princes considered him as their father, though he was younger
than any of them. For a long time Carancal lived with each of them
a year in rotation. Not long after the marriage of Macabuhalbundok,
the father-in-law of Bugtongpalasan died, and so Bugtongpalasan became
the king. Then the following year Tunkodbola's father-in-law died, and
Tunkodbola became also a king. After many years the father-in-law of
Macabuhalbundok died, and Macabuhalbundok succeeded to the throne. Thus
Carancal was the benefactor of three kings.
One day Carancal thought of visiting his cruel parents and of living
with them. So he set out, carrying with him plenty of money, which
the three kings had given him. This time his parents did not drive
him away, for he had much wealth. Carancal lived once more with his
parents, and had three kings under him.
Notes.
Of this story I have eight variants, as follows:--
(a) "Pusong" (Visayan), narrated by Fermin Torralba.
(b) "Cabagboc" (Bicol), narrated by Pacifico Buenconsejo.
(c) "Sandapal" (Tagalog), narrated by Pilar Ejercito.
(d) "Sandangcal" (Pampangan), narrated by Anastacia Villegas.
(e) "Greedy Juan" (Pampangan), narrated by Wenceslao Vitug.
(f) "Juan Tapon" (Ilocano), narrated by C. Gironella.
(g) "Dangandangan" (Ilocano), narrated by Salvador Reyes.
(h) "Tangarangan" (Ibanag), narrated by Candido Morales.
The incidents of this cycle may be tabulated thus.
A The hero, when born, is only a span in length, and never grows taller
than four feet. He early develops an enormous appetite, and by the
time he is twelve years old he has eaten his parents out of everything.
B Attempts of parents (or uncle) to get rid of the hero: (B1) by
letting a tree fall on him, (B2) by throwing him into a deep well and
then stoning him, (B3) by commanding him to dive into a river to repair
a fishing-net, (B4) by persuading him to enter wrestling-match with
the king's champion, (B5) by pushing him into the sea or by pushing
rocks on him at the seashore.
C Hero's first exploits: (C1) carrying tree home on his shoulders,
(C2) killing crocodile in river, or king of fishes in the sea, (C3)
escape from the well, (C4) defeating champion.
D The hero now decides to leave home, (D1) taking with him a strong
club, an enormous bolo, or an enormous top, sword, and sheath.
E On his travels he meets two (three) strong men, whom he surpasses
in strength-tests; or (E1) three men, whom he hires. They all journey
along together, seeking adventures.
F Tasks of the companions: (F1) killing of troublesome giant by
the hero after the monster has worsted the two other strong men,
(F2) removal of large stone from king's grounds, (F3) removal of
enormous decaying fish, (F4) killing of two giants, (F5) killing
seven-headed man, (F6) battering, blowing, and running contest with
king's strong men.
G Hero marries off his companions, but remains single himself, and
(G1) returns home to live with his parents, either for good or for
only a short time.
These incidents are distributed among the different versions thus:--
No. 3 AB1B3C1C2DD1EF1F2F3GG1
Version a AB1B5D
Version b C1DD1EF3F4F5GG1
Version c AB5B1B4C1C2C4
Version d AB1B2C1C3DE1F6
Version e AB1B3C1C2DG1
Version f AB4B1C1C4
Version g AB1B2C1C3DD1EF4G
Version h AB1B2C1C3DD1
Up to the point where the hero leaves home, these various Filipino
stories agree in the main: i.e., the hero is a dwarf of superhuman
strength and extraordinary eating-capacity; his parents (or guardian)
are driven by poverty to attempt to kill him (usually twice, sometimes
thrice), but their efforts are vain; he finally determines to leave
home, often taking with him some mighty weapon. From this point on,
the narratives differ widely. All are alike in this respect, however:
the hero never marries. Obviously this group of stories is connected
with two well-known European cycles of folk-tales,--"Strong Hans"
and "John the Bear." The points of resemblance will be indicated
below in an analysis of the incidents found in the members of our
group. (Variants are referred to by italicized lower-case letters thus:
a [Pusong], b [Cabagboc], etc. No. 3 refers to our complete story of
"Carancal.")
A Hero is born as result of childless couple's unceasing petitions
to Heaven (3, a, f, g), and is only a span in length when born (c,
d, g). Three of the tales do not mention anything definite about the
hero's birth (b, e, h). In all, however, his name is significant,
indicating the fact that he is either a dwarf, or wonderfully strong,
or a glutton (3 Carancal, from Tag. dangkal, "a palm;" [a] Pusong,
from Vis. puso, "paunch, belly;" [b] Cabagboc, from Bicol, "strong;"
[c] Sandapal, from Tag. dapal, "a span;" [d] Sandangcal, from Pampangan
dangkal = Tag.; [f] Tapon, Ilocano for "short;" [g] and [h] Tangarangan
and Dangandangan, from Ilocano dangan, "a span"). a describes the
hero as having "a big head and large stomach," but as being "very,
very strong, he ate a sack of corn or rice every day." In b the hero
"had great strength even when an infant." Sandangcal (d) required
a carabao-liver every meal. In e the hero's voracious appetite is
mentioned. The hero in c "would eat everything in the house, leaving
no food for his parents." Juan Tapon (f), when three years old, "used
to eat daily half a ganta of rice and a pound of meat, besides fish and
vegetables;" the quantity of food he required increased steadily until,
when he was fourteen, his parents could no longer support him. However,
he never grew taller than a six-year-old boy. Dangandangan (g) could
walk and talk the day he was born. He could eat one cavan of rice
and one carabao daily. The hero of h was so greedy that by the time
he was a "young man" his father could no longer support him. He is
described as a "dwarf" In c and d there is nothing to indicate that
the hero was not always a Tom Thumb in size.
Nearly all these details may be found duplicated in Märchen of the
"John the Bear" and "Strong Hans" types. For analogues, see Friedrich
Panzer's Beowulf, pp. 28-33, 47-48, 50-52. In Grimm's story of the
"Young Giant" (No. 90) the hero, when born, was only as big as a thumb,
and for several years did not grow one hair's breadth. But a giant
got hold of him and suckled him for six years, during which time he
grew tall and strong, after the manner of giants. It is interesting
to note that none of the nine Filipino versions make any reference to
an animal parentage or extraordinary source of nourishment of the hero.
B The poverty of the parents is the motive for their attempts on his
life in a, c, d, e, f, h. In a the mother proposes the scheme; in h,
the father; in g it is the boy's uncle, by whom he had been adopted
when his parents died. This "unnatural parents" motif is lacking in
the European variants.
B1-5 With the various attempts to destroy the hero may be discussed his
escapes (C1-3). The "falling-tree" episode occurs in all the stories
but one (b). The events of this incident are conducted in various
ways. In a, c, h, the hero is told to "catch the tree when it falls,"
so that he can carry it home (in c the hero is pushed clear into the
ground by the weight of the tree). In d the father directs his son to
stand in a certain place, "so that the tree will not fall on him;" but
when Sandangcal sees that he is about to be crushed, he nimbly jumps
aside unobserved by his father, who thinks him killed. In f the tree
is made to fall on the body of the sleeping hero. In g Darangdarang is
told to stand beside the tree being cut: it falls on him. In all the
stories but d the hero performs the feat of carrying home a tree on his
shoulders (C1). This episode is not uncommon in the European versions
(see Panzer, op. cit., p. 35), but there the hero performs it while
out at service. By the process of contamination these two incidents
(B1C1) have worked their way into another Filipino story not of our
cycle,--the Visayan story of "Juan the Student" (see JAFL 19 : 104).
B2 Of the other methods of putting an end to the hero's life, the
"well" episode is the most common. In d and h father and son go
to dig a well. When it is several metres deep, the father rains
stones on the boy, who is working at the bottom, and leaves him
for dead. In g the hero is sent down a well to find a lost ring;
and while he is there, stones and rocks are thrown on him by his
treacherous uncle. In all three the hero escapes, wiser, but none
the worse, for his adventure (C3). This incident is very common in
European members of the cycle. Bolte and Polívka (2 : 288-292) note
its occurrence in twenty-five different stories.
B3 In our story of "Carancal," as has been remarked, and in e,
the father commands his son to dive into deep water to see if the
fishing-net is intact. Seeing blood and foam appear on the surface
of the water, the father goes home, confident that he is rid of his
son at last; but not long afterward, when the parents are eating, the
hero appears, carrying on his shoulder a huge crocodile he has killed
(C2). Analogous to this exploit is Sandapal's capture of the king of
the fishes, after his father has faithlessly pushed him overboard into
the deep sea (c). The hero's fight under water with a monstrous fish or
crocodile, the blood and foam telling the story of a desperate struggle
going on, reminds one strongly of Beowulf's fight with Grendel's dam.
B4 In c, as a last resort, the father takes his son to the king,
and has the best royal warrior fight the small boy. Sandapal
conquers in five minutes. In f the father persuades his son to
enter a wrestling-match held by the king. Juan easily throws all his
opponents. With this incident compare the Middle-English "Tale of
Gamelyn" (ll. 183-270) and Shakespeare's "As You Like It" (act i,
sc. ii).
B5 In a the father, at the instigation of his wife, pushes large
rocks from a cliff down upon his son by the seashore; but the son
returns home later, rolling an immense bowlder that threatens to
crush the house.
D, D1 Satisfied that he is no longer wanted at home, the hero sets
out on adventures (a, g, h), taking along with him as a weapon a bolo
five yards long (3), or a mighty bolo his father had given him,--such
a one that none but the hero could wield it (g), or a short stout club
(h). In b the parents are not cruel to their son. The hero leaves home
with the kindest of feeling for his father. He carries along with
him an enormous top, so heavy that four persons could not lift it,
and which, when spun, could be heard for miles; a long sword made
by a blacksmith; and a wooden sheath for it made by the father. In
the European versions of the story the weapons of the hero play an
important part (see Panzer, 39-43). In c the story ends with the sale
of Sandapal to the king. In d, after Sandangcal has escaped from the
well, he comes home at night, and, finding his parents asleep, shakes
the house. Thinking it is an earthquake, they jump from the windows
in terror, and are killed. (This incident is also told as a separate
story; see JAFL 20 : 305, No. 17.) After the hero has eaten up all
the livestock he had inherited by their death, he sells his property
and sets out on his travels. In e the father sells his greedy son to
merchants. In f the parents finally give up attempts on their son's
life, and he goes away to join the army.
E The companions--Carancal (3), Cabagboc (b), Sandangcal (d), and
Dangandangan (g)--meet with extraordinary men, who accompany them
on their travels. Cabagboc surpasses Cabual ("Breaker") and Cagabot
("Uprooter") in a contest of skill, and they agree to go with him as
his servants. Dangandangan meets two strong men,--Paridis, who uproots
forests with his hands; and Aolo, [17] the mighty fisher for sharks,
whose net is so large that weights as big as mortars are needed to
sink it. But neither of these two can turn the hero's bolo over,
hence they become his servants. Sandangcal (d), who nowhere in the
story displays any great strength, rather only craftiness and greed,
meets one at a time three strong fellows, whom he persuades to go with
him by promising to double the sum they had been working for. These men
are Mountain-Destroyer, who could destroy a mountain with one blow of
his club; Blower, who could refresh the whole world with his breath;
and Messenger, whose steps were one hundred leagues apart. This story,
which seems to be far removed from the other tales of the group,
has obviously been influenced by stories of the "Skilful Companions"
cycle (see No. 11), where the hero merely directs his servants,
doing none of the work himself. On the other hand, in 3, b, g, the
wonderful companions are more or less impedimenta: the hero himself
does all the hard work; they are merely his foil. For the "Genossen"
in other Märchen of "John the Bear" type, see Panzer, 66-74; Cosquin,
1 : 9, 23-27.
F1 The adventure with the demon in the house in the forest, related
in 3, is not found in the other Filipino versions of the tale. It
is found in the Islands, however, in the form of a separate story,
two widely different variants of which are printed below (4, [a]
and [b]). This incident occurs in nearly all the folk-tales of the
"John the Bear" type. Bolte and Polívka, in their notes to Grimm,
No. 91 (2 : 301-315), indicate its appearance in one hundred and
eighty-three Western and Eastern stories. As Panzer has shown (p. 77)
that the mistreatment of the companions by the demon in the woods
usually takes place while the one left behind is cooking food for the
others out on the hunt, this motif might more exactly be called the
"interrupted-cooking" episode than "Der Dämon im Waldhaus" (Panzer's
name for it). For Mexican and American Indian variants, see JAFL 25
: 244-254, 255. Spanish and Hindoo versions are cited by Bolte and
Polívka (2 : 305, 314).
It is pretty clear that the episode as narrated in our stories 3 and
4 owes nothing to the Spanish variants mentioned by Bolte.
F2-5 The removal of an enormous stone is a task that Carancal has
to perform twice. This exhibition of superhuman strength is of a
piece with the strong hero's other exploits, and has nothing in
common with the transplanting of mountains by means of magic. (F3)
The removal of a monstrous decaying fish is found in b as well as in
3. Cabagboc catches up the fish on the end of his sword, and hurls
the carcass into the middle of the ocean. These exploits of the
rock and the fish are not unlike the feat of the Santal hero Gumda,
who throws the king's elephant over seven seas (Campbell, 59). (F4)
In b the task of slaying the man-eating giant falls upon Cabagboc,
and his companion Uprooter, as the other comrade, Breaker, has been
married to the king's daughter. The giants are finally despatched
by the hero, who cuts off their heads with his sword. In g the two
strong men Paridis and Aolo are about to be slain by the man-eating
giant against whom they have been sent by the hero to fight, when the
hero suddenly appears and cuts off the monster's head with his mighty
bolo. (F5) The killing of a seven-headed dragon is a commonplace in
folk-tales; a seven-headed man is not so usual. Cabagboc, after both
of his comrades have been given royal wives, journeys alone. He comes
to a river guarded by a seven-headed man who proves invulnerable for
a whole day. Then a mysterious voice tells the hero to strike the
monster in the middle of the forehead, as this is the only place in
which it can be mortally wounded. Cabagboc does so and conquers. (F6)
The hero's wagering his strong men against a king's strong men will
be discussed in the notes to No. 11. The task of Pusong (a) has not
been mentioned yet. After Pusong leaves home, he journeys by himself,
and finally comes to a place where the inhabitants are feverishly
building fortifications against the Moros, who are threatening the
island. By lending his phenomenal strength, Pusong enables the people
to finish their forts in one night. Out of gratitude they later make
him their leader. Months later, when the Moros make their raid, they
are defeated by Pusong, and captured with all their slaves. Among the
wounded slaves are the parents of Pusong. On recognizing their son,
they instantly die of shame for their past cruelty to him. Nor can
the hero bear the shock any better than they: he too falls dead.
ADDITIONAL NOTES.--The three weeks' swim in 3 suggests Beowulf's
swim of a week and his fight with the sea-monsters (Beowulf 535
ff.). The mistaking of a monster fish for an island seems to be an
Oriental notion. It occurs in the "1001 Nights" ("First Voyage of
Sindbad the Sailor;" see Lane's note 8 to this story).
G The denouement. Cabagboc finally reaches home, and spends the
rest of his life with his parents (b); Sandapal (c) is bought by the
king, and amuses the court lords and ladies by his feats of strength;
Sandangcal (d) distributes ten billion pesos among his three helpers,
and lives the rest of his days feasting on carabao-livers; Greedy
Juan (e) comes back home with a magic money-producing goat, which he
leaves to his parents, while he by chance finds a wonderful house in
the forest with plenty to eat, and there he remains; Juan Tapon (f)
joins the king's army to fight a neighboring monarch; Dangandangan
(g) becomes a general in the king's army; Tangarangan (h) performs
marvellous deeds abroad, but never returns home again.
Two other variants remain to be noticed briefly. One of these I have
only in abstract, the other is avowedly a confusion of two stories
by the narrator. Both are Ilocano tales. The hero's name in both is
Kakarangkang (from kaka, a term of respect given to either a senior
or a junior; and dangkang, "a span"). In both, the hero is a great
eater and prodigiously strong. The only adventure of Kakarangkang
recorded in the abstract is an adventure with a crocodile. Kakarangkang
goes fishing and hooks a crocodile; but, while trying to draw it to
shore, he is thrown into the air, falls into the reptile's mouth,
and is swallowed. He manages, however, to cut his way out. In the
other story, besides some incidents properly belonging to the story
of "The Monkey and the Turtle" (cf. also 4 [b]), we find this same
adventure with the crocodile, the slaying of a seven-headed giant
(F5), and the removal of an enormous decaying fish (F3). The diminutive
hero receives the hand of the king's daughter in return for this last
service,--an honor which the heroes of our other versions decline. The
incident of the small hero being swallowed by an animal and ultimately
emerging into the light of day alive, at once suggests Tom Thumb's
adventure in the cow and the wolf. For "swallow" tales in general,
see Macculloch, 47-51; Bolte-Polívka, 1 : 395-398; Cosquin, 2 :
150-155. The combination of the "interrupted-cooking" episode (F1),
which properly belongs to the "John the Bear" cycle, with motifs from
"The Monkey and the Turtle" and "The Monkey and the Crocodile" stories,
will be discussed in the notes to Nos. 4, 55, and 56.
TALE 4
SUAC AND HIS ADVENTURES.
Narrated by Anastacia Villegas of Arayat, Pampanga, who heard the
story from her grandmother.
Once upon a time, in a certain town in Pampanga, there lived a boy
named Suac. In order to try his fortune, one day he went a-hunting with
Sunga and Sacu in Mount Telapayong. When they reached the mountain,
they spread their nets, and made their dogs ready for the chase, to
see if any wild animals would come to that place. Not long afterwards
they captured a large hog. They took it under a large tree and killed
it. Then Sunga and Suac went out into the forest again.
Sacu was left to prepare their food. While he was busy cooking,
he heard a voice saying, "Ha, ha! what a nice meal you are
preparing! Hurry up! I am hungry." On looking up, Sacu saw on the top
of the tree a horrible creature,--a very large black man with a long
beard. This was Pugut.
Sacu said to him, "Aba! [18] I am not cooking this food for you. My
companions and I are hungry."
"Well, let us see who shall have it, then," said Pugut as he came
down the tree. At first Sacu did not want to give him the food; but
Pugut knocked the hunter down, and before he had time to recover had
eaten up all the food. Then he climbed the tree again. When Sunga
and Suac came back, Sunga said to Sacu, "Is the food ready? Here is
a deer that we have caught."
Sacu answered, "When the food was ready, Pugut came and ate it all. I
tried to prevent him, but in vain: I could not resist him."
"Well," said Sunga, "let me be the cook while you and Suac are the
hunters." Then Sacu and Suac went out, and Sunga was left to cook. The
food was no sooner ready than Pugut came again, and ate it all as
before. So when the hunters returned, bringing a hog with them,
they still had nothing to eat.
Accordingly Suac was left to cook, and his companions went away to
hunt again. Suac roasted the hog. Pugut smelled it. He looked down,
and said, "Ha, ha! I have another cook; hurry up! boy, I am hungry."
"I pray you, please do not deprive us of this food too," said Suac.
"I must have it, for I am hungry," said Pugut. "Otherwise I shall eat
you up." When the hog was roasted a nice brown, Pugut came down the
tree. But Suac placed the food near the fire and stood by it; and when
Pugut tried to seize it, the boy pushed him into the fire. Pugut's
beard was burnt, and it became kinky. [19] The boy then ran to a
deep pit. He covered it on the top with grass. Pugut did not stay to
eat the food, but followed Suac. Suac was very cunning. He stood on
the opposite side of the pit, and said, "I pray you, do not step on
my grass!"
"I am going to eat you up," said Pugut angrily, as he stepped on the
grass and fell into the pit. The boy covered the pit with stones
and earth, thinking that Pugut would perish there; but he was
mistaken. Suac had not gone far when he saw Pugut following him;
but just then he saw, too, a crocodile. He stopped and resolutely
waited for Pugut, whom he gave a blow and pushed into the mouth of
the crocodile. Thus Pugut was destroyed.
Suac then took his victim's club, and returned under the tree. After a
while his companions came back. He related to them how he had overcome
Pugut, and then they ate. The next day they returned to town.
Suac, on hearing that there was a giant who came every night into
the neighborhood to devour people, went one night to encounter the
giant. When the giant came, he said, "You are just the thing for me
to eat." But Suac gave him a deadly blow with Pugut's club, and the
giant tumbled down dead.
Later Suac rid the islands of all the wild monsters, and became the
ruler over his people.
The Three Friends,--The Monkey, the Dog, and the Carabao.
Narrated by José M. Hilario, a Tagalog from Batangas, Batangas.
Once there lived three friends,--a monkey, a dog, and a carabao. They
were getting tired of city life, so they decided to go to the
country to hunt. They took along with them rice, meat, and some
kitchen utensils.
The first day the carabao was left at home to cook the food,
so that his two companions might have something to eat when they
returned from the hunt. After the monkey and the dog had departed,
the carabao began to fry the meat. Unfortunately the noise of the
frying was heard by the Buñgisñgis in the forest. Seeing this chance
to fill his stomach, the Buñgisñgis went up to the carabao, and said,
"Well, friend, I see that you have prepared food for me."
For an answer, the carabao made a furious attack on him. The Buñgisñgis
was angered by the carabao's lack of hospitality, and, seizing him
by the horn, threw him knee-deep into the earth. Then the Buñgisñgis
ate up all the food and disappeared.
When the monkey and the dog came home, they saw that everything was
in disorder, and found their friend sunk knee-deep in the ground. The
carabao informed them that a big strong man had come and beaten him
in a fight. The three then cooked their food. The Buñgisñgis saw
them cooking, but he did not dare attack all three of them at once,
for in union there is strength.
The next day the dog was left behind as cook. As soon as the food
was ready, the Buñgisñgis came and spoke to him in the same way he
had spoken to the carabao. The dog began to snarl; and the Buñgisñgis,
taking offence, threw him down. The dog could not cry to his companions
for help; for, if he did, the Buñgisñgis would certainly kill him. So
he retired to a corner of the room and watched his unwelcome guest
eat all of the food. Soon after the Buñgisñgis's departure, the monkey
and the carabao returned. They were angry to learn that the Buñgisñgis
had been there again.
The next day the monkey was cook; but, before cooking, he made a
pitfall in front of the stove. After putting away enough food for
his companions and himself, he put the rice on the stove. When the
Buñgisñgis came, the monkey said very politely, "Sir, you have come
just in time. The food is ready, and I hope you'll compliment me by
accepting it."
The Buñgisñgis gladly accepted the offer, and, after sitting down in
a chair, began to devour the food. The monkey took hold of a leg of
the chair, gave a jerk, and sent his guest tumbling into the pit. He
then filled the pit with earth, so that the Buñgisñgis was buried
with no solemnity.
When the monkey's companions arrived, they asked about the
Buñgisñgis. At first the monkey was not inclined to tell them what had
happened; but, on being urged and urged by them, he finally said that
the Buñgisñgis was buried "there in front of the stove." His foolish
companions, curious, began to dig up the grave. Unfortunately the
Buñgisñgis was still alive. He jumped out, and killed the dog and
lamed the carabao; but the monkey climbed up a tree, and so escaped.
One day while the monkey was wandering in the forest, he saw a beehive
on top of a vine.
"Now I'll certainly kill you," said some one coming towards the monkey.
Turning around, the monkey saw the Buñgisñgis. "Spare me," he said,
"and I will give up my place to you. The king has appointed me to
ring each hour of the day that bell up there," pointing to the top
of the vine.
"All right! I accept the position," said the Buñgisñgis. "Stay
here while I find out what time it is," said the monkey. The monkey
had been gone a long time, and the Buñgisñgis, becoming impatient,
pulled the vine. The bees immediately buzzed about him, and punished
him for his curiosity.
Maddened with pain, the Buñgisñgis went in search of the monkey,
and found him playing with a boa-constrictor. "You villain! I'll not
hear any excuses from you. You shall certainly die," he said.
"Don't kill me, and I will give you this belt which the king has
given me," pleaded the monkey.
Now, the Buñgisñgis was pleased with the beautiful colors of the belt,
and wanted to possess it: so he said to the monkey, "Put the belt
around me, then, and we shall be friends."
The monkey placed the boa-constrictor around the body of the
Buñgisñgis. Then he pinched the boa, which soon made an end of
his enemy.
Notes.
The pugut, among the Ilocanos and Pampangos, is a nocturnal spirit,
usually in the form of a gigantic Negro, terrifying, but not
particularly harmful. It corresponds to the Tagalog cafre. [20]
Its power of rapid transformation, however, makes it a more or less
formidable opponent. Sometimes it takes the form of a cat with fiery
eyes, a minute later appearing as a large dog. Then it will turn into
an enormous Negro smoking a large cigar, and finally disappear as a
ball of fire. It lives either in large trees or in abandoned houses
and ruined buildings.
Buñgisñgis is defined by the narrator as meaning "a large strong man
that is always laughing." The word is derived from the root ñgisi,
"to show the teeth" (Tag.). This giant has been described to me as
being of herculean size and strength, sly, and possessing an upper
lip so large that when it is thrown back it completely covers the
demon's face. The Buñgisñgis can lift a huge animal as easily as if
it were a feather.
Obviously these two superhuman demons have to be overcome with
strategy, not muscle. The heroes, consequently, are beings endowed with
cleverness. After Suac has killed Pugut and has come into possession
of his victim's magic club, he easily slays a man-eating giant (see
F4 in notes to preceding tale). The tricks played on the Buñgisñgis
by the monkey ("ringing the bell" and the "king's belt") are found in
the Ilocano story "Kakarangkang" and in "The Monkey and the Turtle,"
but in the latter tale the monkey is the victim. It would thus seem
that a precedent for the mixture of two old formulas by the narrator
of "Kakarangkang" already existed among the Tagalogs (cf. the end of
the notes to No. 3).
We have not a large enough number of variants to enable us to determine
the original form of the separate incidents combined to form the cycles
represented by stories Nos. 3, 4, and 55; but the evidence we have
leads to the supposition that Carancal motifs ABCDF1 are very old in
the Islands, and that these taken together probably constituted the
prototype of the "Carancal" group. I cannot but believe that the
"interrupted-cooking" episode, as found in the Philippines, owes
nothing to European forms of "John the Bear;" for nowhere in the
Islands have I found it associated with the subsequent adventures
comprising the "John the Bear" norm,--the underground pursuit of the
demon, the rescue of the princesses by the hero, the treachery of the
companions, the miraculous escape of the hero from the underworld,
and the final triumph of justice and the punishment of the traitors
(see No. 17 and notes).
For a Borneo story of a "Deer, Pig, and Plandok (Mouse-Deer)," see
Roth, 1 : 346. In this tale, as well as in another from British
North Borneo (Evans, 471-473, "The Plandok and the Gergasi"), it
is the clever plandok who alone is able to outwit the giant. In the
latter story there are seven animals,--carabao, ox, dog, stag, horse,
mouse-deer, and barking-deer. The carabao and horse in turn try in
vain to guard fish from the gergasi (a mythical giant who carries
a spear over his shoulder). The plandok takes his turn now, after
his two companions have been badly mishandled, and tricks the giant
into letting himself be bound and pushed into a well, because the
"sky is falling." There he is killed by the other animals when they
return. With this last incident compare the trick of the fox in the
Mongolian story in our notes to No. 48. In two other stories of the
cunning of the plandok, "The Plandok and the Tiger" (Evans, 474) and
"The Plandok and the Bear" (ibid.), we meet with the "king's belt"
trick and the "king's gong" trick respectively. For an additional
record from Borneo, see Edwin H. Gomes, "Seventeen Years among the
Sea Dyaks of Borneo" (Lond., 1911), 255-261.
TALE 5
HOW SUAN BECAME RICH.
Narrated by Bonifacio Ynares, a Tagalog living in Pasig, Rizal.
Pedro and Suan were friends. Pedro inherited a great fortune from his
parents, who had recently died; but Suan was as poor as the poorest
of beggars that ever lived. Early one morning Suan went to his friend,
and said, "I wonder if you have a post that you do not need."
"Yes, I have one," said Pedro. "Why? Do you need it?"
"Yes, I need one badly, to build my house."
"Very well, take it," said Pedro. "Do not worry about paying for it."
Suan, who had not thought evil of his friend, took the post and built
his house. When it was finished, his house was found to surpass that
of his friend. This fact made Pedro so envious of Suan, that at last
he went to him and asked Suan for the post back again.
"Why, if I take it from its place, my house will be destroyed. So
let me pay you for it, or let me look for another post in the town
and get it for you!"
"No," said Pedro, "I must have my own post, for I wish to use it."
Finally Suan became so greatly annoyed by his friend's insistence,
that he exclaimed, "I will not give you back your post."
"Take heed, Suan! for I will accuse you before the king."
"All right! do as you please."
"We will then go to the king Monday," said Pedro.
"Very well; I am always ready."
When Monday came, both prepared to go to the palace. Pedro, who cared
for his money more than for anything else, took some silver coins along
with him for the journey. Suan took cooked rice and fish instead. Noon
came while they were still on the road. Suan opened his package of
food and began to eat. Pedro was also very hungry at this time, but
no food could be bought on the way. So Suan generously invited Pedro
to eat with him, and they dined together.
After eating, the two resumed their journey. At last they came to a
river. The bridge over it was broken in the middle, and one had to jump
in order to get to the other side. Pedro jumped. Suan followed him,
but unfortunately fell. It so happened that an old man was bathing
in the river below, and Suan accidentally fell right on him. The old
man was knocked silly, and as a consequence was drowned. When Isidro,
the son, who dearly loved his father, heard of the old man's death, he
at once made up his mind to accuse Suan before the king. He therefore
joined the two travellers.
After a while the three came to a place where they saw Barbekin
having a hard time getting his carabao out of the mire. Suan offered
to help. He seized the carabao by the tail, and pulled with great
force. The carabao was rescued, but its tail was broken off short
by a sudden pull of Suan. Barbekin was filled with rage because of
the injury done to his animal: so he, too, resolved to accuse Suan
before the king.
When they came to the palace, the king said, "Why have you come here?"
Pedro spoke first. "I have come," he said, "to accuse Suan to you. He
has one of my posts, and he won't return it to me."
On being asked if the accusation was true, Suan responded with a nod,
and said in addition, "But Pedro ate a part of my rice and fish on
the way here."
"My decision, then," said the king, "is that Suan shall give Pedro
his post, and that Pedro shall give Suan his rice and fish."
Isidro was the next to speak. "I have come here to accuse Suan. While
my father was bathing in the river, Suan jumped on him and killed him."
"Suan, then, must bathe in the river," said the king, "and you may
jump on him."
When Barbekin was asked why he had come, he replied, "I wish to accuse
Suan. He pulled my carabao by the tail, and it was broken off short."
"Give Suan your carabao, then," said the king. "He shall not return
it to you until he has made its tail grow to its full length."
The accused and the accusers now took their leave of the king.
"Give me the carabao now," said Suan to Barbekin when they had gone
some distance from the palace.
The carabao was young and strong, and Barbekin hated to give it up. So
he said, "Don't take the carabao, and I will give you fifty pesos."
"No; the decision of the king must be fulfilled," said Suan. Barbekin
then raised the sum to ninety pesos, and Suan consented to accept
the offer. Thus Suan was rewarded for his work in helping Barbekin.
When they came to the bridge, Suan went down into the river, and told
Isidro to jump on him. But the bridge was high, and Isidro was afraid
to jump. Moreover, he did not know how to swim, and he feared that he
would but drown himself if he jumped. So he asked Suan to pardon him.
"No, you must fulfil the decision of the king," answered Suan.
"Let me off from jumping on you, and I will give you five hundred
pesos," said Isidro.
The amount appealed to Suan as being a good offer, so he accepted it
and let Isidro go.
As soon as Suan reached home, he took Pedro's post from his house,
and started for Pedro's house, taking a razor along with him. "Here
is your post," he said; "but you must lie down, for I am going to
get my rice and fish from you."
In great fright Pedro said, "You need not return the post any more."
"No," said Suan, "we must fulfil the decision of the king."
"If you do not insist on your demand," said Pedro, "I will give you
half of my riches."
"No, I must have my rice and fish." Suan now held Pedro by the
shoulder, and began to cut Pedro's abdomen with the razor. He had no
sooner done that, than Pedro, in great terror, cried out,--
"Don't cut me, and you shall have all my riches!"
Thus Suan became the richest man in town by using his tact and
knowledge in outwitting his enemies.
The King's Decisions.
Narrated by José M. Hilario, a Tagalog from Batangas, who heard the
story from his father.
Once a poor man named Juan was without relatives or friends. Life
to him was a series of misfortunes. A day often passed without his
tasting even a mouthful of food.
One day, weakened with hunger and fatigue, as he was walking along
the road, he passed a rich man's house. It so happened that at this
time the rich man's food was being cooked. The food smelled so good,
that Juan's hunger was satisfied merely with the fragrance. When the
rich man learned that the smell of his food had satisfied Juan, he
demanded money of Juan. Juan refused to give money, however, because
he had none, and because he had neither tasted nor touched the rich
man's food. "Let's go to the king, then," said Pedro, the rich man,
"and have this matter settled!" Juan had no objection to the proposal,
and the two set out for the palace.
Soon they came to a place where the mire was knee-deep. There they saw
a young man who was trying to help his horse out of a mud-hole. "Hey,
you lazy fellows! help me to get my horse out of this hole," said
Manuel. The three tried with all their might to release the horse. They
finally succeeded; but unfortunately Juan had taken hold of the
horse's tail, and it was broken off when Juan gave a sudden hard pull.
"You have got to pay me for injuring my horse," said Manuel.
"No, I will not give you any money, because I had no intention of
helping you until you asked me to," said Juan.
"Well, the king will have to settle the quarrel." Juan, who was not
to be frightened by threats, went with Pedro and Manuel.
Night overtook the three on their way. They had to lodge themselves in
the house of one of Pedro's friends. Juan was not allowed to come up,
but was made to sleep downstairs.
At midnight the pregnant wife of the host had to make water. She
went to the place under which Juan was sleeping. Juan, being suddenly
awakened and frightened, uttered a loud shriek; and the woman, also
frightened because she thought there were robbers or ghosts about,
miscarried. The next morning the husband asked Juan why he had cried
out so loud in the night. Juan said that he was frightened.
"You won't fool me! Come with us to the king," said the husband.
When the four reached the palace, they easily gained access to the
royal presence. Then each one explained why he had come there.
"I'll settle the first case," said the king. He commanded the servant
to fetch two silver coins and place them on the table. "Now, Pedro,
come here and smell the coins. As Juan became satisfied with the
smell of your food, so now satisfy yourself with the smell of the
money." Pedro could not say a word, though he was displeased at the
unfavorable decision.
"Now I'll give my decisions on the next two cases. Manuel, you must
give your horse to Juan, and let him have it until another tail
grows.--And you, married man, must let Juan have your wife until she
gives birth to another child."
Pedro, Manuel, and the married man went home discontented with the
decisions of the king,--Pedro without having received pay, Manuel
without his horse, and the other man without his wife.
Notes.
These two Tagalog stories, together with another, "How Piro
became Rich," which is almost identical with No. 5(a), may
possibly be descended directly from an old Buddhist birth-story
("Gamani-canda-jataka," No. 257),--a tale in which W. A. Clouston
(see Academy, No. 796, for Aug. 6, 1887) sees the germ of the
"pound-of-flesh" incident. An abstract of the first part of this Jataka
will set forth the striking resemblance between our stories and this
old Hindoo apologue, [21] The part of the Jataka that interests us
is briefly the account of how a man was haled to the king's tribunal
for injuries done unwittingly, and how the king passed judgment
thereupon. The abstract follows:--
Gamani, a certain old courtier of the ruling king's dead father,
decided to earn his living by farming, as he thought that the new
king should be surrounded with advisers of his own age. He took up
his abode in a village three leagues from the city, and, after the
rainy season was over, one day borrowed two oxen from a friend, with
which to help him do his ploughing. In the evening he returned the
oxen; but the friend being at dinner, and not inviting Gamani to eat,
Gamani put the oxen in the stall, and got no formal release from his
creditor. That night thieves stole the cattle. Next day the owner of
the oxen discovered the theft, and decided to make Gamani pay for the
beasts. So the two set out to lay the case before the king. On the
way they stopped for food at the house of a friend of Gamani's. The
woman of the house, while climbing a ladder to the store-room for rice
for Gamani, fell and miscarried. The husband, returning that instant,
accused Gamani of hitting his wife and bringing on untimely labor:
so the husband set off with Gamani's first accuser to get justice
from the king. On their way they met a horse that would not go with
its groom. The owner of the horse shouted to G. to hit the horse
with something and head it back. G. threw a stone at the animal, but
broke its leg. "Here's a king's officer for you," shouted the man;
"you've broken my horse's leg." G. was thus three men's prisoner. By
this time G. was in despair, and decided to kill himself. As soon as
opportunity came, he rushed up a hill near the road, and threw himself
from a precipice. But he fell on the back of an old basket-maker and
killed him on the spot. The son of the basket-maker accused G. of
murder and went along with the three other plaintiffs to the king. (I
omit here the various questions that persons whom G. meets along the
road beg him to take to the king for an answer.)
All five appearing in the presence of the king, the owner of the oxen
demanded justice. In answer to the king's question, he at first denied
having seen G. return the oxen, but later admitted that he saw them
in the stall. G. was ordered to pay twenty-four pieces of money for
the oxen; but the plaintiff, for lying, was condemned to have his
eyes plucked out by G. Terrified at the prospect, he threw money
to G. and rushed away. The judgment in the case of the second false
accuser was this: G. was to take his friend's wife and live with her
until she should bear another son to take the place of the child that
miscarried. Again G. was bought off by the plaintiff. In the third
case the owner of the horse at first denied having requested G. to
hit the beast, but later admitted the truth. Judgment: G. was to pay
a thousand pieces (which the king gave him) for the injured animal,
but was also to tear out his false accuser's tongue. The fellow gave
G. a sum of money and departed. The fourth decision was as follows:
inasmuch as G. could not restore the dead father to life, he was to
take the dead man's widow to his home and be a father to the young
basket-maker; but he, rather than have his old home broken up, gave
G. a sum of money and hurried away.
It is to be regretted that this Buddhistic birth-story was not known
to Theodor Benfey, who, in his exhaustive discussion of our present
cycle, particularly from the point of view of the "pound-of-flesh"
incident (1 : 393-410), writes, "I may remark that this recital [i.e.,
of the decisions], which here borders on the comic, is based upon
serious traditional legends which have to do with Buddhistic casuistry"
(p. 397). Benfey's fragmentary citations are not very convincing; but
this Jataka proves that his reasoning, as usual, was entirely sound.
An Indo-Persian version called the "Kází of Emessa," cited by Clouston
(op. cit.), might be mentioned here, as it too has close resemblances
to our stories.
While a merchant is being taken by a Jew before the king because the
merchant will not pay his bond of a pound of flesh, he meets with
the following accidents: (1) In attempting to stop a runaway mule, he
knocks out one of the animal's eyes with a stone; (2) while sleeping on
a flat roof, he is aroused suddenly by an uproar in the street, and,
jumping from the roof, he kills an old man below; (3) in trying to
pull an ass out of the mud, he pulls its tail off. The owner of the
mule, the sons of the dead man, and the owner of the ass, go along
with the Jew to present their cases before the king, whose decisions
are as follows: (1') The owner of the mule, valued at 1000 dínárs,
is to saw the animal in two lengthwise, and is to give the blind
half to the merchant, who must pay 500 dínárs for it. As the owner
refuses, he is obliged to pay the merchant 100 dínárs for bringing in
a troublesome suit. (2') Merchant must stand below a roof and allow
himself to be jumped on by the sons of the dead man; but they refuse
to take the risk, and are obliged to pay the merchant 100 dínárs
for troubling him. (3') The owner of the tailless ass is compelled
to try to pull out the tail of the Kází's mule. Naturally the animal
resents such treatment, and the accuser is terribly bruised. Finally,
to avoid further punishment, he says that his own animal never had a
tail. Hence he is forced to give the merchant 100 dínárs for bringing
in a false suit.
In the "Katha-sarit-sagara" (translated by C. H. Tawney, 2 : 180-181)
occurs this story:--
One day, when Brahman Devabhúti had gone to bathe, his wife went into
the garden to get vegetables, and saw a donkey belonging to a washerman
eating them. She took up a stick and ran after the donkey; the animal,
trying to escape, fell into a pit and broke its hoof. When the master
heard of that, he came in a passion, and beat and kicked the Brahman
woman. Accordingly she, being pregnant, had a miscarriage; but the
washerman returned home with his donkey. Her husband, hearing of it,
went, in his distress, and complained to the chief magistrate of the
town. The foolish man, after hearing both sides of the case, delivered
this judgment: "Since the donkey's hoof is broken, let the Brahman
carry the donkey's load for the washerman until the donkey is again fit
for work; and let the washerman make the Bráhman's wife pregnant again,
since he made her miscarry." When the Bráhman and his wife heard this
decision, they, in their despair, took poison and died; and when the
king heard of it, he put to death that inconsiderate judge.
The Tagalog story of "How Piro became Rich," which I have not printed
here, is identical with "How Suan became Rich," with this exception,
that a horse's tail, instead of a carabao's, is pulled off by the
hero. And there is this addition: while travelling to the king's court,
Piro hears cries for help coming from the woods. He rushes to the spot,
and sees a young lady fighting a swarm of bees. Piro helps kill the
bees with his stick, but, in doing so, injures the woman somewhat
severely. Her father, angered, joins the accusers, and requests the
king that he order Piro to cure his daughter. The king rules that if
Piro is to do this, and if the young woman is to get the best care,
she must become Piro's wife. For relinquishing his right to the girl,
Piro receives a hundred alfonsos from the father.
All in all, the close agreement between our stories and the three
Eastern versions cited above makes it reasonably certain that the
"Wonderful Decisions" group in the Philippines derives directly
from India.
TALE 6
THE FOUR BLIND BROTHERS.
Narrated by Eutiqiano Garcia, a Pampangan, who said he heard the
story from a boy from Misamis, Mindanao.
There was once a man who had eight sons. Four of them were blind. He
thought of sending the children away, simply because he could not
afford to keep them in the house any longer. Accordingly one night
he called his eight children together, and said, "He who does not
provide for the future shall want in the present. You are big enough
and are able to support yourselves. To-morrow I shall send you away
to seek your fortunes."
When morning came, the boys bade their father good-by. The blind sons
went together in one party, and the rest in another. Now begins the
pathetic story of the four blind brothers.
They groped along the road, each holding the hand of the other. After
a day of continuous walking, the four brothers were very far away
from their town. They had not tasted food during all that time. In
the evening they came to a cocoanut-grove.
"Here are some cocoanut-trees," said one of them. "Let us get a bunch
of cocoanuts and have something to eat!"
So the eldest brother took off his camisa china [22] and climbed up
one of the trees. When he reached the top, the tree broke.
"Bung!" Down came the poor fellow. "One!" cried the youngest
brother. "Three more!" shouted the rest.
"Don't come down until you have dropped four!" they all cried at
once. Who would answer them? Their brother lay dead on the ground.
While they were waiting for the second "Bung!" the second brother
climbed up the same tree. What had happened to the first happened
also to him, and so to the third in turn. As soon as the youngest
brother heard the third fall, he thought of looking for his share. He
crept about to find the cocoanuts. Alas! he discovered that his three
brothers lay dead on the ground. He went away from the place crying
very loud.
Now, his crying happened to disturb the patianac, [23] who were
trying to sleep. They went out to see what was the matter. When
they found the poor helpless blind man, they were very much moved,
and they gave him food and shelter for the night. They also gave
him the tail of a pagui, [24] which would help him find his fortune,
they said. At daybreak they showed him the way out of the grove.
The blind man walked on and on, until he was hailed by a lame man
resting under a shady tree. "Friend, carry me on your shoulders,
and let us travel together!" said the lame man to the blind.
"Willingly," replied the blind man.
They travelled for many hours, and at last came to a big, lonely
house. They knocked at the open door, but nobody answered. At last
they entered, and found the place empty. While they were searching
through the house, the owner came. He was a two-headed giant. The
blind man and the lame man were upstairs.
The giant was afraid to enter the house, but he called in a voice of
thunder, "Who's there?"
"We are big men," answered the two companions.
"How big are you?" asked the giant.
"We are so big that the foundation of the house shakes when we walk,"
the two replied.
"Give me a proof that you are really big men!" cried the giant again.
"We will show you one of our hairs," they answered, and they dropped
from the window the tail of the pagui.
The giant looked at it in wonder. He was immediately convinced that
they were more powerful than he was. So, picking up the "hair,"
the giant went away, afraid to face such antagonists in single combat.
So the prediction of the patianac came true. The house and all the
property of the giant fell into the hands of the blind man and the
lame man. They lived there happily all the rest of their lives.
Juan the Blind Man.
Narrated by Pedro D. L. Sorreta, a Bicol from Virac, Catanduanes,
where the story is common.
Many years ago there lived in a little village near a thick forest
eight blind men who were close friends. In spite of their physical
defects, they were always happy,--perhaps much happier than their
fellow-villagers, for at night they would always go secretly to one
of the neighboring cocoanut-groves, where they would spend their time
drinking tuba [25] or eating young cocoanuts.
One evening a severe typhoon [26] struck the little village, and most
of the cocoanut-trees were broken off at the top. The next afternoon
the joyous party went to the cocoanut-grove to steal fruits. As soon
as they arrived there, seven of them climbed trees. Juan, the youngest
of all, was ordered to remain below so as to count and gather in the
cocoanuts his friends threw down to him. While his companions were
climbing the trees, Juan was singing,--
"Eight friends, good friends,
One fruit each eats;
Good Juan here bends,
Young nuts he takes."
He had no sooner repeated his verse three times than he heard a fall.
"One," he counted; and he began to sing the second verse:--
"Believe me, that everything
Which man can use he must bring,
No matter at all of what it's made;
So, friends, a counter you need."
Crrapup! he heard another fall, which was followed by three in close
succession. "Good!" he said, "five in all. Three more, friends,"
and he raised his head as if he could see his companions. After a
few minutes he heard two more falls.
"Six, seven--well, only seven," he said, as he began searching for
the cocoanuts on the ground. "One more for me, friends--one more,
and every one is satisfied." But it was his friends who had fallen;
for, as the trees were only stumps, the climbers fell off when they
reached the tops.
Juan, however, did not guess what had happened until he found one
of the dead bodies. Then he ran away as fast as he could. At last he
struck Justo, a lame man. After hearing Juan's story, Justo advised
Juan not to return to his village, lest he be accused of murder by
the relatives of the other men.
After a long talk, the two agreed to travel together and seek a
place of refuge, for the blind man's proposal seemed a good one to
the lame man:--
"Blind man, strong legs;
Lame man, good eyes;
Four-footed are pigs;
Four-handed are monkeys.
But we'll walk on two,
And we'll see with two."
So when morning dawned, they started on their journey.
They had not travelled far when Justo saw a horn in the road, and
told Juan about it. Juan said,--
"Believe me, that everything
Which man can use he must bring,
No matter at all of what it's made;
So, friend, a horn too we need."
The next thing that Justo saw was a rusted axe; and after being told
about it, Juan repeated his little verse again, ending it with, "So,
friend, an axe too we need." A few hours later the lame man saw a
piece of rope; and when the blind man knew of it, he said,--
"Bring one, bring two, bring all,
The horn, the axe, the rope as well."
And last of all they found an old drum, which they took along with
them too.
Soon Justo saw a very big house. They were glad, for they thought
that they could get something to eat there. When they came near it,
they found that the door was open; but when they entered it, Justo
saw nothing but bolos, spears, and shields hanging on the walls. After
a warm discussion as to what they should do, they decided to hide in
the ceiling of the house, and remain there until the owner returned.
They had no sooner made themselves comfortable than they heard some
persons coming. When Justo saw the bloody bolos and spears of the
men, and the big sack of money they carried, he was terrified, for he
suspected that they were outlaws. He trembled; his hair stood on end;
he could not control himself. At last he shouted, "Ay, here?"
The blind man, who could not see the danger they were in, stopped
the lame man, but not before the owners of the house had heard them.
"Ho, you mosquitoes! what are you doing there?" asked the chief of
the outlaws as he looked up at the ceiling.
"Aha, you rascals! we are going to eat you all," answered the blind
man in the loudest voice he could muster.
"What's that you say?" returned the chief.
"Why, we have been looking for you, for we intend to eat you all up,"
replied Juan; "and to show you what kind of animals we are, here is
one of my teeth," and Juan threw down the rusted axe. "Look at one
of my hairs!" continued Juan, as he threw down the rope.
The outlaws were so frightened that they were almost ready to run
away. The chief could not say a single word.
"Now listen, you ants, to my whistle!" said Juan, and he blew
the horn. "And to show you how big our stomachs are, hear us beat
them!" and he beat the drum. The outlaws were so frightened that they
ran away. Some of them even jumped out of the windows.
When the robbers were all gone, Juan and Justo went down to divide
the money; but the lame man tried to cheat the blind man, and they
had a quarrel over the division. Justo struck Juan in the eyes with
the palm of his hand, and the blind man's eyes were opened so that he
could see. Juan kicked Justo so hard, that the lame man rolled toward
one corner of the house and struck a post. His lameness was cured,
so that he could stand and walk.
When they saw that each had done the other a great service, they
divided the money fairly, and lived ever after together as close
friends.
Teofilo the Hunchback, and the Giant.
Narrated by Loreta Benavides, a Bicol student, who heard the story
from her aunt.
Once there lived a hunchback whose name was Teofilo. He was an
orphan, and used to get his food by wandering through the woods. He
had no fixed home. Sometimes he even slept under large trees in the
forest. His one blind eye, as well as his crooked body, would make
almost any one pity his miserable condition.
One day, while he was wandering through the woods looking for something
to eat, he found a piece of large rope. He was very glad; for he
could sell the rope, and in that way get money to buy food. Walking
a little farther, he found a gun leaning against a fence. This gun,
he supposed, had been left there by a hunter. He was glad to have
it, too, for protection. Finally, while crossing a swampy place,
he saw a duck drinking in the brook. He ran after the duck, and at
last succeeded in catching it. Now he was sure of a good meal.
But it had taken him a long time to capture the duck. Night soon came
on, and he had to look for a resting-place. Fortunately he came to a
field, and his eye caught a glimpse of light on the other side. He went
towards the light, and found it to come from a house, all the windows
of which were open. He knocked at the door, but nobody answered;
so he just pushed it open and entered. He then began to feel very
comfortable. He prepared his bed, and then went to sleep. He did not
know that he was in a giant's house.
At midnight Teofilo was awakened by a loud voice. He made a hole in
the wall and looked out. There in the dark he saw a very tall man,
taller even than the house itself. It was the giant. The giant said,
"I smell some one here." He tried to open the door, but Teofilo had
locked it.
"If you are really a strong man and braver than I," said the giant,
"let me see your hair!"
Teofilo then threw out the piece of rope. The giant was surprised at
its size. He then asked to see Teofilo's louse, and Teofilo threw
out the duck. The giant was terrified, for he had never seen such
a large louse before. Finally the giant said, "Well, you seem to be
larger than I. Let me hear your voice!"
Teofilo fired his gun. When the giant heard the gun and saw it
spitting fire, he trembled, for he thought that the man's saliva
was burning coals. Afraid to challenge his strange guest any more,
the giant ran away and disappeared forever.
And so Teofilo the hunchback lived happily all the rest of his days
in the giant's house without being troubled by any one.
Juan and the Buringcantada.
Narrated by Pacifico Buenconsejo, a Bicol, who heard the story from
his grandmother.
A long time ago, when the Bicols had not yet been welded into one
tribe, there lived a couple in the mountains of Albay who had one son,
named Juan. Before the boy was five years old, his father died. As
Juan grew up, he became very lazy: he did not like to work, nor would
he help his mother earn their daily bread. Despite his laziness,
Juan was dearly loved by his mother. She did not want him to work
in the field under the hot sun. Because of his mother's indulgence,
he grew lazier and lazier.
Every afternoon Juan used to take a walk while his mother was
working. She was a kind-hearted woman, and often told her son to help
anybody he met that needed help. One afternoon, while he was walking
in a field, he saw two carabaos fighting. One was gored by the other,
and was about to die. Juan, mindful of what his mother told him,
went between the two animals to help the wounded one. Suddenly the
two animals gored him in the back, and he fell to the ground. A man,
passing by, found him, and took him to his home. When Juan's mother
learned why her son had been gored, she was greatly distressed that
her son was so foolish.
Juan soon recovered, and one day he invited his mother to go with
him to look for money. He insisted so hard, that finally she agreed
to accompany him. On their way they found an axe, which Juan picked
up and took along with him. They had not gone much farther, when
they saw a long rope stretching across the road. Juan's mother did
not want him to take it, but he said that it would be of some use to
them later. By and by they came to a river, on the bank of which they
found a large drum. Juan took this with him, too.
When they had been travelling about a week, they came upon a big
house. Juan said that he wanted to go see what was in the house, but
his mother told him that he should not go. However, he kept urging and
urging, until at last his mother consented, and went with him. When
they reached the hall, they found it well decorated with flowers and
leaves. They visited all the apartments of the house; and when they
came to the dining-room, they saw a large hole in the ceiling. Juan
told his mother that they had better hide in the ceiling until they
found out who the owner of the house was. The mother thought that
the plan was a wise one; so they went to the ceiling, taking with
them the axe, the rope, and the drum.
They had not been hiding many minutes, when the Buringcantada, a
giant with one eye in the middle of his forehead and with two long
tusks that projected from the sides of his mouth, came in with his
friends and servants. When the dinner was ready, the servant called
his master and his guests into the dining-room. While they were eating,
Juan said in a loud voice,--
"Tawi cami
Sa quisami
Qui masiram
Na ulaman." [27]
The Buringcantada was very angry to hear the voice of a man in the
ceiling, and he said in a thundering voice, "If you are a big man
like me, let me see one of your hairs!"
Juan showed the rope from the hole in the ceiling.
Astonished at the size of the hair, the Buringcantada said again,
"Let me see one of your teeth!" Juan showed the axe.
By this time Juan's mother was almost dead with fear, and she told
her son not to move.
After a few minutes the Buringcantada said again, "Beat your stomach,
and let me hear the sound of it!" When Juan beat the drum, the
Buringcantada and all the guests and servants ran away in fright,
for they had never heard such a sound before.
Then Juan and his mother came down from the ceiling. In this house
they lived like a rich family, for they found much money in one of
the rooms. As for the Buringcantada, he never came back to his house
after he left it.
The Manglalabas.
Narrated by Arsenio Bonifacio, a Tagalog, who heard the story from
his father.
Once upon a time, in the small town of Balubad, there was a big
house. It was inhabited by a rich family. When the head of the family
died, the house was gloomy and dark. The family wore black clothes,
and was sad.
Three days after the death of the father, the family began to be
troubled at night by a manglalabas. [28] He threw stones at the house,
broke the water-jars, and moved the beds. Some pillows were even
found in the kitchen the next day. The second night, Manglalabas
visited the house again. He pinched the widow; but when she woke
up, she could not see anything. Manglalabas also emptied all the
water-jars. Accordingly the family decided to abandon the house.
A band of brave men in that town assembled, and went to the house. At
midnight the spirit came again, but the brave men said they were ready
to fight it. Manglalabas made a great deal of noise in the house. He
poured out all the water, kicked the doors, and asked the men who they
were. They answered, "We are fellows who are going to kill you." But
when the spirit approached them, and they saw that it was a ghost,
they fled away. From that time on, nobody was willing to pass a night
in that house.
In a certain barrio [29] of Balubad there lived two queer men. One
was called Bulag, because he was blind; and the other, Cuba, because
he was hunchbacked. One day these two arranged to go to Balubad to
beg. Before they set out, they agreed that the blind man should carry
the hunchback on his shoulder to the town. So they set out. After they
had crossed the Balubad River, Cuba said, "Stop a minute, Bulag! here
is a hatchet." Cuba got down and picked it up. Then they proceeded
again. A second time Cuba got off the blind man's shoulder, for he
saw an old gun by the roadside. He picked this up also, and took it
along with him.
When they reached the town, they begged at many of the houses, and
finally they came to the large abandoned house. They did not know
that this place was haunted by a spirit. Cuba said, "Maybe no one is
living in this house;" and Bulag replied, "I think we had better stay
here for the night."
As they were afraid that somebody might come, they went up into the
ceiling. At midnight they were awakened by Manglalabas making a great
noise and shouting, "I believe that there are some new persons in my
house!" Cuba, frightened, fired the gun. The ghost thought that the
noise of the gun was some one crying. So he said, "If you are truly
a big man, give me some proofs."
Then Cuba took the handle out of the hatchet and threw the head down
at the ghost. Manglalabas thought that this was one of the teeth of
his visitor, and, convinced that the intruder was a powerful person,
he said, "I have a buried treasure near the barn. I wish you to
dig it up. The reason I come here every night is on account of this
treasure. If you will only dig it up, I will not come here any more."
The next night Bulag and Cuba dug in the ground near the barn. There
they found many gold and silver pieces. When they were dividing the
riches, Cuba kept three-fourths of the treasure for himself. Bulag
said, "Let me see if you have divided fairly," and, placing his hands
on the two piles, he found that Cuba's was much larger.
Angry at the discovery, Cuba struck Bulag in the eyes, and they
were opened. When Bulag could see, he kicked Cuba in the back, and
straightway his deformity disappeared. Therefore they became friends
again, divided the money equally, and owned the big house between them.
Notes.
A Pampango version, "The Cripple and the Blind Man" (I have it only
in abstract), is almost identical with the second part of "The Four
Blind Brothers." A blind man and a cripple travel together, blind
man carrying, cripple guiding. Rope, drum, hatchet, etc. But these
two companions do not quarrel over the distribution of the wealth:
they live peacefully together.
I have printed in full five of the versions, because, while they
are members of a very widespread family of tales in which a poor but
valiant hero deceives and outwits a giant, ogre, ghost, or band of
robbers, they form a more restricted brotherhood of that large family,
and the deception is of a very definite special sort. The hero and the
outwitted do not meet face to face, nor is there a contest of prowess
between them. Merely by displaying as tokens of his size and strength
certain seemingly useless articles which he has picked up and carried
along with him on his travels, the hero frightens forever from their
rich home a band of robbers or a giant or a ghost, and remains in
possession of the treasures of the deceived one.
Trolls, ogres, giants, robbers, dragons, are proverbially stupid,
and a clever hero with more wits than brawn has no difficulty in
thoroughly frightening them. Grimm's story of "The Brave Little Tailor"
(No. 20), with its incidents of "cheese-squeezing," "bird-throwing,"
"pretended carrying of the oak-tree," "springing over the cherry-tree,"
and "escape from the bed," and opening with the "seven-at-a-blow"
episode, is typical of one large group of tales about a giant
outwitted. (For an enumeration of the analogues, see Bolte-Polívka,
1 : 148-165; for a fuller discussion of some of them, see Cosquin,
1 : 96-102.) In another group the hero takes service with the giant,
dragon, etc., keeps up the deception of being superhumanly strong,
but gets the monster to do all the work, and finally wins his way to
wealth and release (see Grimm, No. 183; Von Hahn, No. 18 and notes;
Crane, 345, note 34; Dasent, Nos. v and xxxii). Then there is the
group of stories in which the cannibal witch is popped into her own
oven, which she had been heating for her victim (cf. Grimm, No. 15;
and Bolte-Polívka, 1 : 123).
Our particular group of stories, however, seems to owe little or
nothing to the types just mentioned. It appears to belong peculiarly
to the Orient. In fact, I do not know of its occurrence outside of
India and the Philippines. That the tale is well known in the Islands
at least as far north as central Luzon, our five variants attest;
and that it is fairly widespread in India,--I refer particularly to
the method of the deception, for on this the whole story turns,--three
Hindoo versions may be cited as evidence.
(1) "The Blind Man, the Deaf Man, and the Donkey" (Frere, No. 18)
presents many close correspondences to "Juan the Blind Man." In the
Indian tale a blind man and a deaf man enter into partnership. One day,
while on a long walk with his friend, the deaf man sees a donkey with
a large water-jar on its back. Thinking the animal will be useful
to them, they take it and the jar with them. Farther along they
collect some large black ants in a snuff-box. Overtaken by storm,
they seek shelter in a large, apparently deserted house, and lock
the door; but the owner, a terrible Rakshas, returns, and loudly
demands entrance. The deaf man, looking through a chink in the wall,
is greatly frightened by the appearance of the monster; but the blind
man boldly says that he is Bakshas, Rakshas's father. Incredulous,
the Rakshas wishes to see his father's face. Donkey's head shown. On
his desiring to see his father's body, the huge jar is rolled
with a thundering noise past the chink in the door. Rakshas asks
to hear Bakshas scream. Deaf man puts ants into the donkey's ear:
the animal, bit by the insects, brays horribly, and the Rakshas flees
in fright... (Rakshas returns the next morning, and seeing the blind
man, deaf man, and donkey, laden with treasures, leaving his house,
he determines to be avenged; but by a lucky series of accidents
the travellers succeed in discomfiting and thoroughly terrifying
the Rakshas and his six companions summoned to help him, and travel
on). In the division of the spoils, the deaf man attempts to cheat
the blind man, who in a rage gives him so tremendous a box on the
ear, that his hearing is restored! In return, the deaf man gives his
neighbor so hard a blow in the face, that the blind man's eyes are
opened. They are both so astonished, that they become good friends
at once, and divide the wealth equally.
(2) "The Brahmin Girl that married a Tiger" (Kingscote, No. x). In
this story, three brothers, on their way to rescue their sister who
had been married to a tiger, take along with them an ass, an ant,
a palmyra-tree, and a big iron washing-tub. The sister hides her
brothers and their possessions in a loft. The tiger comes home,
and frightens the brothers into making a noise and thus betraying
their presence. He asks to hear their voice. Youngest brother puts
his ant into the ear of the ass, which, when bit, begins to bawl out
horribly. Asking to see their legs, tiger is shown the trunk of the
palmyra-tree, and, on asking to see their bellies, is shown the iron
tub. Frightened, he runs away, and the sister is rescued.
(3) "Learning and Motherwit" (McCulloch, No. xxvi). Here Motherwit,
as in the other stories, deceives a Raghoshi by means of a thick rope
(shown for hair), spades (shown for finger-nails), and wet lime
(shown for spittle). At last with sharp-pointed hot iron rods,
Ulysses fashion, he puts out the monster's eyes.
In another Bengal story, "The Ghost who was afraid of being Bagged"
(Lal Behari Day, No. xx), a barber frightens a ghost with a
looking-glass and becomes rich.
An interesting parallel to the incident of the death of the blind
brothers by climbing up too high on palm-trees the tops of which have
been broken off, is to be found in the Arabian story of "The Blind
Thief" (JRASB 3 : 645-660, No. iii). A thief who used to steal dates
from off the trees became blind, but he still went on thieving. The
people planned to get rid of him. In the presence of the blind man,
some one praised the dates of So-and-so. (Now, this tree was withered,
and no longer had any leaves.) The covetous thief, with his rope,
started to climb the tree that night; but his rope slipped off over
the naked top of the palm, and he fell to the ground and was killed.
The situation of a blind man and a lame man joining forces and
travelling together, the blind man carrying the lame man, who directs
the way, is found in the Gesta Romanorum, tale LXXI.
Certain of the false proofs in the Filipino stories have no parallel
in the Indian tales; viz., duck for louse, gun or horn for voice,
tail of sting-ray (pagui) for hair. The suggestion for this last
comparison may have come from the belief among the Filipinos that the
tail of the sting-ray is a very efficacious charm against demons and
witches. It is a "specific" against the mangkukulam. [30] On the other
hand, there are certain details of the Indian versions lacking in the
Filipino,--the donkey, the palmyra-tree, the wash-tub. Nevertheless
the close agreement, not only of motifs, but of motifs in the same
sequence, makes it certain beyond all reasonable doubt that the story
as we find it in the Islands (most fully represented by the Bicol
"Juan the Blind Man") goes back directly to southern India, possibly
to the parent story of Miss Frere's old Deccan narrative.
TALE 7
SAGACIOUS MARCELA.
Narrated by Lorenzo Licup, a Pampangan.
Long, long before the Spaniards came, there lived a man who had a
beautiful, virtuous, and, above all, clever daughter. He was a servant
of the king. Marcela, the daughter, loved her father devotedly, and
always helped him with his work. From childhood she had manifested a
keen wit and undaunted spirit. She would even refuse to obey unjust
orders from the king. No question was too hard for her to answer,
and the king was constantly being surprised at her sagacity.
One day the king conceived a plan by which he might test the ingenious
Marcela. He bade his servants procure a tiny bird and carry it to her
house. "Tell her," said the king, "to make twelve dishes out of that
one bird."
The servants found Marcela sewing. They told her of the order of the
king. After thinking for five minutes, she took one of her pins, and
said to the servants, "If the king can make twelve spoons out of this
pin, I can also make twelve dishes out of that bird." On receiving
the answer, the king realized that the wise Marcela had gotten the
better of him; and he began to think of another plan to puzzle her.
Again he bade his servants carry a sheep to Marcela's house. "Tell
her," he said, "to sell the sheep for six reales, and with the money
this very same sheep must come back to me alive."
At first Marcela could not make out what the king meant for her to
do. Then she thought of selling the wool only, and not the whole
sheep. So she cut off the wool and sold it for six reales, and sent
the money with the live sheep back to the king. Thus she was again
relieved from a difficulty.
The king by this time realized that he could not beat Marcela in
points of subtlety. However, to amuse himself, he finally thought of
one more scheme to test her sagacity. It took him two weeks to think
it out. Summoning a messenger, he said to him, "Go to Marcela, and
tell her that I am not well, and that my physician has advised me to
drink a cup of bull's milk. Therefore she must get me this medicine,
or her father will lose his place in the palace." The king also issued
an order that no one was to bathe or to wash anything in the river,
for he was going to take a bath the next morning.
As soon as Marcela had received the command of the king and had
heard of his second order, she said, "How easy it will be for me to
answer this silly order of the king!" That night she and her father
killed a pig, and smeared its blood over the sleeping-mat, blanket,
and pillows. When morning came, Marcela took the stained bed-clothing
to the source of the river, where the king was bathing. As soon as
the king caught sight of her, he said in a voice of thunder, "Why do
you wash your stuff in the river when you know I ordered that nobody
should use the river to-day but me?"
Marcela replied, "It is the custom, my lord, in our country, to wash
the mat, pillows, and other things stained with blood, immediately
after a person has given birth to a child. As my father gave birth to
a child last night, custom forces me to disobey your order, although
I do it much against my will."
"Nonsense!" said the king. "The idea of a man giving birth to a
child! Absurd! Ridiculous!"
"My lord," said Marcela, "it would be just as absurd to think of
getting milk from a bull."
Then the king, recollecting his order, said, "Marcela, as you are so
witty, clever, and virtuous, I will give you my son for your husband."
King Tasio.
Narrated by Leopoldo Faustino, a Tagalog, who says that the story is
popular and common among the people of La Laguna province.
Juan was a servant in the palace of King Tasio. One day King Tasio
heard Juan discussing with the other servants in the kitchen the
management of the kingdom. Juan said that he knew more than anybody
else in the palace. The king called Juan, and told him to go down to
the seashore and catch the rolling waves.
"You said that you are the wisest man in the palace," said the
king. "Go and catch the waves of the sea for me."
"That's very easy, O king!" said Juan, "if you will only provide me
with a rope made of sand taken from the seashore."
The king did not know what to answer. He left Juan without saying
anything, went into his room, and began to think of some more
difficult work.
The next day he called Juan. "Juan, take this small bird and make
fifty kinds of food out of it," said the king.
"Yes, sir!" said Juan, "if you will only provide me with a stove,
a pan, and a knife made out of this needle," handing a needle to the
king, "with which to cook the bird." Again the king did not know what
to do. He was very angry at Juan.
"Juan, get out of my palace! Don't you let me see you walking on my
ground around this palace without my consent!" said the king.
"Very well, sir!" said Juan, and he left the palace immediately.
The next day King Tasio saw Juan in front of the palace, riding on
his paragos [31] drawn by a carabao.
"Did I not tell you not to stand or walk on my ground around this
palace? Why are you here now? Do you mean to mock me?" shouted
the king.
"Well," said Juan, "will your Majesty's eyes please see whether I am
standing on your ground or not? This is my ground." And he pointed
to the earth he had on his paragos. "I took this from my orchard."
"That's enough, Juan," said King Tasio. "I can have no more
foolishness." The king felt very uncomfortable, because many of his
courtiers and servants were standing there listening to his talk
with Juan.
"Juan, put this squash into this jar. Be careful! See that you do
not break either the squash or the jar," said the king, as he handed
a squash and a jar to Juan. Now, the neck of the jar was small, and
the squash was as big as the jar. So Juan had indeed a difficult task.
Juan went home. He put a very small squash, which he had growing
in his garden, inside the jar. He did not, however, cut it from the
vine. After a few weeks the squash had grown big enough to fill the
jar. Juan then picked off the squash enclosed in the jar, and went
to the king. He presented the jar to the king when all the servants,
courtiers, and visitors from other towns were present. As soon as
the king saw the jar with the squash in it, he fainted. It was many
hours before he recovered.
Notes.
A third version (c), a Bicol story entitled "Marcela outwits the
King," narrated by Gregorio Frondoso of Camarines, resembles closely
the Pampango story of Marcela, with these minor differences:--
The heroine is the daughter of the king's adviser Bernardo. To test
the girl's wit, the king sends her a mosquito he has killed, and tells
her to cook it in such a way that it will serve twelve persons. She
sends back a pin to him, with word that if he can make twelve forks
from the pin, the mosquito will serve twelve persons. The second and
third tasks are identical with those in the Pampango version. At last,
satisfied with her sagacity, the king makes her his chief counsellor.
In addition to the three popular tales of the "Clever Lass" cycle,
two chap-book versions of the story, containing incidents lacking in
the folk-tales, may be mentioned here:--
A Buhay nang isang pastorang tubo sa villa na naguing asaua nang hari
sa isang calabasa. ("Life of a Shepherdess who was born in a town,
and who became the Wife of a King because of a Pumpkin.") Manila,
1908. This story is in verse, and comprises sixty-six quatrains of
12-syllable assonanced lines. It is known only in Tagalog, I believe.
B Buhay na pinagdaanan ni Rodolfo na anac ni Felizardo at ni Prisca sa
cahariang Valencia. ("Life of Rodolfo, Son of Felizardo and Prisca,
in the Kingdom of Valencia.") Maynila, 1910. Like the preceding,
this corrido is known only in Tagalog, and is written in 12-syllable
assonanced lines.
Of these two printed versions, I give below a literal translation
of the first (A), not only because it is short (264 lines),
but also because it will be seen to be closely connected with the
folk-tales. For help in making this translation I am under obligation
to Mr. Salvador Unson, which I gratefully acknowledge. The second story
(B) I give only in partial summary. It is much too long to be printed
in full, and, besides, contains many incidents that have nothing to do
with our cycle. It will be noticed that "Rodolfo" (B) resembles rather
the European forms of the story; while A and the three folk-tales
are more Oriental, despite the conventional historical setting of A.
TALE A
"Cay Calabasa: The Life of a Shepherdess born in a town, who became
the Wife of a King because of a Pumpkin."
1. Ye holy angels in the heavens, help my tongue to express and to
relate the story I will tell.
2. In early times, when Adoveneis, King of Borgoña, was still alive,
he went out into the plains to hunt for deer, and accidentally became
separated from his companions.
3. In his wandering about, he saw a hut, which had a garden surrounding
it. A beautiful young maiden took care of the garden, in which were
growing melons and pumpkins.
4. The king spoke to the maiden, and asked, "What plants are you
growing here?" The girl replied, "I am raising pumpkins and melons."
5. Now, the king happened to be thirsty, and asked her for but
a drink. "We were hunting in the heat of the day, and I felt this
thirst come on me."
6. The maiden replied, "O illustrious king! we have water in a mean
jar, but it is surely not fitting that your Majesty should drink from
a jar!
7. "If we had a jar of pure gold, in which we could put water from a
blest fountain, then it would be proper for your Majesty. It is not
right or worthy that you should drink from a base jar."
8. The king replied to the girl, "Never mind the jar, provided the
water is cool." The maiden went into the house, and presently the
king drank his fill.
9. After he had drunk, he handed her back the jar; but when the maiden
had received it (in her hands), she suddenly struck it against the
staircase. The jar was shattered to bits.
10. The king saw the act and wondered at it, and in his heart he
thought that the maiden had no manners. For the impudence of her
action, he decided to punish her.
11. (He said) "You see in me, the traveller, a noble king, and (you
know) that I hold the crown. Why did you shatter that jar of yours,
received from my hands?"
12. The maiden replied, "The reason I broke the jar, long kept for
many years by my mother, O king! is that I should not like to have
it used by another."
13. After hearing that, the king made no reply, but returned (back)
towards the city, believing in his heart that the woman to whom he
had spoken was virtuous.
14. After some time the king one day ordered a soldier to carry
to the maiden a new narrow-necked jar, into which she was to put a
pumpkin entire.
15. He also ordered the soldier to tell the girl that she should not
break the jar, but that the jar and pumpkin should remain entire.
16. Inasmuch as the maiden was clever, her perception good, and her
understanding bold, she answered with another problem: she sent him
back a jar that already had a pumpkin in it.
17. She delivered it to the soldier, and the upshot of her reply was
this: "The pumpkin and the jar are whole. The king must remove the
pumpkin without breaking the jar."
18. The soldier shouldered it and went back to the king, and told him
that her answer was that he should take the pumpkin out of the jar,
and leave both whole.
19. When the king saw the jar, he said nothing; but he thought in
his heart that he would send her another puzzle.
20. Again by the soldier he sent her a bottle, and requested that it
be filled with the milk of a bull. (He further added,) that, if the
order was not complied with, she should be punished.
21. The girl's answer to the king was this: "Last night my father gave
birth to a child; and even though you order it, it is impossible for
me to get (you?) any bull's milk (to-day?)."
22. Who would not wonder, when he comes to hear of it, at the language
back and forth between the king and the girl! For what man can give
birth to a child, and what bull can give milk?
23. At a great festival which the king gave, attended by knights and
counts, he sent a pipit [32] to the girl, and ordered her to cook
seven dishes of it.
24. The maiden (in reply) sent the king a needle, and asked him to
make a steel frying-pan, knife, and spit out of it, which she might
use in cooking the pipit.
25. The king again sent to her with this word: "If you are really
very intelligent and if you are truly wise, you will catch the waves
and bind them."
26. The soldier returned at once to the maiden, and told her that
the orders of the king were that she should catch and bind the waves.
27. The maiden sent back word by the soldier that it is not proper
to disobey a king. "Tell the king to make me a rope out of the loam
I am sending."
28. Again the soldier returned to the palace, and, taking the black
earth to the king, he said, "Make her a rope out of this loam, with
which she will catch and bind the waves."
29. After the soldier had delivered his message, the king was almost
shaking with rage. "Who under heaven can make a rope out of loam?"
30. Now he ordered the soldier to fetch the maiden. "And for her
impudence," he said, "I will punish her."
31. He ordered the soldier to make haste and to return at once. The
maiden did not resist her punishment, and was placed in a well.
32. Now, this well into which she was cast lay in front of the window
of the king, so that whenever he should look out of the window he
might see her.
33. One morning, as he looked out and saw her there below him, she
asked him to give her fire.
34. The king said to her, "I am a world-famed king, and it is not
my desire to descend just because of your request. Go ask fire from
the mountain."
35. The girl made no answer to his jesting reply. Some time later
the king held some games, and ordered that the maiden be taken out
of the well.
36. The king told her that she was pardoned for all her offences. "But
as long as I have visitors (?)," he said, "you are to be my cook."
37. Then this order was given to the girl: "You are to cook the
food. Everything must be well prepared. All the food must be palatable
and tasty."
38. The maiden, however, deliberately left all the food unsalted;
but she fastened to the bottom of the plate the necessary salt.
39. When at the table the king and his council were not satisfied
with the food, because there was no salt in it, the maiden was again
summoned.
40. "I ordered you to cook because you were clever; but you took no
care of the cooking. Why am I thus insulted and my honor destroyed
before my guests?"
41. The maiden at once returned answer to the council and to his
Majesty: "Look underneath the plates; and if there is not the necessary
salt, my lord, condemn me as you see fit."
42. She had those near the king lift their plates, and she had him
look under. The salt was found not lacking, and the king ceased from
his contention and thought about the matter.
43. Then he said, "If you had mixed in a little with the food, then
it would have been good and palatable. Explain to me the significance
of your act."
44. "O great king!" answered the maiden, "I can easily reply to your
question. By leaving the salt out, I meant me, and no one else [i.e.,
she meant to suggest her own case when she was in the well].
45. "You instructed me to get fire from the mountain. Why can you
not taste this salt, which is just under the plate?
46. "Because I am an unfortunate person, an unworthy shepherdess from
the woods. If I were a city-bred person, even though most ordinary,
I should be honored in your presence."
47. To the reply of the girl the king shook his head, and pressed
his forehead (in thought). He had fallen in love, and his heart was
oppressed. He determined to marry her.
48. They were married at once, and at once she was clothed as a queen;
although she was only a lowly shepherdess, she was loved because of
the sweetness of her voice.
49. After living together a long time, they had a quarrel: the king
had conceived a dislike for her cleverness.
50. "Return at once to your father and mother," he said. "Go back to
the mountains and live there.
51. "I will allow you to take with you whatever you want,--gold,
silver, dresses. Take with you also two maids."
52. The queen could not utter a word; silently she let her tears
fall. She thought that bad fortune had come upon her.
53. To be brief, the king got up from his chair and lay down in his
bed. He pretended to go to sleep in order that he might not see the
queen depart.
54. When the queen saw that the king was really sleeping, she covered
him up (in her sorrow), and summoned the servants.
55. She ordered them to lift him up and carry him to the mountains. "In
carrying him, be careful not to wake him until the mountains are
reached."
56. They lifted the bed and took him downstairs; but when they were
carrying it out of the palace, the bed struck against the front
door. The king awoke in surprise.
57. He said, "What is the reason for carrying away a sleeping man?" He
asked them whether they intended to throw away their sovereign.
58. At once he summoned the guards of the palace and ordered the
arrest of the servants; but they protested that they were merely
obeying the orders of the queen.
59. Then the king asked where the queen was who had ordered that. He
had her brought before him, and demanded of her why she wished to
cast him away.
60. The queen answered, reminding him thus: "My husband, my beloved,
what did you tell me some time ago when you were driving me away?
61. "Did you not tell me to select whatever I might desire, including
gold and silver, and take it with me? You are my choice.
62. "Even if I should become very good and very rich, I should still
be without honor before God and the people.
63. "It would be shameful to the Divine Word for us married people to
separate. You would be taunted by your counsellors for having married
some one beneath you."
64. Her reply reminded the king that whatever might happen, they were
married, and should remain together all their lives.
65. "Forgive me, my wife, light of my eyes! Forgive the wrongs I have
done! I am to blame for the mistake [i.e., for my thoughtlessness]."
66. From then on, they loved each other the more, and were happy
because they never quarrelled further.
TALE B
THE STORY OF RODOLFO.
Rodolfo was the only son of Felizardo and Prisca, who lived in
Valencia. When Rodolfo was seven years old, he was sent to school,
and proved to be an apt scholar; but his father died within a few
years, and the boy was obliged to abandon his studies because of
poverty. At the suggestion of his mother, Rodolfo one day set out for
the capital, where he sought a place in the palace as servant. In time
he was appointed head steward (mayor-domo) in the royal household. The
king became so fond of this trusty servant, whose bravery, executive
ability, and cleverness he could not help noticing, that finally he
determined to make him his son-in-law by marrying him to the princess
Leocadia. When Rodolfo was offered Leocadio's hand by her father,
however, he respectfully declined the honor, saying that though he
admired the beauty of the princess, he did not admire her character,
and could not take her as his wife. The king was so angry that he
ordered Rodolfo cast into prison; but after a few days' consideration,
he had him released, and promised to pardon him for the insult if
within a month he could bring before the king as his wife just such
a virtuous woman as he had stipulated his wife should be.
Rodolfo left the palace, taking with him only a pair of shoes and
an umbrella. On his way he saw an old man, whom he invited to go
along with him. Shortly afterwards they saw a funeral procession, and
Rodolfo asked his companion whether the man that was to be buried was
still alive. The old man did not reply, because he thought that his
companion was a fool. Outside the city they met many persons planting
highland rice on a mountain-clearing (kaingin). Again Rodolfo spoke,
and asked if the rice that the farmers were planting was already eaten;
but the old man remained silent. In the course of their journey
they reached a shallow river. Rodolfo put on his shoes and waded
across. When he reached the other bank, he removed his shoes again
and carried them in his hand. Next they passed a great plain. When
they became tired from the heat, they rested by the side of the road
under a big tree. Here Rodolfo opened his umbrella, which he had not
used when they were crossing the hot plain. Once more the old man
believed that his companion was crazy.
At last the travellers reached the old man's house, but the old man did
not invite Rodolfo to spend the night with him. Rodolfo went into the
house, however, for he saw that a young woman lived in the house. This
was Estela, the old man's daughter, who received the stranger very
kindly. That night, when Estela set the table for supper, she gave
to her father the head and neck of the chicken, the wings to her
mother, the body to Rodolfo, and the legs to herself. After eating
their meal, the old man and his wife left Estela and Rodolfo together
in the dining-room. Rodolfo expressed his love for her, for he had
already recognized her worth. When she found that he was in earnest,
she said that she would accept him if her parents consented to the
marriage. Then they joined the old couple in the main room; but there
the father scolded her for showing hospitality to a visitor whom he
considered a fool. He also felt insulted for having been given only
the head and neck of the chicken. Accordingly the old man told his
daughter how Rodolfo had foolishly asked him if the person to be buried
was still alive, and whether the rice that the farmers were planting
on the mountain-clearing had already been eaten. He also mentioned
the fact that Rodolfo wore his shoes only when crossing the river,
and that he had opened his umbrella only when they were in the shade
of the tree. Estela, in reply, cleverly explained to her father the
meaning of all Rodolfo had said and done. "The memory of a man who has
done good during his lifetime will never be forgotten. Rodolfo wished
to know whether the man to be buried was kind to his fellow-men. If
he was, he will always be remembered, and he is not dead. When Rodolfo
asked you whether the rice which the farmers were planting was already
eaten, he wished to know if those farmers had borrowed so much rice
from their landlords that the next harvest would only be enough to pay
it back. In a river it is impossible to see the thorns which may hurt
one's feet, so it is wise to wear shoes while crossing a river. The
idea of opening an umbrella under a tree is a very good one, because
it forms a protection against falling branches and fruits. I will
tell you why I divided the chicken as I did. I gave you the head
and neck because you are the head of the family; the wings I gave my
mother because she took care of me in my childhood; the body I gave
to Rodolfo, because it is courteous to please a visitor; the legs I
kept myself, because I am your feet and hands."
The anger of Estela's father was pacified by her explanation. He
was now convinced that Rodolfo was not a fool, but a wise man, and
he invited Rodolfo to live with them. Rodolfo staid and helped with
all the work about the house and in the field. At last, when the old
man realized that Rodolfo loved Estela, he gave his consent to their
marriage; and the next day they became husband and wife.
After his marriage, Rodolfo returned to Valencia, leaving Estela at
her home in Babilonia, and reported to the king that he had found and
taken as his wife a virtuous woman,--The rest of the story turns on the
"chastity-wager" motif, and ends with the establishment of the purity
of Rodolfo's wife. (For this motif, constituting a whole story, see
"The Golden Lock," No. 30.)
An examination of the five representatives of this cycle of the "Clever
Lass" in the Philippines reveals at least nine distinct problems
(tasks or riddles) to be solved. For most of these, parallels may be
found in other Oriental and in Occidental stories.
(1) Problem: catching waves of the sea. Solution: demanding rope of
sand for the work. This identical problem and solution are found in
a North Borneo story, "Ginas and the Rajah" (Evans, 468-469). In the
"Maha-ummagga-jataka," No. 546, a series of nineteen tasks is set the
young sage Mahosadha. One of these is to make a rope of sand. The wise
youth cleverly sent some spokesmen to ask the king for a sample of the
old rope, so that the new would not vary from the old. See also Child,
1 : 10-11, for a South Siberian story containing the counter-demand
for thread of sand to make shoes from stone.
(2) Problem: making many kinds of food from one small bird, or twelve
portions from mosquito. Solution: requiring king to make stove, pan,
and bolo (or twelve forks) from needle (pin). Analogous to this task
is Bolte and Polívka's motif B3 (2 : 349), the challenge to weave
a cloth out of two threads. Bolte and Polívka enumerate thirty-five
European folk-tales containing their motif B3.
(3) Problem: putting large squash whole into narrow-necked
jar. Solution: hero grows squash in the jar (and sometimes demands
that king remove the squash without breaking either it or the jar). I
know of no other folk-tale occurrences of this task; it is not found
in any of the European stories of this cycle, and may be an addition
of the Tagalog narrators. It is a common enough trick, however,
to grow a squash or cucumber in a small-necked bottle.
(4) Problem: getting milk from bull. Solution: hero tells king that
his father has given birth to a child. Compare "Jataka," No. 546
(tr. by Cowell and Rouse, 6 : 167-168), in which the king sends his
fattened bull to East Market-town with this message: "Here is the
king's royal bull, in calf. Deliver him, and send him back with the
calf, or else there is a fine of a thousand pieces." The solution
of this difficulty is the same as above. See also Child, 1 : 10-11,
for almost identical situation. This problem and No. 1 are to be
found in a Tibetan tale (Ralston 2, 138, 140-141).
(5) Problem: selling lamb for a specified sum of money, and returning
both animal and coin. Solution: heroine sells only the wool.
Two of these problems, (3) and (5), are soluble, and belong in kind
with the "halb-geritten" motif, where the heroine is ordered to come
to the king not clothed and not naked, not walking and not riding,
not in the road and not out of the road, etc. The other three problems
are not solved at all, strictly speaking: the heroine gets out of
her difficulties by demanding of her task-master the completion of
counter-tasks equally hard, or by showing him the absurdity of his
demands. (See Bolte-Polívka, 2 : 362-370, for a full discussion
of these subgroups.) "In all stories of the kind," writes Child,
"the person upon whom a task is imposed stands acquitted if another
of no less difficulty is devised which must be performed first. This
preliminary may be something that is essential for the execution of
the other, as in the German ballads, or equally well something that
has no kind of relation to the original requisition, as in the English
ballads." It will be seen that in the nature of the counter-demands
the Filipino stories agree rather with the German than the English.
(6) Hero is forbidden to walk on the king's ground. To circumvent the
king, hero fills a sledge with earth taken from his own orchard, and
has himself drawn into the presence of his Majesty. When challenged,
the hero protests that he is not on the king's ground, but his
own. This same episode is found in "Juan the Fool," No. 49 (q. v.).
(7) The stealing of the sleeping king by the banished wife, who has
permission to take with her from the palace what she loves best,
is found only in A. This episode, however, is very common elsewhere,
and forms the conclusion of more than seventy Occidental stories of
this cycle. (See Bolte-Polívka, 2 : 349-355.)
(8) The division of the hen, found in B and also at the end of "Juan
the Fool" (No. 49), is fully discussed by Bolte and Polívka (2 :
360). See also R. Köhler's notes to Gonzenbach, 2 : 205-206. The
combination of this motif with the "chastity-wager" motif found in
"Rodolfo" (B), is also met with in a Mentonais story, "La femme avisée"
(Romania, 11 : 415-416).
(9) For wearing of shoes only when crossing rivers, and raising
umbrella only when sleeping under a tree, see again "Juan the Fool." A
rather close parallel to this incident, as well as to the seemingly
foolish questions Rodolfo asks Estela's father, and the daughter's
wise interpretation of them, may be found in the Kashmir story,
"Why the Fish laughed" (Knowles, 484-490 = Jacob 1, No. XXIV). See
also a Tibetan story in Ralston 2 : 111; Benfey in "Ausland," 1859,
p. 487; Spence Hardy, "Manual of Buddhism," pp. 220-227, 364. Compare
especially Bompas, No. LXXXIX, "The Bridegroom who spoke in Riddles."
Finally mention may be made of two Arabian stories overlooked by Bolte
and Polívka, in one of which a woman sends supper to a stranger, and
along with the food an enigmatical message describing what she has
sent. The Negress porter eats a part of the food, but delivers the
message. The stranger shrewdly guesses its meaning, and sends back a
reply that convicts the Negress of theft of a part of the gift. The
other story opens with the "bride-wager" riddle, and later enumerates
many instances of the ingenuity of the clever young wife. See Phillott
and Azoo, "Some Arab Folk-Tales from Hazramaut," Nos. I and XVII
(in JRASB 2 [1906] : 399-439).
Benfey (Ausland, 1859, passim) traces the story of the "Clever Lass"
back to India. The original situation consisted of the testing of the
sagacity of a minister who had fallen into disgrace. This minister
aids his royal master in a riddle-contest with a neighboring hostile
king. Later in the development of the cycle these sagacity tests were
transferred to a wife who helps her husband, or to a maiden who helps
her father, out of similar difficulties. (Compare the last part of my
note to No. 1 in this collection.) Bolte and Polívka, however (2 :
373) seem to think it probable that the last part of the story--the
marriage of the heroine, her expulsion, and her theft of the sleeping
king--was native to Europe.
The Filipino folk-tales belonging to this cycle appear to go back
directly to India as a source. Incident 4 (see above) seems to me
conclusive evidence, as this is a purely Oriental conception, being
recorded only in India, Tibet, and South Siberia. The chap-book version
(A) doubtless owes much to popular tradition in the Islands, although
the anonymous author, in his "Preface to the Reader," says that he has
derived his story from a book (unnamed),--hañgo sa novela. I have not
been able to trace his original; there is no Spanish form of the tale,
so far as I know.
Compare with this whole cycle No. 38, "A Negrito Slave," and the notes.
TALE 8
THE STORY OF ZARAGOZA.
Narrated by Teodato P. Macabulos, a Tagalog from Manila.
Years and years ago there lived in a village a poor couple, Luis and
Maria. Luis was lazy and selfish, while Maria was hard-working and
dutiful. Three children had been born to this pair, but none had lived
long enough to be baptized. The wife was once more about to be blessed
with a child, and Luis made up his mind what he should do to save its
life. Soon the day came when Maria bore her second son. Luis, fearing
that this child, like the others, would die unchristened, decided to
have it baptized the very next morning. Maria was very glad to know
of her husband's determination, for she believed that the early deaths
of their other children were probably due to delay in baptizing them.
The next morning Luis, with the infant in his arms, hastened to
the church; but in his haste he forgot to ask his wife who should
stand as godfather. As he was considering this oversight, a strange
man passed by, whom he asked, "Will you be so kind as to act as my
child's godfather?"
"With all my heart," was the stranger's reply.
They then entered the church, and the child was named Luis, after his
father. When the services were over, Luis entreated Zaragoza--such
was the name of the godfather--to dine at his house. As Zaragoza
had just arrived in that village for the first time, he was but too
ready to accept the invitation. Now, Zaragoza was a kind-hearted man,
and soon won the confidence of his host and hostess, who invited him
to remain with them for several days. Luis and Zaragoza became close
friends, and often consulted each other on matters of importance.
One evening, as the two friends were conversing, their talk turned
upon the affairs of the kingdom. Luis told his friend how the king
oppressed the people by levying heavy taxes on all sorts of property,
and for that reason was very rich. Zaragoza, moved by the news,
decided to avenge the wrongs of the people. Luis hesitated, for he
could think of no sure means of punishing the tyrannical monarch. Then
Zaragoza suggested that they should try to steal the king's treasure,
which was hidden in a cellar of the palace. Luis was much pleased with
the project, for he thought that it was Zaragoza's plan for them to
enrich themselves and live in comfort and luxury.
Accordingly, one evening the two friends, with a pick-axe, a hoe,
and a shovel, directed their way towards the palace. They approached
the cellar by a small door, and then began to dig in the ground at
the foot of the cellar wall. After a few hours of steady work, they
succeeded in making an excavation leading into the interior. Zaragoza
entered, and gathered up as many bags of money as he and Luis could
carry. During the night they made several trips to the cellar, each
time taking back to their house as much money as they could manage. For
a long time the secret way was not discovered, and the two friends
lost no opportunity of increasing their already great hoard. Zaragoza
gave away freely much of his share to the poor; but his friend was
selfish, and kept constantly admonishing him not to be too liberal.
In time the king observed that the bulk of his treasure was
considerably reduced, and he ordered his soldiers to find out what had
caused the disappearance of so much money. Upon close examination,
the soldiers discovered the secret passage; and the king, enraged,
summoned his counsellors to discuss what should be done to punish
the thief.
In the mean time the two friends were earnestly discussing whether
they should get more bags of money, or should refrain from making
further thefts. Zaragoza suggested that they would better first get
in touch with the secret deliberations of the court before making
another attempt. Luis, however, as if called by fate, insisted that
they should make one more visit to the king's cellar, and then inquire
about the unrest at court. Persuaded against his better judgment,
Zaragoza followed his friend to the palace, and saw that their secret
passage was in the same condition as they had lately left it. Luis
lowered himself into the hole; but lo! the whiz of an arrow was heard,
and then a faint cry from Luis.
"What is the matter? Are you hurt?" asked Zaragoza.
"I am dying! Take care of my son!" These were Luis's last words.
Zaragoza knew not what to do. He tried to pull up the dead body of his
friend; but in vain, for it was firmly caught between two heavy blocks
of wood, and was pierced by many arrows. But Zaragoza was shrewd;
and, fearing the consequences of the discovery of Luis's corpse,
he cut off the dead man's head and hurried home with it, leaving
the body behind. He broke the fatal news to Maria, whose grief was
boundless. She asked him why he had mutilated her husband's body, and
he satisfied her by telling her that they would be betrayed if Luis
were recognized. Taking young Luis in her arms, Maria said, "For the
sake of your godson, see that his father's body is properly buried."
"Upon my word of honor, I promise to do as you wish," was Zaragoza's
reply.
Meantime the king was discussing the theft with his advisers. Finally,
wishing to identify the criminal, the king decreed that the body should
be carried through the principal streets of the city and neighboring
villages, followed by a train of soldiers, who were instructed to
arrest any person who should show sympathy for the dead man. Early
one morning the military procession started out, and passed through
the main streets of the city. When the procession arrived before
Zaragoza's house, it happened that Maria was at the window, and,
seeing the body of her husband, she cried, "O my husband!"
Seeing the soldiers entering their house, Zaragoza asked, "What is
your pleasure?"
"We want to arrest that woman," was the answer of the chief of
the guard.
"Why? She has not committed any crime."
"She is the widow of that dead man. Her words betrayed her, for she
exclaimed that the dead man was her husband."
"Who is her husband? That remark was meant for me, because I had
unintentionally hurt our young son," said Zaragoza smiling.
The soldiers believed his words, and went on their way. Reaching a
public place when it was almost night, they decided to stay there
until the next morning. Zaragoza saw his opportunity. He disguised
himself as a priest and went to the place, taking with him a bottle
of wine mixed with a strong narcotic. When he arrived, he said that
he was a priest, and, being afraid of robbers, wished to pass the
night with some soldiers. The soldiers were glad to have with them,
as they thought, a pious man, whose stories would inspire them to
do good. After they had talked a while, Zaragoza offered his bottle
of wine to the soldiers, who freely drank from it. As was expected,
they soon all fell asleep, and Zaragoza succeeded in stealing the
corpse of Luis. He took it home and buried it in that same place
where he had buried the head.
The following morning the soldiers woke up, and were surprised to see
that the priest and the corpse were gone. The king soon knew how his
scheme had failed. Then he thought of another plan. He ordered that a
sheep covered with precious metal should be let loose in the streets,
and that it should be followed by a spy, whose duty it was to watch
from a distance, and, in case any one attempted to catch the sheep,
to ascertain the house of that person, and then report to the palace.
Having received his orders, the spy let loose the sheep, and followed
it at a distance. Nobody else dared even to make a remark about the
animal; but when Zaragoza saw it, he drove it into his yard. The spy,
following instructions, marked the door of Zaragoza's house with a
cross, and hastened to the palace. The spy assured the soldiers that
they would be able to capture the criminal; but when they began to
look for the house, they found that all the houses were similarly
marked with crosses.
For the third time the king had failed; and, giving up all hopes of
catching the thief, he issued a proclamation pardoning the man who
had committed the theft, provided he would present himself to the
king within three days. Hearing the royal proclamation, Zaragoza
went before the king, and confessed that he was the perpetrator of
all the thefts that had caused so much trouble in the court. True to
his word, the king did not punish him. Instead, the king promised
to give Zaragoza a title of nobility if he could trick Don Juan,
the richest merchant in the city, out of his most valuable goods.
When he knew of the desire of the king, Zaragoza looked for a fool,
whom he could use as his instrument. He soon found one, whom he
managed to teach to say "Si" (Spanish for "yes") whenever asked
a question. Dressing the fool in the guise of a bishop, Zaragoza
took a carriage and drove to the store of D. Juan. There he began
to ask the fool such questions as these: "Does your grace wish to
have this? Does not your grace think that this is cheap?" to all of
which the fool's answer was "Si." At last, when the carriage was
well loaded, Zaragoza said, "I will first take these things home,
and then return with the money for them;" to which the fool replied,
"Si." When Zaragoza reached the palace with the rich goods, he was
praised by the king for his sagacity.
After a while D. Juan the merchant found out that what he thought
was a bishop was really a fool. So he went to the king and asked that
he be given justice. Moved by pity, the king restored all the goods
that had been stolen, and D. Juan wondered how his Majesty had come
into possession of his lost property.
Once more the king wanted to test Zaragoza's ability. Accordingly he
told him to bring to the palace an old hermit who lived in a cave in
the neighboring mountains. At first Zaragoza tried to persuade Tubal
to pay the visit to the king, but in vain. Having failed in his first
attempt, Zaragoza determined to play a trick on the old hermit. He
secretly placed an iron cage near the mouth of Tubal's cave, and then
in the guise of an angel he stood on a high cliff and shouted,--
"Tubal, Tubal, hear ye me!"
Tubal, hearing the call, came out of his cave, and, seeing what he
thought was an angel, knelt down. Then Zaragoza shouted,--
"I know that you are very religious, and have come to reward your
piety. The gates of heaven are open, and I will lead you thither. Go
enter that cage, and you will see the way to heaven."
Tubal meekly obeyed; but when he was in the cage, he did not see the
miracle he expected. Instead, he was placed in a carriage and brought
before the king. Thoroughly satisfied now, the king released Tubal,
and fulfilled his promise toward Zaragoza. Zaragoza was knighted,
and placed among the chief advisers of the kingdom. After he had been
raised to this high rank, he called to his side Maria and his godson,
and they lived happily under the protection of one who became the
most upright and generous man of the realm.
Juan the Peerless Robber.
Narrated by Vicente M. Hilario, a Tagalog from Batangas, who heard
the story from a Batangas student.
Not many centuries after Charlemagne died, there lived in Europe
a famous brigand named Juan. From childhood he had been known as
"the deceitful Juan," "the unrivalled pilferer," "the treacherous
Juan." When he was twenty, he was forced to flee from his native land,
to which he never returned.
He visited Africa, where he became acquainted with a famous Ethiopian
robber named Pedro. Not long after they had met, a dispute arose
between them as to which was the more skilful pickpocket. They decided
to have a test. They stood face to face, and the Ethiopian was first
to try his skill.
"Hey!" exclaimed Juan to Pedro, "don't take my handkerchief out of
my pocket!"
It was now Juan's turn. He unbuckled Pedro's belt and slipped it into
his own pocket. "What's the matter with you, Juan?" said Pedro after
a few minutes. "Why don't you go ahead and steal something?"
"Ha, ha, ha!" said Juan. "Whose belt is this?"
Pedro generously admitted that he had been defeated.
Although these two thieves were united by strong ties of common
interest, nevertheless their diverse characteristics and traits
produced trouble at times. Pedro was dull, honorable, and frank;
Juan was hawk-eyed and double-faced. Pedro had so large a body and so
awkward and shambling a gait, that Juan could not help laughing at him
and saying sarcastic things to him. Juan was good-looking and graceful.
While they were travelling about in northern Africa, they heard
the heralds of the King of Tunis make the following proclamation:
"A big bag of money will be given to the captor of the greatest robber
in the country." The two friends, particularly Juan, were struck by
this announcement.
That night Juan secretly stole out of his room. Taking with him a
long rope, he climbed up to the roof of the palace. After making a
hole as large as a peso [33] in the roof, he lowered himself into
the building by means of the rope. He found the room filled with bags
of gold and silver, pearls, carbuncles, diamonds, and other precious
stones. He took the smallest bag he could find, and, after climbing
out of the hole, went home quickly.
When Pedro heard Juan's thrilling report of the untold riches, he
decided to visit the palace the following night. Early in the morning
Juan went again to the palace, taking with him a large tub. After
lowering it into the room, he departed without delay. At nightfall he
returned to the palace and filled the tub with boiling water. He had
no sooner done this than Pedro arrived. Pedro was so eager to get the
wealth, that he made no use of the rope, but jumped immediately into
the room when he reached the small opening his treacherous friend
had made in the roof. Alas! instead of falling on bags of money,
Pedro fell into the fatal tub of water, and perished.
An hour later Juan went to look for his friend, whom he found
dead. The next day he notified the king of the capture and death of
the greatest of African robbers. "You have done well," said the king
to Juan. "This man was the chief of all the African highwaymen. Take
your bag of money."
After putting his gold in a safe place, Juan went out in search of
further adventures. On one of his walks, he heard that a certain
wealthy and devout abbot had been praying for two days and nights
that the angel of the lord might come and take him to heaven. Juan
provided himself with two strong wings. On the third night he made
a hole as large as a peso through the dome of the church.
Calling the abbot, Juan said, "I have been sent by the Lord to take
you to heaven. Come with me, and bring all your wealth."
The abbot put all his money into the bag. "Now get into the bag,"
said Juan, "and we will go."
The old man promptly obeyed. "Where are we now?" said he, after an
hour's "flight."
"We are within one thousand miles of the abode of the blessed,"
was Juan's reply.
Twenty minutes later, and they were in Juan's cave. "Come out of the
bag, and behold my rude abode?" said Juan to the old man. The abbot
was astounded at the sight. When he heard Juan's story, he advised
him to abandon his evil ways. Juan listened to the counsels of his
new friend. He became a good man, and he and the abbot lived together
until their death.
Notes.
The story of "Zaragoza" is of particular interest, because it
definitely combines an old form of the "Rhampsinitus" story with the
"Master Thief" cycle. In his notes to No. 11, "The Two Thieves," of
his collection of "Gypsy Folk Tales," F. H. Groome observes, "(The)
'Two Thieves' is so curious a combination of the 'Rhampsinitus'
story in Herodotus and of Grimm's 'Master Thief,' that I am more
than inclined to regard it as the lost original, which, according to
Campbell of Islay, 'it were vain to look for in any modern work or
in any modern age.'" By "lost original" Mr. Groome doubtless meant
the common ancestor of these two very widespread and for the most
part quite distinct cycles, "Rhampsinitus" and the "Master Thief."
Both of these groups of stories about clever thieves have been made
the subjects Of investigation. The fullest bibliographical study
of the "Rhampsinitus" saga is that by Killis Campbell, "The Seven
Sages of Rome" (Boston, 1907), pp. lxxxv-xc. Others have treated the
cycle more or less discursively: R. Köhler, "Ueber J. F. Campbell's
Sammlung gälischer Märchen," No. XVII (d) (in Orient und Occident, 2
[1864] : 303-313); Sir George Cox, "The Migration of Popular Stories"
(in Fraser's Magazine, July, 1880, pp. 96-111); W. A. Clouston,
"Popular Tales and Fictions" (London, 1887), 2 : 115-165. See
also F. H. Groome, 48-53; McCulloch, 161, note 9; and Campbell's
bibliography. The "Master Thief" cycle has been examined in great
detail as to the component elements of the story by Cosquin (2 :
274-281, 364-365). See also Grimm's notes to the "Master Thief,"
No. 192 (2 : 464); and J. G. von Hahn, 2 : 178-183.
F. Max Müller believed that the story of the "Master Thief" had its
origin in the Sanscrit droll of "The Brahman and the Goat" (Hitopadesa,
IV, 10 = Panchatantra, III, 3), which was brought to Europe through the
Arabic translation of the "Hitopadesa." Further, he did not believe
that the "Master Thief" story had anything to do with Herodotus's
account of the theft of Rhampsinitus's treasure (see Chips from a
German Workshop [New York, 1869], 2 : 228). Wilhelm Grimm, however,
in his notes to No. 192 of the "Kinder- und Hausmärchen," says,
"The well-known story in Herodotus (ii, 121) ... is nearly related
to this." As Sir G. W. Cox remarks (op. cit., p. 98), it is not easy
to discern any real affinity either between the Hitopadesa tale and
the European traditions of the "Master Thief," or between the latter
and the "Rhampsinitus" story. M. Cosquin seems to see at least one
point of contact between the two cycles: "The idea of the episode
of the theft of the horse, or at least of the means which the thief
uses to steal the horse away .... might well have been borrowed from
Herodotus's story ... of Rhampsinitus" (Contes de Lorraine, 2 : 277).
A brief analysis of the characteristic incidents of these two
"thieving" cycles will be of some assistance, perhaps, in determining
whether or not there were originally any definite points of contact
between the two. The elements of the "Rhampsinitus" story follow:--
A Two sons of king's late architect plan to rob the royal
treasure-house.
(A1 In some variants of the story the robbers are a town thief and
a country thief.)
A2 They gain an entrance by removing a secret stone, a knowledge of
which their father had bequeathed them before he died.
B The king discovers the theft, and sets a snare for the robbers.
C Robbers return; eldest caught inextricably. To prevent discovery,
the younger brother cuts off the head of the older, takes it away,
and buries it.
D The king attempts to find the confederate by exposing the headless
corpse on the outer wall of the palace.
D1 The younger thief steals the body by making the guards drunk. He
also shaves the right side of the sleeping guards' beards.
E King makes second attempt to discover confederate. He sends his
daughter as a common courtesan, hoping that he can find the thief;
for she is to require all her lovers to tell the story of their lives
before enjoying her favors.
E1 The younger thief visits her and tells his story; when she tries
to detain him, however, he escapes by leaving in her hand the hand
of a dead man he had taken along with him for just such a contingency.
F The king, baffled, now offers to pardon and reward the thief if he
will discover himself. The thief gives himself up, and is married to
the princess.
In some of the later forms of the story the king makes various other
attempts to discover the culprit before acknowledging himself defeated,
and is met with more subtle counter-moves on the part of the thief:
(D2) King orders that any one found showing sympathy for the corpse
as it hangs up shall be arrested; (D3) by the trick of the broken
water-jar or milk-jar, the widow of the dead robber is able to mourn
him unsuspected. (D4) The widow involuntarily wails as the corpse is
being dragged through the street past her house; but the thief quickly
cuts himself with a knife, and thus explains her cry when the guards
come to arrest her. They are satisfied with the explanation. (E2)
The king scatters gold-pieces in the street, and gives orders to
arrest any one seen picking them up; (E3) the thief, with pitch
or wax on the soles of his shoes, walks up and down the road, and,
unobserved, gathers in the money. (E4) The king turns loose in the
city a gold-adorned animal, and orders the arrest of any person seen
capturing it. The thief steals it as in D1, or is observed and his
house-door marked. Then as in E6. (E5) Old woman begging for "hind's
flesh" or "camel-grease" finds his house; but the thief suspects her
and kills her; or (E6) she gets away, after marking the house-door
so that it may be recognized again. But the thief sees the mark, and
proceeds to mark similarly all the other doors in the street. (E7)
The king puts a prohibitive price on meat, thinking that only the
thief will be able to buy; but the thief steals a joint.
However many the changes and additions of this sort (king's move
followed by thief's move) rung in, almost all of the stories dealing
with the robbery of the king's treasury end with the pardon of the
thief and his exaltation to high rank in the royal household. In
none of the score of versions of the "Rhampsinitus" story cited by
Clouston is the thief subjected to any further tests of his prowess
after he has been pardoned by the king. We shall return to this point.
The "Master Thief" cycle has much less to do with our stories than
has the "Rhampsinitus" cycle: hence we shall merely enumerate the
incidents to be found in it. (For bibliography of stories containing
these situations, see Cosquin.)
A Hero, the youngest of three brothers, becomes a thief. For various
reasons (the motives are different in Grimm 192, and Dasent xxxv)
he displays his skill:--
B1 Theft of the purse (conducted as a droll: the young
apprentice-thief, noodle-like, brings back purse to robber-gang after
throwing away the money).
B2 Theft of cattle being driven to the fair. This trick is usually
conducted in one of four ways: (a) two shoes in road; (b) hanging self;
(c) bawling in the wood like a strayed ox; (d) exciting peasant's
curiosity,--"comedy of comedies," "wonder of wonders."
B3 Theft of the horse. This is usually accomplished by the disguised
thief making the grooms drunk.
B4 Stealing of a live person and carrying him in a sack to the one
who gave the order. (The thief disguises himself as an angel, and
promises to conduct his victim to heaven.)
Other instances of the "Master Thief's" cleverness, not found in
Cosquin, are--
B5 Stealing sheet or coverlet from sleeping person (Grimm, Dasent).
B6 Stealing roast from spit while whole family is guarding it (Dasent).
We may now examine the members of the "Rhampsinitus" group that contain
situations clearly belonging to the "Master Thief" formula. These
are as follows:--
Groome, No. II, "The Two Thieves," B2 (d), B4.
F. Liebrecht in a Cyprus story (Jahrb. f. rom. und eng. lit., 13 :
367-374 = Legrand, Contes grecs, p. 205), "The Master Thief,"
B2(a, c, d).
Wardrop, No. XIV, "The Two Thieves," B4.
Radloff, in a Tartar story (IV, p. 193), B4.
Prym and Socin, in a Syriac story (II, No. 42), B4.
It seems very likely that the Georgian, Tartar, and Syriac stories
are nearly related to one another. The Roumanian gypsy tale, too, it
will be noted, adds to the "Rhampsinitus" formula the incident of the
theft of a person in a sack. This latter story, again, is connected
with the Georgian tale, in that the opening is identical in both. One
thief meets another, and challenges him to steal the eggs (feathers)
from a bird without disturbing it. While he is doing so, he is in turn
robbed unawares of his drawers by the first thief. (Compare Grimm,
No. 129; a Kashmir story in Knowles, 110-112; and a Kabylie story,
Rivière, 13.)
The number of tales combining the two cycles of the "Master Thief"
and "Rhampsinitus's Treasure-House" is so small compared with the
number of "pure" versions of each cycle, that we are led to think
it very unlikely that there ever was a "lost original." There seems
to be no evidence whatsoever that these two cycles had a common
ancestor. Besides the fact that the number of stories in which the
contamination is found is relatively very small, there is also to
be considered the fact that these few examples are recent. No one
is known to have existed more than seventy-five years ago. Hence the
"snowball" theory will better explain the composite nature of the gypsy
version and our story of "Zaragoza" than a "missing-link" theory. These
two cycles, consisting as they do of a series of tests of skill, are
peculiarly fitted to be interlocked. The wonder is, not that they have
become combined in a few cases, but that they have remained separate
in so many more, particularly as both stories are very widespread;
and, given the ingredients, this is a combination that could have
been made independently by many story-tellers. Could not the idea
occur to more than one narrator that it is a greater feat to steal a
living person (B4) than a corpse (D1), a piece of roast meat guarded
by a person who knows that the thief is coming (B6) than a piece of
raw meat from an unsuspecting butcher (E7)? All in all, it appears
to me much more likely that the droll and certainly later cycle of
the "Master Thief" grew out of the more serious and earlier cycle of
"Rhampsinitus's Treasure-House" (by the same process as is suggested
in the notes to No. 1 of this present collection) than that the two
are branches from the same trunk.
In any case, our two stories make the combination. When or whence
these Tagalog versions arose I cannot say. Nor need they be analyzed
in detail, as the texts are before us in full. I will merely call
attention to the fact that in "Zaragoza" the king sets a snare
(cf. Herodotus) for the thief, instead of the more common barrel of
pitch. There is something decidedly primitive about this trap which
shoots arrows into its victim. Zaragoza's trick whereby he fools
the rich merchant has an analogue in Knowles's Kashmir story of
"The Day-Thief and the Night-Thief" (p. 298).
"Juan the Peerless Robber," garbled and unsatisfactory as it is
in detail and perverted in dénouement, presents the interesting
combination of the skill-contest between the two thieves (see above),
the treachery of one (cf. the Persian Bahar-i-Danush, 2 : 225-248),
and the stealing of the abbot in a sack.
TALE 9
THE SEVEN CRAZY FELLOWS.
Narrated by Cipriano Seráfica, from Mangaldan. Pangasinan.
Once there were living in the country in the northern part of Luzon
seven crazy fellows, named Juan, Felipe, Mateo, Pedro, Francisco,
Eulalio, and Jacinto. They were happy all the day long.
One morning Felipe asked his friends to go fishing. They staid at the
Cagayan River a long time. About two o'clock in the afternoon Mateo
said to his companions, "We are hungry; let us go home!"
"Before we go," said Juan, "let us count ourselves, to see that we
are all here!" He counted; but because he forgot to count himself,
he found that they were only six, and said that one of them had been
drowned. Thereupon they all dived into the river to look for their
lost companion; and when they came out, Francisco counted to see if
he had been found; but he, too, left himself out, so in they dived
again. Jacinto said that they should not go home until they had found
the one who was lost. While they were diving, an old man passed by. He
asked the fools what they were diving for. They said that one of them
had been drowned.
"How many were you at first?" said the old man.
They said that they were seven.
"All right," said the old man. "Dive in, and I will count you." They
dived, and he found that they were seven. Since he had found their
lost companion, he asked them to come with him.
When they reached the old man's house, he selected Mateo and Francisco
to look after his old wife; Eulalio he chose to be water-carrier;
Pedro, cook; Jacinto, wood-carrier; and Juan and Felipe, his companions
in hunting.
When the next day came, the old man said that he was going hunting,
and he told Juan and Felipe to bring along rice with them. In a little
while they reached the mountains, and he told the two fools to cook
the rice at ten o'clock. He then went up the mountain with his dogs
to catch a deer. Now, his two companions, who had been left at the
foot of the mountain, had never seen a deer. When Felipe saw a deer
standing under a tree, he thought that the antlers of the deer were
the branches of a small tree without leaves: so he hung his hat and
bag of rice on them, but the deer immediately ran away. When the
old man came back, he asked if the rice was ready. Felipe told him
that he had hung his hat and the rice on a tree that ran away. The
old man was angry, and said, "That tree you saw was the antlers of
a deer. We'll have to go home now, for we have nothing to eat."
Meanwhile the five crazy fellows who had been left at home were not
idle. Eulalio went to get a pail of water. When he reached the well
and saw his image in the water, he nodded, and the reflection nodded
back at him. He did this over and over again; until finally, becoming
tired, he jumped into the water, and was drowned. Jacinto was sent
to gather small sticks, but he only destroyed the fence around the
garden. Pedro cooked a chicken without removing the feathers. He also
let the chicken burn until it was as black as coal. Mateo and Francisco
tried to keep the flies off the face of their old mistress. They soon
became tired, because the flies kept coming back; so they took big
sticks to kill them with. When a fly lighted on the nose of the old
woman, they struck at it so hard that they killed her. She died with
seemingly a smile on her face. The two fools said to each other that
the old woman was very much pleased that they had killed the fly.
When the old man and his two companions reached home, the old man
asked Pedro if there was any food to eat. Pedro said that it was in the
pot. The old man looked in and saw the charred chicken and feathers. He
was very angry at the cook. Then he went in to see his wife, and
found her dead. He asked Mateo and Francisco what they had done to
the old woman. They said that they had only been killing flies that
tried to trouble her, and that she was very much pleased by their work.
The next thing the crazy fellows had to do was to make a coffin for
the dead woman; but they made it flat, and in such a way that there
was nothing to prevent the corpse from falling off. The old man told
them to carry the body to the church; but on their way they ran,
and the body rolled off the flat coffin. They said to each other that
running was a good thing, for it made their burden lighter.
When the priest found that the corpse was missing, he told the six
crazy fellows to go back and get the body. While they were walking
toward the house, they saw an old woman picking up sticks by the
roadside.
"Old woman, what are you doing here?" they said. "The priest wants
to see you."
While they were binding her, she cried out to her husband, "Ah! here
are some bad boys trying to take me to the church." But her husband
said that the crazy fellows were only trying to tease her. When they
reached the church with this old woman, the priest, who was also crazy,
performed the burial-ceremony over her. She cried out that she was
alive; but the priest answered that since he had her burial-fee,
he did not care whether she was alive or not. So they buried this
old woman in the ground.
When they were returning home, they saw the corpse that had fallen
from the coffin on their way to the church. Francisco cried that it
was the ghost of the old woman. Terribly frightened, they ran away
in different directions, and became scattered all over Luzon.
Notes.
I have a Bicol variant, "Juan and his Six Friends," narrated by
Maximina Navarro, which is much like the story of "The Seven Crazy
Fellows."
In the Bicol form, Juan and his six crazy companions go bathing in
the river. Episode of the miscounting. On the way home, the seven,
sad because of the loss of one of their number, meet another sad young
man, who says that his mother is dying and that he is on his way to
fetch a priest. He begs the seven to hurry to his home and stay with
his mother until he returns. They go and sit by her. Juan mistakes
a large mole on her forehead for a fly, and tries in vain to brush
it away. Finally he "kills it" with a big piece of bamboo. The son,
returning and finding his mother dead, asks the seven to take her
and bury her. They wrap the body in a mat, but on the way to the
cemetery the body falls out. They return to look for the corpse,
but take the wrong road. They see an old woman cutting ferns; and,
thinking that she is the first old woman trying to deceive them, they
throw stones at her. The story ends with the burial of this second
old woman, whom the seven admonish, as they put her into the ground,
"never to deceive any one again."
These two noodle stories are obviously drawn from a common source. The
main incidents to be found in them are (1) the miscounting of the
swimmers and the subsequent correct reckoning by a stranger (this
second part lacking in the Bicol variant); (2) the killing of the fly
on the old woman's face; (3) the loss of the corpse and the burial
of the old fagot-gathering woman by mistake.
(1) The incident of not counting one's self is found in a number
of Eastern stories (see Clouston 1, 28-33; Grimm, 2 : 441). For a
Kashmir droll recording a similar situation, where a townsman finds
ten peasants weeping because they cannot account for the loss of one
of their companions, see Knowles, 322-323.
(2) Killing of fly on face is a very old incident, and assumes various
forms. In a Buddhist birth-story (Jataka, 44), a mosquito lights on a
man's head. The foolish son attempts to kill it with an axe. In another
(Jataka, 45) the son uses a pestle. Italian stories containing this
episode will be found in Crane, 293-294 (see also Crane, 380, notes
13-15). In a Bicol fable relating a war between the monkeys and the
dragon-flies, the dragon-flies easily defeat the monkeys, who kill
one another in their attempts to slay their enemies, that have, at the
order of their king, alighted on the monkeys' heads (see No. 57). Full
bibliography for this incident may be found in Bolte-Polívka, 1 : 519.
(3) The killing of a living person thought to be a corpse come to
life occurs in "The Three Humpbacks" (see No. 33 and notes).
Our story as a whole seems to owe nothing to European forms, though it
has some faint general resemblances to the "Seven Swabians" (Grimm,
No. 119). All three incidents of our story are found separately
in India. Their combination may have taken place in the Islands,
or even before the Malay migration.
TALE 10
JUAN MANALAKSAN.
Narrated by Anicio Pascual of Arayat, Pampanga, who heard the story
from an old Pampangan woman.
Once upon a time there lived in a certain village a brave and powerful
datu who had only one son. The son was called Pedro. In the same
place lived a poor wood-cutter whose name was Juan Manalaksan. Pedro
was rich, and had no work to do. He often diverted himself by hunting
deer and wild boars in the forests and mountains. Juan got his living
by cutting trees in the forests.
One day the datu and his son went to the mountain to hunt. They
took with them many dogs and guns. They did not take any food,
however, for they felt sure of catching something to eat for their
dinner. When they reached the mountain, Pedro killed a deer. By noon
they had become tired and hungry, so they went to a shady place to
cook their game. While he was eating, Pedro choked on a piece of
meat. The father cried out loudly, for he did not know what to do
for his dying son. Juan, who was cutting wood near by, heard the
shout. He ran quickly to help Pedro, and by pulling the piece of
meat out of his throat he saved Pedro's life. Pedro was grateful,
and said to Juan, "To-morrow come to my palace, and I will give you
a reward for helping me."
The next morning Juan set out for the palace. On his way he met an
old woman, who asked him where he was going.
"I am going to Pedro's house to get my reward," said Juan. "Do not
accept any reward of money or wealth," said the old woman, "but ask
Pedro to give you the glass which he keeps in his right armpit. The
glass is magical. It is as large as a peso, and has a small hole in
the centre. If you push a small stick through the hole, giants who
can give you anything you want will surround you." Then the old woman
left Juan, and went on her way.
As soon as Juan reached the palace, Pedro said to him, "Go to that
room and get all the money you want."
But Juan answered, "I do not want you to give me any money. All I
want is the glass which you keep in your right armpit."
"Very well," said Pedro, "here it is." When Juan had received the
glass, he hurried back home.
Juan reached his hut in the woods, and found his mother starving. He
quickly thought of his magic glass, and, punching a small stick
through the hole in the glass, he found himself surrounded by giants.
"Be quick, and get me some food for my mother!" he said to them. For
a few minutes the giants were gone, but soon they came again with
their hands full of food. Juan took it and gave it to his mother;
but she ate so much, that she became sick, and died.
In a neighboring village ruled another powerful datu, who had a
beautiful daughter. One day the datu fell very ill. As no doctor could
cure him, he sent his soldiers around the country to say that the man
who could cure him should have his daughter for a wife. Juan heard
the news, and, relying on his charm, went to cure the datu. On his
way, he asked the giants for medicine to cure the sick ruler. When
he reached the palace, the datu said to him, "If I am not cured,
you shall be killed." Juan agreed to the conditions, and told the
datu to swallow the medicine which he gave him. The datu did so,
and at once became well again.
The next morning Juan was married to the datu's daughter. Juan took
his wife to live with him in his small hut in the woods.
One day he went to the forest to cut trees, leaving his wife and
magic glass at home. While Juan was away in the forest, Pedro ordered
some of his soldiers to go get the wood-cutter's wife and magic
glass. When Juan returned in the evening, he found wife and glass
gone. One of his neighbors told him that his wife had been taken
away by some soldiers. Juan was very angry, but he could not avenge
himself without his magical glass.
At last he decided to go to his father-in-law and tell him all that
had happened to his wife. On his way there, he met an old mankukulam,
[34] who asked him where he was going. Juan did not tell her, but
related to her all that had happened to his wife and glass while he
was in the forest cutting trees. The mankukulam said that she could
help him. She told him to go to a certain tree and catch the king
of the cats. She furthermore advised him, "Always keep the cat with
you." Juan followed her advice.
One day Pedro's father commanded his soldiers to cut off the ears of
all the men in the village, and said that if any one refused to have
his ears cut off, he should be placed in a room full of rats. The
soldiers did as they were ordered, and in time came to Juan's house;
but, as Juan was unwilling to lose his ears, he was seized and placed
in a room full of rats. But he had his cat with him all the time. As
soon as he was shut up in the room, he turned his cat loose. When
the rats saw that they would all be killed, they said to Juan,
"If you will tie your cat up there in the corner, we will help you
get whatever you want."
Juan tied his cat up, and then said to the rats, "Bring me all the
glasses in this village." The rats immediately scampered away to obey
him. Soon each of them returned with a glass in its mouth. One of
them was carrying the magical glass. When Juan had his charm in his
hands again, he pushed a small stick through the hole in the glass,
and ordered the giants to kill Pedro and his father, and bring him
his wife again.
Thus Juan got his wife back. They lived happily together till they
died.
Juan the Poor, Who became Juan the King.
Narrated by Amando Clemente, a Tagalog, who heard the story from
his aunt.
Once upon a time there lived in a small hut at the edge of a forest a
father and son. The poverty of that family gave the son his name,--Juan
the Poor. As the father was old and feeble, Juan had to take care
of the household affairs; but there were times when he did not want
to work.
One day, while Juan was lying behind their fireplace, his father
called him, and told him to go to the forest and get some fire-wood.
"Very well," said Juan, but he did not move from his place.
After a while the father came to see if his son had gone, but he found
him still lying on the floor. "When will you go get that fire-wood,
Juan?"
"Right now, father," answered the boy. The old man returned to his
room. As he wanted to make sure, however, whether his son had gone
or not, he again went to see. When he found Juan in the same position
as before, he became very angry, and said,--
"Juan, if I come out again and find you still here, I shall surely
give you a whipping." Juan knew well that his father would punish him
if he did not go; so he rose up suddenly, took his axe, and went to
the forest.
When he came to the forest, he marked every tree that he thought would
be good for fuel, and then he began cutting. While he was chopping
at one of the trees, he saw that it had a hole in the trunk, and in
the hole he saw something glistening. Thinking that there might be
gold inside the hole, he hastened to cut the tree down; but a monster
came out of the hole as soon as the tree fell.
When Juan saw the unexpected being, he raised his axe to kill the
monster. Before giving the blow, he exclaimed, "Aha! Now is the time
for you to die."
The monster moved backward when it saw the blow ready to fall,
and said,--
"Good sir, forbear,
And my life spare,
If you wish a happy life
And, besides, a pretty wife."
Juan lowered his axe, and said, "Oho! is that so?"
"Yes, I swear," answered the monster.
"But what is it, and where is it?" said Juan, raising his axe, and
feigning to be angry, for he was anxious to get what the monster
promised him. The monster told Juan to take from the middle of his
tongue a white oval stone. From it he could ask for and get whatever he
wanted to have. Juan opened the monster's mouth and took the valuable
stone. Immediately the monster disappeared.
The young man then tested the virtues of his charm by asking it for
some men to help him work. As soon as he had spoken the last word of
his command, there appeared many persons, some of whom cut down trees,
while others carried the wood to his house. When Juan was sure that
his house was surrounded by piles of fire-wood, he dismissed the
men, hurried home, and lay down again behind the fireplace. He had
not been there long, when his father came to see if he had done his
work. When the old man saw his son stretched out on the floor, he said,
"Juan have we fire-wood now?"
"Just look out of the window and see, father!" said Juan. Great was
the surprise of the old man when he saw the large piles of wood about
his house.
The next day Juan, remembering the pretty wife of which the monster
had spoken, went to the king's palace, and told the king that he
wanted to marry his daughter. The king smiled scornfully when he saw
the rustic appearance of the suitor, and said, "If you will do what
I shall ask you to do, I will let you marry my daughter."
"What are your Majesty's commands for me?" said Juan. "Build me a
castle in the middle of the bay; but know, that, if it is not finished
in three days' time, you lose your head," said the king sternly. Juan
promised to do the work.
Two days had gone by, yet Juan had not yet commenced his work. For
that reason the king believed that Juan did not object to losing his
life; but at midnight of the third day, Juan bade his stone build a
fort in the middle of the bay.
The next morning, while the king was taking his bath, cannon-shots
were heard. After a while Juan appeared before the palace, dressed
like a prince. When he saw the king, he said, "The fort is ready for
your inspection."
"If that is true, you shall be my son-in-law," said the king. After
breakfast the king, with his daughter, visited the fort, which pleased
them very much. The following day the ceremonies of Juan's marriage
with the princess Maria were held with much pomp and solemnity.
Shortly after Juan's wedding a war broke out. Juan led the army of the
king his father-in-law to the battlefield, and with the help of his
magical stone he conquered his mighty enemy. The defeated general
went home full of sorrow. As he had never been defeated before,
he thought that Juan must possess some supernatural power. When he
reached home, therefore, he issued a proclamation which stated that
any one who could get Juan's power for him should have one-half of
his property as a reward.
A certain witch, who knew of Juan's secret, heard of the
proclamation. She flew to the general, and told him that she could
do what he wanted done. On his agreeing, she flew to Juan's house
one hot afternoon, where she found Maria alone, for Juan had gone
out hunting. The old woman smiled when she saw Maria, and said,
"Do you not recognize me, pretty Maria? I am the one who nursed you
when you were a baby."
The princess was surprised at what the witch said, for she thought
that the old woman was a beggar. Nevertheless she believed what the
witch told her, treated the repulsive woman kindly, and offered her
cake and wine; but the witch told Maria not to go to any trouble,
and ordered her to rest. So Maria lay down to take a siesta. With
great show of kindness, the witch fanned the princess till she fell
asleep. While Maria was sleeping, the old woman took from underneath
the pillow the magical stone, which Juan had forgotten to take along
with him. Then she flew to the general, and gave the charm to him. He,
in turn, rewarded the old woman with one-half his riches.
Meanwhile, as Juan was enjoying his hunt in the forest, a huge bird
swooped down on him and seized his horse and clothes. When the bird
flew away, his inner garments were changed back again into his old
wood-cutter's clothes. Full of anxiety at this ill omen, and fearing
that some misfortune had befallen his wife, he hastened home on foot
as best he could. When he reached his house, he found it vacant. Then
he went to the king's palace, but that too he found deserted. For his
stone he did not know where to look. After a few minutes of reflection,
he came to the conclusion that all his troubles were caused by the
general whom he had defeated in battle. He also suspected that the
officer had somehow or other got possession of his magical stone.
Poor Juan then began walking toward the country where the general
lived. Before he could reach that country, he had to cross three
mountains. While he was crossing the first mountain, a cat came
running after him, and knocked him down. He was so angry at the
animal, that he ran after it, seized it, and dashed its life out
against a rock. When he was crossing the second mountain, the same
cat appeared and knocked him down a second time. Again Juan seized the
animal and killed it, as before; but the same cat that he had killed
twice before tumbled him down a third time while he was crossing the
third mountain. Filled with curiosity, Juan caught the animal again:
but, instead of killing it this time, he put it inside the bag he
was carrying, and took it along with him.
After many hours of tiresome walking, Juan arrived at the castle of
the general, and knocked at the door. The general asked him what he
wanted. Juan answered, "I am a poor beggar, who will be thankful if I
can have only a mouthful of rice." The general, however, recognized
Juan. He called his servants, and said, "Take this wretched fellow
to the cell of rats."
The cell in which Juan was imprisoned was very dark; and as soon as
the door was closed, the rats began to bite him. But Juan did not
suffer much from them; for, remembering his cat, he let it loose. The
cat killed all the rats except their king, which came out of the hole
last of all. When the cat saw the king of the rats, it spoke thus:
"Now you shall die if you do not promise to get for Juan his magical
stone, which your master has stolen."
"Spare my life, and you shall have the stone!" said the king of
the rats.
"Go and get it, then!" said the cat. The king of the rats ran
quickly to the room of the general, and took Juan's magical stone
from the table.
As soon as Juan had obtained his stone, and after he had thanked the
king of the rats, he said to his stone, "Pretty stone, destroy this
house with the general and his subjects, and release my father-in-law
and wife from their prison."
Suddenly the earth trembled and a big noise was heard. Not long
afterwards Juan saw the castle destroyed, the general and his subjects
dead, and his wife and his father-in-law free.
Taking with him the cat and the king of the rats, Juan went home
happily with Maria his wife and the king his father-in-law. After the
death of the king, Juan ascended to the throne, and ruled wisely. He
lived long happily with his lovely wife.
Notes.
These two stories belong to the "Magic Ring" cycle, and are connected
with the well-known "Aladdin" tale. Antti Aarne (pp. 1-82) reconstructs
the original formula of this type, which was about as follows:--
A youth buys the life of a dog and a cat, liberates a serpent, and
receives from its parent a wishing-stone, by means of which he builds
himself a magnificent castle and wins as his wife a princess. But a
thief steals the stone and removes castle and wife over the sea. Then
the dog and the cat swim across the ocean, catch a mouse, and compel
it to fetch the stone from out of the mouth of the thief. Upon their
return journey, cat and dog quarrel, and the stone falls into the
sea. After they have obtained it again with the help of a frog,
they bring it to their master, who wishes his castle and wife back
once more.
In nearly every detail our stories vary from this norm: (1) The hero
does not buy the life of any animals, (2) he does not acquire the charm
from a grateful serpent that he has unselfishly saved from death, (3)
the dog does not appear at all, (4) castle and wife are not transported
beyond the sea, (5) the cat does not serve the hero voluntarily out
of gratitude, (6) the hero himself journeys to recover his stolen
charm. And yet there can be no doubt of the connection of our stories
with this cycle. The acquirement of a charm, through the help of which
the hero performs a difficult task under penalty of death, and thus
wins the hand of a ruler's daughter; the theft of the charm and the
disappearance of the wife; the search, which is finally brought to a
successful close through the help of a cat and the king of the rats;
the recovery of wife and charm, and the death of the hero's enemies,
these details in combination are unmistakable proofs.
Most of the characteristic details, however, of the "Magic Ring"
cycle are to be found in the Philippines, although they are lacking
in these two stories. For instance, in No. 26 the hero buys the life
of a snake for five cents, and is rewarded by the king of the serpents
with a magic wishing-cloth (cf. E. Steere, 403). In a Visayan pourquoi
story, "Why Dogs wag their Tails" (see JAFL 20 : 98-100), we have a
variant of the situation of the helpful dog and cat carrying a ring
across a body of water, the quarrel in mid-stream, and the loss of
the charm. In the same volume (pp. 117-118) is to be found a Tagalog
folk-version of the "Aladdin" tale. [35]
Neither "Juan Manalaksan" nor "Juan the Poor, who became Juan the
King," can be traced, I believe, to any of the hundred and sixty-three
particular forms of the story cited by Aarne. The differences in
detail are too many. The last part of Pedroso's Portuguese folk-tale,
No. xxx, is like (b), in that the hero himself seeks the thief, takes
along with him a cat, is recognized by the thief and imprisoned, and
by means of the cat threatens the king of the rats, who recovers the
charm for him. But the first part is entirely different: the charm
is an apple obtained from a hind, and the hero's wife is not stolen
along with the charm. No Spanish version has been recorded. It is not
impossible that the story in the Philippines is prehistoric. "Juan
Manalaksan," which the narrator took down exactly as it was told to
him, clearly dates back to a time when the tribe had its own native
datu government, possibly to a time even before the Pampangans migrated
to the Philippines. The whole "equipment" of this story is primitive to
a degree. Moreover, the nature of the charm in both stories--a piece
of glass and an oval stone instead of the more usual ring--points to
the primitiveness of our versions, as does likewise the fact that the
charm is not stolen from the hero by his wife, but by some other person
(see Aarne, pp. 43, 45).
For further discussions of this cycle of folk-tales, and its relation
to the Arabian literary version, see Aarne, 61 et seq. Compare also
Macculloch, 201-202, 237-238; Groome, 218-220; Clouston's "Variants
of Button's Supplemental Arabian Nights," pp. 564-575; Bolte-Polívka,
2 : 451-458; Benfey, 1 : 211 ff. Add to Aarne's and Bolte's lists
Wratislaw, No. 54. See also Dähnhardt, 4 : 147-160.
In conclusion, I may add in the way of an Appendix, as it were, a brief
synopsis of a Tagalog romance entitled "Story of Edmundo, Son of Merced
in the Kingdom of France; taken from a novela and composed by one who
enjoys writing the Tagalog language. Manila 1909." This verse-form of
a story at bottom the same as our two folk-tales is doubtless much
more recent than our folk-tales themselves, and is possibly based
on them directly, despite the anonymous author's statement as to the
unnamed novela that was his source. In the following summary of the
"Story of Edmundo," the numbers in parentheses refer to stanzas of
the original Tagalog text.
"Edmundo."
In Villa Amante there lived a poor widow, Merced by name, who had to
work very hard to keep her only son, the infant Edmundo, alive. Her
piety and industry were rewarded, however; and by the time the
boy was seven years old, she was able to clothe him well and send
him to school. Her brother Tonio undertook the instruction of the
youth. Edmundo had a good head, and made rapid progress. (7-41)
One day Merced fell sick, and, although she recovered in a short time,
Edmundo decided to give up studying and to help his mother earn their
living. He became a wood-cutter. (42-53)
At last fortune came to him. In one of his wanderings in the forest in
search of dry wood, he happened upon an enormous python. He would have
fled in terror had not the snake spoken to him, to his amazement, and
requested him to pull from its throat the stag which was choking it. He
performed the service for the reptile, and in turn was invited to the
cave where it lived. Out of gratitude the python gave Edmundo a magic
mirror that would furnish the possessor with whatever he wanted. With
the help of this charm, mother and son soon had everything they needed
to make them happy. (54-91)
At about this time King Romualdo of France decided to look for a
husband for his daughter, the beautiful Leonora. He was unable to pick
out a son-in-law from the many suitors who presented themselves; and
so he had it proclaimed at a concourse of all the youths of the realm,
"Whoever can fill my cellar with money before morning shall have the
hand of Leonora." Edmundo was the only one to accept the challenge,
for failure to perform the task meant death. At midnight he took
his enchanted mirror and commanded it to fill the king's cellar
with money. In the morning the king was astonished at the sight,
but there was no way of avoiding the marriage. So Leonora became the
wife of the lowly-born wood-cutter. The young couple went to Villa
Amante to live. There, to astonish his wife, Edmundo had a palace
built in one night. She was dumfounded to awake in the morning and
find herself in a magnificent home; and when she asked him about
it, he confided to her the secret of his wonderful charm. Later,
to gratify the humor of the king, who visited him, Edmundo ordered
his mirror to transport the palace to a seacoast town. There he and
his wife lived very happily together. (92-211)
One day Leonora noticed from her window two vessels sailing towards the
town. Her fears and premonitions were so great, that Edmundo, to calm
her, sank the ships by means of his magic power. But the sinking of
these vessels brought misfortunes. Their owner, the Sultan of Turkey,
learned of the magic mirror possessed by Edmundo (how he got this
information is not stated), and hired an old woman to go to France
in the guise of a beggar and steal the charm. She was successful
in getting it, and then returned with it to her master. The Sultan
then invaded France, and with the talisman, by which he called to his
aid six invincible giants, conquered the country. He took the king,
queen, and Leonora as captives back with him to Turkey. Edmundo was
left in France to look after the affairs of the country. (212-296)
Edmundo became melancholy, and at last decided to seek his wife. He
left his mother and his servant behind, and took with him only a
diamond ring of Leonora's, his cat, and his dog. While walking along
the seashore, wondering how he could cross the ocean, he saw a huge
fish washed up on the sand. The fish requested him to drag it to the
water. When Edmundo had done so, the fish told him to get on its back,
and promised to carry him to Leonora. So done. The fish swam rapidly
through the water, Edmundo holding his dog and cat in his breast. The
dog was soon washed "overboard," but the cat clung to him. After a
ride of a day and a night, the fish landed him on a strange shore. It
happened to be the coast of Turkey. (297-313)
Edmundo stopped at an inn, pretending to be a shipwrecked
merchant. There he decided to stay for a while, and there he found
out the situation of Leonora in this wise. Now, it happened that
the Sultan used to send to this inn for choice dishes for Leonora,
whom he was keeping close captive. By inquiry Edmundo learned of the
close proximity of his wife, and one day he managed to insert her
ring into one of the eggs that were to be taken back to her. She
guessed that he was near; and, in order to communicate with him,
she requested permission of the king to walk with her maid in the
garden that was close by the inn. She saw Edmundo, and smiled on him;
but the maid noticed the greeting, and reported it to the Sultan. The
Sultan ordered the man summoned; and when he recognized Edmundo,
he had him imprisoned and put in stocks. (314-350)
Edmundo was now in despair, and thought it better to die than live;
but his faithful cat, which had followed him unnoticed to the prison,
saved him. In the jail there were many rats. That night the cat began
to kill these relentlessly, until the captain of the rats, fearing
that his whole race would be exterminated, requested Edmundo to tie up
his cat and spare them. Edmundo promised to do so on condition that
the rat bring him the small gold-rimmed mirror in the possession of
the Sultan. At dawn the rat captain arrived with the mirror between
its teeth. Out of gratitude Edmundo now had his mirror bring to life
all the rats that had been slain. (351-366)
Then he ordered before him his wife, the king, the queen, the crown and
sceptre of France. All, including the other prisoners of the Sultan,
were transported back to France. At the same time the Sultan's palace
and prison were destroyed. Next morning, when the Grand Sultan awoke,
he was enraged to find himself outwitted; but what could he do? Even
if he were able to jump as high as the sky, he could not bring back
Leonora. (367-376)
When the French Court returned to France, Edmundo was crowned successor
to the throne: the delight of every one was unbounded. (377-414)
The last six stanzas are occupied with the author's
leave-taking. (415-420)
Groome (pp. 219-220) summarizes a Roumanian-Gypsy story, "The Stolen
Ox," from Dr. Barbu Constantinescu's collection (Bucharest, 1878),
which, while but a fragment, appears to be connected with this cycle
of the "Magic Ring," and presents a curious parallel to a situation in
"Edmundo:"--
"... The lad serves the farmer faithfully, and at the end of his term
sets off home. On his way he lights on a dragon, and in the snake's
mouth is a stag. Nine years had that snake the stag in its mouth, and
been trying to swallow it, but could not because of its horns. Now,
that snake was a prince; and seeing the lad, whom God had sent his way,
'Lad,' said the snake, 'relieve me of this stag's horns, for I've been
going about nine years with it in my mouth.' So the lad broke off the
horns, and the snake swallowed the stag. 'My lad, tie me round your
neck and carry me to my father, for he doesn't know where I am.' So
he carried him to his father, and his father rewarded him."
It is curious to see this identical situation of the hero winning his
magic reward by saving some person or animal from choking appearing in
Roumania and the Philippines, and in connection, too, with incidents
from the "Magic Ring" cycle. The resemblance can hardly be fortuitous.
TALE 11
LUCAS THE STRONG.
Narrated by Paulo Macasaet, a Tagalog, who heard the story from a
Tagalog farmer.
Once there was a man who had three sons,--Juan, Pedro, and
Lucas. His wife died when his children were young. Unlike most of
his countrymen, he did not marry again, but spent his time in taking
care of his children. The father could not give his sons a proper
education, because he was poor; so the boys grew up in ignorance
and superstition. They had no conception of European clothes and
shoes. Juan and Pedro were hard workers, but Lucas was lazy. The
father loved his youngest son Lucas, nevertheless; but Juan and Pedro
had little use for their brother. The lazy boy used to ramble about
the forests and along river-banks looking for guavas and birds' nests.
One day, when Lucas was in the woods, he saw a boa-constrictor
[Tag. sawang bitin]. He knew that this reptile carried the centre of
its strength in the horny appendage at the end of its tail. Lucas
wished very much to become strong, because the men of strength in
his barrio were the most influential. So he decided to rob the boa
of its charm. He approached the snake like a cat, and then with his
sharp teeth bit off the end of its tail, and ran away with all his
might. The boa followed him, but could not overtake him; for Lucas
was a fast runner, and, besides, the snake had lost its strength.
Lucas soon became the strongest man in his barrio. He surprised
everybody when he defeated the man who used to be the Hercules of
the place.
One day the king issued a proclamation: "He who can give the monarch
a carriage made of gold shall have the princess for his wife." When
Juan and Pedro heard this royal announcement, they were very anxious
to get the carriage and receive the reward.
Juan was the first to try his luck. He went to a neighboring mountain
and began to dig for gold. While he was eating his lunch at noon,
an old leper with her child approached him, and humbly begged him to
give her something to eat.
"No, the food I have here is just enough for me. Go away! You are
very dirty," said Juan with disgust.
The wretched old woman, with tears in her eyes, left the place. After
he had worked for three weeks, Juan became discouraged, gave up his
scheme of winning the princess, and returned home.
Pedro followed his brother, but he had no better luck than Juan. He
was also unkind to the old leper.
Lucas now tried his fortune. The day after his arrival at the mountain,
when he was eating, the old woman appeared, and asked him to give her
some food. Lucas gave the woman half of his meat. The leper thanked
him, and promised that she would give him not only the carriage made
of gold, but also a pair of shoes, a coat, and some trousers. She
then bade Lucas good-by.
Nine days passed, and yet the woman had not come. Lucas grew tired
of waiting, and in his heart began to accuse the woman of being
ungrateful. He repented very much the kindness he had shown the old
leper. Finally she appeared to Lucas, and told him what he had been
thinking about her. "Do not think that I shall not fulfil my promise,"
she said. "You shall have them all." To the great astonishment of
Lucas, the woman disappeared again. The next day he saw the golden
carriage being drawn by a pair of fine fat horses; and in the carriage
were the shoes, the coat, and the trousers. The old woman appeared,
and showed the young man how to wear the shoes and clothes.
Then he entered the carriage and was driven toward the palace. On
his way he met a man.
"Who are you?" said Lucas.
"I am Runner, son of the good runner," was the answer.
"Let us wrestle!" said Lucas. "I want to try your strength. If you
defeat me, I will give you a hundred pesos; but if I prove to be the
stronger, you must come with me."
"All right, let us wrestle!" said Runner. The struggle lasted for
ten minutes, and Lucas was the victor. They drove on.
They met another man. When Lucas asked him who he was, the man said,
"I am Sharpshooter, son of the famous shooter." Lucas wrestled with
this man too, and overcame him because of his superhuman strength. So
Sharpshooter went along with Lucas and Runner.
Soon they came up to another man. "What is your name?" said Lucas.
"My name is Farsight. I am son of the great Sharp-Eyes." Lucas proposed
a wrestling-match with Farsight, who was conquered, and so obliged
to go along with the other three.
Last of all, the party met Blower, "son of the great blower." He
likewise became one of the servants of Lucas.
When Lucas reached the palace, he appeared before the king, and in
terms of great submission he told the monarch that he had come for
two reasons,--first, to present his Majesty with the golden carriage;
second, to receive the reward which his Majesty had promised.
The king said, "I will let you marry my daughter provided that you can
more quickly than my messenger bring to me a bottle of the water that
gives youth and health to every one. It is found at the foot of the
seventh mountain from this one," he said, pointing to the mountain
nearest to the imperial city. "But here is another provision,"
continued the king: "if you accept the challenge and are defeated,
you are to lose your head." "I will try, O king!" responded Lucas
sorrowfully.
The king then ordered his messenger, a giant, to fetch a bottle of
the precious water. Lucas bade the monarch good-by, and then returned
to his four friends. "Runner, son of the good runner, hasten to the
seventh mountain and get me a bottle of the water that gives youth
and health!"
Runner ran with all his might, and caught up with the giant; but
the giant secretly put a gold ring in Runner's bottle to make him
sleep. Two days passed, but Runner had not yet arrived. Then Lucas
cried, "Farsight, son of the great Sharp-Eyes, see where the giant
and Runner are!"
The faithful servant looked, and he saw Runner sleeping, and the
giant very near the city. When he had been told the state of affairs,
Lucas called Blower, and ordered him to blow the giant back. The
king's messenger was carried to the eighth mountain.
Then Lucas said, "Sharpshooter, son of the famous shooter, shoot
the head of the bottle so that Runner will wake up!" The man shot
skilfully; Runner jumped to his feet, ran and got the precious water,
and arrived in the city in twelve hours. Lucas presented the water
to the king, and the monarch was obliged to accept the young man as
his son-in-law.
The wedding-day was a time of great rejoicing. Everybody was
enthusiastic about Lucas except the king. The third day after the
nuptials, the giant reached the palace. He said that he was very near
the city when a heavy wind blew him back to the eighth mountain.
Juan and His Six Companions.
Narrated by Vicente M. Hilario, a Tagalog from Batangas, who heard
the story from an old woman from Balayan.
Not very long after the death of our Saviour on Calvary, there lived in
a far-away land a powerful king named Jaime. By judicious usurpations
and matrimonial alliances, this wise monarch extended his already
vast dominions to the utmost limits. Instead of ruling his realm as
a despot, however, he devoted himself to the task of establishing a
strong government based on moderation and justice. By his marvellous
diplomacy he won to his side counts, dukes, and lesser princes. To
crown his happiness, he had an extremely lovely daughter, whose name
was Maria. Neither Venus nor Helen of Troy could compare with her in
beauty. Numerous suitors of noble birth from far and near vied with
one another in spending fortunes on this pearl of the kingdom; but
Maria regarded all suitors with aversion, and her father was perplexed
as to how to get her a husband without seeming to show favoritism.
After consulting gravely with his advisers, the monarch gave out this
proclamation: "He who shall succeed in getting the golden egg from
the moss-grown oak in yonder mountain shall be my son-in-law and heir."
This egg, whose origin nobody knew anything about, rendered its
possessor very formidable. When the proclamation had been made public,
the whole kingdom was seized with wild enthusiasm; for, though the task
was hazardous, yet it seemed performable and easy to the reckless. For
five days and five nights crowds of lovers, adventurers, and ruffians
set sail for the "Mountain of the Golden Egg," as it was called; but
none of the enterprisers ever reached the place. Some were shipwrecked;
others were driven by adverse winds and currents to strange lands,
where they perished miserably; and the rest were forced to return
because of the horrible sights of broken planks and mangled bodies.
Some days after the return of the last set of adventurers, three
brothers rose from obscurity to try their fortunes in this dangerous
enterprise. They were Pedro, Fernando, and Juan. They had been
orphans since they were boys, and had grown up amid much suffering
and hardship.
The three brothers agreed that Pedro should try first; Fernando second;
and Juan last, provided the others did not succeed. After supplying
himself with plenty of food, a good boat, a sword, and a sharp axe,
Pedro embraced his brothers and departed, never to return. He took
a longer and safer route than that of his predecessors. He had no
sooner arrived at the mountain than an old gray-headed man in tattered
clothes came limping towards him and asking for help; but the selfish
Pedro turned a deaf ear to the supplications of the old man, whom he
pushed away with much disrespect. Ignorant of his doom, and regardless
of his irreverence, Pedro walked on with hasty steps and high animal
spirits. But lo! when his axe struck the oak, a large piece of wood
broke off and hit him in the right temple, killing him instantly.
Fernando suffered the same fate as his haughty brother.
Juan alone remained. He was the destined possessor of the egg, and
the conqueror of King Jaime. Juan's piety, simplicity, and goodness
had won for him the good-will of many persons of distinction. After
invoking God's help, he set sail for the mountain, where he safely
arrived at noon. He met the same old man, and he bathed, dressed,
and fed him. The old man thanked Juan, and said, "You shall be amply
requited," and immediately disappeared. With one stroke of his axe
Juan broke the oak in two; and in a circular hole lined with down
he found the golden egg. In the afternoon he went to King Jaime,
to whom he presented the much-coveted egg.
But the shrewd and successful monarch did not want to have a rustic
son-in-law. "You shall not marry my daughter," he said, "unless you
bring me a golden ship."
The next morning Juan, very disconsolate, went to the mountain
again. The old man appeared to him, and said, "Why are you dejected,
my son?"
Juan related everything that had happened.
"Dry your eyes and listen to me," said the old man. "Not very far
from this place you will find your ship all splendidly equipped. Go
there at once!"
The old man disappeared, and Juan ran with all possible speed to
where the ship was lying. He went on deck, and a few minutes later
the ship began to move smoothly over stumps and stones.
While he was thus travelling along, Juan all of a sudden saw a man
running around the mountain in less than a minute. "Corrin Corron,
[36] son of the great runner!" shouted Juan, "what are you doing?" The
man stopped, and said, "I'm taking my daily exercise."
"Never mind that!" said Juan, "come up here and rest!" And Corrin
Corron readily accepted the offer.
Pretty soon Juan saw another man standing on the summit of a high
hill and gazing intently at some distant object. "Mirin Miron, [37]
son of the great Farsight!" said Juan, "what are you doing?"
"I'm watching a game of tubigan [38] seven miles away," answered
the other.
"Never mind!" said Juan, "come up here and eat with me!" And Mirin
Miron gladly went on deck.
After a while Juan saw a hunter with gun levelled. "Puntin Punton,
[39] son of the great Sureshot!" said Juan, "what are you doing?"
"Three miles away there is a bat-fly annoying a sheep. I want to kill
that insect."
"Let the creature go," said Juan, "and come with me!" And Puntin
Punton, too, joined the party.
Not long after, Juan saw a man carrying a mountain on his
shoulders. "Carguin Cargon, [40] son of the great Strong-Back!" shouted
Juan, "what are you doing?"
"I'm going to carry this mountain to the other side of the country
to build a dam across the river," said the man.
"Don't exert yourself so much," said Juan. "Come up here and take
some refreshment!" The brawny carrier threw aside his load; and,
as the mountain hit the ground, the whole kingdom was shaken so
violently that the inhabitants thought that all the volcanoes had
simultaneously burst into eruption.
By and by the ship came to a place where Juan saw young
flourishing trees falling to the ground, with branches twisted and
broken. "Friends," said Juan, "is a storm blowing?"
"No, sir!" answered the sailors, amazed at the sight.
"Master Juan," shouted Mirin Miron, "sitting on the summit of yonder
mountain," pointing to a peak three miles away, "is a man blowing
with all his might."
"He is a naughty fellow," muttered Juan to himself; "he will destroy
all the lumber-trees in this region if we do not stop him." Pretty
soon Juan himself saw the mischievous man, and said, "Soplin Soplon,
[41] son of the great Blast-Blower, what are you doing?"
"Oh, I'm just exercising my lungs and trumpeter's muscles," replied
the other.
"Come along with us!" After blowing down a long line of trees like
grain before a hurricane, Soplin Soplon went on board.
As the ship neared the capital, Juan saw a man lying on a bed of
rushes, with his ear to the ground. "What are you doing, friend?" said
Juan.
"I'm listening to the plaintive strains of a young man mourning
over the grave of his deceased sweetheart, and to the touching
love-ditties of a moonstruck lover," answered the man. "Where are
those two men?" asked Juan.
"They are in a city twelve miles away," said the other. "Never mind,
Oirin Oiron, [42] son of the great Hear-All!" said Juan. "Come up and
rest on a more comfortable bed! My divans superabound." When Oirin
Oiron was on board, Juan said to the helmsman, "To the capital!"
In the evening the magnificent ship, with sails of silk and damask,
masts of gold heavily studded with rare gems, and covered with thick
plates of gold and silver, arrived at the palace gate.
Early in the morning King Jaime received Juan, but this time more
coldly and arrogantly than ever. The princess bathed before break
of day. With cheeks suffused with the rosy tint of the morning,
golden tresses hanging in beautiful curls over her white shoulders,
hands as delicate as those of a new-born babe, eyes merrier than
the humming-bird, and dressed in a rich outer garment displaying her
lovely figure at its best, she stood beside the throne. Such was the
appearance of this lovely mortal, who kindled an inextinguishable
flame in the heart of Juan.
After doffing his bonnet and bowing to the king, Juan said, "Will you
give me the hand of your daughter?" Everybody present was amazed. The
princess's face was successively pale and rosy. Juan immediately
understood her heart as he stood gazing at her.
"Never!" said the king after a few minutes. "You shall never have
my daughter."
"Farewell, then, until we meet again!" said Juan as he departed.
When the ship was beyond the frontier of Jaime's kingdom, Juan
said, "Carguin Cargon, overturn the king's realm." Carguin Cargon
obeyed. Many houses were destroyed, and hundreds of people were crushed
to death. When the ship was within seven miles of the city, Oirin Oiron
heard the king say, "I'll give my daughter in marriage to Juan if he
will restore my kingdom." Oirin Oiron told Juan what he had heard.
Then Juan ordered Carguin Cargon to rebuild the kingdom; but when
the work was done, Jaime again refused to fulfil his promise. Juan
went away very angry. Again the kingdom was overturned, and more
property and lives were destroyed. Again Oirin Oiron heard the king
make a promise, again the kingdom was rebuilt, and again the king
was obstinate.
Juan went away again red with anger. After they had been travelling
for an hour, Oirin Oiron heard the tramp of horses and the clash of
spears and shields. "I can see King Jaime's vast host in hot pursuit
of us," said Mirin Miron. "Where is the army?" said Juan. "It is nine
miles away," responded Mirin Miron.
"Let the army approach," said Soplin Soplon. When the immense host was
within eight hundred yards of the ship, Soplin Soplon blew forcible
blasts, which scattered the soldiers and horses in all directions
like chaff before a wind. Of this formidable army only a handful of
men survived, and these were crippled for life.
Again the king sued for peace, and promised the hand of his daughter
to Juan. This time he kept his word, and Juan and Maria were married
amidst the most imposing ceremonies. That very day King Jaime abdicated
in favor of his more powerful son-in-law. On the site of the destroyed
houses were built larger and more handsome ones. The lumber that
was needed was obtained by Soplin Soplon and Carguin Cargon from the
mountains: Soplin Soplon felled the trees with his mighty blasts, and
Carguin Cargon carried the huge logs to the city. Juan made Corrin
Corron his royal messenger, and Soplin Soplon commander-in-chief of
the raw troops, which later became a powerful army. The other four
friends were assigned to high positions in the government.
The royal couple and the six gifted men led a glorious life. They
conquered new lands, and ruled their kingdom well.
The Story of King Palmarin.
Paraphrased from the vernacular by Anastacia Villegas of Arayat,
Pampanga.
[NOTE.--While the following story is not, strictly speaking,
a folk-tale, since it is a native student's close paraphrase of
a Pampango corrido, or metrical romance, it is typically Filipino
in many respects, and is closely connected with the two foregoing
folk-tales. Moreover, it presents significant features lacking in
the other stories. As it is too long to be relegated to the notes,
I take the liberty of printing it here in full. My justification is
the fact that, after all, sagas, or printed folk-tales, are only the
crystallized sources--or products, as the case may be--of folk-tales.]
Long, long ago, the kingdom of Marsella was ruled over by the worthy
King Palmarin and his wife Isberta. They were attentive to their duty,
and kind to their subjects, whose love they won. All Marsella admired
the goodness and generosity of the king. To whatever he wanted,
his counsellors agreed; and because of his good judgment, his reign
was peaceful.
Time came when the queen gave birth to a child. The whole kingdom
rejoiced, and a great feast was prepared. "Let the feast last
six months," said Zetnaen, chief adviser. The new baby was a girl
of peerless beauty. The holy bishop was summoned to baptize the
child. As the Virgin Mary was the patron saint of the king and queen,
they asked the worthy prelate to name the little princess Maria;
and so she was named.
One day the king went to hunt in the mountains. There was no forest or
cave that the party did not visit. All the animals in the mountains
were thrown into confusion when they heard the great noise. Bears,
tigers, and lions came out of their dens. As soon as these wild beasts
reached the plain, they began to pursue the king and his men. The noise
and confusion cannot be imagined. By the help of God, the king and his
men put to flight their savage foes; and when the chase was ended,
nobody had been hurt. After the hunters had been gathered together
by the sound of the trumpet, they all returned home, thankful that
no one had been injured. The king, however, had unwittingly lost his
favorite reliquary.
When King Palmarin reached Marsella and discovered that his locket
was missing, he at once sent many of his soldiers back to look for
it. They searched all parts of the mountain and even the valley. At
last they returned to the capital, and said to the king, "We, whom
your Majesty commanded to look for the reliquary, have come to tell
you that, after a thorough search through the entire forest and valley,
we have not been able to find it." The king was very sad to hear this
report; but he kept his sorrow to himself, and did not reveal his
heart to his counsellors. He grieved, not because of the value of the
reliquary, but because it had been handed down to him by his father,
whose will and recommendations it contained.
As time went on, the king forgot his lost reliquary. He ceased
looking for it. His daughter the princess was now grown up. She was
beautiful, happy, good-natured, and modest. Those who saw her said
that she was not inferior even to Elsa, Judith, or Anne Boleyn. Now,
the king wished his daughter to marry, so that there might be some
one to inherit his throne when he died. He made his desire known to
his counsellors. He told them that, if they agreed, he would issue
proclamations throughout the whole kingdom and the neighboring cities,
towns, and villages. While this meeting with his council was going
on, the king stood up to powder his face. He took his powder-case
out of his pocket; but when he opened it, there inside he found, to
his surprise, a tuma. [43] He could not imagine how this tiny insect
had got into his box to eat the powder. Feeling very much ashamed,
he did not powder his face: he merely closed the box. The meeting
was adjourned without being finished; for when the king stood up,
the counsellors rose from their seats and silently left the room.
The king retired to his room, and opened his powder-case to look at
the tuma again. He was thoroughly astonished to find that what had
been but a tiny insect a moment before now filled the whole box. He
was indeed perplexed; so he consulted God. Then it came to his mind
to take the tuma from the box and place it in the cellar of the palace.
After three days the king found that a miracle had happened. The
cellar was filled with the tuma. He was not a little surprised. He
said to himself, "What a wonderful animal it is! In three days it has
grown to such an enormous size! If I let it live, I fear that it will
destroy the whole kingdom."
Then he heard a voice saying, "You need not fear, for the tuma
you nourish shall not produce bad fruit. But if you let it live,
it will have a long life, and will fill all of Marsella with its
huge body. Listen to me, and obey what I tell you! Let the tuma be
killed. Burn all its flesh, but save its skin. Use the skin for the
covers of a drum. When you have done all these things, write to all
your neighboring kingdoms and bet with them. Let them guess the kind
of skin out of which the heads of the drum are made. If you will but
obey me, and take care not to let any one know what I have told you,
you will become very rich." Then the voice ceased.
The king comprehended well all that the voice had told him: so he
called his Negro servant, and led him secretly into his room. The king
then said softly, "Let no one know of the secret that I am to disclose
to you, and you shall profit by it. I have a tuma which accidentally
got into my powder-case. One day I put the insect into the cellar,
where it has grown to an enormous size. Now, my command to you is
to kill the tuma, burn all its flesh, and clean its skin. Then have
the skin made into a drum. When everything is done perfectly, I will
repay you."
Accordingly the Negro servant killed the tuma. He followed minutely
the king's directions. When the drum was finished, he presented it
to the king. Instead of receiving the promised reward, however, the
poor Negro was instantly put to death, for the king feared that he
might betray the secret.
King Palmarin then summoned all his counsellors. He said to them,
"I want you to spread the news of my desire." Taking out the drum
and putting it on the table, he continued: "Let all the villages,
cities, and kingdoms know of the wager. Any one who can guess of
what skin the covers of this drum are made, be he rich or poor, if
he is unmarried, he shall be my son-in-law. But if he fails to guess
aright, his property shall be forfeited to the crown if he is rich;
he shall lose his head if he is poor."
The counsellors proclaimed the edict. Many rich nobles, lords, princes,
and knights heard of it. All those who ventured lost their fortune,
for they could not guess what the drum was made of. So the king gained
much wealth. Among them there was one particularly rich, who declared
to the king his great desire to win the princess's hand. King Palmarin
said to this knight, "Examine the drum carefully." After looking at
it closely, he said, "This drum is made of sheep's hide."--"Your
observation has deceived you," said the king. "Now all the wealth
you have brought with you shall be mine."
"What can I do if fortune turns against me?" said the knight.
"Let your Majesty send his servants to get all my property from
the ship."
The names of the hides of all known animals were given, but no one
guessed correctly. At last some of those who had been defeated said
to the king, "Of what is the drum made?"
"I cannot tell you yet," replied the king.
In one of the villages where the edict was proclaimed there lived a
young man named Juan. He was an orphan. After the death of his parents,
the property he had inherited from them he gave to the poor. One day
me met the king's messengers, who explained the edict minutely to him,
so that he might tell about it to others. Don Juan then went away. He
was sad, for he had no wealth to take with him to Marsella. Though
he had inherited much property, he had given away most of it, so that
now very little was left to him.
One day, while he was looking about his farm, he saw all of a sudden
some dead persons lying prostrate in the thicket. They had been
murdered by bandits. He hired men to bury these corpses decently in
the sacred ground, and paid the priest to celebrate masses for their
souls. He then returned home sad, meditating on his bad luck.
At midnight, while he was sleeping soundly, he heard a voice
saying to him, "Go to Marsella and take part in the wager of King
Palmarin. Do not be troubled because you have no riches. Your horses
are enough. Equip them in the best way you can." Then the voice ceased.
Don Juan felt very glad. The next morning he prepared materials for
equipping his horses, and hired laborers, whom he paid double so as to
hasten the work. The harnesses were of pure gold, decorated with pearls
and rubies. The saddle-cloths were embroidered. Two of the horses
(they were all very fat, and had long manes) were hazel-colored,
two were spotted, two were orange-colored, and one was white. When
everything was ready, Don Juan mounted the white one, and loaded on
the other six his baggage.
God rewarded Don Juan for what he had done to the dead bodies. He
called St. Michael, and said to him, "Go to purgatory and get six
of the souls who were benefited by Don Juan, for now is the time for
them to repay him. They shall go back to the world to meet Don Juan
on his way, follow him to Marsella, and provide him with everything
he needs. They must not leave him until you call them back, for
there are many serious dangers on his way." The angel went on his
errand. He selected six souls, and told them to return to the world
to help Don Juan. The spirits were glad to go, for they longed to
repay their benefactor.
Don Juan was now on his journey. As he rode along, the birds in the
forest sang to cheer him, so that the long journey might not tire
him. By and by he saw a man in the middle of the forest, lying on
his face. "Grandpa, what are you doing there?" said Juan.
"I am observing the world. Are you not a nobleman? Whither are
you bound?"
"To Marsella," replied Don Juan.
"To bet? If that is your purpose, you are sure to lose, for it is
certain that you cannot guess of what the drum is made," interrupted
the man.
"I entreat you to tell me the right answer, if you know it," said
Don Juan.
"I will not only tell it to you, but I will also accompany you. That
is why I am here. I was waiting for you to pass," said the man.
"Grandpa, I'm astonished. You must be a prophet."
"You are right. I am the sage prophet Noet Noen, [44] who will go
with you to King Palmarin."
"I appreciate your help and am grateful to you, grandpa," said Don
Juan. "You had better ride on one of the horses."
Noet Noen and Don Juan rode on together. The prophet then related to
Juan the whole story of the tuma that had got into the powder-case
of the king. While the two travellers were talking, they saw a man
sitting under a tree. As it was very hot, they dismounted so that
their horses might rest. Don Juan was surprised at the stranger. He
was whistling; and every time he whistled, the wind blew strong,
so that the trees in the forest were broken off. This man was Supla
Supling, a companion and friend of Noet Noen.
"Supla Supling, why are you here?" said Noet Noen.
"To follow you," was the reply.
"If that is your desire," said Don Juan, "you will please mount one
of the horses." So the three men went on their journey. They had not
gone far when they met a man walking alone. Noet Noen said to him,
"What are you here for? Come along with us!" This man was Miran Miron,
who had a wonderfully loud voice. When he shouted, his sound was
more sonorous than thunder. He also had very keen sight. He could
see clearly an object, though it were covered with a cover a hundred
yards thick.
When the four travellers had gone a little farther, they saw a man
walking swiftly on one leg. They spurred up their horses to overtake
him, but in vain. At last Noet Noen said, "I think that is my friend
Curan Curing, so there is little hope of our catching him."
"Let me call him!" said Miran Miron, and he shouted.
When Curan Curing heard the voice, he stopped, so they reached
him. Miran Miron said to him, "You are in a great hurry. Where are
you going?"
"You know that I cannot stop my feet when I walk," said Curan Curing.
"Why do you hold up one of your legs as if it were in pain?" said
Don Juan.
"Do not be surprised at my walking on one foot; for, if I should let
loose the other one, I should walk straight out of the world."
"Will you join us, Curan Curing?" said Noet Noen.
"Oh, yes! Let me have a horse! If I should walk, you might lose me
on account of my speed," replied Curan Curing.
So the five adventurers went on together. As it soon grew very warm,
they stopped to rest under a tree.
Then they saw a wounded deer coming toward them. As they were hungry,
they killed it and cooked it. While they were eating, the hunter
Punta Punting came. He said, "Have you seen a wounded deer?"
"Oh, yes! here it is. We are eating it already," said Supla Supling,
"for we are very hungry."
"I'm glad that the deer I wounded relieves your hunger," said Punta
Punting. "What are you all doing here? Where are you going? Why don't
you take me with you?"
"If that is your wish, we are very glad to have you," said Don Juan.
The little party rode on, but suddenly stopped; for a mountain was
walking toward them. As it approached, they saw that a man was carrying
the mountain. Don Juan was not a little surprised at this astonishing
feat of strength. "Where have you been, Carguen Cargon? Where did
you get that mountain?" said Noet Noen.
"I took it from behind the church of Candaba, for I want to transfer it
here, where the land is level. This mountain is not fitted for Candaba;
for the natives, rich or poor, build their houses out of wood,--even
the poorest, who cannot afford such luxury. They desolate its forests,
for they cut down even the young trees." Then with a great thunder
Carguen Cargon dropped his burden on the land of Arayat, just behind
the church. On account of its immense size, this mountain reached
clear to de la Paz. The slopes reached Calumpit, and its base was in
view of Apalit. Thus we see that Mount Alaya (Arayat) has come from
Candaba. The original site of this mountain became a river, swamps,
and brooks. Now Candaba has many ponds.
"Friend, I entreat you to come with us!" said Noet Noen.
"I shall be glad to go with you, if I shall only have the opportunity
of serving you with my strength," replied Carguen Cargon.
Now the little band of seven travelled on. When they came near the
gates of Marsella, Noet Noen said, "Let us rest here first!" There
they hired a house, where they staid at the expense of Don Juan.
The next morning Don Juan made himself ready to go on alone. Leading
his horses, he was about to start for the palace, when Noet Noen
called to him, and said, "Be sure not to forget the name of the skin
I told you. Put it in the depths of your heart."
"Have no fear that I shall forget," said Don Juan. "Furthermore,
Don Juan, I want you to undertake to do whatever the king may ask of
you. Do not refuse. No matter how hard the task the king may impose
on you, do not hesitate to undertake it; for God Almighty is ever
merciful, and will help you. If the king requires you to do anything,
just come back here and let me know of it. Now you may go. Take
courage, for God loves a person who suffers," said Noet Noen.
"Good-by to every one of you!" said Don Juan to his companions. Then
he went on his journey. When he reached the palace, he asked the
soldier who was on guard to announce him to the king. When the king
heard of the message, he said to the soldier, "Let him come in, if
his purpose is to bet; but assure him that, if he loses, he shall
also lose his life."
Then the soldier went back to the gate, and said to the stranger,
"The king admits you into his presence."
Don Juan entered the palace. He saluted the king. "What is it that
you want? Tell it to me, so that I may know," said the king.
"O king! pardon me for disturbing your Majesty. It is the edict your
Highness issued that gives me the right to come here, and that has made
me forget my inferiority; for I do rely entirely on the fact that your
word in the proclamation will never be broken. So now I hope, that,
if fortune goes with me, your Majesty will carry out his promise."
These words made the king laugh, for he was sure that there was no
one who could beat him in the wager: so he said, "What property have
you with you that you wish to risk?"
Don Juan replied, "Six horses, of which your Highness can make use."
The king looked out the window, and there he saw Don Juan's
horses. King Palmarin was much pleased at their beauty, sleekness, and
elegance of equipment. Turning to Don Juan, he said, "Do you really
wish to bet? I feel as if you were already beaten. Princes and wise
kings have taken part in the wager, and all have lost. I tell you
about them because I do not want you to repent in the end. Moreover,
I have pity for your life and your property."
"What can I do if fortune turns against me? I will never lay the
fault on anybody."
"Well," said the king, leading Don Juan to the table where the drum
was, "try your skill."
Holding and sounding the drum, and pretending to examine it carefully,
Juan said softly to the king, "I think that it is made of the skin
of a tuma," and he went on relating to the king the whole story of
the tuma from the time it got into his powder-case, until the king
finally interrupted,
"Enough! You have beaten me."
"I am glad if I have. I hope that the terms of the proclamation will
be fulfilled," said Don Juan.
The king remarked, "You are not fitted to join my royal family. Such
a low person as you would disgrace me, and humble my dynasty. So take
your horses with you and go back to your country."
"O king! I am not at fault in the least. It is your Majesty who issued
the edict that any one, rich or poor, who could beat you in the wager,
should be wedded to your daughter. Now I only cling to the right your
Majesty has given me," returned Don Juan. "I had been thinking that
the proclamation your Highness signed would be kept; for it is known
far and wide that you are a king."
By this answer King Palmarin was perplexed. He stopped for a moment to
consider the matter. Then the thought of getting rid of Don Juan--that
is, of killing him--came into his mind: so he said, "Though you are
far below my family, if you can do what I shall ask you to do now,
I will admit you into the royal line."
"I am always ready to obey your Majesty's command," said Don Juan.
"I had a reliquary, which I inherited from my royal father. I lost
it while I was hunting once in the forest twenty years ago. Now I
want you to look for it. I will give you three days. If you do not
find it in that time, you shall be severely punished," said the king.
Don Juan left the court and returned to his companions. He told them
what had passed between him and the king in the palace. Noet Noen
encouraged him, and said, "Do not be sad! for by the aid of God the
reliquary shall be found. Remember, there is nothing difficult if you
call on God.--What do you say, comrades? It is now time for you to
help Don Juan, so as to distract him from his sorrow.--Miran Miron,
as you have keen eyes, it will not take you long to find it. Try your
best, and look everywhere."
"Trust me; I'll be responsible for finding it," said Miran
Miron. "To-morrow I will set out in quest of it."
As to the king, he was at ease, for he was sure that Don Juan could
not find the reliquary.
The next day Miran Miron set out in search of the reliquary, which
he found covered with thirty yards of earth. He dug out the earth
until he reached the locket; then he returned to his companions,
and delivered it to Don Juan. His comrades, seeing him rejoice at
the sight of the reliquary, said, "Again we have beaten the king."
Noet Noen said, "Don Juan, to-morrow take King Palmarin his reliquary."
The next day Don Juan set out for the court. When he reached the
palace, he saluted the king, who was astonished. "How! Don Juan,
have you given up so soon? How goes the quest?"
"Here, I have found the reliquary," said Don Juan, taking it out and
putting it on the table. Then he continued, "Let your Majesty examine
to see if it is the right one."
The king looked at it carefully. Indeed, it was his own reliquary. He
said to himself, "What a wonder Don Juan is! In two days without any
difficulty he has found the reliquary. I did not even tell him the
exact place where I lost it, and many people failed to come across it
as soon as it was missed. Here in Marsella he has no equal." Then he
said to Don Juan, "I am astonished at the ability you have shown. There
is no tongue that can express my gratitude to you for bringing me
back my reliquary, the delight of my heart."
Don Juan replied, "If there is yet something to be done, let your
Highness command his loyal vassal, who is always ready to obey."
"If that is so, in order that you may obtain what you wish," said
the king, "go to Rome and take my letter to the Pope. Wait for his
answer. I will also send another person to carry the same message. The
one who comes after the other shall receive death as a punishment,"
said the king.
"Your loyal subject will try to obey you," said Don Juan.
So the king wrote two letters to the holy Pope, and gave one to Don
Juan, who immediately left the palace and went to his friends. He
was sad, meditating on his fate.
The king's messenger, Bruja, [45] set out for Rome that very moment. He
was told to use his charm and to hurry up. So he went flying swiftly,
like an arrow shot from a bow.
When Don Juan reached his comrades, he said, "I gave the reliquary
to the king. Now he wants me to go to Rome to deliver this letter
to the Pope and wait for his answer. At the same time the king has
sent another messenger. If I come after his arrival in Marsella,
I shall lose my life. You see what a hard task the king has given
me. I do not know very well the way to Rome, and, besides, the wise
Bruja is winged."
"Do not worry," said Noet Noen. "If God will, we shall defeat the
king. Even if he has Bruja to send, you have some one also: so pluck
up your courage!"
"What do you say, Curan Curing? Show your skill, and go to Rome flying
like the wind," said Noet Noen.
"Do not be troubled, Don Juan," said Curan Curing. "I will carry the
letter even to the gates of heaven. For me a journey to Rome is not
far--in just one leap I shall be there. Give me the letter. To-morrow
I will set out. To-day I will rest, so that I can walk fast." Don Juan
gave Curan Curing the letter, and they all went to sleep. Perhaps by
this time Bruja had already arrived at Rome.
The next morning Curan Curing started on his journey to deliver
the letter to the Pope. When he was half way to Rome, he met Bruja
walking very swiftly, and already returning to Marsella. "Are you
Don Juan?" said Bruja, "and are you just going to Rome now? You are
beaten. Do not waste your energy any more. If you walk like that,
you cannot reach Rome in two months."
Bruja spoke so, because Curan Curing was walking on only one leg. But
when he heard these words, he let loose his other leg and went faster
than a bullet. He arrived almost instantly at Rome, and delivered
the letter to the holy Pope, who, after reading it, wrote an answer
and gave it to the messenger.
Curan Curing then made his way back towards his companions. He went as
fast as the wind, and overtook Bruja on the road. "What! Are you still
here? What is the matter? How is it that you have not reached Marsella
yet? Where is that boast of yours, that I am already beaten? Now I
am sure that you will disappoint your king, who relies too much upon
your skill," said Curan Curing.
Bruja, fearing that he should be defeated, for Don Juan's messenger
was very spry, planned to trick Curan Curing. So Bruja said, "Friend,
let us rest here a while! I have a little wine with me. We will drink
it, if it pleases you, and take a little rest while the sun is so hot."
"Oh, yes! if you have some wine. It will be a fine thing for us to
drink to quench our thirst," replied Curan Curing.
The wine was no sooner handed to him than he fell asleep. Then Bruja
put on one of Curan Curing's fingers a ring, so as to insure victory
for the king. Whoever had Bruja's ring would sleep soundly and never
wake as long as the charmed ring was on his finger. So Bruja, with
a light heart, flew away and left the sleeping messenger. Bruja
flew so swiftly, that in a moment he was seen by Curan Curing's
companions. When they saw the king's messenger coming swiftly near
them, they felt very sad. But as soon as Supla Supling was sure that
it was Bruja flying through the air toward them, he said, "Let me
manage him! I will make his journey longer. I will blow him back,
so that he will not win." Supla Supling then breathed deeply and
blew. Bruja was carried back beyond Rome. How Don Juan's companions
rejoiced! Bruja did not sleep during the whole night: he was trying
his best to reach Marsella.
The next morning Noet Noen said, "I never thought that our friend
Curan Curing would be so slow. He has not come yet. Bruja has made him
drink wine and has put him to sleep. The trickish fellow has placed
on one of Curan Curing's fingers a magic ring, which keeps him in a
profound sleep."
When Punta Punting heard Noet Noen's words, he shot his arrow, though
he could not see the object he was aiming at. But the ring was hit,
and the arrow returned to its master with the magic ring on it. Such
was the virtue of Punta Punting's arrow. As for Curan Curing, he was
awakened. He felt the ring being moved from his finger; but the charm
was still working in him, and he fell asleep again.
Noet Noen, knowing that Curan Curing was again asleep, called Miran
Miron, and said, "Pray, wake the sleeper under the tree !"
Miran Miron then shouted. Curan Curing awoke suddenly, frightened
at the noise. Now, being wide awake, he realized the trick Bruja
had played on him. He looked to see if he still had the Pope's
letter. Luckily Bruja had not stolen it. Curan Curing then began
his journey. Though he went faster than the lightning, he could not
overtake Bruja, who was very far ahead of him. In the mean time Bruja
was seen by Miran Miron. He was enraged, and cried out loud. When Supla
Supling heard his friend shout, he blew strongly. Bruja got stuck
in the sky: he was scorched by the glowing sun. Not long afterwards
Curan Curing arrived, and gave the letter to Don Juan.
Don Juan at once set out for Marsella. When he reached the palace,
he delivered the Pope's letter to the king. The king, realizing that
he was beaten, said to Don Juan, "Though you have won, I will not
grant your request, for you are too inferior. You may go."
Don Juan replied, "Great King, nobody ordered your Highness to issue
the decree to which your hand did sign your name. I trusted your
word, and I ventured to take part in the wager. Now, honorable king,
my complaint is that your Majesty breaks his word."
The king was meditating as to what to do next to check Don Juan. At
last he said, "I want you to show me some more of your wisdom. If
you can sail on dry land, and I can see your ship to-morrow morning
moored here in front of the palace, I will believe in your power and
wisdom. So you may go. My subjects, the queen, and I will be here to
see you sail on dry land to-morrow morning."
Don Juan did not complain at all. He rose from his seat, sad and
melancholy, and bade the king good-by. When he reached his companions,
Noet Noen said, "You need not speak. I know what is the matter. I
will manage the business, and all our comrades will help, so that our
sailing on dry land to-morrow will not be delayed.--Carguen Cargon,
my friend, go to the inn and fetch a large strong ship."
Carguen Cargon went on his errand. It was not long before he found the
right ship. So, shouldering it, he brought it back to his companions.
The next day everything was ready for the journey. Noet Noen said,
"You will be in charge of the rudder, Carguen Cargon, so that the ship
may go smoothly.--Supla Supling, sit at the stern and blow the sails,
so that we may go fast.--The rest of us will serve as mariners. Cry
'Happy voyage!' as soon as we enter the city."
Accordingly Supla Supling blew the sails. The wind roared, and many
trees fell down. The little band sailed through the kingdom. All the
people who saw them were wondering. They said, "Were this deed not
by enchantment, they could not sail on dry land. Where do you think
this ship came from, if not from the land of enchanters?"
When the sailors reached the city, they found King Palmarin looking
out of the window of his palace. Don Juan then disembarked from
his ship and went before the king to greet him. Don Juan said,
"Your Majesty's servant is here. He is ready to obey your will: so,
if there is anything more to be done, let your Highness order him."
The king felt ashamed for being a liar, and did not ask Don Juan to
perform any more miracles. "Don Juan, I have now seen your wonderful
wisdom. You may return to your country, for I will not give you the
hand of my daughter," said King Palmarin.
"Farewell, O king! Your own order has caused all that has
happened. Though I have not succeeded in accomplishing my purpose,
I have no reason to be ashamed to face anybody. What troubles me is,
that, in spite of your widespread reputation for honor, you do not
keep even one of your thousand million words. After some one has
done you some service, you turn him away. Farewell, king! To my own
country I will return," said Don Juan as he left the palace.
The king did not say anything, for he realized the truth of the
knight's statement. Don Juan went to the boat. He and his companions
sailed back to their station. As they passed out of the city, the
people hailed them. His companions cheered him up and encouraged
him. When they arrived at their lodging-place, Noet Noen said, "Let
us stay a little longer and wait for God's aid, which He always gives
to the humble! All that has happened is God's will, so do not worry,
Don Juan."
"I will do whatever you wish," said Don Juan.
So they staid in the ship. Several months passed by, but nothing was
heard. At last the Moors invaded Marsella. They put to death many
of the inhabitants, and shut up the king and the rest of his men in
jail. He, the queen, and the princess grieved very much, for they
suffered many hardships in their narrow prison. When news of this
conquest reached the seven, Noet Noen said to his companions, "Now is
our turn to help Marsella. Use all your skill; for in driving away
the Moors we serve a double purpose: first, we help the Christians;
second, Don Juan."
"Let me be general!" said Curan Curing. "If I rush at the Moors,
they will not know what to do."
Supla Supling said, "As for me, no Moor can stay near me, for I will
blow him away, and he will be lost in the air."
"Though I have no weapons, no one can face me in battle without
tumbling down in fear," said Miran Miron.
Carguen Cargon joined in. "I will pull up a tree and carry it with
me; so that, even if all the Moors unite against me, they shall lie
prostrate before me."
"My arrow is enough for me to face Moors with," said Punta Punting.
At the command of Noet Noen they set out. Curan Curing walked with
one leg; still he was far ahead of his companions. He then would stop,
return to his friends, and say impatiently, "Hurry up!"
At last they told him that he would be overtired. "The general ought
to get weary if he commands," said Curan Curing. "But I shall never
get tired from walking at this rate!"
When they arrived at Marsella, Noet Noen encouraged his
companions. Carguen Cargon pulled up a tree fifteen yards tall and six
yards in circumference. He rushed at the Moors, and, by swinging the
tree constantly, he swept away the enemy. Curan Curing walked with
both his legs. He crushed the enemy, who fell dead as he stepped on
them. Miran Miron shouted. His loud voice frightened the Moors. Punta
Punting shot with his arrow. Whenever it had killed a Moor, it returned
to its master. After many Moors had fallen, the rest could not maintain
the fight, and they fled. Noet Noen then gathered together his men,
and said, "Let us look for the king!"
They opened all the jails and freed the prisoners. The six victors
cried, "Hurrah for Don Juan!" and said to the released persons,
"All of you who have been held prisoners must thank Don Juan; for,
were it not for him, we should not have come to your aid."
"Who is this benefactor? We wish to know to whom we owe our lives,"
said the king.
Noet Noen said, "By God's will we gained the victory. It is Don Juan
who brought us here to save you from the hands of the infidels. So
he is indeed the benefactor."
"Don Juan!" the crowd then shouted. "Our lives we owe to you.--Hurrah
for our savior! Hurrah for the whole kingdom!"
The king, queen, princess, counsellors, and the victors went to the
palace. They were all happy. When they had taken their seats, the king
spoke thus: "What shall we give the victor? As for me, even the whole
kingdom is too small a reward for saving us. Lend me your advice."
Noet Noen answered, "Let me make a suggestion, O king! You already
know what Don Juan desires. Do him justice, for he not only beat you in
the wager, but also succeeded in accomplishing all your commands. Now
he saves you and your kingdom, and restores you to power. Let your
issued decree be carried out." The king then consulted the queen,
and said that the stranger was right.
The counsellors said, "King, Don Juan deserves the reward named in
the edict; for, were it not for him, your people and even you would
now be slaves."
So at last the king agreed, and, as a bishop was present, the
marriage was performed immediately. After the marriage ceremony,
the king said, "Hear me, counsellors! As I am now too old to rule,
and can no longer perform the duty of king, I am going to abdicate
in favor of my son-in-law.--Don Juan, on your head I lay the crown
with its sceptre. Do whatever you will, for you are now full king."
The queen rose from her seat, and, taking off the diadem from her
head, she placed it on her daughter, saying, "My darling, receive
the diadem of the kingdom, so that all may recognize you as their new
queen." All the counsellors then rose, and shouted, "Hurrah for the
new couple! May God give them long lives! May they be successful!" The
entire kingdom rejoiced, and held banquets.
When Don Juan had become king, he made a trip with his six
companions throughout the entire kingdom, giving alms to the needy
and sick. When the royal visit was over, he returned with his friends
to the palace. Then Noet Noen said to the king, "Our king, Don Juan,
do not be astonished at what I am going to tell you. Since you have
now got what you wanted, we now bid you farewell."
"Why are you going away? What is there in me that you do not like? Pray
do not leave me until I have repaid you!" He then called each of the
six, and expressed his great gratitude to him, and begged him not
to go away. "I will even abdicate the throne if you want me to," Don
Juan said, "for your departure will kill me." The queen also begged
the six men not to leave.
At last Noet Noen said, "Don Juan, long have we lived together; yet
you know not whence we come, for we have never told you. We cannot be
absent from there much longer." The prophet then related minutely to
the king who they were, and why they had come to his aid. Then the
six men disappeared.
Notes.
The course of events common to these three stories is this: A king
proclaims that he will give the hand of his daughter to the one who
can furnish him with a very costly or marvellous conveyance. The poor
young hero, because of his kindness to a wretched old man or woman (or
corpse), is given the wonderful conveyance. On his way to the palace
to present his gift, he meets certain extraordinary men, whom he takes
along with him as companions. The king, realizing the low birth of the
hero, refuses the hand of his daughter until additional tasks have
been performed. With the help of his companions, the hero performs
these, and finally weds the princess. This group of stories was almost
certainly imported into the Philippines from Europe, where analogues
of it abound. I know of no significant Eastern variants. Parallels
to certain incidents can be found in Malayan and Filipino lore,
but the cycle as a whole is clearly not native to the Islands.
In a broad sense, our stories belong to the "Bride Wager" formula
(see Von Hahn, 1 : 54, Nos. 23 and 24). The requirement that a
suitor shall guess correctly the kind of skin from which a certain
drum-head is made (usually a louse-skin) is to be found in Italian
(Basile, 1 : 5; cf. Gonzenbach, No. 22; Schneller, No. 31), Spanish
(Caballero, trans, by J. H. Ingram, "The Hunchback"), German (Grimm,
2 : 467, "The Louse," where the princess makes a dress, not a drum,
from the skin of the miraculous insect). Only Basile's story combines
the louse-skin motif with the wonderful companions,--a combination
found in our "King Palmarin." There seems to be no close connection,
however, between these two tales. Although Oriental Märchen turning
on this motif of the louse-skin drum are lacking, the Filipino corrido
need not have got the conception from Europe: it is Malayan. In a list
of the Jelebu regalia occurs this item: "The royal drums (gendang
naubat); said to be 'headed' with the skins of lice (kulit tuma)"
(see Skeat 2, 27).
We have already met with the extraordinary companions (No. 3;
see especially variant d, "Sandangcal," which relates a contest
between the hero's runner and the king's messenger). For the formula,
see Bolte-Polívka's notes to Grimm, No. 71. Benfey (Ausland, 1858,
pp. 1038 et seq., 1067 et seq.) believes the "Skilful Companions"
cycle as represented by Grimm, Nos. 71 and 134; Basile, Nos. 28 and
36; Straparola, 4 : 1, etc.--to be a kind of humorous derivative
of the cycle we shall call the "Rival Brothers" (q.v., No. 12 of
this collection), and which he shows to have spread into Europe
from India. There are significant differences, however, between
these two groups; and Benfey's treatment of them together causes
confusion. In the "Skilful Companions" cycle, the extraordinary men
are in reality servants of the hero, who sets out and wins the hand
of a princess. They are picked up by chance. In the "Rival Brothers"
cycle, on the other hand, the three (or four) brothers set out to learn
trades and to win their fortunes, often wonderful objects of magic;
the brothers meet later by appointment, combine their skill to succor
a princess, and then quarrel as to which deserves her most. In stories
of the "Strong Hans" type (e.g., Grimm, No. 166) or "John the Bear"
(Cosquin, No. 1), where the extraordinary companions also appear,
they turn out to be rascals, who faithlessly desert the hero. In
our stories, however, the specially-endowed men are supplied by a
grateful supernatural being, to help the kind-hearted hero win in his
contests with the stubborn king. (Compare Gonzenbach's Sicilian story,
No. 74, which includes a thankful saint, with characteristics of the
"Grateful Dead," a "Land-and-water Ship," and "Skilful Companions.")
The names of the companions in "King Palmarin" and "Juan and his
Six Friends" are clearly derived from the Spanish. In Caballero's
story of "Lucifer's Ear" we find these names: Carguin ("carrier"),
Oidin ("hearer"), Soplin ("sigher or blower"). All three occur in
"Juan and his Six Friends." In the three Filipino tales the total
number of different strong men is only seven,--Know-All, Blower,
Farsight, Runner, Hunter, Carrier, Sharp-Ear. This close conformity,
when we consider the wide variety to be found in the European stories
(see Bolte-Polívka, 2 : 87-94; Panzer, Beowulf, 66-74), suggests an
ultimate common source for our variants. The phrase "Soplin Soplon,
son of the great blower" (in "Juan and his Six Friends") is almost
an exact translation of "Soplin Soplon, hijo del buen soplador"
(Caballero, "Lucifer's Ear"). This same locution in the vernacular
is found in the Tagalog folk-tale of "Lucas the Strong."
The ship that will sail on land is often met with in European
stories. See R. Köhler, "Orient und Occident," 2 : 296-299; also
his notes to Gonzenbach, No. 74. Compare also the Argonaut saga;
and Bolte-Polívka, 2 : 87-95 passim.
In two of our stories the hero's runner is almost defeated by
the king's messenger, who treacherously makes use of a magic
sleep-producing ring. One of the other companions, however, discovers
the trick, and the skilful hunter awakens the sleeper with a well-aimed
shot. For this feat of Sharpshooter's, see Gonzenbach, No. 74; Grimm,
No. 71; Meier, No. 8; Ey, Harzmärchenbuch, 116.
Of native beliefs found in our stories, two are deserving of
comment. The method by which Lucas becomes possessed of great strength
reflects a notion held by certain old Tagalogs. Some of the men around
Calamba, Laguna province, make an incision in the wrist and put in
it a small white bone taken from the end of the tail of the sawang
bitin (a species of boa). The cut is then sewed up. Those who have
a talisman of this sort believe that at night it travels all over
the body and produces extraordinary strength. (For similar Malayan
superstitions, see Skeat 2, 303-304.) The legend (in "King Palmarin")
about the origin of Mount Arayat and the swamp of Candaba is but one
of many still told by old Pampangans. Its insertion into a romance
with European setting is an instance of the Filipino romance writers'
utter disregard or ignorance of geographical propriety.
In conclusion, attention may be called to the fact that while
these three stories have the same basic framework, each has its own
peculiar variations. The testimony of the narrator of "Juan and his
Six Companions," that his informant, an old Balayan woman, said that
the story was very popular in her section of the country, is a bit of
evidence that the tale has been known in the Philippines for decades,
probably. Whether or not her form of the story was derived from
a printed account, I am unable to say; but I suspect that it was;
the diction sounds "bookish." Nevertheless I have found no external
evidence of a Tagalog corrido treating the story we have printed.
TALE 12
THE THREE BROTHERS.
Narrated by Clodualdo Garcia, an llocano, who was told the story by
his mother when he was a small boy.
There was once an old woman who had three sons. The father died when
Tito, the youngest brother, was only five years old; and the mother was
left alone to bring up her three boys. The family was very poor; but
the good woman worked hard, and her sons grew into sturdy young men.
One day the mother called her sons before her, and said, "Now, my sons,
as you see my strength is failing me, I want each of you to go into
the world to seek his fortune. After nine years, come back home and
show me what you have learned to do." The three brothers consented,
and resolved to leave home the very next morning.
Early the following day the three brothers--An-no the oldest, Berto
the second, and Tito the youngest--bade their mother good-by, and
set out on their travels. They followed a wide road until they came
to a place where it branched in three directions. Here they stopped
and consulted. It was at last agreed that An-no should take the north
branch, Berto the south branch, and Tito the east branch. Before they
separated, An-no proposed that at the end of the nine years they should
all meet at the cross-roads before presenting themselves to their
mother. Then each, wishing the others good luck, proceeded on his way.
Well, to make a long story short, at the end of the nine years the
three brothers met again at the place designated. Each of them told
what he had learned during that time. An-no had been in the company of
glass-makers, and he had learned the art of glass-making. Berto had
been employed in a shipyard, and during the nine years had become an
expert boat-builder. The youngest brother, unfortunately, had fallen
into the company of bad men, some notorious robbers. While he was
with this band, he became the best and most skilful robber in the
gang. After each had heard of the others' fortunes, they started for
their home. Their mother felt very glad to have all her sons with
her once more.
Shortly after this family had been re-united, the king issued a
proclamation stating that his daughter, the beautiful princess Amelia,
had been kidnapped by a brave stranger, and that whoever could give
any information about her and restore her to the palace should be
allowed to marry her. When the three brothers heard this news, they
resolved to use their knowledge and skill to find the missing princess.
An-no had brought home with him a spy-glass in which everything hidden
from the eyes of men could be seen. With this instrument, he told his
brothers, he could locate the princess. He looked through his glass,
and saw her confined in a tower on an island. When An-no had given
this information to the king, the next question was how to rescue
her. "We'll do the rest," said the two younger brothers.
Accordingly Berto built a ship. When it was finished, the three
brothers boarded her and sailed to the island where the princess
was confined; but there they found the tower very closely guarded by
armed soldiers, so that it seemed impossible to get into it. "Well,
that is easy," said Tito. "You stay here and wait for my return. I
will bring the princess with me."
The famous young robber then went to work to steal the
princess. Through his skill he succeeded in rescuing her and bringing
her to the ship. Then the four sailed directly for the king's
palace. The beautiful princess was restored to her father. With great
joy the king received them, and a great feast was held in the palace
in honor of the rescue of his daughter. After the feast the king asked
the three brothers to which of them he should give his daughter's
hand. Each claimed the reward, and a quarrel arose among them. The
king, seeing that all had played important parts in the rescue of the
princess, decided not to bestow his daughter on any of them. Instead,
he gave half his wealth to be divided equally among An-no, Berto,
and Tito.
Three Brothers of Fortune.
Narrated by Eugenio Estayo, a Pangasinan, who heard the story from
Toribio Serafica, a native of Rosales, Pangasinan.
In former times there lived in a certain village a wealthy man who
had three sons,--Suan, Iloy, and Ambo. As this man was a lover of
education, he sent all his boys to another town to school. But these
three brothers did not study: they spent their time in idleness and
extravagance. When vacation came, they were ashamed to go back to
their home town, because they did not know anything; so, instead,
they wandered from town to town seeking their fortunes.
In the course of their travels they met an old woman broken with
age. "Should you like to buy this book, my grandsons?" asked the old
woman as she stopped them.
"What is the virtue of that book, grandmother?" asked Ambo.
"My grandsons," replied she, "if you want to restore a dead person
to life, just open this book before him, and in an instant he will
be revived." Without questioning her further, Ambo at once bought
the book. Then the three continued their journey.
Again they met an old woman selling a mat. Now, Iloy was desirous of
possessing a charm, so he asked the old woman what virtue the mat had.
"Why, if you want to travel through the air," she said, "just step
on it, and in an instant you will be where you desire to go." Iloy
did not hesitate, but bought the mat at once.
Now, Suan was the only one who had no charm. They had not gone far,
however, before he saw two stones, which once in a while would
meet and unite to form one round black stone, and then separate
again. Believing that these stones possessed some magical power,
Suan picked them up; for it occurred to him that with them he would
be able to unite things of the same or similar kind. This belief of
his came true, as we shall see.
These three brothers, each possessing a charm, were very happy. They
went on their way light-hearted. Not long afterward they came upon
a crowd of persons weeping over the dead body of a beautiful young
lady. Ambo told the parents of the young woman that he would restore
her to life if they would pay him a reasonable sum of money. As they
gladly agreed, Ambo opened his book, and the dead lady was brought
back to life. Ambo was paid all the money he asked; but as soon as he
had received his reward, Iloy placed his mat on the ground, and told
his two brothers to hold the young woman and step on the mat. They
did so, and in an instant all four were transported to the seashore.
From that place they took ship to another country; but when they were
in the middle of the sea, a severe storm came, and their boat was
wrecked. All on board would have been drowned had not Suan repaired
the broken planks with his two magical stones. When they landed, a
quarrel arose among the three brothers as to which one was entitled
to the young woman.
Ambo said, "I am the one who should have her, for it was I who restored
her to life."
"But if it had not been for me, we should not have the lady with us,"
said Iloy.
"And if it had not been for me," said Suan, "we should all be dead now,
and nobody could have her."
As they could not come to any agreement, they took the question
before the king. He decided to divide the young woman into three
parts to be distributed among the three brothers. His judgment was
carried out. When each had received his share, Iloy and Ambo were
discontented because their portions were useless, so they threw them
away; but Suan picked up the shares of his two brothers and united
them with his own. The young woman was brought to life again, and
lived happily with Suan. So, after all, Suan was the most fortunate.
Pablo and the Princess.
Narrated by Dolores Zafra, a Tagalog from La Laguna. She heard the
story from her father.
Once upon a time there lived three friends,--Pedro, Juan, and
Pablo. One morning they met at the junction of three roads. While
they were talking, Pedro said, "Let each of us take one of these
roads and set out to find his fortune! there is nothing for us to
do in our town." The other two agreed. After they had embraced and
wished each other good luck, they went their several ways. Before
separating, however, they promised one another to meet again in the
same plate, with the arrangement that the first who came should wait
for the others.
Pedro took the road to the right. After three months' travelling,
sometimes over mountains, sometimes through towns, he met an old
man. The old man asked him for food, for he was very hungry. Pedro
gave him some bread, for that was all he had. The old man thanked the
youth very much, and said, "In return for your kindness I will give
you this carpet. It looks like an ordinary carpet, but it has great
virtue. Whoever sits on it may be transported instantly to any place
he desires to be." Pedro received the carpet gladly and thanked the
old man. Then the old man went on his way, and Pedro wandered about
the town. At last, thinking of his two friends, he seated himself on
his carpet and was transported to the crossroads, where he sat down
to wait for Juan and Pablo.
Juan had taken the road to the left. After he had travelled for three
months and a half, he, too, met an old man. This old man asked the
youth for something to eat, as he was very hungry, he said. So Juan,
kind-heartedly, shared with him the bread he was going to eat for his
dinner. As a return for his generosity, the old man gave him a book,
and said, "This book may seem to you of no value; but when you know of
its peculiar properties, you will be astonished. By reading in it you
will be able to know everything that is happening in the world at all
times." Juan was overjoyed with his present. After thanking the old
man and bidding him good-by, the youth returned to the meeting-place
at the cross-roads, where he met Pedro. The two waited for Pablo.
Pablo took the road in the middle, and, after travelling four months,
he also met an old man, to whom he gave the bread he was going to eat
for his dinner. "As you have been very kind to me," said the old man,
"I will give you this ivory tube as a present. Perhaps you will say
that it is worthless, if you look only at the outside; but when you
know its value, you will say that the one who possesses it is master
of a great treasure. It cures all sick persons of every disease,
and, even if the patient is dying, it will restore him instantly to
perfect health if you will but blow through one end of the tube into
the sick person's nose." Pablo thanked the old man heartily for his
gift, and then set out for the meeting-place. He joined his friends
without mishap.
The three friends congratulated one another at having met again
in safety and good health. Then they told one another about their
fortunes. While Pedro was looking in Juan's book, he read that a
certain princess in a distant kingdom was very sick, and that the king
her father had given orders that any person in the world who could cure
his daughter should be her husband and his heir. When Pedro told his
companions the news, they at once decided to go to that kingdom. They
seated themselves on the carpet, and were transported in a flash to
the king's palace. After they had been led into the room of the sick
princess, Pablo took his tube and blew through one end of it into her
nose. She immediately opened her eyes, sat up, and began to talk. Then,
as she wanted to dress, the three friends retired.
While the princess was dressing, Pablo, Juan, and Pedro went before
the king, and told him how they had learned that the princess was sick,
how they had been transported there, and who had cured her. The king,
having heard all each had to say in his own favor, at last spoke thus
wisely to them:--
"It is true, Pablo, that you are the one who cured my daughter; but
let me ask you whether you could have contrived to cure her if you
had not known from Juan's book that she was sick, and if Pedro's
carpet had not brought you here without delay.--Your book, Juan,
revealed to you that my daughter was sick; but the knowledge of her
illness would have been of no service had it not been for Pedro's
carpet and Pablo's tube. And it is just the same way with your carpet,
Pedro.--So I cannot grant the princess to any one of you, since each
has had an equal share in her cure. As this is the case, I will choose
another means of deciding. Go and procure, each one of you, a bow and
an arrow. I will hang up the inflorescence of a banana-plant. This will
represent the heart of my daughter. The one who shoots it in the middle
shall be the husband of my daughter, and the heir of my kingdom."
The first to shoot was Pedro, whose arrow passed directly through the
middle of the banana-flower. He was very glad. Juan shot second. His
arrow passed through the same hole Pedro's arrow had made. Now came
Pablo's turn; but when Pablo's turn came, he refused to shoot, saying
that if the banana-flower represented the heart of the princess,
he could not shoot it, for he loved her too dearly.
When the king heard this answer, he said, "Since Pablo really loves
my daughter, while Pedro and Juan do not, for they shot at the flower
that represents her heart, Pablo shall marry the princess."
And so Pablo married the king's daughter, and in time became king of
that country.
Legend of Prince Oswaldo.
Narrated by Leopoldo Uichanco, a Tagalog from Calamba, La Laguna.
Once upon a time, on a moonlight night, three young men were walking
monotonously along a solitary country road. Just where they were
going nobody could tell: but when they came to a place where the road
branched into three, they stopped there like nails attracted by a
powerful magnet. At this crossroads a helpless old man lay groaning
as if in mortal pain. At the sight of the travellers he tried to
raise his head, but in vain. The three companions then ran to him,
helped him up, and fed him a part of the rice they had with them.
The sick old man gradually regained strength, and at last could speak
to them. He thanked them, gave each of the companions a hundred pesos,
and said, "Each one of you shall take one of these branch-roads. At
the end of it is a house where they are selling something. With
these hundred pesos that I am giving each of you, you shall buy the
first thing that you see there." The three youths accepted the money,
and promised to obey the old man's directions.
Pedro, who took the left branch, soon came to the house described
by the old man. The owner of the house was selling a rain-coat. "How
much does the coat cost?" Pedro asked the landlord.
"One hundred pesos, no more, no less."
"Of what value is it?" said Pedro.
"It will take you wherever you wish to go." So Pedro paid the price,
took the rain-coat, and returned.
Diego, who took the middle road, arrived at another house. The owner
of this house was selling a book. "How much does your book cost?" Diego
inquired of the owner.
"One hundred pesos, no more, no less."
"Of what value is it?"
"It will tell you what is going on in all parts of the world." So
Diego paid the price, took the book, and returned.
Juan, who took the third road, reached still another house. The owner
of the house was selling a bottle that contained some violet-colored
liquid. "How much does the bottle cost?" said Juan.
"One hundred pesos, no more, no less."
"Of what value is it?"
"It brings the dead back to life," was the answer. Juan paid the price,
took the bottle, and returned.
The three travellers met again in the same place where they had
separated; but the old man was now nowhere to be found. The first to
tell of his adventure was Diego. "Oh, see what I have!" he shouted
as he came in sight of his companions. "It tells everything that is
going on in the world. Let me show you!" He opened the book and read
what appeared on the page: "'The beautiful princess of Berengena is
dead. Her parents, relatives, and friends grieve at her loss.'"
"Good!" answered Juan. "Then there is an occasion for us to test
this bottle. It restores the dead back to life. Oh, but the kingdom
of Berengena is far away! The princess will be long buried before we
get there."
"Then we shall have occasion to use my rain-coat," said Pedro. "It
will take us wherever we wish to go. Let us try it! We shall receive
a big reward from the king. We shall return home with a casco full
of money. To Berengena at once!" He wrapped the rain-coat about all
three of them, and wished them in Berengena. Within a few minutes
they reached that country. The princess was already in the church,
where her parents were weeping over her. Everybody in the church wore
deep mourning.
When the three strangers boldly entered the church, the guard at the
door arrested them, for they had on red clothes. When Juan protested,
and said that the princess was not dead, the guard immediately took
him to the king; but the king, when he heard what Juan had said,
called him a fool.
"She is only sleeping," said Juan. "Let me wake her up!"
"She is dead," answered the king angrily. "On your life, don't you
dare touch her!"
"I will hold my head responsible for the truth of my statement," said
Juan. "Let me wake her up, or rather, not to offend your Majesty,
restore her to life!"
"Well, I will let you do as you please," said the king; "but if
your attempt fails, you will lose your head. On the other hand,
should you be successful, I will give you the princess for a wife,
and you shall be my heir."
Blinded by his love for the beautiful princess, Juan said that he would
restore her to life. "May you be successful!" said the king; and then,
raising his voice, he continued, "Everybody here present is to bear
witness that I, the King of Berengena, do hereby confirm an agreement
with this unknown stranger. I will allow this man to try the knowledge
he pretends to possess of restoring the princess to life. But there
is this condition to be understood: if he is successful, I will marry
him to the princess, and he is to be my heir; but should he fail,
his head is forfeit."
The announcement having been made, Juan was conducted to the coffin. He
now first realized what he was undertaking. What if the bottle was
false! What if he should fail! Would not his head be dangling from the
ropes of the scaffold, to be hailed by the multitude as the remains
of a blockhead, a dunce, and a fool? The coffin was opened. With
these meditations in his mind, Juan tremblingly uncorked his bottle
of violet liquid, and held it under the nose of the princess. He held
the bottle there for some time, but she gave no signs of life. An hour
longer, still no trace of life. After hours of waiting, the people
began to grow impatient. The king scratched his head, the guards
were ready to seize him; the scaffold was waiting for him. "Nameless
stranger!" thundered the king, with indignant eyes, "upon your honor,
tell us the truth! Can you do it, or not? Speak. I command it!"
Juan trembled all the more. He did not know what to say, but he
continued to hold the bottle under the nose of the princess. Had
he not been afraid of the consequences, he would have given up and
entreated the king for mercy. He fixed his eyes on the corpse, but
did not speak. "Are you trying to joke us?" said the king, his eyes
flashing with rage. "Speak! I command!"
Just as Juan was about to reply, he saw the right hand of the princess
move. He bade the king wait. Soon the princess moved her other hand and
opened her eyes. Her cheeks were fresh and rosy as ever. She stared
about, and exclaimed in surprise, "Oh, where am I? Where am I? Am I
dreaming? No, there is my father, there is my mother, there is my
brother." The king was fully satisfied. He embraced his daughter,
and then turned to Juan, saying, "Stranger, can't you favor us now
with your name?"
With all the rustic courtesy he knew, Juan replied to the king,
told his name, and said that he was a poor laborer in a barrio far
away. The king only smiled, and ordered Juan's clothes to be exchanged
for prince's garments, so that the celebration of his marriage with
the princess might take place at once. "Long live Juan! Long live
the princess!" the people shouted.
When Diego and Juan heard the shout, they could not help feeling
cheated. They made their way through the crowd, and said to the king,
"Great Majesty, pray hear us! In the name of justice, pray hear us!"
"Who calls?" asked the king of a guard near by. "Bring him here!" The
guard obeyed, and led the two men before the king.
"What is the matter?" asked the king of the two.
"Your Majesty shall know," responded Diego. "If it had not been for
my book, we could not have known that the princess was dead. Our home
is far away, and it was only because of my magic book that we knew
of the events that were going on here."
"And his Majesty shall be informed," seconded Pedro, "that Juan's
good luck is due to my rain-coat. Neither Diego's book nor Juan's
bottle could have done anything had not my raincoat carried us here
so quickly. I am the one who should marry the princess."
The king was overwhelmed: he did not know what to do. Each of the three
had a good reason, but all three could not marry the princess. Even
the counsellors of the king could not decide upon the matter.
While they were puzzling over it, an old man sprang forth from
the crowd of spectators, and declared that he would settle the
difficulty. "Young men," he said, addressing Juan, Pedro, and Diego,
"none of you shall marry the princess.--You, Juan, shall not marry
her, because you intended to obtain your fortunes regardless of
your companions who have been helping you to get them.--And you,
Pedro and Diego, shall not have the princess, because you did not
accept your misfortune quietly and thank God for it.--None of you
shall have her. I will marry her myself."
The princess wept. How could the fairest maiden of Berengena marry
an old man! "What right have you to claim her?" said the king in scorn.
"I am the one who showed these three companions where to get their
bottle, rain-coat, and book," said the old man. "I am the one who
gave each of them a hundred pesos. I am the capitalist: the interest
is mine." The old man was right; the crowd clapped their hands; and
the princess could do nothing but yield. Bitterly weeping, she gave
her hand to the old man, who seemed to be her grandfather, and they
were married by the priest. The king almost fainted.
But just now the sun began to rise, its soft beams filtering through
the eastern windows of the church. The newly-married couple were
led from the altar to be taken home to the palace; but, just as
they were descending the steps that lead down from the altar, the
whole church was flooded with light. All present were stupefied. The
glorious illumination did not last long. When the people recovered,
they found that their princess was walking with her husband, not an
old man, however, but a gallant young prince. The king recognized
him. He kissed him, for they were old-time acquaintances. The king's
new son-in-law was none other than Prince Oswaldo, who had just been
set free from the bonds of enchantment by his marriage. He had been
a former suitor of the princess, but had been enchanted by a magician.
With magnificent ceremony the king's son-in-law was conducted to
the royal residence. He was seated on the throne, the crown and
sceptre were transferred to him, and he was hailed as King Oswaldo
of Berengena.
Notes.
I have still a fifth Filipino story (e) of three brothers setting out
to seek their fortunes, their rich father promising his estate to the
son who should show most skill in the profession he had chosen. This
Bicol version, which was narrated by Simeon Paz of Nueva Caceres,
Camarines, contains a long introduction telling how the youngest
brother was cruelly treated by the two older. After the three have
left home in search of professions, the older brothers try to kill
the youngest, but he escapes. In his wanderings he meets with an old
hermit, who, on hearing the boy's story, presents him with a magic
booklet and dagger. These articles can furnish their possessor with
whatever he wishes. At the appointed time the three brothers meet again
at home, and each demonstrates his skill. The oldest, who has become
an expert blacksmith, shoes a horse running at full speed. The second
brother, a barber, trims the hair of a running man. The youngest causes
a beautiful palace to appear instantly. The father, somewhat unfairly,
perhaps, bestows his estate on the youngest, who has really displayed
no skill at all.
These five Filipino stories belong to a large group of tales to which
we may give the name of the "Rival Brothers." This cycle assumes
various forms; but the two things that identify the relationship
of the members are the rivalry of the brothers and the conundrum or
"problem" ending of the stories. Within this cycle we can distinguish
at least three simple, distinct types, and a compound fourth made up
of parts of two of the others. These four types may be very generally
outlined as follows: (I) A number of artisans (usually not brothers),
by working cumulatively, as it were, make and bring to life a beautiful
woman; they then quarrel as to which one has really produced her and
is therefore entitled to have her. (II) Through the combined skill of
three suitors (sometimes brothers, oftener not), a maiden is saved
from death, and the three quarrel over the possession of her. The
difficulty is solved satisfactorily by her father or by some one
else appointed to judge. (III) A father promises his wealth to the
son that shall become most skilful in his profession; the three sons
seek their fortunes, and at an appointed time return, and are tested
by their father. He judges which is most worthy of the estate. (IV)
A combination of the first part of the third type with the second.
Benfey (in Ausland, 1858 : 969, 995, 1017, 1038, 1067) has made
a somewhat exhaustive study of the Märchen, which he calls "Das
Märchen von den Menschen mit den wunderbaren Eigenschaften." As a
matter of fact, he examines particularly the stories of our type
II (see above), to which he connects the folk-tales of our types
III and IV as a later popular development. As has been said in the
notes to No. 11 Benfey thinks that the "Skilful Companions" cycle
is a droll or comic offshoot of this much older group. Our type I he
does not discuss at all, possibly thinking that it is not a part of
the "Rival Brothers" cycle. It strikes me, however, as being a part
fully as much as is the "Skilful Companions" cycle, which is perhaps
more nearly related to the "Bride Wager" group than to the "Rival
Brothers." Professor G. L. Kittredge, in his "Arthur and Gorlagon"
(Harvard Studies and Notes in Philology and Literature, No. 8),
226, has likewise failed to differentiate clearly the two cycles,
and his outline of the "Skilful Companions" is that of our type
II of the "Rival Brothers." I am far from wishing to quarrel over
nomenclature,--possibly "Rival Brothers" is no better name for the
group of tales under discussion than is "Skilful Companions,"--but,
as G. H. Gerould has remarked ("The Grateful Dead," Folk-Lore Society,
1907 : 126, note 3), Kittredge's analysis would not hold for all
variants, even when uncompounded. However, Mr. Gerould does not
attempt to explain the cause of the confusion, nor was he called upon
to do so in his study of an entirely distinct cycle. Consequently,
as no one else has yet done so, for the sake of clearness, I propose
a division of the large family of sagas and folk-tales dealing with
men endowed with extraordinary powers [46] into at least two cycles,
--the "Rival Brothers" and the "Skilful Companions" (see No. 11). The
former of these, which is the group discussed here, I subdivide,
as has already been indicated, into four types. Of intermixtures of
these types with other cycles we shall not concern ourselves here,
though they have been many. [47] We now turn to an examination of
the four types. [48]
(I) Type I had its origin in India, doubtless. The oldest form seems to
be that found in the Sanscrit "Vetâlapancavinçati," No. 22, whence it
was incorporated into Somadeva's story collection (twelfth century)
called the "Kathásaritságara." An outline of this last version
(Tawney's translation, 2 : 348-350) is as follows.
Story of the Four Brahman Brothers who Resuscitated the Lion.
Four Bráhman brothers, sons of a very poor man, leave home to
beg. After their state has become even more miserable, they decide
to separate and to search through the earth for some magic power. So,
fixing upon a trysting-place, they leave one another, one going east,
one west, one north, one south. In the course of time they meet again,
and each tells of his accomplishments: the first can immediately
produce on a bit of bone the flesh of that animal; the second can
produce on that flesh skin and hair appropriate to that animal; the
third can create the limbs of the animal after the flesh, skin, and
hair have been formed; the fourth can endow the completed carcass with
life. The four now go into the forest to find a piece of bone with
which to test their skill; they find one, but are ignorant that it
is the bone of a lion. The first Brahman covers the bone with flesh;
the second gives it skin and hair; the third completes the animal
by supplying appropriate limbs; the fourth endows it with life. The
terrible beast, springing up, charges the four brothers and slays
them on the spot.
The question which the vetála now asks the king is, "Which of these
four was guilty in respect of the lion who slew them all?" King
Vikramasena answers, "The one that gave life to the lion is guilty. The
others produced flesh, skin, hair, and limbs without knowing what kind
of animal they were making. Therefore, being ignorant, they were not
guilty. But the fourth, seeing the complete lion's shape before him,
was guilty of their death, because he gave the creature life."
The "Pancatantra" version (v, 4) varies slightly. Here, as in the
preceding, there are four brothers, but only three of them possess
all knowledge; the fourth possesses common sense. The first brother
joins together the bones of a lion; the second covers them with
skin, flesh, and blood; the third is about to give the animal life,
when the fourth brother--he who possessed common sense--says, "If
you raise him to life, he will kill us all." Finding that the third
brother will not desist from his intention, the fourth climbs a tree
and saves himself, while his three brothers are torn to pieces. For
a modern Indian popular form, see Thornhill, 289.
In the Persian "Tûtî-nâmah" (No. 5) the story assumes a decidedly
different form, as may be seen from the following abstract. (I think
that there can be no doubt, however, that this tale was inspired
by some redaction of "Vetâlapancavinçati," No. 22, not unlikely in
combination with "Vetâlapancavinçati," No. 2.)
The Goldsmith, the Carpenter, the Tailor, and the Hermit who Quarrelled
about a Wooden Woman.
A goldsmith, a carpenter, a tailor, and a hermit, travelling together,
come to a desert place where they must spend the night. They decide
that each shall take a watch during the night as guard. The carpenter's
turn is first: to prevent sleep he carves out a wooden figure. When
his turn comes, the goldsmith shows his skill by preparing jewels and
adorning the puppet. The tailor's turn is next: he sees the beautiful
wooden woman decked with exquisite jewels, but naked; consequently
he makes neat clothes becoming a bride, and dresses her. When the
hermit's turn to watch comes, he prays to God that the figure may
have life; and it begins to speak like a human being.
In the morning all four fall desperately in love with the woman,
and each claims her as his. Finally they come to a fifth person,
and refer the matter to him. He claims her to be his wife, who has
been seduced from his house, and hails the four travellers before the
cutwal. But the cutwal falls in love with the woman, says that she
is his brother's wife, accuses the five of his brother's murder, and
carries them before the cazi. The cazi, no less enamoured, says that
the woman is his bondmaid, who had absconded with much money. After
the seven have disputed and wrangled a long time, an old man in the
crowd that has meantime gathered suggests that the case be laid before
the Tree of Decision, which can be found in a certain town. When they
have all come before the tree with the woman, the tree divides, the
woman runs into the cleft, the tree unites, and she has disappeared
forever. A voice from the tree then says, "Everything returns to its
first principles." The seven suitors are overwhelmed with shame.
A Mongolian form, to be found in the Ardschi-Bordschi saga (see
Busk, 298-304), seems to furnish the link of connection between the
"Tûtî-nâmah" version and "Vetâlapancavinçati," Nos. 22 and 2:--
Who Invented Woman?
Four shepherd youths pasture their flocks near one another, and when
they have time amuse themselves together. One day one of them there
alone, to pass away the time, takes wood and sculptures it until he
has fashioned a beautiful female form. When he sees what he has done,
he cares no more for his companions, but goes his way. The next day
the second youth comes alone to the place, and, finding the image, he
paints it fair with the five colors, and goes his way. On the third
day the third youth finds the statue, and infuses into it wit and
understanding. He, too, cares no more to sport with his companions,
and goes his way. On the fourth day the fourth youth finds the figure,
and, breathing softly into its lips, behold! he gives it a soul that
can be loved,--a beautiful woman.
When the other three see what has happened, they come back and demand
possession of her by right of invention. Each urges his claim; but
they can come to no decision, and so they lay the matter before the
king. The question is, Who has invented the woman, and to whom does
she belong by right? The answer of the king is as follows: "The first
youth stands in the place of a father to her; the second youth, who
has tinted her fairly, stands in the place of a mother; the third,
is he not Lama (Buddhist priest, hence instructor)? The fourth has
given her a soul that can be loved, and it is he alone who has really
made her. She belongs to him, and therefore he is her husband."
I cannot refrain from giving a résumé of "Vetâlapancavinçati,"
No. 2, because it has been overlooked by Benfey, and seems to be of
no little significance in connection with our cycle: it establishes
the connection between types I and II. This abstract is taken from
Tawney's translation of Somadeva's redaction, 2 : 242-244:--
Story of the Three Young Brahmans who Restored a Dead Lady to Life.
Bráhman Agnisvámin has a beautiful daughter, Mandáravatí. Three young
Bráhmans, equally matched in accomplishments, come to Agnisvámin, and
demand the daughter, each for himself. Her father refuses, fearing to
cause the death of any one of them. Mandáravatí remains unmarried. The
three suitors stay at her house day and night, living on the sight of
her. Then Mandáravatí suddenly dies of a fever. The three Bráhmans
take her body to the cemetery and burn it. One builds a hut there,
and makes her ashes his bed; the second takes her bones, and goes
with them to the sacred river Ganges; the third becomes an ascetic,
and sets out travelling.
While roaming about, the third suitor reaches a village, where he is
entertained by a Bráhman. From him the ascetic steals a magic book
that will restore life to dead ashes. (He has seen its power proved
after his hostess, in a fit of anger, throws her crying child into
the fire.) With his magic book he returns to the cemetery before the
second suitor has thrown the maiden's bones into the river. After
having the first Bráhman remove the hut he had erected, the ascetic,
reading the charm and throwing some dust on the ashes of Mandáravatí,
causes the maiden to rise up alive, more beautiful than ever. Then
the three quarrel about her, each claiming her as his own. The first
says, "She is mine, for I preserved her ashes and resuscitated her
by asceticism." The second says, "She belongs to me, for she was
produced by the efficacy of sacred bathing-places." The third says,
"She is my wife, for she was won by the power of my charm."
The vetâla, who has been telling the story, now puts the question to
King Vikramasena. The king rules as follows: "The third Bráhman must
be considered as her father; the second, as her son; and the first,
as her husband, for he lay in the cemetery embracing her ashes,
which was an act of deep affection."
A modern link is the Georgian folk-tale of "The King and the Apple"
(Wardrop, No. XVI), in which the king's magic apple tells three
riddle-stories to the wonderful boy:--
(1) A woman is travelling with her husband and brother. The party
meets brigands, and the two men are decapitated. Their heads are
restored to them by the woman through the help of a magic herb
revealed to her by a mouse. However, she gets her husband's head on
her brother's body. Q.--Which man is the right husband? A.--The one
with the husband's head.
(2) A joiner, a tailor, and a priest are travelling. When night comes,
they appoint three watches. The joiner, for amusement, cuts down a
tree and carves out a man. The tailor, in his turn, takes off his
clothes and dresses the figure. The priest, when his turn comes,
prays for a soul for the image, and the figure becomes alive. Q.-Who
made the man? A.--He who gave him the soul.
(3) A diviner, a physician, and a swift runner are met together. The
diviner says, "There is a certain prince ill with such and such
a disease." The physician says, "I know a cure." The swift runner
says, "I will run with it." The physician prepares the medicine,
the runner runs with it, and the prince is cured. Q.--Who cured the
king's son? A.--He who made the medicine.
These three stories, with their framework, appear to be descended in
part from the Ardschi-Bordschi saga. A connection between the third
and our type II is obvious.
A Bohemian form of this type is No. 4 of Wratislaw's collection.
(II) Type II, according to Benfey, also originated in India. The
oldest known form of the story is the "Vetâlapancavinçati," No. 5. A
brief summary of Somadeva's version, "The Story of Somaprabhá and
her Three Suitors" (Tawney, 2 : 258-260), may be given here:--
In Ujjayiní there lived a Bráhman who had an excellent son and a
beautiful proud daughter. When the time for her to be married came,
she told her mother to give the following message to her father and
her brother: "I am to be given in marriage only to a person possessed
of heroism, knowledge, or magic power."
A noble Brahman (No. 1) in time came to the father and asked for
his daughter's hand. When told of the conditions, he said, "I am
possessed of magic power," and to demonstrate, he made a chariot and
took the father for a ride in the clouds. Then Harisvámin, the father,
promised his daughter to the Bráhman possessed of magic power, and
set the marriage day seven days hence.
Another Bráhman (No. 2) came and asked the son for his sister's
hand. When told the conditions, he said that he was a hero, and he
displayed his skill in the use of weapons. The brother, ignorant of
what his father had done, promised his sister's hand to this man,
and by the advice of an astrologer he selected the same day for the
wedding as his father had selected.
A third Bráhman (No. 3) on that same day asked the mother for her
daughter's hand, saying that he was possessed of wisdom. Ignorant of
what her husband and her son had done, she questioned this Bráhman
about the past and the future, and at length promised him her
daughter's hand on the same seventh day.
On the same day, then, three bridegrooms appeared, and, strange to say,
on that very day the bride disappeared. No. 3, with his knowledge,
discovered that she had been carried off by a Rákshasa. No. 1 made a
chariot equipped with weapons, and the three suitors and Harisvámin
were carried to the Rákshasa's abode. There No. 2 fought and killed the
demon, and all returned with the maiden. A dispute then arose among
the Bráhmans as to which was entitled to the maiden's hand. Each set
forth his claim.
The vetâla, who has been telling the story, now makes King Vikramasena
decide which deserves the girl. The king says that the girl ought to
be given to No. 2, who risked his life in battle to save her. Nos. 1
and 3 were only instruments; calculators and artificers are always
subordinate to others.
The story next passed over into Mongolia, growing by the way. The
version in the "Siddhi-Kür," No. 13, is interesting, because it
shows our story already linked up with another cycle, the "True
Brothers." Only the last part, which begins approximately where
the companions miss the rich youth, corresponds to the Sanscrit
above. (This Mongolian version may be found in English in Busk,
105-114.) The story then moved westward, and we next meet it
in the Persian and the Turkish "Tûtî-nâmah," "The Story of the
Beautiful Zehra." (For an English rendering from the Persian, see
"The Tootinameh; or, Tales of a Parrot," Persian text with English
translation [Calcutta, 1792], pp. 111-114.)
W. A. Clouston (Clouston 3, 2 : 277-288) has discussed this group of
stories, and gives abstracts of a number of variants that Benfey does
not mention: Dozon, "Albanian Tales," No. 4; a Persian manuscript text
of the "Sindibád Náma;" a Japanese legend known as early as the tenth
century; the "1001 Nights" story of "Prince Ahmed and the Peri Bánú;"
Powell and Magnussen's "Icelandic Legends," pp. 348-354, "The Story
of the Three Princes;" Von Hahn, "Contes Populaires Grecs" (Athens
and Copenhagen, 1879), No. II, p. 98. Of these he says (p. 285),
"We have probably the original of all these different versions in the
fifth of the 'Vetálapanchavinsati,'"--but hardly from No. 5 alone,
probably in combination with Nos. 2 and 22 (cf. above). At least,
the Arabian, Icelandic, and Greek forms cited by Clouston include
the search for trades or magic objects by rival brothers, a detail
not found in No. 5, but occurring in Nos. 22 and 2. Clouston calls
attention to the fact that in No. 5 and in the "Tûtî-nâmah" version the
damsel is not represented as being ill, while in the "Sindibád-Námá"
and in the Arabian version she is so represented.
(III) The third type seems to be of European origin. It is perhaps
best represented by Grimm, No. 124, "The Three Brothers." In his
notes, Grimm calls this story an old lying and jesting tale, and says
that it is apparently very widespread. He cites few analogues of it,
however. He does mention an old one (sixteenth century) which seems
to be the parent of the German story. It is Philippe d'Alcripe's
"Trois frères, excellens ouvriers de leurs mestiers" (No. 1 in the
1853 Paris edition, Biblioth. Elzevirien). As in Grimm, the three
skilled brothers in the French tale are a barber, a horse-shoer, and
a swordsman; and the performances of skill are identical in the two
stories. The French version, however, ends with the display of skill:
no decision is made as to which is entitled to receive the "petite
maison," the property that the father wishes to leave to the son who
proves himself to be the best craftsman. Our fifth story, the Bicol
variant, clearly belongs to this type, although it has undergone some
modifications, and has been influenced by contact with other cycles.
(IV) The fourth type represents the form to which our four printed
stories most closely approximate. As remarked above, it is a
combination of the third and the second types. This combination
appears to have been developed in Europe, although, as may be seen
from the analysis of "Vetâlapancavincati," No. 2, it might easily have
been suggested by the Sanscrit. Compare also the "Siddhi-Kür" form
of type II, where, although not brothers, and six in number instead
of three, the six comrades set out to seek their fortunes. But here
there is no suggestion of the six acquiring skill: they have that
before they separate.
The earliest known European version of this type is Morlini's, Nov. 30
(about 1520). His Latin was translated by Straparola (about 1553)
in the "Tredici piacevoli Notti," VII, 5. In outline his version runs
about as follows:--
Three brothers, sons of a poor man, voluntarily leave home to seek
their fortunes, promising to return in ten years. After determining on
a meeting-place, they separate. The first takes service with soldiers,
and becomes expert in the art of war: he can scale walls, dagger in
hand. The second becomes a master shipwright. The third spends his
time in the woods, and becomes skilled in the tongues of birds. After
ten years they meet again, as appointed. While they are sitting in
an inn, the youngest hears a bird say that there is a great treasure
hidden by the corner-stone of the inn. This they dig up, and return
as wealthy men to their father's house.
Another bird announces the imprisonment of the beautiful Aglea in a
tower on an island in the Ægean Sea. She is guarded by a serpent. The
second brother builds a swift ship, in which all three sail to the
island. There the first brother climbs the tower, rescues Aglea, and
plunders all the serpent's treasure. With the wealth and the lady
the three return. A dispute now arises as to which brother has the
best claim over her. The matter is left undecided by the story-teller.
At the beginning of the seventeenth century, Basile, working very
likely on oral tradition, and independent of Straparola (with whose
work he does not appear to have been acquainted), gives another
version, "Pentamerone," v, 7:--
Pacione, a poor father, sends his five good-for-nothing sons out into
the world for one year to learn a craft. They return at the appointed
time. During the year the eldest son has learned thieving; the second
has learned boat-building; the third, how to shoot with the cross-bow;
the fourth has learned of an herb that will cause the dead to rise;
the fifth has learned the language of birds. While the five sons are
eating with their father, the youngest son hears sparrows saying that a
ghoul has stolen the princess, daughter of the King of Autogolfo. The
father suggests that his five sons go to her rescue. So a boat is
built, the princess is stolen from the ghoul, the ghoul pursues and
is blinded by a shot from the bow, the princess falls in a dead faint
and is restored by the life-giving herb. After the five brothers have
returned the princess to her father, they dispute as to who did the
greatest deed of prowess, so as to be worthy of being her husband. Her
father the king decides the dispute by giving his daughter to Pacione,
because he is the parent-stem of all these branches.
Benfey thinks that the brother who knows of the life-restoring herb
is an original addition of Basile's or of his immediate source; but
this character is to be found in the cycle from earliest times (see
"Vetâlapancavinçati," No. 2; and "Siddhi-Kür," No. 13).
The story is next found as a Märchen pretty well scattered throughout
Europe. German, Russian, Bohemian, Italian, Greek, and Serbian forms
are known (see Benfey's article, and Grimm's notes to No. 129). We
may examine briefly six interesting versions not mentioned by Benfey
or Grimm:--
Greek (Von Hahn, No. 47).--A king with three sons wishes to marry
off the eldest. He seeks a suitable wife for the prince; but when
she is found and brought to the court, she is so beautiful, that all
three brothers want her. To decide their dispute, the king, on advice,
sends them abroad, promising the hand of the princess to the one who
shall bring back the most valuable article. The three brothers set
out; they separate at Adrianople, agreeing to meet there again at an
appointed time. On his travels, the eldest buys a telescope through
which he can see anything he wishes to see. The second buys an orange
that will restore to life the dying if the sick person but smells
of the fruit. The third buys a magic transportation-carpet. They all
meet as agreed. By means of the telescope one of the brothers learns
that the princess is dying. The magic carpet carries them all home
instantaneously, and the orange cures the maiden. A quarrel arises
as to which brother deserves her hand. The king, unable to decide,
marries her himself.
Bohemian (Waldau [Prag, 1860], "Das Weise Urteil").--In this there are
three rival brothers. One has a magic mirror; another, a magic chariot;
and the third, three magic apples. The first finds out that the lady
is desperately ill; the second takes himself and his rivals to her;
and the third restores her to health. A dispute arising, an old man
decides that the third brother should have her, as his apples were
consumed as medicine, while the other two still have their chariot and
mirror respectively. (Compare the decision in the Georgian folk-tale
under type II.)
Serbian (Mme. Mijatovies, 230 ff., "The Three Suitors").--Three
noblemen seek the hand of a princess. As the king cannot make a
choice, he says to the three, "Go travel about the world. The one who
brings home the most remarkable thing shall be my son-in-law." As in
the Greek story, one gets a transportation-carpet; another, a magic
telescope; and the third, a wonder-working ointment that will cure all
diseases and even bring the dead to life. The three noblemen meet,
learn through the telescope of the princess's mortal illness, and,
hastening to her side with the help of the magic carpet, cure her
with the ointment. A dispute arises as to which suitor shall have
her. The king decides that each has as good a claim as the others,
and persuades all to give up the idea of marrying the princess. They
do so, go to a far-off desert, and become hermits, while the king
marries his daughter to another noble. The story does not end here,
but thus much is all we are interested in.
Italian Tyrolese (Schneller, No. 14, "Die Drei Liebhaber").--This story
is like Von Hahn, No. 47. The magic objects are an apple, a chair,
and a mirror. In the magic mirror the three suitors see the bride
on the point of death. They are carried to her in the magic chair,
and she is saved by means of the apple. The story ends as a riddle:
Who married the maiden?
Icelandic (Rittershaus, No. XLIII, "Die drei Freier um eine
Braut").--This story, which closely follows the "1001 Nights" version
and is probably derived from it, agrees in the first part with Von
Hahn, No. 47. When a folk-tribunal is called to decide which brother
most deserves the princess and is unable to agree, the king proposes
another test,--a shooting-match. The princess is to be given to the one
who can shoot his arrow the farthest. The youngest really wins; but, as
his arrow goes out of sight and cannot be found, the princess is given
to the second brother. From this point on, the adventures of the hero
are derived from another cycle that does not belong with our group.
Icelandic (Rittershaus, No. XLII, "Die Kunstreichen Brüder").--Although
this story is very different from any of ours, I call attention to
it here because Dr. Rittershaus says (p. 181) that in it we have,
"in allerdings verwischter Form, das Märchen von 'der Menschen
mit den wunderbaren Eigenschaften,'" and she refers to Benfey's
"Ausland" article. The collector states, however, that the story is
so different from the other Märchen belonging to this family, that no
further parallels can be adduced. As a matter of fact, this Icelandic
story is a combination of the "Skilful Companions" cycle with the
"Child and the Hand" cycle. For this combined Märchen, see Kittredge,
"Arthur and Gorlagon," 222-227.
It might be noted, in passing, that a connection between this type of
the "Rival Brothers" and the "Skilful Companions" cycle is established
through Gonzenbach's Sicilian story of "The Seven Brothers who had
Magic Articles," No. 45. (See Köhler's notes to this tale and also
to No. 74; to Widter-Wolf, No. 6 [Jahrb. f. rom. und eng. lit., VII];
and to V. Tagic, No. 46 [Köhler-Bolte, 438-440].)
I have not attempted to give an exhaustive bibliographical account
of this cycle of the "Rival Brothers," but have merely suggested
points that seem to me particularly significant in its history and
development. So far as our four Filipino examples are concerned, I
think that it is perfectly clear that in their present form, at least,
they have been derived from Europe. There is so much divergence among
them, however, and they are so widely separated from one another
geographically, that it would be fruitless to search for a common
ancestor of the four.
The Ilocano story is the best in outline, and is fairly close to Grimm,
No. 129, though there are only three brothers in the Filipino tale, and
there is no skill contest held by the mother before the youths set out
to rescue the princess. The all-seeing telescope and the clever thief,
however, are found in both. The solution at the end is the same: the
king keeps his daughter, and divides half a kingdom among her rescuers.
The Pangasinan tale has obviously been garbled. The use of two magic
articles with properties so nearly the same, the taking ship by the
three brothers when they had a transportation-mat at their service,
and finally the inhuman decision of the king, [49]--all suggest either
a confusion of stories, or a contamination of old native analogies,
or crude manufacture on the part of some narrator. It may be remarked,
however, that the life-restoring book is analogous to the magic book
in "Vetâlapancavinçati," No. 2, while the repairing of the shattered
ship by means of the magic stones suggests the stitching-together of
the planks in Grimm, No. 129. The setting appears to be modern.
In the first Tagalog story (c) the three men are not brothers. They
are given the magic objects as a reward for kindness. The sentimental
dénouement reads somewhat smug and strained after all three men have
been represented as equally kind-hearted. The shooting-contest with
arrows to decide the question, however, may be reminiscent of the
"1001 Nights" version. For the resuscitating flute in droll stories,
see Bolte-Polívka's notes to Grimm, No. 61 (episode G1). The book of
knowledge suggests the magic book in the Pangasinan version.
TALE 13
THE RICH AND THE POOR.
Narrated by José L. Gomez, a Tagalog from Rizal province.
Once upon a time there lived in the town of Pasig two honest men who
were intimate friends. They were called Mayaman [50] and Mahirap,
[51] because one was much richer than the other.
One pleasant afternoon these two men made up their minds to take a
long walk into the neighboring woods. Here, while they were talking
happily about their respective fortunes, they saw in the distance
a poor wood-cutter, who was very busy cutting and collecting fagots
for sale. This wood-cutter lived in a mean cottage on the outskirts
of a little town on the opposite shore of the lake, and he maintained
his family by selling pieces of wood gathered from this forest.
When they saw the poor man, Mayaman said to his friend, "Now, which
one of us can make that wood-cutter rich?"
"Well, even though I am much poorer than you," said Mahirap, "I can
make him rich with just the few cents I have in my pocket."
They agreed, however, that Mayaman should be the first to try to make
the poor man rich. So Mayaman called out to the wood-cutter, and said,
"Do you want to be rich, my good man?"
"Certainly, master, I should like to be rich, so that my family might
not want anything," said the wood-cutter.
Pointing to his large house in the distance, Mayaman said, "All
right. Come to my house this evening on your way home, and I will
give you four bags of my money. If you don't become rich on them,
come back, and I will give you some more."
The wood-cutter was overjoyed at his good luck, and in the evening
went to Mayaman's house, where he received the money. He placed
the bags in the bottom of his banca, [52] and sailed home. When he
reached his little cottage, he spread out all the gold and silver
money on the floor. He was delighted at possessing such wealth, and
determined first of all to buy household articles with it; but some
dishonest neighbors, soon finding out that the wood-cutter had much
money in the house, secretly stole the bags.
Then the wood-cutter, remembering the rich man's promise, hastily
prepared his banca and sailed across to Pasig. When Mayaman saw the
wood-cutter, he said, "Are you rich now, my good man?"
"O kind master!" said the wood-cutter, "I am not yet rich, for some
one stole my bags of money."
"Well, here are four more bags. See that you take better care of them."
The wood-cutter reached home safely with this new wealth; but
unfortunately it was stolen, too, during the night.
Three more times he went to Mayaman, and every time received four
bags of money; but every time was it stolen from him by his neighbors.
Finally, on his sixth application, Mayaman did not give the wood-cutter
money, but presented him with a beautiful ring. "This ring will
preserve you from harm," he said, "and will give you everything
you ask for. With it you can become the richest man in town; but be
careful not to lose it!"
While the wood-cutter was sailing home that evening, he thought he
would try the ring by asking it for some food. So he said, "Beautiful
ring, give me food! for I am hungry." In an instant twelve different
kinds of food appeared in his banca, and he ate heartily. But after he
had eaten, the wind calmed down: so he said to the ring, "O beautiful
ring! blow my banca very hard, so that I may reach home quickly." He
had no sooner spoken than the wind rose suddenly. The sail and mast of
his little boat were blown away, and the banca itself sank. Forgetting
all about his ring, the unfortunate man had to swim for his life. He
reached the shore safely, but was greatly distressed to find that he
had lost his valuable ring. So he decided to go back to Mayaman and
tell him all about his loss.
The next day he borrowed a banca and sailed to Pasig; but when Mayaman
had heard his story, he said, "My good man, I have nothing more to
give you." Then Mayaman turned to his friend Mahirap, and said, "It
is your turn now, Mahirap. See what you can do for this poor man to
enrich him." Mahirap gave the poor wood-cutter five centavos,--all
he had in his pocket,--and told him to go to the market and buy a
fish with it for his supper.
The wood-cutter was disappointed at receiving so small an amount,
and sailed homeward in a very downcast mood; but when he arrived at
his town, he went straight to the market. As he was walking around the
fish-stalls, he saw a very fine fat fish. So he said to the tendera,
[53] "How much must I pay for that fat fish?"
"Well, five centavos is all I'll ask you for it," said she.
"Oh, I have only five centavos; and if I give them all to you, I
shall have no money to buy rice with. So please let me have the fish
for three!" said the wood-cutter. But the tendera refused to sell the
fish for three centavos; and the wood-cutter was obliged to give all
his money for it, for the fish was so fine and fat that he could not
leave it.
When he went home and opened the fish to clean it, what do you suppose
he found inside? Why, no other thing than the precious ring he had
lost in the lake! He was so rejoiced at getting back his treasure,
that he walked up and down the streets, talking out loud to his ring:--
"Ha, ha, ha, ha!
I have found you now;
You are here, and nowhere else."
When his neighbors who had stolen his bags of money from him heard
these words, they thought that the wood-cutter had found out that they
were the thieves, and was addressing these words to them. They ran up
to him with all the bags of money, and said, "O wood-cutter! pardon
us for our misdoings! Here are all the bags of money that we stole
from you."
With his money and the ring, the wood-cutter soon became the richest
man in his town. He lived happily with his wife the rest of his days,
and left a large heritage to his children.
So Mahirap, with five centavos only, succeeded in making the
wood-cutter rich.
Lucas the Rope-maker.
Narrated by Elisa Cordero, a Tagalog from Pagsanjan, Laguna. Miss
Cordero says that the story is well known and is old.
Luis and Isco were intimate friends. They lived in a country called
Bagdad. Though these two friends had been brought up together in the
same school, their ideas were different. Luis believed that gentleness
and kindness were the second heaven, while Isco's belief was that
wealth was the source of happiness and peace in life.
One day, while they were eating, Isco said, "Don't you believe, my
friend, that a rich man, however cruel he may be, is known everywhere
and has great power over all his people? A poor man may be gentle
and kind, but then he is disdainfully looked upon by his neighbors."
"Oh," answered Luis, "I know it, but to me everybody is the same. I
love them all, and I am not enchanted by anything that glisters."
"My friend," said Isco, "our conversation is becoming serious. Let
us take a walk this afternoon and see how these theories work out in
the lives of men."
That afternoon Luis and Isco went to a town called Cohija. On their
way they saw a rope-maker, Lucas by name, who by his condition showed
his great suffering from poverty. He approached Lucas and gave him a
roll of paper money, saying, "Now, Lucas, take this money and spend
it judiciously."
Lucas was overjoyed: he hardly knew what to do. When he reached home,
he related to his wife Zelima what had happened to him. As has been
said, Lucas was very poor and was a rope-maker. He had six little
children to support; but he had no money with which to feed them, nor
could he get anything from his rope-making. Some days he could not
sell even a yard of rope. When Lucas received the money from Luis,
and had gone home and told his wife, he immediately went out again
to buy food. He had one hundred pesos in paper money. He bought two
pounds of meat, and a roll of cañamo; [54] and as there was some more
money left, he put it in one of the corners of his hat. Unfortunately,
as he was walking home, an eagle was attracted by the smell of the
meat, and began flying about his head. He frightened the bird away;
but it flew so fast that its claws became entangled in his hat,
which was snatched off his head and carried away some distance. When
he searched for the money, it was gone. He could not find it anywhere.
Lucas went home very sad. When his wife learned the cause of his
sorrow, she became very angry. She scolded her husband roundly. As
soon as the family had eaten the meat Lucas bought, they were as poor
as before. They were even pale because of hunger.
One day Luis and Isco decided to visit Lucas and see how he was
getting along. It happened that while they were passing in the same
street as before, they saw Lucas weeping under a mango-tree near his
small house. "What is the matter?" said Luis. "Why are you crying?"
Poor Lucas told them all that had happened to him,--how the money was
lost, and how his wife had scolded him. At first Luis did not believe
the rope-maker's story, and became angry at him. At last, however,
when he perceived that Lucas was telling the truth, he pardoned him
and gave him a thousand pesos.
Lucas returned home with delight, but his wife and children were not in
the house. They were out asking alms from their neighbors. Lucas then
hid the bulk of the money in an empty jar in the corner of the room,
and then went out to buy food for his wife and children. While he was
gone, his wife and children returned. They had not yet eaten anything.
Not long afterward a man came along selling rice. Zelima said to him,
"Sir, can't you give us a little something to appease our hunger? I'll
give you some darak [55] in exchange."
"Oh, yes!" said the man, "I'll give you some rice, but you do not
need to give me anything."
Zelima took the rice gladly; and as she was looking for something
with which to repay the man, she happened to see the empty jar in
which her husband had secretly put his money. She filled the jar with
darak and gave it to the rice-seller.
When Lucas came home, he was very happy. He told his wife about the
money he had hidden. But when he found out that the money was gone,
he was in despair: he did not know what to do. He scolded his wife
for her carelessness. As he could not endure to see the suffering of
his children, he tried to kill himself, but his children prevented
him. At last he concluded to be quiet; for he thought, "If I hurt my
wife, and she becomes sick, I can't stand it. I must take care of her."
Two months passed by, and Luis and Isco again visited their friend
Lucas. While they were walking in the street, Luis found a big piece
of lead. He picked it up and put it in his pocket. When they reached
Lucas's house, they were astonished to see him in a more wretched
condition than before. Luis asked what was the matter. Lucas related
to him all that had occurred; but Luis just said, "Oh, no! you are
fooling us. We will not believe you." Lucas was very sad. He asked
pardon of Luis for his carelessness, and said, "Don't increase the
burden of my suffering by your scolding!"
Now, Luis was by nature gentle and pitiful. He could not endure to
see his friend suffering. So he gave him the lead he had found in
the street, saying, "Now, take care of that! Maybe your wealth will
come from it." Luis accepted the lead unwillingly, for he thought
that Luis was mocking him.
When Lucas went into the house, he threw the lead away in the corner,
and went to sleep. During the night a neighbor knocked at their door,
asking for a piece of lead for her husband. The neighbor said, "My
husband is going fishing early in the morning, and he asked me to buy
him some lead for his line, but I forgot it. I know he will scold me if
I don't have some ready for him." Lucas, who was wakened by the talk,
told his wife to get the lead he had thrown in the corner. When Zelima
found it, she gave it to their neighbor, who went away happy, promising
that she would bring them the first fish her husband should catch.
The next morning Lucas woke very late. The neighbor was already there
with a big fish, and Zelima was happy at having so much to eat. While
she was cleaning the fish, she found a bright stone inside it. As she
did not know of the value of the stone, she gave it to her youngest
son to play with; but when the other children saw it, they quarrelled
with their brother, and tried to take it away from him. Lucas, too,
was ignorant of the fact that the stone was worth anything.
In front of their house lived a rich man named Don Juan. When he
heard the noise of his neighbor's children quarrelling, he sent
his wife to see what was the matter. Don Juan's wife saw the stone,
and wanted to have it very much. She asked Zelima to sell it to her,
but Zelima said that she would wait and ask her husband. The rich
man's wife went home and told her husband about the jewel. He went
to Lucas's house, and offered the rope-maker a thousand pesos for the
stone; but Lucas refused, for now he suspected that it was worth more
than that. At last he sold it for twenty thousand pesos.
Lucas was now a rich man. He bought clothes for his wife and children,
renewed his house, which was falling to pieces, and bought a machine
for making rope. As his business increased, he bought another
machine. But although Lucas was the richest man in town, he was very
kind. His house was open to every comer. He supported crippled persons,
and gave alms to the poor.
When Luis and Isco visited Lucas the last time, they were surprised
and at the same time delighted to see him so rich. Lucas did not know
how to thank them. He gave a banquet in honor of these two men. After
the feast was over, Lucas told his friends every detail of all that
had happened to him, how he had lent the lead, how his wife had found
the stone in the fish, and how a rich man had bought it for twenty
thousand pesos.
Luis was now convinced that Lucas was honest, and had told the truth
on former occasions. Lucas lived in his big house happily and in
peace with his wife and children.
Notes.
These two Tagalog stories are probably derived from the same ultimate
source; the second, "Lucas the Rope-Maker," being very much closer to
the original. That source is the "History of Khevajah Hasan al-Habbal"
in the "Arabian Nights Entertainments" (see Burton's translation,
Supplemental Nights, III : 341-366). There is also a Tagalog literary
version of this story,--"Life of a Rope-maker in the Kingdom of
Bagdad," by Franz Molteni. I have at present no copy of this chap-book;
but the work may safely be dated 1902-05, as those were the years in
which Molteni published. This story follows faithfully the "Arabian
Nights" tale. The two rich friends are Saadi and Saad, and the name
of the rope-maker is Cojia Hasan.
Our second folk-tale (b) seems to stand half way between this literary
version and "The Rich and the Poor,"--not chronologically, to be sure,
but so far as fidelity to the Arabian story is concerned. Although the
events are practically the same in (b) and in Molteni, the proper names
differ throughout. It is possible that (b) derives from an earlier
Tagalog literary version that is no longer extant. (a) is definitely
localized on Laguna de Bay, and the story as a whole seems thoroughly
native. It is likely much older than either of the other two forms.
A Bengal tale somewhat similar to these is to be found in McCulloch's
"Bengali Household Tales," No. III; it is also connected with
the Dr. Knowall cycle (our No. 1). Caballero has a Spanish story
(see Ingram, "Dame Fortune and Don Money"). For a discussion of the
continuously unlucky hero, see Clouston 2, 489-493. In Ralston 1, I95
f., may be found a group of stories dealing with luck. Compare also
Thorpe's "Yule-tide Stories," 460 f., for the North German story of
"The Three Gifts."
For the "ejaculation guess" in No. 13(a), see notes to No. 1 (pp. 7-8).
TALE 14
THE KING AND THE DERVISH.
Narrated by José M. Hilario of Batangas, Batangas, who heard the
story from his father, a Tagalog.
Once there lived a young and brave king with his gentle and loving
wife. Both had enjoyed an easy, comfortable, and, best of all, happy
life. The king ruled his people well. The queen was a good wife as well
as a good sovereign: she always cheered her husband when he was sad.
One day a dervish came to the palace. He told the king that he
possessed magical power, and straightway they became friends. This
dervish had the power to leave his body and enter that of a dead
animal or person. Now, the king was fond of hunting, and once he
took his new friend with him to shoot deer. After a few hours of
hard chasing, they succeeded in killing a buck. To show his power,
the dervish left his body and entered that of the dead deer. Then he
resumed his former shape. The king was very anxious to be able to do
the same thing; whereupon the dervish gave him minute instructions,
and taught him the necessary charms. Then the king left his body,
and took possession of that of the deer. In an instant the dervish
entered the king's body and went home as the monarch. He gave orders
that a deer with certain marks should be hunted out and killed. The
true king was very unhappy, especially when he saw his own men chasing
him to take his life.
In his wanderings through the forest, he saw a dead nightingale. He
left the deer's body and entered the bird's. Now he was safe, so
he flew to his palace. He sang so sweetly, that the queen ordered
her attendants to catch him. He gladly allowed himself to be caught,
and to be cared for by the queen. Whenever the dervish took the bird
in his hands, the bird pecked him; but the beautiful singer always
showed signs of satisfaction when the queen smoothed his plumage.
Not long after the bird's capture, a dog died in the palace. The
king underwent another change: he left the bird's body and entered
that of the dog. On waking up in the morning, the queen found that
her pet was dead. She began to weep. Unable to see her so sad, the
dervish comforted her, and told her that he would give the bird
life again. Consequently he left the king's body and entered the
bird's. Seeing his chance, the real king left the dog's body and
resumed his original form. He then went at once to the cage and killed
the ungrateful bird, the dervish.
The tender queen protested against the king's act of cruelty; but when
she heard that she had been deceived by the dervish, she died of grief.
The Mysterious Book.
Narrated by Leopoldo Uichanco, a Tagalog from Calamba, La Laguna.
Once upon a time there lived a poor father and a poor son. The father
was very old, and was named Pedro. The son's name was Juan. Although
they were very poor, Juan was afraid of work.
One day the two did not have a single grain of rice in the house
to eat. Juan now realized that he would have to find some work,
or he and his father would starve. So he went to a neighboring town
to seek a master. He at last found one in the person of Don Luzano,
a fine gentleman of fortune.
Don Luzano treated Juan like a son. As time went on, Don Luzano became
so confident in Juan's honesty, that he began to intrust him with the
most precious valuables in the house. One morning Don Luzano went
out hunting. He left Juan alone in the house, as usual. While Juan
was sweeping and cleaning his master's room, he caught sight of a
highly polished box lying behind the post in the corner. Curious to
find out what was inside, he opened the box. There appeared another
box. He opened this box, and another box still was disclosed. One box
appeared after another until Juan came to the seventh. This last one
contained a small triangular-shaped book bound in gold and decorated
with diamonds and other precious gems. Disregarding the consequences
that might follow, Juan picked up the book and opened it. Lo! at once
Juan was carried by the book up into the air. And when he looked back,
whom did he see? No other than Don Luzano pursuing him, with eyes
full of rage. He had an enormous deadly-looking bolo in his hand.
As Don Luzano was a big man, he could fly faster than little Juan. Soon
the boy was but a few yards in front of his antagonist. It should also
be known that the book had the wonderful power of changing anybody
who had laid his hands on it, or who had learned by heart one of
its chapters, into whatever form that person wished to assume. Juan
soon found this fact out. In an instant Juan had disappeared, and in
his place was a little steed galloping as fast as he could down the
street. Again, there was Don Luzano after him in the form of a big
fast mule, with bubbling and foaming mouth, and eyes flashing with
hate. The mule ran so fast, that every minute seemed to be bringing
Juan nearer his grave.
Seeing his danger, Juan changed himself into a bird,--a pretty little
bird. No sooner had he done so than he saw Don Luzano in the form
of a big hawk about to swoop down on him. Then Juan suddenly leaped
into a well he was flying over, and there became a little fish. Don
Luzano assumed the form of a big fish, and kept up the chase; but the
little fish entered a small crack in the wall of the well, where the
big fish could not pursue him farther. So Don Luzano had to give up
and go home in great disappointment.
The well in which Juan found himself belonged to three beautiful
princesses. One morning, while they were looking into the water, they
saw the little fish with its seven-colored scales, moving gracefully
through the water. The eldest of the maidens lowered her bait, but
the fish would not see it. The second sister tried her skill. The
fish bit the bait; but, just as it was being drawn out of the water,
it suddenly released its hold. Now the youngest sister's turn came. The
fish allowed itself to be caught and held in the tender hands of this
beautiful girl. She placed the little fish in a golden basin of water
and took it to her room, where she cared for it very tenderly.
Several months later the king issued a proclamation throughout his
realm and other neighboring kingdoms, saying that the youngest
princess was sick. "To any one who can cure her," he said, "I
promise to give one-half of my kingdom." The most skilful doctors
had already done the best they could, but all their efforts were in
vain. The princess seemed to grow worse and worse every day. "Ay,
what foolishness!" exclaimed Don Luzano when he heard the news of
the sick princess. "The sickness! Pshaw! That's no sickness, never
in the wide world!"
The following morning there was Don Luzano speaking with the king. "I
promise to cure her," said Don Luzano. "I have already cured many
similar cases."
"And your remedy will do her no harm?" asked the king after some
hesitation.
"No harm, sir, no harm. Rely on my honor."
"Very well. And you shall have half of my kingdom if you are
successful."
"No, I thank you, your Majesty. I, being a faithful subject, need no
payment whatever for any of my poor services. As a token from you,
however, I should like to have the fish that the princess keeps in
her room."
"O my faithful subject!" exclaimed the king in joy. "How good you
are! Will you have nothing except a poor worthless fish?"
"No more" that's enough."
"Well, then," returned the king, "prepare your remedy, and on the
third day we shall apply it to the princess. You can go home now,
and you may be sure that you shall have the fish."
Don Luzano took his leave of the king, and then went home. On the third
day this daring magician came back to the palace to apply his remedy
to the princess. Before he began any part of the treatment, however,
he requested that the fish be given to him. The king consented to
his request: but as he was about to dip his hand into the basin,
the princess boldly stopped him. She pretended to be angry on the
ground that Don Luzano would soil with his hands the golden basin of
the monarch. She told him to hold out his hands, and she would pour
the fish into them. Don Luzano did as he was told: but, before the
fish could reach his hands, the pretty creature jumped out. No fish
now could be seen, but in its stead was a beautiful gold ring adorning
the finger of the princess. Don Luzano tried to snatch the ring, but,
as the princess jerked her hand back, the ring fell to the floor,
and in its place were countless little mungo [56] seeds scattered
about the room. Don Luzano instantly took the form of a greedy crow,
devouring the seeds with extraordinary speed. Juan, who was contained
in one of the seeds that had rolled beneath the feet of the princess,
suddenly became a cat, and, rushing out, attacked the bird. As soon
as you could wink your eyes or snap your fingers, the crow was dead,
miserably torn to pieces. In place of the cat stood Juan in an
embroidered suit, looking like a gay young prince.
"This is my beloved," confessed the princess to her father as she
pointed to Juan. The king forgave his daughter for concealing from
him the real condition of her life, and he gladly welcomed his new
son-in-law. Prince Juan, as we shall now call our friend, was destined
to a life of peace and joy. He was rid of his formidable antagonist;
he had a beautiful princess (who was no longer sick) for a wife; and
he had an excellent chance of inheriting the throne. There is no more.
Notes.
A third form (c) I have only in abstract; it is entitled "The Priest
and his Pupil:"--
A boy learns a number of magic tricks from the priest, his master. He
changes himself into a hog, and is sold to the priest; then he runs
away, transforms himself into a horse, and is again sold to his
master for much money. The horse breaks loose and runs off. The
priest now realizes the truth, and, transforming himself into a
horse, pursues the first horse. When they come to a river, the
first horse becomes a small fish, and the second a large fish, and
the chase continues. Then the two fish become birds wheeling aloft,
the larger chasing the smaller. As he flies over the palace of the
King of Persia, the boy becomes a small cocoanut-ring, and drops
on to the finger of the princess. The defeated priest returns home,
and threatens the King of Persia with war if he will not give up the
ring. When the priest calls at the court, the boy has changed himself
from a ring into a dog. The priest is told that he shall have the
ring provided he becomes a duck. Immediately when he has complied,
the dog seizes him and kills him. The hero later weds the princess.
A fourth form (d) is the Tagalog story "The Battle of the Enchanters,"
printed in JAFL 20 : 309-310.
Both of these variants (c and d) bear a close resemblance to our
second story of "The Mysterious Book," and all three probably go back
to a common source; but that source is not the "Arabian Nights" (as
Gardner hints, JAFL 20 : 309, note), although the second calendar's
tale in that collection represents one form of the "Transformation
Combat" cycle. These three Filipino variants are members of the large
family of Oriental and European folk-tales of which the Norse "Farmer
Weathersky" (Dasent, No. XLI) or the German "The Thief and his Master"
(Grimm, No. 68) may be taken as representatives. The essential elements
of this form of the "Transformation Combat" cycle have been noted by
Bolte-Polívka (2 : 61) as follows:--
A A father gives his son up to a magician to be taught, the condition
being that the father at the end of a year must be able to recognize
his son in animal form.
B The son secretly learns magic and thieving.
C In the form of a dog, ox, horse, he allows his father to sell him,
finally to the magician himself, to whom the father, contrary to
directions, also hands over the bridle.
D1 The son, however, succeeds in slipping off the bridle, and (D2)
overcomes the magician in a transformation combat (hare, fish, bird,
etc.). D3 Usually, after the hero has flown in the guise of a bird
to a princess and is concealed by her in the form of a ring, the
magician appears to the king her father, who has become sick, and
demands the ring as payment for a cure. The princess drops the ring,
and there lies in its place a pile of millet-seed, which the magician
as a hen starts to pick up; but the hero quickly turns himself into
a fox, and bites off the hen's head.
With slight variations from the formula as given above, these elements
are distributed thus in our stories:--
(b) BD2D3
(c) BCD2D3
(d) BCD1D3
Bolte and Polívka (2 : 66) cite a number of Oriental versions of
the story (Hindoo and Arabian) which in their main outlines are
practically identical with our variants. In the absence of the story
in any Spanish version, it seems most reasonable to look to India as
the source of our tales; unless, as is possible, they were introduced
into the Islands from Straparola (viii, 5), whose collection of stories
might have found their way there through the Spaniards. For further
discussions of this cycle, see Macculloch, 164-166; Clouston 3, 1 :
413 ff.; Köhler-Bolte, 1 : 138 ff., 556 f.; Benfey, 1 : 410-413.
Our first story, "The King who became a Deer, a Nightingale,
and a Dog," while containing the "transformation combat" between
magician and pupil, differs from the other members of this group in
one important respect: the transformation cannot take place unless
there is a dead body for the transformer's spirit to enter. It is
also to be noted that, as soon as a spirit leaves a body, that body
becomes dead. There can be no doubt that this story of ours is derived
from the 57th to the 60th "Days" in the "1001 Days" (Persian Tales,
1 : 212 ff.; Cabinet des Fées, XlV, p. 326 f.), the story of Prince
Fadlallah. For other variants of this cycle, see Benfey, 1 : 122 f.,
especially 126. The Persian story might have reached the Philippines
through the medium of the French translation, of which our tale
appears to be little more than the baldest abstract.
Benfey explains the "transformation combat" as originating in the
disputes between Buddhists and Brahmans. Doubtless the story first
grew up in India. A very ancient Oriental analogue, which has not
hitherto been pointed out, I believe, is the Hebrew account of
Aaron's magical contest with the Egyptian sorcerers (see Exodus,
vii, 9-12). Compare also the betting-contest between the two kings
in No. 1 of this collection, and see the notes.
TALE 15
THE MIRACULOUS COW.
Narrated by Adela Hidalgo, a Tagalog from Manila, who heard the story
from another Tagalog student.
There was once a farmer driving home from his farm in his
carreton. [57] He had tied his cow to the back of his cart, as he was
accustomed to do every evening on his way home. While he was going
along the road, two boys saw him. They were Felipe and Ambrosio. Felipe
whispered to Ambrosio, "Do you see the cow tied to the back of that
carreton? Well, if you will untie it, I will take it to our house."
Ambrosio approached the carreton slowly, and untied the cow. He handed
the rope to Felipe, and then tied himself in the place of the animal.
"Come on, Ambrosio! Don't be foolish! Come on with me!" whispered
Felipe impatiently.
"No, leave me alone! Go home, and I will soon be there!" answered
the cunning Ambrosio.
After a while the farmer happened to look back. What a surprise
for him! He was frightened to find a boy instead of his cow tied
to the carreton. "Why are you there? Where is my cow?" he shouted
furiously. "Rascal, give me my cow!"
"Oh, don't be angry with me!" said Ambrosio. "Wait a minute, and I
will tell you my story. Once, when I was a small boy, my mother became
very angry with me. She cursed me, and suddenly I was transformed
into a cow; and now I am changed back into my own shape. It is not
my fault that you bought me: I could not tell you not to do so, for
I could not speak at the time. Now, generous farmer, please give me
my freedom! for I am very anxious to see my old home again."
The farmer did not know what to do, for he was very sorry to lose his
cow. When he reached home, he told his wife the story. Now, his wife
was a kind-hearted woman; so, after thinking a few minutes, she said,
"Husband, what can we do? We ought to set him free. It is by the
great mercy of God that he has been restored to his former self."
So the wily boy got off. He rejoined his friend, and they had a good
laugh over the two simple folks.
Notes.
Like the preceding, this story is of Oriental origin. It must
have grown up among a people to whom the idea of metempsychosis
was well known, but who at the same time held a skeptical view of
that doctrine. Whether or not this droll reached the Philippines by
way of the Iberian Peninsula, is hard to say definitely. A Spanish
folk-tale narrating practically the same incident is to be found
in C. Sellers, pp. 1 ff.: "The Ingenious Student." There the shrewd
but poverty-stricken Juan Rivas steals a mule from the pack-train of
a simple-minded muleteer; and while the companions escape with the
animal and sell it, Juan puts on the saddle and bridle, and takes the
place of the stolen beast. His explanation that he has just fulfilled
a long period of punishment imposed on him by Mother Church satisfies
the astonished mule-owner, and Juan escapes with only the admonition
never again to incur the wrath of his spiritual Mother.
The oldest version with which I am familiar is the "Arabian Nights"
anecdote of "The Simpleton and the Sharper" (Burton's translation,
v : 83). This story is practically identical with ours, except that
the Filipino version lacks the additional final comical touch of the
Arabian. The owner of the ass, after the adventure with the sharper,
went to the market to buy another beast, "and, lo! he beheld his
own ass for sale. And when he recognized it, he advanced to it, and,
putting his mouth to its ear, said, 'Wo to thee, O unlucky! Doubtless
thou hast returned to intoxication and beaten thy mother again. By
Allah, I will never again buy thee!'" The sharper had previously
given as the reason of his transformation the fact that his mother had
cursed him when he, in a fit of drunkenness, had beaten her. Clouston
tells this story in his "Book of Noodles" (81-83).
Stories of the transformation of a child into an animal because
of a parent's curse are found all over Europe. This motif is also
widespread in the Philippines among both the Christian and the Pagan
tribes. It is usually incorporated in an origin story, such as "The
Origin of Monkeys." For this belief among a non-Christian people in
northern Luzon, see Cole, Nos. 65-67. None of these tales, however,
assume the droll form: they are told as serious etiological myths.
TALE 16
THE CLEVER HUSBAND AND WIFE.
Narrated by Elisa Cordero, a Tagalog from Pagsanjan, La Laguna. She
heard the story from her servant.
Pedro had been living as a servant in a doctor's house for more than
nine years. He wanted very much to have a wife, but he had no business
of any kind on which to support one.
One day he felt very sad. His look of dejection did not escape the
notice of his master, who said, "What is the matter, my boy? Why do
you look so sad? Is there anything I can do to comfort you?"
"Oh, yes!" said Pedro.
"What do you want me to do?" asked the doctor.
"Master," the man replied, "I want a wife, but I have no money to
support one."
"Oh, don't worry about money!" replied his master. "Be ready to-morrow,
and I will let you marry the woman you love."
The next day the wedding was held. The doctor let the couple live in a
cottage not far from his hacienda, [58] and he gave them two hundred
pieces of gold. When they received the money, they hardly knew what
to do with it, as Pedro had never had any business of any sort. "What
shall we do after we have spent all our money?" asked the wife. "Oh,
we can ask the doctor for more," answered Pedro.
Years passed by, and one day the couple had not even a cent with
which to buy food. So Pedro went to the doctor and asked him for some
money. The doctor, who had always been kind to them, gave him twenty
pieces of gold; but these did not last very long, and it was not many
days before the money was all spent. The husband and wife now thought
of another way by which they could get money from the doctor.
Early one day Pedro went to the doctor's house weeping. He said that
his wife had died, and that he had nothing with which to pay for her
burial. (He had rubbed onion-juice on his eyes, so that he looked
as if he were really crying.) When the doctor heard Pedro's story,
he pitied the man, and said to him, "What was the matter with your
wife? How long was she sick?" "For two days," answered Pedro.
"Two days!" exclaimed the doctor, "why did you not call me, then? We
should have been able to save her. Well, take this money and see that
she gets a decent burial."
Pedro returned home in good spirits. He found his wife Marta waiting
for him at the door, and they were happy once more; but in a month the
money was all used up, and they were on the point of starving again.
Now, the doctor had a married sister whom Pedro and his wife had
worked for off and on after their marriage. Pedro told his wife to go
to the doctor's sister, and tell her that he was dead and that she
had no money to pay for the burial. Marta set out, as she was told;
and when she arrived at the sister's house, the woman said to her,
"Marta, why are you crying?"
"My husband is dead, and I have no money to pay for his burial,"
said Marta, weeping.
"You have served us well, so take this money and see that masses are
said for your husband's soul," said the kind-hearted mistress.
That evening the doctor visited his sister to see her son who was
sick. The sister told him that Marta's husband had died. "No," answered
the doctor, "it was Marta who died." They argued and argued, but
could not agree; so they finally decided to send one of the doctor's
servants to see which one was dead. When Pedro saw the servant coming,
he told his wife to lie flat and stiff in the bed as if she were dead;
and when the servant entered, Pedro showed him his dead wife.
The servant returned, and told the doctor and his sister that it was
Marta who was dead; but the sister would not believe him, for she
said that perhaps he was joking. So they sent another servant. This
time Marta made Pedro lie down stiff and flat in the bed; and when
the servant entered the house, he saw the man lying as if dead. So he
hurried back and told the doctor and his sister what he had seen. Now
neither knew what to believe. The next morning, therefore, the doctor
and his sister together visited the cottage of Pedro. They found
the couple both lying as if dead. After examining them, however,
the doctor realized that they were merely feigning death. He was
so pleased by the joke, and so glad to find his old servants alive,
that he took them home with him and made them stay at his house.
Notes.
This droll seems to be derived from the "1001 Nights" (271st to 290th
nights of the Breslau edition, "The Story of Abu-l-hasan the Wag, or
the Sleeper Awakened"). The Arabian story is not only more detailed,
but contains much preliminary matter that is altogether lacking in
our story. In fact, the two are so dissimilar, except for the trick
the husband and wife play on their benefactor to get more money,
that it is hard to demonstrate a historical connection between the two.
I have in text and translation (the latter unpublished) a Tagalog
metrical version of the Arabian story. This metrical version, which
is told in 1240 lines, is entitled (in translation) "The Story of
Abu-Hasan, Who dreamed when he was Awake. Poem by Franz Molteni. First
edition, Manila." Although this work is not dated, it probably appeared
after 1900. In general, the Tagalog poem agrees with the "1001 Nights"
story, though it differs in details. An analysis of the differences
in the first part of the narratives need not concern us here, as our
folk-tale is connected with only the last third of the romance.
In the metrical version, after Abu, through the favor of the sultan,
has been married to Nuzhat, one of the ladies-in-waiting, the new
couple begin to live extravagantly, and soon exhaust the dowry and
wedding gifts. Then after much deliberation Abu decides to go to
the sultan, tell him that Nuzhat his wife is dead, and ask for
money for her burial. The ruse succeeds; Abu returns home with
a thousand ounces of gold. He at once counsels his wife to go to
the sultana with a similar story that he is dead and that money is
needed for his funeral. Nuzhat, too, receives a thousand ounces from
the sultana. The sultan now visits his wife, and tells her of the
death of Nuzhat. She insists that it is Abu who is dead, and they
argue violently about the matter. Finally the sultan decides to send
one of his servants to report the truth. When Abu sees the servant
coming, he bids his wife lie on the bier, and the servant is shown
her corpse. He reports that it is Nuzhat who is dead. The sultana
is enraged at the servant's statement, and sends her nurse for the
truth. This time Abu lies on the bier, and Nuzhat shows his body to
the nurse. When the old woman returns with her contradictory story,
the sultan's servant calls her a black falsifying witch. At last the
sultan and sultana themselves go to see. Both Abu and Nuzhat are found
lying as if dead. The sultan and his wife now argue so violently as
to which of their favorites died first, that the deceitful couple,
fearful of the outcome, kneel before their rulers, confess the trick,
and beg forgiveness. The royal pair laugh at the joke, and give Abu
and his wife enough to support them the rest of their days.
The last part of the Arabian story is substantially as given above,
only Nuzhat goes first to the sultana with the account of Abu's
death, after which Abu visits the sultan and tells him of Nuzhat's
death. Then follows the quarrel between the sultan and his wife over
the contradictory reports brought back by the two messengers. All
four go in person to discover the truth. Both Nuzhat and Abu are
found dead. Sultan: "I would give a thousand pieces of gold to know
which died first." Abu jumps up, says that he died first, and claims
the reward. Ending as above.
This story of Abu is also told as a folk-tale in Simla, northern India
(Dracott, 166-173), where it retains the Arabic title, "Abul Hussain,"
and is almost identical with the "1001 Nights" version. In the Simla
tale, however, the despatching of servants to learn which one is really
dead is lacking. The sultan and his wife together go to Abul's house,
and find both dead. "If we could only find out which died first!" etc.
Our story, the Tagalog folk-tale, is told almost as an anecdote. The
sultan has been transformed into a doctor; the sultana, into the
doctor's sister; Abu, into a poor servant, Pedro; and Nuzhat, into
Marta. The glitter of the Oriental harem has vanished, as indeed has
also the first two-thirds of the story. The descent in setting and
language has been so great, that I am inclined to suspect that this
droll has existed--at least, in one family--for a long time. It could
hardly have been derived from Molteni's poetic version. For the same
sort of relationship between another folk-tale and an "Arabian Nights"
story, see No. 13 and the notes.
TALE 17
THE THREE BROTHERS.
Narrated by Gregorio Frondoso, a Bicol from Tigaon, Camarines. The
narrator says, "This story was told to me by an old man who happened
to stay at our house one night. He was a traveller. I was then a
little boy."
Once upon a time, when wishing was having, there dwelt in the joyous
village of Delight a poor farmer, Tetong, with his loving wife
Maria. His earning for a day's toil was just enough to sustain them;
yet they were peaceful and happy. Nevertheless they thought that their
happiness could not be complete unless they had at least one child. So
morning and night they would kneel before their rustic altar and pray
God to grant them their desire. As they were faithful in their purpose,
their wish was fulfilled. A son was born to them, and joy filled
their hearts. The couple's love for their child grew so intense,
that they craved for another, and then for still another. The Lord
was mindful of their prayers; and so, as time went on, two more sons
were born to them. The second son they named Felipe; and the youngest,
Juan. The name of the oldest was Pedro. All three boys were lovely
and handsome, and they greatly delighted their parents.
In the course of time, however, when they were about eight, seven,
and six years old, Pedro, Felipe, and Juan became monstrously great
eaters. Each would eat at a single meal six or seven chupas [59]
of rice: consequently their father was obliged to work very hard,
for he had five mouths to feed. In this state of affairs, Tetong
felt that, although these children had been born to him and his wife
as an increase of their happiness, they would finally exhaust what
little he had. Nor was Maria any the less aware of the gluttony of
her sons. By degrees their love for their sons ripened into hatred,
and at last Tetong resolved to do away with his children.
One night, while he and his wife were sitting before their dim light
and their three sons were asleep, Tetong said to his wife, "Do you
not think it would be better to get rid of our sons? As you see, we
are daily becoming poorer and poorer because of them. I have decided
to cast them away into some distant wild forest, where they may feed
themselves on fruits or roots."
On hearing these words of her husband, Maria turned pale: her blood ran
cold in her veins. But what could she do? She felt the same distress
as her husband. After a few moments of silence, she replied in a
faltering voice, "My husband, you may do as you wish." Accordingly
Tetong made ready the necessary provisions for the journey, which
consisted of a sack of rice and some preserved fish.
The next morning, on the pretext of planting camotes [60] and corn
on the hill some thirty miles away from the village, he ordered his
sons to accompany him. When they came to a forest, their father led
them through a circuitous path, and at last took them to the hill. As
soon as they arrived there, each set to work: one cut down trees,
another built a shed, and the others cleared a piece of land in which
to plant the camotes and corn.
After two weeks their provisions were almost used up. Tetong then
called his sons together, and said to them, "My sons, we have very
little to eat now. I am going to leave you for some days: I am going
back to our village to get rice and fish. Be very good to one another,
and continue working, for our camotes will soon have roots, and our
corn ears." Having said these words, he blessed them and left.
Days, weeks, and months elapsed, but Tetong did not reappear. The corn
bore ears, and the camotes produced big sound roots; but these were not
sufficient to support the three brothers. Nor did they know the way
back to their home. At last, realizing that their father and mother
did not care for them any more, they agreed to wander about and look
for food. They roved through woods, thickets, and jungles. At last,
fatigued and with bodies tired and bruised, they came to a wide river,
on the bank of which they stopped to rest. While they were bewailing
their unhappy lot, they caught sight, on the other side of the river,
of banana-trees with bunches of ripe fruit. They determined to get
those fruits; but, as they knew nothing about swimming, they had to cut
down bamboos and join them together to bridge the stream. So great was
their hunger, that each ate three bunches of the ripe bananas. After
they had satisfied their hunger, they continued on their way refreshed.
Soon they came upon a dark abyss. Curious to know what it might
contain, the three brothers looked down into it, but they could not
see the bottom. Not contented, however, with only seeing into the
well, they decided to go to the very bottom: so they gathered vines
and connected them into a rope.
Pedro was the first to make the attempt, but he could not stand the
darkness. Then Felipe tried; but he too became frightened, and could
not stay long in the dark. At last Juan's turn came. He went down to
the very bottom of the abyss, where he found a vast plain covered with
trees and bushes and shrubs. On one side he saw at a short distance a
green house. He approached the house, and saw a most beautiful lady
sitting at the door. When she saw him, she said to him in friendly
tones, "Hail, Juan! I wonder at your coming, for no earthly creature
has ever before been here. However, you are welcome to my house." With
words of compliment Juan accepted her invitation, and entered the
house. He was kindly received by that lady, Maria. They fell in love
with each other, and she agreed to go with Juan to his home.
They had talked together but a short while, when Maria suddenly told
Juan to hide, for her guardian, the giant, was coming. Soon the monster
appeared, and said to Maria in a terrible voice, "You are concealing
some one. I smell human flesh." She denied that she was, but the
giant searched all corners of the house. At last Juan was found,
and he boldly fought with the monster. He received many wounds, but
they were easily healed by Maria's magic medicine. After a terrific
struggle, the giant was killed. Maria applauded Juan's valor. She
gave him food, and related stories to him while he was eating. She
also told him of her neighbor Isabella, none the less beautiful than
she. Juan, in turn, told her of many things in his own home that were
not found in that subterranean plain.
When he had finished eating and had recovered his strength, Juan said
that they had better take Isabella along with them too. Maria agreed
to this. Accordingly Juan set out to get Isabella. When he came to
her house, she was looking out the window. As soon as she saw him,
she exclaimed in a friendly manner, "O Juan! what have you come here
for? Since my birth I have never seen an earthly creature like you!"
"Madam," returned Juan in a low voice, "my appearance before you is
due to some Invisible Being I cannot describe to you." The moment
Isabella heard these words, she blushed. "Juan," she said, "come up!"
Juan entered, and related to her his unfortunate lot, and how he had
found the abyss. Finally, struck with Isabella's fascinating beauty,
Juan expressed his love for her. They had not been talking long
together, when footsteps were heard approaching nearer and nearer. It
was her guardian, the seven-headed monster. "Isabella," it growled,
with an angry look about, "some human creature must be somewhere in
the house."
"There is nobody in the house but me," she exclaimed. The monster,
however, insisted. Seeking all about the house, it at last discovered
Juan, who at once attacked with his sword. In this encounter he was
also successful, cutting off all the seven heads of the monster.
With great joy Juan and Isabella returned to Maria's house. Then the
three went to the foot of the well. There Juan found the vine still
suspended. He tied one end of it around Isabella's waist, and then she
was pulled up by the two brothers waiting above. When they saw her,
Pedro and Felipe each claimed her, saying almost at the same time,
"What a beauty! She is mine." Isabella assured them that there were
other ladies below prettier than she. When he heard these words,
Felipe dropped one end of the vine again. When Maria reached the top
of the well, Felipe felt glad, and claimed her for himself. As the two
brothers each had a maiden now, they would not drop the vine a third
time; but finally Maria persuaded them to do so. On seeing only their
brother's figure, however, the two unfeeling brothers let go of the
vine, and Juan plunged back into the darkness. "O my friends!" said
Maria, weeping, "this is not the way to treat a brother. Had it not
been for him, we should not be here now." Then she took her magic comb,
saying to it, "Comb, if you find Juan dead, revive him; if his legs
and arms are broken, restore them." Then she dropped it down the well.
By means of this magic comb, Juan was brought back to life. The
moment he was able to move his limbs, he groped his way in the dark,
and finally he found himself in the same subterranean plain again. As
he knew of no way to get back to earth, he made up his mind to accept
his fate.
As he was lazily strolling about, he came to a leafy tree with
spreading branches. He climbed up to take a siesta among its fresh
branches. Just as he closed his eyes, he heard a voice calling,
"Juan, Juan! Wake up! Go to the Land of the Pilgrims, for there
your lot awaits you." He opened his eyes and looked about him, but
he saw nothing. "It is only a bird," he said, "that is disturbing
my sleep." So he shut his eyes again. After some moments the same
voice was heard again from the top of the tree. He looked up, but he
could not see any one. However, the voice continued calling to him
so loudly, that he could not sleep. So he descended from the tree to
find that land.
In his wanderings he met an old man wearing very ragged, worn-out
clothes. Juan asked him about the Land of the Pilgrims. The old man
said to him, "Here, take this piece of cloth, which, as you see, I have
torn off my garment, and show it to a hermit you will find living at
a little distance from here. Then tell him your wish." Juan took the
cloth and went to the hermit. When the hermit saw Juan entering his
courtyard without permission, he was very angry. "Hermit," said Juan,
"I have come here on a very important mission. While I was sleeping
among the branches of a tree, a bird sang to me repeatedly that I must
go to the Land of the Pilgrims, where my lot awaits me. I resolved
to look for this land. On my way I met an old man, who gave me this
piece of cloth and told me to show it to you and ask you about this
place I have mentioned." When the hermit saw the cloth, his anger
was turned into sorrow and kindness. "Juan," he said, "I have been
here a long time, but I have never seen that old man."
Now, this hermit had in his care all species of animals. He summoned
them all into his courtyard, and asked each about the Land of the
Pilgrims; but none could give any information. When he had asked them
all in vain, the hermit told Juan to go to another hermit living some
distance away.
Accordingly Juan left to find this hermit. At first, like the other,
this hermit was angry on seeing Juan; but when he saw the piece of
cloth, his anger was turned into pity and sorrow. Juan told him what
he was looking for, and the hermit sounded a loud trumpet. In a moment
there was an instantaneous rushing of birds of every description. He
asked every one about the Land of the Pilgrims, but not one knew of
the place. But just as Juan was about to leave, suddenly there came an
eagle swooping down into the courtyard. When asked if it knew of the
Land of the Pilgrims, it nodded its head. The hermit then ordered it to
bear Juan to the Land of the Pilgrims. It willingly obeyed, and flew
across seas and over mountains with Juan on its back. After Juan had
been carried to the wished-for land, the eagle returned to its master.
Here Juan lived with a poor couple, who cared for him as if he were
their own child, and he served them in turn. He asked them about
the land they were living in. They told him that it was governed by
a tyrannical king who had a beautiful daughter. They said that many
princes who courted her had been put to death because they had failed
to fulfil the tasks required of them. When Juan heard of this beautiful
princess, he said to himself, "This is the lot that awaits me. She
is to be my wife." So, in spite of the dangers he ran the risk of,
he resolved to woo her.
One day, when her tutors were away, he made a kite, to which he
fastened a letter addressed to the princess, and flew it. While she was
strolling about in her garden, the kite suddenly swooped down before
her. She was surprised, and wondered. "What impudent knave," she said,
"ventures to let fall his kite in my garden?" She stepped towards the
kite, looked at it, and saw the letter written in bold hand. She read
it. After a few moments' hesitation, she replaced it with a letter
of her own in which she told him to come under the window of her tower.
When he came there, the princess spoke to him in this manner: "Juan,
if you really love me, you must undergo hardships. Show yourself
to my father to-morrow, and agree to do all that he commands you to
do. Then come back to me." Juan willingly promised to undertake any
difficulties for her sake.
The next morning Juan waited at the stairway of the king's palace. The
king said to him, "Who are you, and what do you come here for?"
"O king! I am Juan, and I have come here to marry your daughter."
"Very well, Juan, you can have your wish if you perform the task I
set you. Take these grains of wheat and plant them in that hill,
and to-morrow morning bring me, out of these same grains, newly
baked bread for my breakfast. Then you shall be married immediately
to my daughter. But if you fail to accomplish this task, you shall
be beheaded."
Juan bowed his head low, and left. Sorrowful he appeared before
the princess.
"What's the matter, Juan?" she said.
"O my dear princess! your father has imposed on me a task impossible
to perform. He gave me these grains of wheat to be planted in that
hill, and to-morrow he expects a newly baked loaf of bread from them."
"Don't worry, Juan. Go home now, and to-morrow show yourself to my
father. The bread will be ready when he awakes."
The next morning Juan repaired to the palace, and was glad to find the
bread already on the table. When the king woke up, he was astonished
to see that Juan had performed the task.
"Now, Juan," said the king, "one more task for you. Under my window
I have two big jars,--one full of mongo, [61] the other of very fine
sand. I will mix them, and you have to assort them so that each kind
is in its proper jar again." Juan promised to fulfil this task. He
passed by the window of the princess, and told her what the king had
said. "Go home and come back here to-morrow," she said to him. "The
king will find the mongo and sand in their proper jars."
The next morning Juan went back to the palace. The king, just arisen
from bed, looked out of the window, and was astounded to see the mongo
and sand perfectly assorted. "Well, Juan," said the king, "you have
successfully performed the tasks I required of you. But I have one
thing more to ask of you. Yesterday afternoon, while my wife and I
were walking along the seashore, my gold ring fell into the water. I
want you to find it, and bring it to me to-morrow morning."
"Your desire shall be fulfilled, O king!" replied Juan.
He told the princess of the king's wish. "Come here tomorrow just
before dawn," she said, "and bring a big basin and a bolo. We will
go together to find the ring."
Just before dawn the next day he went to her tower, where she was
waiting for him in the disguise of a village maid. They went to the
seashore where the ring was supposed to have been lost. There the
princess Maria--that was her name--said to him, "Now take your basin
and bolo and cut me to pieces. Pour out the chopped mass into the
water in which my father's ring was dropped, but take care not to
let a single piece of the flesh fall to the ground!"
On hearing these words, Juan stood dumfounded, and began to weep. Then
in an imploring tone he said, "O my beloved! I would rather have you
chop my body than chop yours."
"If you love me," she said, "do as I tell you."
Then Juan reluctantly seized the bolo, and with closed eyes cut her
body to pieces and poured the mass into the water where the ring was
supposed to be. In five minutes there rose from the water the princess
with the ring on her finger. But Juan fell asleep; and before he awoke,
the ring fell into the water again.
"Oh, how little you love me!" she exclaimed. "The ring fell because
you did not catch it quickly from my finger. Cut up my body as before,
and pour the mass of flesh into the water again." Accordingly Juan
cut her to pieces a second time, and again poured the mass into the
water. Then in a short time Maria rose from the water with the ring
on her finger; but Juan fell asleep again, and again the ring fell
back into the water.
Now Maria was angry: so she cut a gash on his finger, and told him
to cut her body to pieces and pour the mass out as before. At last
the ring was found again. This time Juan was awake, and he quickly
caught the ring as she rose from the water.
That morning Juan went before the king and presented the ring to
him. When the monarch saw it, he was greatly astonished, and said to
himself, "How does he accomplish all the tasks I have given him? Surely
he must be a man of supernatural powers." Raising his head, he said
to Juan, "Juan, you are indeed the man who deserves the hand of my
daughter; but I want you to do me one more service. This will be the
last. Fetch me my horse, for I want to go out hunting to-day." Now,
this horse could run just as fast as the wind. It was a very wild
horse, too, and no one could catch it except the king himself and
the princess.
Juan promised, however, and repaired to Maria's tower. When she
learned her father's wish, she went with Juan and helped him catch
the horse. After they had caught it, she caught hers too. Then they
returned to the palace. Juan and Maria now agreed to run away. So
after Juan had tied the king's horse near the stairway, they mounted
Maria's horse and rode off rapidly.
When the king could not find his daughter, he got on his horse
and started in pursuit of Juan and Maria, who were now some miles
ahead. But the king's horse ran so fast, that in a few minutes he had
almost overtaken the fugitives. Maria, seeing her father behind them,
dropped her comb, and in the wink of an eye a thick grove of bamboos
blocked the king's way. By his order, a road was made through the
bamboo in a very short time. Then he continued his chase; but just
as he was about to overtake them a second time, Maria flung down
her ring, and there rose up seven high hills behind them. The king
was thus delayed again; but his horse shot over these hills as fast
as the wind, so that in a few minutes he was once more in sight of
the fugitives. This time Maria turned around and spat. Immediately
a wide sea appeared behind them. The king gave up his pursuit, and
only uttered these words: "O ungrateful daughter!" Then he turned
back to his palace.
The young lovers continued their journey until they came to a small
village. Here they decided to be married, so they at once went to
the village priest. He married them that very day. Juan and Maria
now determined to live in that place the rest of their lives, so they
bought a house and a piece of land. As time went by, Juan thought of
his parents.
One day he asked permission from his wife to visit his father and
mother. "You may go," she said; "but remember not to let a single drop
of your father's or mother's tears fall on your cheeks, for you will
forget me if you do." Promising to remember her words, Juan set out.
When his parents saw him, they were so glad that they embraced him and
almost bathed him with tears of joy. Juan forgot Maria. It happened
that on the day Juan reached home, Felipe, his brother, was married
to Maria, the subterranean lady, and a feast was being held in the
family circle. The moment Maria recognized Juan, whom she loved
most, she annulled her marriage with Felipe, and wanted to marry
Juan. Accordingly the village was called to settle the question,
and Maria and Juan were married that same day. The merrymaking and
dancing continued.
In the mean time there came, to the surprise of every one, a beautiful
princess riding in a golden carriage drawn by fine horses. She was
invited to the dance. While the people were enjoying themselves
dancing and singing, they were suddenly drawn together around this
princess to see what she was doing. She was sitting in the middle
of the hall. Before her she had a dog chained. Then she began to ask
the dog these questions:--
"Did you not serve a certain king for his daughter?"
"No!" answered the dog.
"Did he not give you grains of wheat to be planted in a hill, and
the morning following you were to give him newly baked bread made
from the wheat?"
"No!"
"Did he not mix together two jars of mongo and sand, then order
you to assort them so that the mongo was in one jar and the sand in
the other?"
"No!"
"Do you not remember when you and a princess went together to the
seashore to find the ring of her father, and when you cut her body
to pieces and poured the chopped mass into the water?"
When Juan, who was watching, heard this last question, he rushed from
the ring of people that surrounded her and knelt before her, saying, "O
my most precious wife! I implore your forgiveness!" Then the new-comer,
who was none other than Maria, Juan's true wife, embraced him, and
their former love was restored. So the feast went on. To the great
joy of Felipe, Maria, the subterranean lady, was given back to him;
and the two couples lived happily the rest of their lives.
Notes.
This story, which is a mixture of well-known motifs and incidents,
really falls into two parts, though an attempt is made at the end to
bind them together. The first part, ending with the treachery of the
brothers after the hero has made his underground journey and rescued
the two beautiful maidens from their giant captors, has resemblances
to parts of the "Bear's Son" cycle. The second half of the story is a
well-developed member of the "Forgotten Betrothed" cycle, preserving,
in fact, all the characteristic incidents, and also prefacing to this
whole section details that form a transition between it and part 1. I
am unable to point out any European parallels to the story as a whole,
but analogues of both parts are very numerous. As the latter half
constitutes the major portion of our story, we shall consider it first.
The fundamental and characteristic incidents of the "Forgotten
Betrothed" cycle (sometimes called the "True Bride" cycle) are as
follows:--
A The performance by the hero of difficult tasks through the help of
the loved one, who is usually the daughter of a magician.
B The magic flight of the couple, either with transformations of
themselves or with the casting behind them of obstacles to retard
the pursuer.
C The forgetting of the bride by the hero because he breaks a taboo
(the cause of the forgetting is usually a parental kiss, which the
hero should have avoided).
D The re-awakened memory of the hero during his marriage ceremony or
wedding feast with a new bride, either through the conversation of
the true bride with an animal or through the true bride's kiss. In
some forms of the story, the hero's memory is restored on the third
of three nights sold to the heroine by the venial second bride. [62]
E The marriage of the hero and heroine.
Andrew Lang (Custom and Myth, 2d ed., 87-102) traces incidents A and
B as far back as the myth of Jason, the earliest literary reference
to which is in the Iliad (vii, 467; XXIII, 747). But this story does
not contain the last three incidents: clearly they have come from
some other source, and have been joined to the first two,--a natural
process in the development of a folk-tale. The episode of the magic
flight is very widely distributed: Lang mentions Zulu, Gaelic, Norse,
Malagasy, Russian, Italian, and Japanese versions. Of the magic flight
combined with the performance of difficult tasks set by the girl's
father, the stories are no less widely scattered: Greece, Madagascar,
Scotland, Russia, Italy, North America (Algonquins), Finland, Samoa
(p. 94). The only reasonable explanation of these resemblances,
according to Lang, is the theory of transmission; and if Mr. Lang,
the champion of the "anthropological theory," must needs explain in
this rather business-like way a comparatively simple tale, what but
the transmission theory can explain far more complicated stories of
five or six distinct incidents in the same sequence?
The "Forgotten Betrothed" cycle was clearly invented but once; when or
where, we shall not attempt to say. But that its excellent combination
of rapid, marvellous, and pathetic situations has made it a tale of
almost universal appeal, is attested to by the scores of variants that
have been collected within the last half-century and more. In his notes
to Campbell's Gaelic story, "The Battle of the Birds," No. 2, Köhler
cites Norwegian, Swedish, Italian, German, and Hungarian versions
(Orient und Occident, 2 : 107). Ralston (pp. 132-133), Cosquin (2 :
No. 32 and notes), Crane (No. XV and notes, pp. 343-344), Bolte (in
his additions to Köhler, 1 : 170-174), and Bolte-Polívka (to Nos. 51,
56, 113) have added very full bibliographies. It is unnecessary here
to list all the variants of this story that have been collected, but
we will examine some of the analogues to our tale from the point of
view of the separate incidents.
After the hero of our present story has been deserted by his
treacherous brothers, and has found himself once more in the
under-world, he is told by a mysterious voice to go to the Land of the
Pilgrims, where he will find his fate. He meets an old man, who directs
him to a hermit. The hermit, in turn, directs the youth to another
hermit, who learns from an eagle where the Land of the Pilgrims is,
and directs the bird to carry the youth thither. While the story does
not state that the Land of the Pilgrims is on the "upper-world," we
must suppose that it is, and that the eagle is the means whereby the
hero escapes from the underground kingdom. In a large number of members
of the "Bear's Son" cycle, to which, as has been said, the first part
of our story belongs, this is the usual means of escape. The incident
is also found in a large number of tales not connected otherwise
with this group (see Cosquin, 2 : 141-144). It is sometimes combined
with the quest for the water of life, with which in turn is connected
the situation of the hero's being referred from one guide to another
(giants, sages, hermits, etc.), as in our story (cf. Grimm, No. 97,
and notes; also Bolte-Polívka to No. 97, especially 2 : 400; Thorpe,
158; Tawney, 1 : 206; Persian Tales, 2 : 171). This whole section
appears to have been introduced as a transition between parts 1 and 2.
The second part of our story opens with the "bride-wager" incident
(see Von Hahn, 1 : 54, "Oenomaosformel"), though I can point to no
parallel of Juan's method of making love to the princess; that is,
by means of a letter conveyed by a kite.
The tasks which the hero is obliged to perform vary greatly in the
different members of the "Forgotten Betrothed" cycle. Juan has to
plant wheat and bake bread from the ripened grain in twenty-four hours,
separate a jar of mongo from a jar of sand, and fetch a ring from the
sea. The first task imposed by the king has analogies in a number of
European tales. In Groome's No. 34 the Devil says to the hero, "Here
is one more task for you: drain the marsh, and plough it, and sow it,
and to-morrow bring me roasted maize" (p. 106). In Groome's No. 7 the
king says to the old man, "See this great forest! Fell it all, and make
it a level field; and plough it for me, and break up all the earth;
and sow it with millet by to-morrow morning. And mark well what I tell
you: you must bring me a cake [made from the ripened millet-seed,
clearly; see p. 23] made with sweet milk." Cosquin (2 : 24) cites a
Catalan and a Basque story in which the hero has not only to fell a
great forest, but to sow grain and harvest it. In kind this is the same
sort of impossible task imposed on Truth in a Visayan story (JAFL 19 :
100-102), where the hero has to beget, and the princess his wife to
bring forth, in one night, three children. Helpful eagles solve this
difficulty for Truth by conveying to him three newly-born babes. The
second task is a well-known one, and is found in many members of the
"Grateful Animals" cycle. Usually it is ants, which the hero has
earlier spared, that perform the service of separating two kinds of
seed, etc. (see Tawney, 1 : 361 and note). The mixture of sand and
mongo, in our story, is not a very happy conception. Originally it must
have been either gravel and mongo, or else mongo and some other kind of
lentil nearly resembling it in size. The third task, with the method of
accomplishing it, is perhaps the most interesting of all. In a Samoan
story of the "Forgotten Betrothed" cycle (Lang, op. cit., p. 98), the
heroine bids the hero cut her body into pieces and cast them into the
sea. There she becomes a fish and recovers the ring. In a Catalan tale
(Rondallayre, 1 : 41) the hero is also required to fetch a ring from
the bottom of the sea. His loved one tells him to cut her to pieces,
taking care not to let any part drop to the ground, and to throw all
into the water. In spite of all his care, he lets fall to earth one
drop of blood. The heroine recovers the ring, but lacks the first
joint of her little finger when she resumes her original shape.
The "magic flight" is discussed by Cosquin (1 : 152-154) and Macculloch
(167 ff.). Two kinds of transformation are to be noted in connection
with this escape: the pursued either transform themselves, and
thus escape detection by the pursuer, or else cast behind them magic
objects, which turn into retarding and finally insurmountable obstacles
in the path of the pursuer. In our story the transformations are of
the second type, as they are in the story of "Pedro and the Witch"
(No. 36). So far as I know, the first type does not occur in Filipino
folk-tales. Both types are found frequently in Occidental Märchen,
but in Oriental stories the second seems to predominate over the first
(see Cosquin's citations of Oriental occurrences of this incident). In
Somadeva (Tawney, 1 : 355 ff.) we have two flights and both types
of escape. As to the details of the flight itself in our story,
we may note that the comb becoming a thicket of thorns has many
analogues. The ring becoming seven mountains suggests with its magic
number an Oriental origin. With spittle turning into a lake or sea,
compare similar transformations of drops of water and a bladder full
of water (Macculloch, 171-172).
The incident of the "forgetting of the betrothed" is usually motivated
with some sort of broken taboo. When the hero desires to visit his
parents, and leaves his sweetheart outside the city, she usually
warns him not to allow himself to be kissed. In a Gaelic Märchen he
is forbidden to speak; sometimes he is warned by his wife not to eat,
etc. (Köhler-Bolte, 172). In our story the taboo is somewhat unusual:
the hero is to allow no tears of joy shed by his parents to fall on
his cheeks. The idea behind this charge, however, is the same as that
behind the forbidden kiss. With the taboo forbidding the partaking
of food, compare the episode of the "Lotus-Eaters" in the Odyssey.
In most of the Märchen of this group the re-awakening of the memory
of the hero is accomplished through the conversation of two birds
(doves or hens) which the forgotten betrothed manages to introduce
into the presence of her lover just before he is married to another
(Köhler-Bolte, 172; Rittershaus, 150). In our story the heroine asks
a dog questions about the tasks she had helped the hero perform. I
can point to no exact parallel of this situation, though it agrees
in general with the methods used in the other members of the group.
For the first part of our story (with the exception of the
introduction), compare Köhler-Bolte, 292-296, 537-543; Gonzenbach,
No. 58 and notes; F. Panzer's "Beowulf," passim. See also the notes
to Nos. 3 and 4 of this collection.
In connection with our story as a whole, I will cite in conclusion two
native metrical romances that preserve many of the incidents we have
been discussing. The first is a Pangasinan romance (of which I have not
the text) entitled "Don Agustin, Don Pedro, and Don Juan." This story
contains the pursuit by the three princes of a snake to cure the sick
king their father (the "quest" motif), the descent into the well by
the youngest brother, his fight with monsters in the underworld and
his rescue of three princesses, the treachery of the older brothers,
the final rescue of the hero by the youngest princess. While this
story lacks the "forgotten-betrothed" motif, it is unquestionably
related with the first part of our folk-tale, [63]
The second romance, which is one of the most popular and widespread
in the Islands, having been printed in at least five of the
dialects,--Tagalog, Pampango, Visayan, Ilocano, and Bicol,--I will
synopsize briefly, because it is either the source of our folk-tale
or has been derived from it. The fact that not all the literary
versions agree entirely, and that the story as a folk-tale seems to
be so universally known, makes it seem more likely that the second
alternative expresses the truth; i.e., that the romance has been
derived from the folk-tale. In the Tagalog version the title runs
thus: "The Story of Three Princes, sons of King Fernando and Queen
Valeriana in the Kingdom of Berbania. The Adarna Bird." The poem is
long, containing 4136 octosyllabic lines. The date of my copy is 1906;
but Retana mentions an edition before 1898 (No. 4169). Briefly the
story runs as follows:--
King Fernando of Berbania has three sons,--Diego, Pedro, and Juan. One
night the king dreams that Juan was killed by robbers. He immediately
becomes sick, and a skilful physician tells him that the magic Adarna
bird is the only thing that can cure his illness. Diego sets out to
find the bird, but is unsuccessful; he is turned to stone. A year later
Pedro sets out--meets the same fate. At last Juan goes, seeing that
his brothers do not return. Because of his charity a leper directs
the youth to a hermit's house. The hermit tells Juan how to avoid
the enchantment, secure the bird, and liberate his brothers. Juan
successful. On the return, however, the envious brothers beat Juan
senseless, and, taking the bird from him, make their way back to their
father's kingdom alone. But the bird becomes very ugly in appearance,
refuses to sing, and the king grows worse. Juan, meantime, is restored
by an angel sent from heaven. He finally reaches home; and the Adarna
bird immediately becomes beautiful again, and sings of the treachery of
Diego and Pedro. The king, recovered, wishes to banish his two older
sons; but Juan pleads for them, and they are restored to favor. The
king now charges his three sons with the safe-keeping of the bird,
threatening with death the one who lets it fly away.
One night, while Juan is on watch, he falls asleep. His envious
brothers open the cage, and the bird escapes. When Juan awakens and
sees the mischief done, he leaves home to look for the Adarna. Next
day the king, missing both Juan and the bird, sends Pedro and Diego in
search of their brother. They find him in the mountains of Armenia. In
their joint search for the bird, the three come to a deep well. Diego
and Pedro try in turn to go down, but fear to make the descent to
the bottom. Juan is then lowered. At the foot of the well he finds
beautiful fields. In his wanderings he comes to a large house where a
princess is looking out of the window. She tells Juan that she is in
the power of a giant; and so, when the monster returns, Juan kills
it. He likewise liberates her sister Leonora, who is in the power
of a seven-headed snake. All three--Juan and the two princesses--are
hoisted to the top of the well; but when Juan starts back for a ring
that Leonora has forgotten, his cruel brothers cut the rope. Leonora
sends her pet wolf to cure Juan, and the two brothers with the two
princesses return to Berbania. Juana is married to Diego; but Leonora
refuses to marry Pedro, asking for a seven-year respite to wait for
Juan's return.
Meantime Juan has been restored. One day the Adarna bird appears,
and sings over his head that there are three beautiful princesses in
the kingdom "de los Cristales." Juan sets out to find that place. He
meets an old man, who gives him a piece of his shirt and tells him to
go to a certain hermit for directions. The hermit receives Juan on
presentation of the token, and summons all the animals to question
them about the kingdom "de los Cristales;" but none of the animals
knows where the kingdom is. This hermit now directs Juan to another
hermitage. There the holy man summons all the birds. One eagle knows
where it is; and after Juan gets on its back, the eagle flies for a
month, and finally reaches the kingdom sought. There, in accordance
with the bird's directions, while the princesses are bathing, Juan
steals the clothes of the youngest, and will not return them until
she promises to marry him. She agrees, and later helps him perform
the difficult tasks set him by her enchanter father (levelling
mountain, planting wheat, newly-baked bread--recovering flask from
sea--removing mountain--recovering ring from sea [same method as in
our folk-tale]--catching king's horse). Then the two escape, pursued
by the magician. Transformation flight (needle, thorns; piece of
soap, mountain; withe [? coje], lake). The baffled magician curses
his daughter, and says that she will be forgotten by Juan. When Juan
reaches home and sees Leonora, he forgets Maria. On his wedding day
with Leonora, an unknown princess comes to attend the festivities. From
a small bottle which she has she produces a small Negress and Negro,
who dance before the young bridal couple. After each dance the Negress
addresses Juan, and recounts to him what Maria has done for him. Then
she beats the Negro, but Juan feels the blows. Finally, since Juan
remains inflexible, Maria threatens to dash to pieces the bottle,
which contains Juan's life. Juan consents to marry her; but Leonora
protests, saying that her wolf saved Juan's life. Archbishop called
to arbitrate the matter, decides in favor of Leonora. When Maria now
floods the country and threatens the whole kingdom with destruction,
King Fernando persuades Leonora to take his oldest son Pedro. Juan
and Maria are married, and return to the kingdom "de los Cristales."
The Visayan version of the "Adarna Bird" is practically identical with
the Tagalog up to the point where Juan rescues the two princesses
from the underworld. When he and they have been drawn to the top of
the well by the two older brothers, Juan tells Pedro and Diego to
return home with the two maidens, but says that he will continue
the search for the magic bird. He later learns that it is in the
possession of Maria, daughter of the King of Salermo. He directs his
steps thither, falls in love with the princess, and, together with
the bird, they return to Berbania. The three brothers are married at
the same time. It will be noticed that here the "forgotten-betrothed"
motif is lacking altogether.
For a Tagalog folk-tale connected with this romance, but changed
so that it is hardly recognizable as a relative, see the story of
"The Adorna (sic) Bird" (JAFL 20 : 107-108).
It is interesting to note that the Tagalog romance is definitely
reminiscent of the "Swan Maidens" cycle in the method Juan uses to
win the affections of Maria, the enchanter's daughter. For parallels
to Juan's trick of stealing Maria's clothes while she and her sisters
are bathing, see Macculloch, 342 f. For a large collection of "Swan
Maiden" stories in abstract, see Hartland, chapters X and XI.
Considering the fact that both parts of our story are practically
world-wide in their distribution, it is almost impossible to say
where and when the two in combination first existed. I am inclined to
think, on the whole, that our Filipino folk-tale is an importation,
and is not native. As to the relationship between the popular and
the literary versions of the story, I believe that in general the
literary has been derived from the popular.
TALE 18
JUAN AND HIS ADVENTURES.
Narrated by José Ma. Katigbak, a Tagalog from Lipa, Batangas. He
heard the story from Angel Reyes, another Batangueño.
Once in a certain village there lived a couple who had three
daughters. This family was very poor at first. Near the foot of a
mountain was growing a tree with large white leaves. [64] Pedro the
father earned their living by selling the leaves of that tree. In
time he got so much money from them that he a ordered a large house
to be built. Then they left their old home, and went to live in
the new house. The father kept on selling the leaves. After a year
he decided to cut down the tree, so that he could sell it all at
once and get much money. So he went to the foot of the mountain one
day, and cut the tree down. As soon as the trunk had crashed to the
ground, a large snake came out from the stump. Now, this snake was
an enchanter, and was the friend of the kings of the lions, eagles,
and fishes, as we shall see.
The snake said to Pedro, "I gave you the leaves of this tree to
sell; and now, after you have gotten much money from it, you cut
it down. There is but one suitable punishment for you: within three
days you must bring all your daughters here and give them to me." The
man was so astonished at first, that he did not know what to do. He
made no reply, and after a few minutes went home. His sadness was so
great that he could not even eat. His wife and daughters, noticing
his depression, asked him what he was thinking about. At first he
did not want to tell them; but they urged and begged so incessantly,
that finally he was forced to do so.
He said to them, "To-day I cut down the tree where I got the leaves
which I sold. A snake came out from the stump, and told me that I
should bring you three girls to him or we should all die."
"Don't worry, father! we will go there with you," said the three
daughters.
The next day they prepared to go to the snake. Their parents wept
very much. Each of the three girls gave her mother a handkerchief as
a remembrance. After they had bidden good-by, they set out on their
journey with their father.
As soon as they reached the foot of the mountain, the three daughters
disappeared at once, and the poor father returned home cheerless. A
year had not passed by before a son was born to the old couple. They
named him Juan. When the boy was about eighteen years old, his mother
showed him the handkerchiefs of his sisters.
"Have I any sister?" said Juan to his mother.
"Yes, you have three; but they were taken away by a snake," she
told him. Juan was so angry, that he asked his parents to give him
permission to go in search of his sisters. At first they hesitated,
but at last they gave him leave. So, taking the three handkerchiefs
with him, Juan set out, and went to the mountain.
After travelling for more than ten days, Juan came across three boys
quarrelling over the possession of a cap, a pair of sandals, and a
key. He went near them, and asked them why they all wanted those three
things. The boys told him that the cap would make the person who wore
it invisible, the sandals would give their owner the power to fly,
and that the key would open any door it touched.
Juan told the three boys that it would be better for them to give
him those articles than to quarrel about them; and the boys agreed,
because they did not want either of the others to have them. So Juan
put the key in his pocket, the cap on his head, and the sandals on
his feet, and flew away. After he had passed over many mountains,
he descended. Near the place where he alighted he saw a cave. He
approached its mouth, and opened the door with his key. Inside he saw
a girl sitting near a window. He went up to her and took off his cap.
"Who are you?" said the girl, startled.
"Aren't you my sister?" said Juan.
"I have no brother," said the lady, but she was surprised to see the
handkerchiefs which Juan showed her. After he had told her his story,
she believed that he was really her brother.
"You had better hide," said the lady, holding Juan's hand, "for my
husband is the king of the lions, and he may kill you if he finds
you here."
Not long afterwards the lion appeared. She met him at the door. "You
must have some visitors here," said the lion, sniffing the air with
wide-open nostrils.
"Yes," answered the lady, "my brother is here, and I hid him, for I
feared that you might kill him."
"No, I will not kill him," said the lion. "Where is he?" Juan came out
and shook hands with the lion. After they had talked for a few hours,
Juan said that he would go to look for his other sisters. The lion
told him that they lived on the next two mountains.
Juan did not have much trouble in finding his other two sisters. Their
husbands were the kings of the fishes and the eagles, and they received
him kindly. Juan's three brothers-in-law loved him very much, and
promised to aid him whenever he needed their help.
Juan now decided to return home and tell his parents where his three
sisters were; but he took another way back. He came to a town where
all the people were dressed in black, and the decorations of the houses
were of the same color. He asked some people what had happened in that
town. They told him that a princess was lost, and that he who could
bring her back to the king should receive her hand in marriage and
also half the property of the king. Juan then went to the king and
promised to restore his daughter to him. The king agreed to reward
him as the townspeople had said, if he should prove successful.
Early the next morning Juan, with his cap, sandals, and key, set
out to look for the princess. After a two-days' journey he came to a
mountain. Here he descended and began to look around. Finally he saw
a huge rock, in which he found a small hole. He put the key in it,
and the rock flew open. With his cap of invisibility on his head,
he entered. There within he saw many ladies, who were confined in
separate rooms. In the very last apartment he found the princess with
a giant beside her. He went near the room of the princess, and opened
the door with his key. The walls of all the rooms were like those of
a prison, and were made of iron bars. Juan approached the princess,
and remained near her until the giant went away.
As soon as the monster was out of sight, Juan took off his cap. The
princess was surprised to see him, but he told her that he had
come to take her away. She was very glad, but said that they had
better wait for the giant to go away before they started. After a
few minutes the giant went out to take a walk. When they saw that
he had passed through the main door, they went out also. Juan put on
his sandals and flew away with the princess. But when they were very
near the king's palace, the princess disappeared: she was taken back
by the giant's powerful magic. Juan was very angry, and he returned
at once to the giant's cave. He succeeded in opening the main door,
but he could not enter. After struggling in vain for about an hour,
he at last determined to go to his brothers-in-law for help.
When he had explained what he wanted, the king of the eagles said to
him, "Juan, the life and power of the giant are in a little box at
the heart of the ocean. No one can get that box except the king of
the fishes, and no one can open it except the king of the lions. The
life of the giant is in a little bird which is inside the box. This
bird flies very swiftly, and I am the only one who can catch it. The
strength of the giant is in a little egg which is in the box with
the bird."
When the king of the eagles had finished his story, Juan went to
the king of the fishes. "Will you fetch me the box which contains
the life and strength of the giant?" said Juan to the king of the
fishes. After asking him many questions, his brother-in-law swam away,
and soon returned with the box. When Juan had received it from him,
he thanked him and went to the king of the lions.
The king of the lions willingly opened the box for him. As soon as
the box was opened, the little bird inside flew swiftly away. Juan
took the egg, however, and went back to the king of the eagles, and
asked him to catch the bird. After the little bird had been caught,
Juan pushed on to the cave of the giant. When he came there, he opened
the door and entered, holding the bird in one hand and the egg in the
other. Enraged at the sight of Juan, the giant rushed at him; and Juan
was so startled, that he crushed the egg and killed the bird. At once
the giant fell on his back, and stretched out his legs to rise no more.
Juan now went through the cave, opening all the prison doors,
and releasing the ladies. He carried the princess with him back to
the palace. As soon as he arrived, a great celebration was held,
and he was married to the princess. After the death of the king,
Juan became ruler. He later visited his parents, and told them of
all his adventures. Then he took them to his own kingdom, where they
lived happily together.
Notes.
A Tagalog variant of this story, entitled "Pedro and the Giants,"
and narrated by José Hilario from Batangas, runs thus in abstract:--
Two orphan sisters living with their brother Pedro are stolen by
two powerful giants. Pedro goes in search of his sisters, and finds
them. Contrary to the expectations of all, the two grim brothers-in-law
welcome Pedro, and offer to serve him. Pedro later wishes to marry a
princess, and the giants demand her of the king her father. He refuses
to give her up, although she falls in love with Pedro. To punish his
daughter, the king exposes her to the hot sun: but one of the giants
shades her with his eagle-like wings. Then the other giant threatens
the king; but the monarch says he is safe, for his life is contained
in two eggs in an iron box guarded by two clashing rocks. With great
personal risk the giant obtains the eggs; and, upon the king's still
refusing to give his daughter to Pedro, the giant dashes the eggs
to the ground, and the king falls dead. Pedro and the princess are
then married.
This analogue of our story is not very close in details, yet there
are enough general resemblances between the two to make it pretty
certain that they are distantly related.
Our story of "Juan and his Adventures" belongs to the "Animal
Brothers-in-Law" cycle, a formula for which Von Hahn (1 : 53)
enumerates the following incidents:--
A Three princes who have been transformed into animals marry the
sisters of the hero.
B The hero visits his three brothers-in-law.
C They help him perform tasks.
D They are disenchanted by him.
As Crane says (p. 60), this formula varies, of course. Sometimes there
are but two sisters (cf. our variant), and the brothers-in-law are
freed from their enchantment in some other way than by the hero. For
a bibliography of this group, see Crane, 342-343, note 23, to No. 13.
Perhaps the best version of this story is that found in Basile, 4 :
3, the argument of which, as given in Burton's translation (2 : 372),
runs thus:--
Ciancola, son of the King of Verde-colle, fareth to seek his three
sisters, married one with a falcon, another with a stag, and the
other with a dolphin; after long journeying he findeth them, and
on his return homewards he cometh upon the daughter of a king,
who is held prisoner by a dragon within a tower, and calling by
signs which had been given him by the falcon, stag, and dolphin,
all three came before him ready to help him, and with their aid he
slayeth the dragon, and setteth free the princess, whom he weddeth,
and together they return to his realm.
This argument does not quite do justice to the similarities between
Basile's story and ours. For instance, in the Italian story, when
the daughters leave, they give their mother three identical rings as
tokens. Then a son is born to the queen. When he is fifteen years old,
he sets out to look for his sisters, taking the rings with him. Nor,
again, does this argument mention the fact that in the end the animal
brothers-in-law are transformed into men,--a feature which is found
in Basile, but not in our story. In the main, however, it will be seen
that the two are very close. In Von Hahn, No. 25, the brothers-in-law
are a lion, a tiger, and an eagle.
The opening of our story, so far as I know, is not found in any of the
other members of this cycle. Usually the sisters are married to the
animals in consequence of a king's decision to give his daughters to
the first three persons who pass by his palace after a certain hour
(Crane, No. XIII); or else the animals present themselves as suitors
after the death of the king, who has charged his sons to see that
their sisters are married (Von Hahn, No. 25; compare the opening
of Wratislaw No. XLI = Wuk, No. 17). In our story, however, Pedro
is deprived of his daughters in consequence of his greed. With this
situation compare the "Maha-vanija-jataka," No. 493, which tells how
some merchants find a magic banyan-tree. From this tree the merchants
receive wonderful gifts; but they are insatiable, and finally plan to
cut it down to see if there is not large treasure at the roots. The
guardian-spirit of the tree, the serpent-king, punishes them. It is not
impossible that some such parable as this lies behind the introduction
to our story. There is abundant testimony from early travellers in
the Islands that the natives in certain sections regarded trees as
sacred, and could not be hired to cut them down for fear of offending
the resident-spirit. The three handkerchiefs which the sisters leave
with their mother as mementos are to be compared with the three rings
in Basile's version. In a Serbian story belonging to this cycle (Wuk,
No. 5), the three sisters are blown away by a strong wind (cf. our
story of "Alberto and the Monsters," No. 39), and fall into the power
of three dragons. When the brother, yet unborn at the time of their
disappearance, reaches his eighteenth year, he sets out to seek his
sisters, taking with him a handkerchief of each.
The obtaining of magic articles by a trick of the hero is found
in many folk-tales. In Grimm, No. 197, which is distantly related
to our story, the hero cheats two giants out of a wishing-cap over
which they are quarrelling. In Grimm, No. 92, where we find the same
situation, the magic articles are three,--a sword which will make heads
fly off, a cloak of invisibility, a pair of transportation-boots
(see Bolte-Polívka, 2 : 320 f., especially 331-335). In Grimm,
No. 193, a flying saddle is similarly obtained. In Crane, No. XXXVI
(p. 136 f.), Lionbruno acquires a pair of transportation-boots,
an inexhaustible purse, and a cloak of invisibility. This incident
is also found in Somadeva (Tawney, 1 : 14), where the articles are
a pair of flying-shoes, a magic staff which writes what is going to
happen, and a vessel which can supply any food the owner asks for. In
another Oriental collection (Sagas from the Far East, pp. 23-24),
the prince and his follower secure a cap of invisibility from a band
of quarrelling boys, and a pair of transportation-boots from some
disputing demons. Compare Tawney's note for other instances. This
incident is also found in an Indian story by Stokes, No. XXII,
"How the Raja's Son won the Princess Labam." In this the hero meets
four fakirs, whose teacher (and master) has died, and has left four
things,--"a bed which carried whosoever sat on it whithersoever he
wished to go; a bag that gave its owner whatever he wanted,--jewels,
food, or clothes; a stone bowl which gave its owner as much water
as he wanted; and a stick that would beat enemies, and a rope that
would tie them up." Compare also the "Dadhi-vahana-jataka," No. 186,
which is connected with our No. 27. In the Filipino story of "Alberto
and the Monsters" (No. 39) the hero acquires a transportation-boot
from two quarrelling boys; from two young men, a magic key that will
unlock any stone; and from two old men wrangling over it, a hat of
invisibility. In another Tagalog story, "Ricardo and his Adventures"
(notes to No. 49), appears a flying saddle, but this is not obtained
by trickery.
For the "Fee-fi-fo-fum" formula hinted at in our story, see
Bolte-Polívka, 1 : 289-292.
In many of the members of this cycle, when the hero takes his leave
of his brothers-in-law, he is given feathers, hair, scales, etc.,
with which he can summon them in time of need. In our story, however,
Juan has no such labor-saving device: he has to visit his brothers
a second time when he desires aid against the giant.
The last part of our story turns on the idea of the "separable soul or
strength" of the dragon, snake, demon, giant, or other monster. This
idea has been fully discussed by Macculloch (chapter V). As this
conception is widespread in the Orient and is found in Malayan
literature (e.g., in "Bidasari"), there is no need of tracing its
occurrence in the Philippines to Europe. In the norm of this cycle,
the animal brothers-in-law help the hero perform tasks which the
king requires all suitors for his daughter's hand to perform. Here
the beasts help the hero secure the life and strength of the giant
who is holding the princess captive.
Taken as a whole, our story seems to have been imported into the
Philippines from the Occident, for the reason that no Oriental
analogues of it appear to exist, while not a few are known from
southern Europe. Our two variants are from the Tagalog province of
Batangas, and, so far as I know, the story is not found elsewhere
in the Islands. As suggested above, however, the introduction is
probably native, or at least very old, and the conclusion has been
modified by the influence of another cycle well known in the Orient.
TALE 19
JUAN WEARING A MONKEY'S SKIN.
Narrated by Lorenzo Licup, a Pampango from Angeles, Pampanga.
Once upon a time there was a couple which was at first childless. The
father was very anxious to have a son to inherit his property: so
he went to the church daily, and prayed God to give him a child,
but in vain. One day, in his great disappointment, the man exclaimed
without thinking, "O great God! let me have a son, even if it is in
the form of a monkey!" and only a few days later his wife gave birth
to a monkey. The father was so much mortified that he wanted to kill
his son; but finally his better reason prevailed, and he spared the
child. He said to himself, "It is my fault, I know; but I uttered
that invocation without thinking." So, instead of putting the monkey
to death, the couple just hid it from visitors; and whenever any one
asked for the child, they merely answered, "Oh, he died long ago."
The time came when the monkey grew to be old enough to marry. He
went to his father, and said, "Give me your blessing, father! for I
am going away to look for a wife." The father was only too glad to
be freed from this obnoxious son, so he immediately gave him his
blessing. Before letting him go, however, the father said to the
monkey, "You must never come back again to our house."
"Very well, I will not," said the monkey.
The monkey then left his father's house, and went to find his
fortune. One night he dreamed that there was a castle in the midst
of the sea, and that in this castle dwelt a princess of unspeakable
beauty. The princess had been put there so that no one might discover
her existence. The monkey, who had been baptized two days after
his birth and was named Juan, immediately repaired to the palace of
the king. There he posted a letter which read as follows: "I, Juan,
know that your Majesty has a daughter."
Naturally the king was very angry to have his secret discovered. He
immediately sent soldiers to look for Juan. Juan was soon found, and
brought to the palace. The king said to him, "How do you know that I
have a daughter? If you can bring her here, I will give her to you for
a wife. If not, however, your head shall be cut off from your body."
"O your Majesty!" said Juan, "I am sure that I can find her and
bring her here. I am willing to lose my head if within three days I
fail to fulfil my promise." After he had said this, Juan withdrew,
and sadly went out to look for the hidden princess.
As he was walking along the road, he heard the cry of a bird. He
looked up, and saw a bird caught between two boughs so that it could
not escape. The bird said to him, "O monkey! if you will but release
me, I will give you all I have."
"Oh, no!" said the monkey. "I am very hungry, and would much rather
eat you."
"If you will but spare my life," said the bird, "I will give you
anything you want."
"On one condition only will I set you free," said the monkey. "You
must procure for me the ring of the princess who lives in the midst
of the sea."
"Oh, that's an easy thing to do," said the bird. So the monkey climbed
the tree and set the bird free.
The bird immediately flew to the island in the sea, where fortunately
it found the princess refreshing herself in her garden. The princess
was so charmed with the song of the bird, that she looked up, and said,
"O little bird! if you will only promise to live with me, I will give
you anything you want."
"All right," said the bird. "Give me your ring, and I will forever
live with you." The princess held up the ring; and the bird suddenly
snatched it and flew away with it. It gave the ring to the monkey,
who was, of course, delighted to get it.
Now the monkey jogged along the road until finally he saw three
witches. He approached them, and said to them, "You are the very
beings for whom I have spent the whole day looking. God has sent me
here from heaven to punish you for your evil doings toward innocent
persons. So I must eat you up."
Now, witches are said to be afraid of ill-looking persons, although
they themselves are the ugliest beings in all the world. So these
three were terribly frightened by the monkey's threat, and said,
"O sir! spare our lives, and we will do anything for you !"
"Very well, I will spare you if you can execute my order. From this
shore you must build a bridge which leads to the middle of the sea,
where the castle of the princess is situated."
"That shall be speedily done," replied the witches; and they at once
gathered leaves, which they put on their backs. Then they plunged into
the water. Immediately after them a bridge was built. Thus the monkey
was now able to go to the castle. Here he found the princess. She
was very much surprised to see this evil-looking animal before her;
but she was much more frightened when the monkey showed her the ring
which the bird had given him, and claimed her for his wife. "It is the
will of God that you should go with me," said the monkey, after the
princess had shown great repugnance towards him. "You either have to
go with me or perish." Thinking it was useless to attempt to resist
such a mighty foe, the princess finally yielded.
The monkey led her to the king's palace, and presented her before her
parents; but no sooner had the king and queen seen their daughter in
the power of the beast, than they swooned. When they had recovered,
they said simultaneously, "Go away at once, and never come back
here again, you girl of infamous taste! Who are you? You are not
the princess we left in the castle. You are of villain's blood, and
the very air which you exhale does suffocate us. So with no more ado
depart at once!"
The princess implored her father to have pity, saying that it was
the will of God that she should be the monkey's wife. "Perhaps I have
been enchanted by him, for I am powerless to oppose him." But all her
remonstrance was in vain. The king shut his ears against any deceitful
or flattering words that might fall from the lips of his faithless
and disobedient daughter. Seeing that the king was obstinate, the
couple turned their backs on the palace, and decided to find a more
hospitable home. So the monkey now took his wife to a neighboring
mountain, and here they settled.
One day the monkey noticed that the princess was very sad and pale. He
said to her, "Why are you so sad and unhappy, my darling? What is
the matter?"
"Nothing. I am just sorry to have only a monkey for my husband. I
become sad when I think of my past happiness."
"I am not a monkey, my dear. I am a real man, born of human
parents. Didn't you know that I was baptized by the priest, and
that my name is Juan?" As the princess would not believe him, the
monkey went to a neighboring hut and there cast off his disguise
(balit cayu). He at once returned to the princess. She was amazed to
see a sparkling youth of not more than twenty years of age--nay, a
prince--kneeling before her. "I can no longer keep you in ignorance,"
he said. "I am your husband, Juan."
"Oh, no! I cannot believe you. Don't try to deceive me! My husband is
a monkey; but, with all his defects, I still cling to him and love
him. Please go away at once, lest my husband find you here! He will
be jealous, and may kill us both."
"Oh, no! my darling, I am your husband, Juan. I only disguised myself
as a monkey."
But still the princess would not believe him. At last she said to him,
"If you are my real husband, you must give me a proof of the fact." So
Juan [we shall hereafter call him by this name] took her to the place
where he had cast off his monkey-skin. The princess was now convinced,
and said to herself, "After all, I was not wrong in the belief I have
entertained from the beginning,--that it was the will of God that I
should marry this monkey, this man."
Juan and the princess now agreed to go back to the palace and tell the
story. So they went. As soon as the king and queen saw the couple, they
were very much surprised; but to remove their doubt, Juan immediately
related to the king all that had happened. Thus the king and queen
were finally reconciled to the at first hated couple. Juan and his
wife succeeded to the throne on the death of the king, and lived
peacefully and happily during their reign.
The story is now ended. Thus we see that God compensated the father
and mother of Juan for their religious zeal by giving them a son, but
punished them for not being content with what He gave them by taking
the son away from them again, for Juan never recognized his parents.
Notes.
A Bicol version, "The Monkey becomes King," narrated by Gregorio
Frondoso, who heard the story from an old man of his province, is
almost identical with this Pampango tale. There are a few slight
differences, however. "In the Bicol, the rich parents give their
monkey-offspring away to a man, who keeps the animal in a cage. Finally
the monkey manages to escape, and sets out on his travels. Now the
king of that country builds a high tower in the middle of the sea,
imprisons his daughter there, and promises her hand to the one who can
take her from the tower. The monkey succeeds, as in the Pampango. The
rest of the story is practically as given in the text, except that
the narrator mentions the fact that the monkey's parents fall into
poverty, and in their distress seek aid from their son, now become
king. However, he refuses to recognize them, because of their former
harshness to him, and drives them away." With both these stories may
be compared two other Filipino tales already in print, "The Enchanted
Shell" (JAFL 20 : 90-91) and "The Living Head" (ibid., 19 : 106).
The "Animal Child" cycle, of which our story and its variants are
members is widely spread throughout Europe. The main incidents of
this group are the following.
A In accordance with the wish of the parents, a child in the form
of an animal is brought into the world. This phenomenon usually
takes place in consequence of a too vehement prayer for children,
or an inconsiderate wish for a son even if he should prove to be only
an animal.
B The animal offspring grows up, is married usually through his own
ingenuity, and is finally disenchanted through the burning of his
animal disguise either with or without his consent.
European representatives of this type are Grimm, Nos. 108, 144;
Von Hahn, Nos. 14, 31, 43, 57, 100; Wuk, No. 9; Pröhle, No. 13;
Straparola 2 : i; Basile, No. 15; Schott, No. 9; Pitrè, No. 56 (see
also his notes); Comparetti, Nos. 9, 66. Compare also Köhler-Bolte,
318-319. Related Oriental forms of this story are discussed by Benfey,
1 : 254 ff. (section 92).
Although our stories are related to this large family of "Animal Child"
tales, it appears to be the Oriental branch rather than the Occidental
with which they are the more closely connected. The monkey-child, the
castle in the midst of the sea, the building of the bridge from the
mainland to the island, the retirement of the monkey and his royal
wife to live in the forest,--all suggest vaguely but unmistakably
Indian material. I am unable to point to any particular story as
source, and our tale appears to have incorporated in it other Märchen
motifs; but it seems to be faintly reminiscent of the "Ramayana." The
imprisoning or hiding of a princess, and the promise of her hand to
the one who can discover her, are found in our No. 21 (q.v.). No. 29,
too, should be compared.
Among the Santals, the theme of a girl's marrying a monkey is common
in Märchen (see Bompas, No. XV, "The Monkey Boy;" No. XXXII, "The
Monkey and the Girl;" and No. LXX, "The Monkey Husband"). In none of
these stories, however, is there a transformation of the animal into
a human being.
TALE 20
HOW SALAKSAK BECAME RICH.
Narrated by Lorenzo Licup, a Pampango from Angeles, Pampanga.
Once upon a time there lived two brothers. The elder was named Cucunu,
and the younger Salaksak. Their parents were dead, so they divided the
property that had been left to them. In accordance with this division,
each received a cow and a piece of land. Salaksak separated from his
brother, and built a small house of his own.
Now, the rice of Cucunu grew faster than that of his brother: so
his brother became jealous of him. One night Salaksak turned his
cow loose in his brother's field. When Cucunu heard of this, he went
to his brother, and said to him, "If you let your cow come into my
field again, I shall whip you." But Salaksak paid no attention to
his brother's threat, and again he let his cow go into the field of
Cucunu. At last his brother grew so impatient that he killed the
cow. When Salaksak went to look for his animal, all he found was
its skin. As he was ashamed of his deed and afraid of his brother,
he dared not accuse him: so he took the skin and put it into a basket.
Not long afterward several hundred cows passed him along the road. He
followed them. While the herdsmen were eating their dinner, Salaksak
threw his skin among the cows. Then he went up to the hut where the
herdsmen were, and said to the chief of the herdsmen, "Friend, it is
now a week since I lost my cow, and I am afraid that she has become
mixed up with your herd. Please be so kind, therefore, as to count
them." The chief immediately went over to where the cows were. As
he was counting them, Salaksak picked up the skin, and, shaking his
head, he said, "Alas! here is the mark of my cow, and this must be my
cow's skin. You must pay me a thousand pesos, or else you shall be
imprisoned. My cow was easily worth a thousand pesos; for when she
was alive, she used to drop money every day." In their great fear,
the herdsmen paid Salaksak the money at once.
Salaksak now went home and told his brother of his good fortune. Hoping
to become as rich as his brother, Cucunu immediately killed his cow. He
took the skin with him, and left the flesh to Salaksak. As he was in
the street calling out, "Who wants to buy a hide?" he was summoned
by the ruler of the town, and was accused of having stolen the hide,
and he was whipped so badly that he could hardly walk home.
Maddened by the disgrace he had suffered, Cucunu burned the house
of his brother one day while he was away. When Salaksak came home,
he found nothing but ashes. These he put into a sack, however, and
set out to seek his fortune again. On his way he overtook an old
man who was carrying a bag of money on his back. Salaksak asked him,
"Are you going to the ruler's house?"
"Yes," replied the old man, "I have to give this money to him."
"I am sorry for you, old man. I, too, am going to the palace. What
do you say to exchanging loads? Mine is very light in comparison
with yours."
"With all my heart, kind boy!" said the old man; and so they exchanged
sacks.
After they had travelled together a short distance, Salaksak said,
"Old man, you seem to be stronger when you have a light load. Let me
see how fast you can run." The old man, having no suspicion of his
companion, walked ahead as fast as he could. As soon as Salaksak came
to a safe place along the road to hide, he deserted his companion. He
went to his brother's house, and told him that he had gotten a sack
of silver for a sack of ashes.
"Why," said his brother, "my house is bigger than yours! I ought to
get two sacks of ashes if I burn it. I think that would be a good
bargain." So he burned his house, too. Then he went through the town,
crying, "Who wants to buy ashes?"
"What a foolish man!" said the housewives. "Why should we buy ashes
when we don't know what to do with those that come from our own
stoves?" When Cucunu came near the house of the ruler, the ruler said
to his servants, "I think that fellow is the same one I bade you whip
before. Call him in and give him a good thrashing, for he is only
making a fool of himself." So Cucunu was summoned and lashed again.
Thoroughly enraged, Cucunu determined that his brother should not
deceive him a third time. He thought and thought of what he should
do to get rid of him. At last he decided to throw his brother into
the river. For this purpose he made a strong cage. One day he caught
his brother and confined him in it.
"I will give you three days to repent," said Cucunu. "Now you cannot
deceive me any more." He then left his brother in the cage by the
bank of the river.
As a young man was passing by, Salaksak began to cry out, "They have
put me into this cage because I do not want to marry the ruler's
daughter." The young man, who had vainly striven for the hand of the
girl, immediately approached Salaksak, and said, "If you will let
me take your place, so that I may marry her, I will give you all the
cows I have with me."
So by this trick Salaksak escaped. Cucunu, thinking that the man
in the cage was his brother, would not listen to what he said, but
unmercifully threw him into the river. A few days later, Salaksak
went to his brother's house, and told him that it was quite beautiful
under the water. "There," he said, "I saw our father and mother. They
told me I was not old enough to stay with them, so they sent me back
here with a large number of cows."
"Well, well!" said Cucunu, "I too must go see our parents." He then
hastened to the river, and threw himself in and was drowned. Thus
Salaksak grew rich because of his craftiness.
Clever Juan and Envious Diego.
Narrated by Pablo Anzures, a Tagalog from Manila, who heard the story
from another Tagalog from Santa Maria, Bulakan.
There were once two brothers named Diego and Juan. Their father had
died a long time before, so they lived only with their good mother. In
character these two brothers were very different. Diego, the older,
was envious and foolish; Juan was clever.
One morning, while Diego was away, Juan called his mother, and said,
"Mother, help me fool Diego! Please lie down as if you were dead;
and when he arrives, I will blow air through your nose through
a bamboo tube. As soon as you feel me blowing, get up and try to
look like a woman that has risen from the dead." His mother agreed
to do all that she had been told. Then Juan watched and waited for
Diego. When he saw him coming, he called to his mother and told her
to lie down. Then he pretended to be crying.
When Diego came in and saw his brother, he said, "Juan, why are
you crying?"
"Don't you see? Our mother is dead," said Juan. Then Diego felt very
sorry, and he too began to weep. Juan then said, "O brother! I remember
that I have a magic instrument that resuscitates dead persons." He
opened his trunk and took out a short bamboo tube, and began to blow
through it into his mother's nose. His mother then pretended to revive,
as she had been told. Diego rejoiced; he too was very much surprised
at his brother's possession.
The next day the envious Diego stole the bamboo tube and went to
the churchyard. There he waited for a funeral to pass by. After a
short time the funeral procession of a small boy came along. Diego
stopped it, and called to the mother of the boy, "Don't cry! your son
is only sleeping. Lay him down here, and you will soon see that he
is alive." The mother then ordered the carriers to lay the coffin on
the ground. Diego took out his bamboo tube, and, after he had opened
the coffin, he began to blow air into the boy's nose; but the boy did
not move. He blew harder and harder, but the boy remained as stiff
and lifeless as ever. Then the mother of the dead boy became angry;
she kicked Diego, and said, "You are only trying to fool us!" Diego
was very much ashamed, so he threw away the bamboo tube and ran home.
Some days later the mother of Diego and Juan became ill and died. She
left her sons two carabaos for an inheritance. As Diego was the
older, he took the fat carabao for himself, and gave the thin one
to Juan. Juan was angry: so he killed his carabao, and decided to
sell the hide. He tried to sell it in the neighboring villages,
but he could not find a buyer. He then walked on and on until he
came to a forest. Not very far off, and coming towards him, he saw
a band of Tulisanes. [65] They were on horseback, and had a large
amount of treasure with them. Juan was afraid: so he climbed a tree,
and hid himself with his hide among the branches and leaves. He
had no more than concealed himself when the Tulisanes came up and
stopped to eat under that very tree. Juan watched them closely. He
unintentionally moved the hide which was on the branch beside him,
and it fell crashing down on the Tulisanes. Frightened by this most
unexpected noise, they ran away as fast as they could, not stopping
to take anything with them. Juan descended quickly, mounted a horse,
and made off with as much as he could carry.
When he reached home, his brother said to him, "Where did you get
all those riches?" Juan replied that he had been given them by the
neighboring villages in return for his carabao-hide. Again Diego
envied his brother. He went out and killed his fat carabao and dried
its hide. Next he went to the neighboring villages and tried to sell
it; but many days passed, and still no one would buy.
Now Diego was very angry. He took a wooden box and put his brother
inside. He bound the box and carried it to the seashore. He was about
to throw it into the water when he remembered that it was not locked:
so he left it, and went back to the house to get the key. Meanwhile
a Chinese peddler selling gold rings came along. Juan heard him, and
shouted, "Chino, Chino, come and see these beautiful and precious
things inside!" The Chinaman approached, and opened the box. Juan
came out, and said, "I will put you inside, and you will see many
beautiful things in the bottom." The Chinaman was willing, so Juan
put him in and closed the box. He then took the Chino's gold rings
and ran away. Not many minutes later Diego came up, and, after locking
the box, he threw it into the ocean.
That same day, while Diego was eating his dinner, Juan came along
with some fine gold rings. Diego was astonished to see his brother,
and said, "How did you manage to get out of the box, and where did
you get those rings?" Juan answered that he sank to the bottom of
the ocean, where he saw his mother, and that she had given him all
those rings. The foolish Diego believed everything that Juan told him,
so he asked his brother to put him into a box and throw him into the
ocean. Juan lost no time in obeying. He got a box, put Diego inside,
took it to the seashore, and there cast it into the deep water. After
that Juan lived happily for many years.
Ruined because of Invidiousness.
Narrated by Facundo Esquivel, a Tagalog from Jaen, Nueva Ecija,
who was told the story when he was a boy.
In time out of memory there lived two brothers, Pedro and Juan. Pedro
was rich, for he had a large herd of cattle: consequently he did not
have much use for his younger brother, who was very poor. Juan had
nothing that he could call his own but a cow. One day, disappointed
over his life of poverty, he killed his cow, and some days afterward
he set out to find his fortune. He took nothing with him but the
hide of his cow. When he reached the next town, he saw large piles of
cattle-hides in front of a butcher's shop. Late that night he stole
out secretly and put the skin of his cow in one of the piles. The
next morning he went to the shop to talk with the butcher.
"Mr. Butcher," he said, "I have come here to look for my lost cow. Have
you not killed a cow with a mark J on the right hip?"
"No," answered the honest man, "all the cows which were killed here
came from my herd out there in the mountains."
Juan stood musing for a few moments, and then said, "Let us look
through these piles of hide to see whether you killed my cow or not!"
"All right," answered the butcher, and so they began the investigation.
When they found the hide which Juan had put there, he began to quarrel
with the man. "You must pay me five hundred pesos for my cow, or else I
shall bring a law-suit before the court against you," he said angrily.
"I wonder how this could have happened!" the butcher exclaimed.
"There is no use of wondering," said Juan impatiently. "You stole
my cow, and now you have to pay for it." The man, who was very much
afraid of being brought before the court, gave Juan the five hundred
pesos; and Juan went away with the money in his pocket, and the hide
on his head.
On his way home he came to a tree standing at a cross-roads. He was
very tired and thirsty, but he could not find a house where to ask
for water. He climbed the tree to look for a place to go to, but,
instead of a house, he saw a company of armed men coming down the
road. The men stopped under the tree to rest. Juan was so terrified
that he hardly knew what to do. As he was trembling with fright, the
hide fell down from the tree and frightened the men away. They thought
that it was a curse from heaven because of their misdeeds. When Juan
realized that the men were gone, he recovered from his fright and
quickly descended. There on the ground he saw a number of sacks full
of money, and, loading a horse with two of the sacks, he started for
his home town.
As soon as he reached his house, he went to his brother's to borrow a
salop. [66] Then he inserted several pesetas and ten-centavo pieces
in the cracks of the salop, and returned the measure. When Pedro saw
the coins sticking in the cracks of his measure, he said, "What did
you do with the salop?"
"I measured money," said Juan.
"Where did you get the money?" Pedro demanded.
"Where did I get the money?" retorted Juan. "Don't you know that I
went to the neighboring town to sell my cowhide?"
"Yes," said Pedro. Then he added, "The price of hides there must be
very high, I suppose."
"There is no supposing about it," said Juan. "Just think! one hide
is worth two sacks of money."
Pedro, who was envious of his brother's good fortune, killed all
his cattle, old and young, and threw the meat into the river. The
he started with several carretons [67] full of hides; but he
was disappointed when he came to the town, for nobody would buy
hides. Discouraged and tired out, he returned. He found Juan living
comfortably in a fine new home. Thus Pedro lost all his property
because of his invidiousness.
The Two Friends.
Narrated by Tomas V. Vargas (of Iloilo?).
Once there lived in a certain village two friends, Juan and
Andres. Juan, a very rich man, was tall, big, and strong; while Andres,
a very poor man, was small, weak, and short. Andres worked very hard
to earn his living, while Juan spent most of his time on pleasure.
One morning Andres went to his friend Juan, and asked to borrow one
of his mules. Juan consented, but told Andres that, if any one should
ask who the owner of the mule was, he should tell the truth. Andres
promised, and went off with the mule. He set to work immediately to
plough his small farm. Very soon two neighbors of Andres passed by,
and, seeing him with a mule, asked him where he got it. Andres said
that he had bought it. The men wondered how a poor man like Andres
could buy a mule, and they spread the news about the village. When
this news reached Juan, he was very angry, and he ordered his servant
to go bring back the mule. The animal was brought back, and Juan was
determined not to lend it to his friend any more.
A week later two of Juan's mules, including that which Andres had
borrowed, died. Juan threw the carcasses away, but Andres took the
skins of those dead mules and dried them to sell in the next town.
The next day Andres set out for the town, resting now and then on
account of his heavy load. He was overtaken by night near a solitary
house between his village and the town where he was going to sell the
hides. He knocked at the house, and asked a woman he found there for
a night's lodging. She told him that she could not do anything for him
until her husband arrived. So Andres had to wait on the road near the
house. Not long afterwards a man came towards the house. Andres went
up to him, and asked him if he was the master of the house; but the
man said he was not, so Andres had to go back to the road. From where
he was sitting, Andres could see that the woman inside was preparing
a good supper for the stranger, who meanwhile had entered. While she
and the stranger were sitting at the table, Andres saw another man
approaching in the distance. The woman hastily opened a big empty
trunk and hid the man inside, then she put all the cooked fish in
the cupboard.
When the other man, who was the husband, arrived, Andres asked for
a night's lodging, and was received kindly. While the husband and
Andres were talking, the wife told them that supper was ready, and
they went to the table to eat: but there they found nothing for them
but rice; so Andres told the husband that he had an enchanted hide,
and that they could have fish if he wished. The husband wished to see
the skin tested. Andres ordered the skin to bring a man into the trunk;
and when the trunk was opened, there was the man. Next he ordered the
skin to bring cooked fish to the cupboard; and when the cupboard was
opened, there was the cooked fish. The husband then offered Andres
a very high price for the enchanted skin, and Andres willingly sold it.
Early the next morning Andres left the house before the others were
up. It was not long, however, before the husband found out that the
skin was not magic, and he was determined to punish the skin-seller
if he should catch him again. Meanwhile Andres had returned to the
village. There he met Juan, who, noticing the money in his pocket,
asked him where he had gotten it. Andres told him that it was the price
of the skins of his dead mules, which he had sold in the neighboring
town. On hearing this, Juan went directly home, killed all his mules,
and flayed them. As he was passing by the solitary house on his way
to the town, he cried out that he had skins for sale. The husband in
the house thought that it must be the same man who had sold him the
enchanted skin, so he went down and whipped Juan nearly to death.
After this experience, Juan returned home, determined to kill his
friend. But Andres was very cunning, and avoided him. Finally Juan,
angry beyond all measure, killed the mother of Andres. When Andres
found that his mother was dead, he dressed her very well and took her
to town. Then he went directly to the town doctor, to whom he explained
definitely the sickness of his mother. The doctor immediately prepared
medicine for the patient; but just after she had been given the
medicine, he noticed that the woman was dead. Andres then accused him
of having poisoned his mother; and the doctor, fearing the consequences
if Andres should seek justice, agreed to pay him a large sum of money.
Andres returned to his village richer than ever. Juan became friendly
again, and asked him where he had gotten his money. Andres told him
that it was the price of his mother's corpse, which he had sold in the
town. When Juan heard this, he went home and killed his mother. Then
he took the corpse to town to sell it; but, as he was passing along
the street, a crowd of men began to abuse him, and he narrowly escaped
with his life.
Now, Juan was determined not to let Andres escape him. He was after
him all the time. Finally one day he caught Andres. He put him inside
a sack and carried it down to the seashore. On the way to the sea, he
saw a house, and, wishing to have a smoke, he left Andres on the road,
and went to the house to get a light. Meanwhile Andres, who was bound
in the sack, was crying out that he did not wish to marry the daughter
of the king, and that he was being forced against his will. At this
instant a cowboy with his herd of cows passed by. He heard Andres,
and said that he was willing to marry the king's daughter. Andres told
him to unbind the sack, then. He did so, and Andres put the cowherd
in his stead. Then Andres hurried away with the cows. Juan came back,
picked up the sack, and threw it into the sea. When he returned home,
he found Andres there with a fine herd of cows. He asked Andres where
he had found them, and Andres said that he had gotten them from under
the sea. So Juan, envious as ever, ordered Andres to put him in a
sack and throw him into the sea. Andres gladly did so.
Juan the Orphan.
Narrated by Leopoldo Uichanco, a Tagalog from Calamba, La Laguna.
There once lived a boy whose name was Juan. His parents had died,
leaving Juan nothing but a horse. As he did not have a place at home
in which to keep the animal, he begged his Uncle Diego to let the
horse stay in his stable. From time to time Juan went to the stable
to feed his horse. He loved the animal, and took as great care of it
as a father would of a son.
One day Uncle Diego noticed that Juan's horse was growing fatter and
more beautiful than any of his own animals. In his envy he killed the
horse of his nephew, and said to the innocent boy that the animal had
been stricken by "bad air." Being thus deprived of his sole wealth,
Juan cut off the best meat from the dead horse, and with this food
for his only provision he set out to seek his fortune in another
country. On his way through a forest he came across an old man dying
of starvation; but the old man had with him a bag full of money.
"Pray," said the old man, talking with difficulty in his pain and
weakness, "what have you in your sack, my son?"
"Some dried horse-meat," said Juan.
"Let me see!" The old man looked into the sack, and saw with watering
mouth the sweet-smelling meat. "Will you exchange your sack of meat
for my sack of money?" he said to Juan. "I have money here, but I
cannot eat it. Nor can I go to the town to buy food, because I am too
weak. Since you are stronger, my son, pray take this sack of money in
exchange, and go to the town and buy meat with it for yourself. For
God's sake, leave this meat to me! I am starving to death."
Juan accepted the money in exchange for his meat, and pretended to
feel great pity for the old man. He put the heavy bag of money on his
shoulder, and with difficulty carried it home. "Uncle Diego!" Juan
called out from the foot of his uncle's ladder, "come here! Please
come here and help me carry this bag upstairs!"
"Tremendous sum of money," Uncle Diego remarked to his nephew. "Where
did you get it?"
"I sold the meat of my dead horse. This is what I got for it,"
said Juan.
The uncle once more became jealous of Juan. "If with only one horse,"
he muttered to himself, "he could gain so much money, how much should I
get for my fifteen horses!" So he killed all the horses he had in his
stable and cut the meat from them. Then he placed the meat in bags,
and, carrying two on his shoulders, he cried as he went along the
street, "Meat, meat! Horse-meat! Who wishes to buy fresh horse-meat?"
"How much?" asked a gray-headed old woman who was looking out of
the window.
"Three hundred ninety-nine thousand pesos, ninety-nine pesetas,
six and one half centavos a pound," said Uncle Diego.
The people who heard him only laughed, and thought that something was
the matter with his head. Nobody would buy his meat. Nobody cared to
deal with him in earnest, and all his meat decayed.
He went home in despair, and planned to take vengeance on his nephew
for the mischief he had done him. He cast the little orphan into
a big sack, and sewed the mouth of the little prison all up. Then
he said that at night he would take the sack and throw it into the
river. However, Juan managed to get out of the bag, and in his place
he put a muzzled dog. When night came, the uncle shouldered the bag,
took it to the river, and hurled it into the deep water. He hoped
that Juan would perish there, and that he himself could gain full
possession of his nephew's money.
But when morning came, Uncle Diego saw Juan smilingly enter the door
of his house. "Juan," said the uncle, "I am surprised to see you
again. Tell me all about how you managed to escape from the sack."
"Oh, no, Uncle!" returned Juan, "I haven't time; there is not a moment
to lose. I have only come here to bid you good-by."
"And where are you going?"
"Back to the bottom of the river. My love, the Sirena, [68] is waiting
for me."
"O Juan!" pleaded the uncle, "if I could only go with you!"
"No, no, no!" protested the boy. "Only one can go at a time. The
Sirena would be angry, and she would consequently refuse to admit to
her glorious habitation any being from this outside world."
"Then let me go first!"
"No, no, no!" said the boy.
But the uncle pleaded so earnestly, that finally the boy yielded with
pretended reluctance. The uncle then covered himself with a rice-sack,
and Juan tied the mouth of the bag securely. "I will fool him," Uncle
Diego said to himself. "When I am under the water and the Sirena
takes me to her house to become her husband, I shall never come back
to Juan. Ha, ha, ha!"
"I will fool him," Juan said to himself. "There is no such thing as
the Sirena in the river. Thank God, my dreadful uncle will soon be
disposed of!" At midnight Juan hurled his happy uncle into the river,
saying, "There is no one who owes that must not pay his debt. [69]
May my act be justified!"
The heavy sack sank to the bottom of the river, and nothing more was
heard of Uncle Diego.
Notes.
Two other variants, which were collected by Mr. Rusk, and which I
have only in abstract, run about as follows:--
Juan the Ashes-Trader.--Juan, a poor dealer in ashes, was in the woods
when he heard some robbers coming, and climbed a tree for safety. While
they were busy at the foot of the tree, counting their money, he
dropped the sack of ashes among them. They ran away in fright, and he
acquired all their gold. When the people of the town heard Juan tell
how valuable ashes had become, they all burned their houses and took
the ashes to the forest, where they arrived just in time to suffer from
the wrath of the robbers. Only two escaped to accuse Juan; but Juan
was already on a journey, doing good with his money. A dying woman,
whom he helped, gave him a magic cane; and when the angry villagers
at last found him, he summoned a legion of soldiers by means of his
cane, and all of his assailants were killed. [With the second half
of this story, cf. No. 28 and notes.]
Colassit and Colaskel.--Colassit was good but poor; Colaskel, rich
but bad. Colaskel, quarrelling with Colassit, killed the latter's
only carabao. Colassit skinned his dead animal, and took the hide to
Laoag to sell it, but could find no purchaser. At night he asked for
shelter at a house, but was refused on the ground that the husband was
away from home; yet he boldly staid under the house. At midnight he
heard the clatter of dishes above, looked up through a hole in the
floor, and saw the woman dining merrily with a man. Just then the
husband arrived home and knocked at the door. Colassit saw the woman
put her paramour into a box in the corner, and the food in another
box. Colassit now appeared at the door, and was invited in by the
hospitable husband. On being asked what was in his bag, Colassit
replied that it was a miraculous thing, which, when it made a noise,
as it had a moment before when he had stepped on it, desired to say
something. On being asked to interpret, Colassit said that the skin
told him that there was delicious food in one of the boxes. Thereupon
the food was produced. Now, it was said in the neighborhood that
this house was haunted by the Devil, and the owner thought this a
good opportunity to find out by magic where the Devil was. Colassit
interpreted for the carabao-hide. The Devil was in the other box,
he said. After tying the box with heavy ropes, Colassit started
toward the river with it. He repeated a jingle which informed the
man inside of his imminent fate. The latter replied (also in verse)
that he would give a thousand pesos ransom. Colassit accepted,
and so became rich. [The narrator says that this is only one of ten
adventures belonging to the complete story. It is a pity that the
other nine are missing.]
The cycle of tales to which all our variants belong, and which
may appropriately be called the "Master Cheat" cycle, is one of
the most popular known. It occurs in many different forms; indeed,
the very nature of the story--merely a succession of incidents in
which a poor but shrewd knave outwits his rich friend or enemy (the
distinction matters little to the narrator), and finally brings about
his enemy's death while he himself becomes rich--is such as to admit
of indefinite expansion, so far as the number and variety of the
episodes are concerned. There have been at least four comprehensive
descriptive or bibliographical studies of this cycle made,--Köhler's
(on Campbell's Gaelic story, No. 39), Cosquin's (notes to Nos. 10
and 20), Clouston's (2 : 229-288), and Bolte-Polívka's (on Grimm,
No. 61). Of these, the last, inasmuch as it is the latest (1914)
and made use of all the preceding, is the most complete. From it
(2 : 10) we learn that the characteristic incidents of this family
of drolls are as follows:--
A1 A rabbit (goat, bird) as carrier of messages. A2 A wolf sold for
a ram.
B A gold-dropping ass (or horse).
C A self-cooking vessel.
D A hat which pays the landlord.
E1 Dirt (ashes) given (sold, substituted) for gold. E2 Money which
was alleged to be in a chest, demanded from the storer of the chest.
F1 Cowhide (or "talking" bird) sold to adulteress, or (F2) sold to
her husband, or (F3) exchanged for the chest in which the paramour
is concealed, or (F4) elsewhere exchanged for money.
G1 A flute (fiddle, staff, knife) which apparently brings to life
again the dead woman. G2 The dead mother killed a second time, and
paid for by the supposed murderer.
H Escape of the hero from the sack (chest) by exchanging places with
a shepherd.
J Death of the envious one, who wishes to secure some "marine cattle."
The opponents in this group of stories, says Bolte, "are either
village companions, or unacquainted marketers, or a rich and an
avaricious brother." In addition to the episodes enumerated above,
might be mentioned two others not uncommonly found in this cycle:--
F5 Frightening robbers under tree by dropping hide or table on them.
F6 Borrowed measure returned with coins adhering to it.
As these last two occur in other stories, both droll and serious
(e.g., Grimm, No. 59; and "1001 Nights," "Ali Baba"), they may not
originally have belonged to our present group. However, see Cosquin's
notes on his No. xx, "Richedeau" (1 : 225 f.). It is hard to say with
certainty just what was originally the one basic motif to which all
the others have at one time or another become attached; but it seems
to me likely that it was incident H, the sack-by-the-sea episode,
for it is this which is the sine qua non of the cycle. To be sure,
our third story (c) lacks it, but proves its membership in the family
by means of other close resemblances.
Of the elements mentioned by Bolte-Polívka, our five stories
and two variants have the following: "How Salaksak became Rich,"
F4BE1HJ; "Clever Juan and Envious Diego," G1F5HJ; "Ruined because
of Invidiousness," F4F5F6; "The Two Friends," F2G2HJ; "Juan the
Orphan," F4H (modified) J; "Juan the Ashes-Trader," E1F5; "Colassit
and Colaskel," F3. In a Visayan tale (JAFL 19 : 107-109) we find
a combination of HJ with a variant of our No. 1. Incident D (hat
paying landlord) forms a separate story, which we give below,--No. 50,
"Juan and his Painted Hat." Incident B is also narrated as a droll by
the Tagalogs; the sharper of the story scattering silver coins about
the manure of his cow, and subsequently selling the "magic" animal
for a large sum. An examination of the incidents distributed among
the Filipino members of this cycle reveals the fact that episode A1
(hare as messenger) is altogether lacking. I have not met with it in
any native story, and am inclined to believe that it is not known in
the Islands. It is found widespread in Europe, but does not appear to
be common in India: among fifteen Indian variants cited by Bolte it is
found only twice (i.e., Indian Antiquary, 3 : 11 f.; Bompas, No. 80,
p. 242). These Indian versions show, however, that the story in one
form or another is found quite generally throughout that country, the
Santali furnishing the largest number of variants (six, in all). It
would seem reasonable to conclude, therefore, considering the fact
that at least seven forms of the tale are known in the Philippines,
extending from the Visayas to the northernmost part of Luzon, that the
source of the incidents common to these and the Indian versions need
not be sought outside the Orient. The case of incidents F1F2F3 seems
different. They are lacking in the Far-Eastern representatives of this
cycle; and their appearance in the Philippines may be safely traced,
I think, to European influence. However, an Indian source for these
incidents may yet be discovered, just as sources already have been for
so many Italian novella and French fabliaux of a similar flavor. The
fact that the earliest form of the "Master Cheat" cycle known is a
Latin poem of the eleventh, possibly tenth, century (Köhler-Bolte,
233-234), is of course no proof that elements F4G1HJ, found in that
poem, were introduced into India from Europe, though it might be
an indication.
TALE 21
IS HE THE CRAFTY ULYSSES?
Narrated by Lorenzo Licup, a Pampango from Angeles, Pampanga.
Balbino and Alaga had only one child, a son named Suguid, who was at
first greatly beloved by them. The couple was very rich, and therefore
the boy wanted nothing that was not granted by his parents. Now,
the son was a voracious eater. While still a baby, he used to pull
up the nails from the floor and eat them, when his mother had no
more milk to give him. When all the nails were exhausted, he ate the
cotton with which the pillows were stuffed. Thus his parents used to
compare him to a mill which consumes sugarcane incessantly. It was
not many years before the wealth of the couple had become greatly
diminished by the lavish expenditure they had to make for Suguid's
food. So Suguid became more and more intolerable every day. At last
his parents decided to cast him away into a place from which he might
not be able to find his way home again.
One day they led him to a dense forest, and there abandoned
him. Luckily for Suguid, a merchant soon passed by that place. The
merchant heard him crying, and looked for him. He found the boy, and,
being a good-natured man, he took the boy home with him. It was not
long before the merchant realized that Suguid was a youth of talent,
and he put him in school. In a few weeks the boy showed his superiority
over his classmates. In time he beat even the master in points of
learning. And so it was that after only five months of studying he left
the school, because he found it too small for his expanding intellect.
By some mathematical calculation, so the tradition says, or by certain
mysterious combinations of characters that he wrote on paper, Suguid
discovered one day that a certain princess was hidden somewhere. She
had been concealed in such a way that her existence might not be known
other than by her parents and the courtiers. Suguid immediately went
to the palace of the king, and posted a paper on the palace-door. The
paper read as follows: "Your Majesty cannot deny me the fact that he
has a daughter secluded somewhere. Your humble servant, Suguid Bociu."
When the king read this note, he became very angry, as he could
now no longer keep the secret of his daughter's existence. He
immediately despatched his soldiers to look for the presumptuous
Suguid. The soldiers found the boy without much difficulty, and
brought him before the king. Bursting with anger, the king said,
"Are you the one who was bold enough to post this paper?"
"Yes, your Majesty."
"Can you prove what you have stated?"
"Yes, your Majesty."
"Very well," said the king; "if you can, I will give you my daughter
for your bride. If within three days you fail to produce her before
me, however, you shall be unconditionally executed."
"I will not fail to fulfil my promise, your Majesty," said Suguid.
After this brief interview, Suguid went directly home. He told the
merchant all about his plan to marry the princess.
"Why did you dare tell the king that you know where his daughter is,"
said the merchant, "when there is no certainty at all of your finding
her or of gaining her consent?"
"Oh, do not be afraid, father!" said Suguid. "If you will but
provide me with twelve of the best goldsmiths that can be found in
the whole city, I have no doubt of finding and captivating the fair
princess." As the merchant was a rich man, and influential too, he
summoned in an hour all the good goldsmiths that could be found in
the city. When all the goldsmiths were assembled, Suguid ordered them
to make a purlon. This purlon was made of gold, silver, and precious
stones. It was oblong in shape, and hollow inside, being five feet
high, three feet deep, and four feet long. Inside it were placed a
chair and a lamp. By means of a certain device a person inside the
purlon could breathe. Altogether its construction was so beautiful,
that it seemed as if it were intended for the sight of the gods alone.
When all was ready, Suguid entered the purlon, taking with him all
the necessary provisions,--food, fine clothes, a poniard, and a
guitar. Every part of the purlon was so well joined, that no opening
whatever could be detected. Before going into the purlon, Suguid
told the merchant to take the goldsmiths home, and not to allow
them to leave the house for three days, lest they should reveal the
secret. Suguid then ordered five men to carry the purlon towards the
king's palace. In the mean time he was playing the sweetest piece of
music that mortal ears had ever heard. When the purlon was near the
palace, the king was so charmed by the melodious music, that he asked
the master of the carriers to halt for a moment. "Pray," he said,
"are you the owner of that thing?"
"No, sir! a certain man in our district owns it," said the carrier.
"Who gave him this divine gift?"
"Your Majesty, this purlon, as it is called, is of a rather mysterious
origin. The owner of this (pointing to the purlon) was a religious
man. He was formerly very wealthy; but because he gave much alms to
the poor and the needy, his riches soon came to an end. He is now
so poor, that his silken clothes have all been exchanged for ragged
cotton ones. Early one morning, when he was about to go to the church,
he was surprised to find this purlon at his door, giving out music
as you hear it now."
The king turned to the queen, who was sitting beside him, and said,
"Oh, how happy our daughter would be if she should hear this enchanting
piece of music!--Sir, if you will lend me this purlon, you may ask
of me as a compensation any favor that you may want."
"Your Majesty, I will lend it to you with all my heart, but on
condition that it be returned within two days, lest the owner scold
me for having given it up."
"Yes," answered the king, "I will give it back as soon as my daughter
has seen it." The king and queen then immediately ordered that the
purlon be carried before the princess. The princess's joy need not
be described if we only think how happy we should be if we were in
the same situation as she. She was so bewitched by the music, that
she told her father never to take it away from her.
"O daughter!" said the king, "we have just borrowed this purlon,
and we promised to return it as soon as you had seen it. However,
you may have it the whole night."
The king and the queen, convinced that their daughter was quite happy,
soon bade her good-by. Before leaving, the king said, "You must not
spend the whole night in listening to the sweet music."
"Have no fear, father! I will go to sleep early."
Suguid, who was inside the purlon, listened very carefully to the
retreating footsteps of the king and queen. As soon as he thought
they were too far away to hear their daughter in case she should cry
out, he came out from the purlon, poniard in hand. The princess,
of course, was very much frightened when she saw Suguid kneeling
before her, and saying, "Fair princess, let not my presence cause any
fear! In coming here, I had no other purpose than to reveal to you
a secret that I have long cherished in my heart. It is universally
acknowledged that you are the most beautiful, the most virtuous,
the most accomplished living mortal on earth, and as such you have
awakened in me an intense love. So, taking no heed of the danger
that I might encounter on the way, I ventured to search for you,
Lily of the Valley and Rose of the Town--to love you, to adore you as
a living saint. Your ring, my adored princess, will give me life or
death,--life, because I shall be spared from being beheaded; death,
for I have promised your father to present your ring to him within
three days as a token of your acceptance of my suit. Therefore, Queen
of Beauty, choose, your ring, or my death. I have my poniard ready,
and I prefer a hundred times to die--nay, die smiling--at your hands."
The princess was so moved by this passionate speech, that she was mute
for some time. After a difficult struggle within herself, she said,
"Seeing your intense love and devotion for me, I cannot but consent
to your proposal. Were not the matter pressing, however, I should not
give my consent in so short a time. Here is the ring, if pleasure it
will give you."
Suguid took the ring courteously, and said, "How can I paint in
words my pleasure and gratitude! As it were, you have snatched me
from the cold hands of Death. You have saved me from the fury of your
father. You have given me a heaven of joy. Oh, how shall I describe
it! I thank you very much. But now I must leave you and go into the
purlon,--the blessed purlon,--as it is almost morning. Your father
will soon come and take this purlon away. But I must let you know
this one fact: as soon as I have presented this ring to the king,
you will be taken away from here. You will be made my beloved wife."
"Yes, I have no objection to that," said the princess. Suguid, being
thus assured of his success, entered the purlon again.
Morning came, and the king and queen went to the princess's palace at
ten o'clock. They talked a while with their daughter, who assured them
of her great satisfaction with the purlon. Then they bade her good-by,
as there was important business to be transacted that day. They took
the purlon with them, and returned it to the agent.
On the appointed day Suguid appeared at the king's palace, carrying
with him the emblem of his victory,--the ring. On seeing Suguid
approaching so cheerfully, the king knew that he was lost. He therefore
swooned, but on recovering he realized that he had to abide by his
promise. He reluctantly caused the princess to be summoned from her
palace, and she and Suguid were married together; and it was not long
before the king and queen began to appreciate the talent of their
humble and lowly son-in-law. By Suguid's wise policy the kingdom
prospered, and for the first time learned what peace really meant.
Notes.
I have a variant of this story, "Juan the Poor," told more briefly,
narrated by Andrea Mariano, a Tagalog, who heard it from her little
brother. It runs thus in outline:--
Juan is the son of a beggar. The beggar dies, and the son sells himself
to a merchant for money to bury his father properly. After Juan has
been educated, he posts this sign in front of the merchant's house:
"I can trace everything that is lost.--Juan." The king sees the sign,
and requires the boy to discover his hidden daughter. Method: Golden
carriage with Juan playing music inside; old man hired to push it. The
king borrows the carriage and takes it to his daughter. When alone
with the princess, Juan declares his love, and she gives him her
ring. Next day the carriage is returned to the old man. Juan takes
the ring to the king, and is given the princess's hand in marriage
because he is so wise.
For another Tagalog variant see "The King, the Princess, and the
Poor Boy" (JAFL 20 : 307). This is almost identical with the variant
above, except that the hero is advised by two statues how to discover
where the princess is. Furthermore, the hero is discovered with
the princess after he has gained access to her by means of the gilt
carriage and music-box.
The fullest form of the story, however, is the Tagalog metrical romance
popularly known under the title "Juan Bachiller." The full title runs
as follows: "The Sad Life of a Father and of his Son named Juan, in
the Kingdom of Spain. The son sold himself to a merchant on condition
that he would bury the corpse of his father." My copy bears the date
1907, but this is merely a reprint of an older edition. Retana cites
an edition dated 1902 (No. 4337) and one before 1898 (No. 4156). The
poem is in 12-syllable lines, and contains 350 quatrains. It is still
very popular among the Tagalogs, but does not appear to have been
printed in any of the other Philippine languages. Inasmuch as there
is a close connection between our variants and the verse form of the
story, I give a prose paraphrase of the latter:--
There was once a poor beggar, Serbando, who had an only son named
Juan. They lived in the kingdom of Spain. They had a little hut outside
the city in which Serbando used to go to beg their living. One morning,
when Juan returned home from school and was playing around their
little hovel, he heard many kinds of birds speaking to him thus:
"Juan, be patient and toil in poverty. The time will come when God
will reward you." Then a large bird flew to him, and said, "Juan,
leave your little miserable hut; go and seek your fortune." When
his father returned home, Juan told him all about the advice of the
birds. Serbando did not believe that birds could talk, and doubted,
of course, the truth of what his son said.
Now, it happened that Serbando became sick, and after a short time
died, leaving his son alone in the world. Poor Juan wept bitterly over
the dead body. He did not know what to do. He covered the corpse of
his father, and then went crying out through the streets of the city,
"Who wants to buy a slave?" A merchant heard him. "I will serve you as
long as I live if you will only see to the burial of my dead father,"
said Juan to the merchant. Without hesitation the merchant assented,
and together they went to the little hut. The merchant ordered and paid
for a funeral; there was a procession, a mass, and after the burial a
banquet. Then the merchant took the boy to live with him in the city
where the king and queen lived. Moreover, this kind merchant sent Juan
to school, and treated him as a son. In time Juan took his bachelor's
degree, and was greatly admired and respected by his teachers.
One afternoon Juan put a notice on the door of the merchant's
house, which read thus: "If we use money, there is nothing we cannot
discover." It happened that on that same afternoon the king and queen
were driving through the streets of the city. The king chanced to
fix his eyes on the sign which Juan had put up. He did not believe
that the notice was true; and so, when he arrived at the palace,
he ordered the merchant to appear before him. The merchant was very
much frightened at the summons, so Juan himself went and presented
himself before the king.
"Is the notice on your door true?" asked the king.
"It is true, your Majesty," said Juan.
"Then go and find my daughter. If you can find her, she shall be
your wife; if not, you shall lose your head three days from now,"
said the king, who hid his daughter in a secret room in the palace.
Juan went home and called all the best goldsmiths in the kingdom. He
told them to make a little wagon of pure gold, with a secret cell
inside in which a man could sit with a musical instrument and play
it. The goldsmiths finished the wagon in two days and were paid
off. Then Juan called a man and told him to drag this little wagon
along the street toward the palace, and then to the plaza. After
entering the secret cell with his musical instrument, he told the
driver to do as he had been directed. The man began to drag the wagon
along the street toward the palace. Men, women, and children crowded
both sides of the street to see this wagon of pure gold, which gave
out such sweet music. When the wagon passed in front of the palace,
the queen was amazed at it. She asked the king to summon the driver
before him. So the king called the driver, and asked him to bring
the golden wagon into the hall where the queen was.
"How much will you sell this for?" asked the queen.
"I will not sell it," answered the driver.
"Can you not lend it to me until this afternoon?" said the king;
and at last the driver agreed to lend the wagon for a few hours.
The queen then dragged the wagon along the hall, and took it to her
daughter in the secret room. The princess was delighted. As she pushed
it forwards and backwards, sweet music charmed her ears. At last
Juan came out of the secret cell in the wagon and knelt before the
princess. He told her why he had been led to play this trick, and last
of all he told her that he would have lost his life on the morrow if he
had not been able to find her. He also began to express his love for
her. At first she hesitated to accept his protestations of affection;
but at last she accepted him, and gave him one of her rings as a sign
that she would marry him. Fearing that he might be caught in the room
by some one else, Juan now entered the secret cell of the wagon again.
At last the king came, and started to drag the wagon out of the palace
to the place where the driver was waiting. Juan suddenly opened the
door of the secret cell and stood before the king. "O king!" he said,
"now I have accomplished your command. I have found and seen your
daughter in the secret room, and she has given me this ring."
The king was amazed, and said to himself that, had he known that
the wagon contained any one inside, he would not have allowed it to
be brought to his hidden daughter. He said to Juan, "You have told
the truth, that anything can be discovered if money is used; but you
shall not marry my daughter."
"Remember your promise," said Juan.
"Wait, and I will ask the princess," said the king. "She might refuse."
"Whether she refuses or not, she is to be my wife, for I have seen
her and found her," replied Juan.
"Then you shall have her," said the king.
So Juan was married to the princess, and there was great rejoicing
in the kingdom. The king, however, was very sorry that his daughter
had married Juan, who had now the right to inherit the throne from
him. He could not endure the idea, so he pondered night and day how
to kill Juan under some pretext or other. Juan learned of the king's
plot, and decided to leave the city for a while. He asked his wife
for permission to go and visit the little hut in which he was born,
and at last she consented.
One day Juan left the palace and went to the country. While he was
walking in the woods near his old home, two birds flew to him. "Juan,
take this ring with you: it has magic power, and will furnish you
whatever you ask of it," said the male bird.
"Here, take this pen-point, and use it whenever the king asks you to
write for him," said the female bird. "Remember, Juan, you do not
need to have any ink; you can use your saliva," it continued. "Now
go back to the kingdom, and do not be afraid of the king's plots,"
said the two birds together. So Juan went back to the palace, and
lived there with his wife.
One day the king called Juan, and ordered him to write something. The
king thought that if Juan should make any mistakes in the writing,
he would order him to be executed. Juan used the pen-point which the
second bird had given him. The king furnished him only paper, but no
ink, so Juan used his saliva. "Write this, Juan," said the king:
"'It is not right that you should be heir to my crown, and successor
to the throne.'"
Juan wrote the words just as the king had given them, and they appeared
on the paper in letters of pure gold. The king was very much surprised
by this demonstration of Juan's ability.
Then the king continued, "Write this: 'You ought not to inherit the
crown, you who were born in a little village, and whose ancestors are
unknown.'" Juan wrote this dictation, and, as before, the letters
were of pure gold. Again the king said, "Write now what I shall say:
'You cannot cheat a king like me; you saw my daughter the princess
because you were hiding in the wagon of gold.'"
Juan wrote these words, and they were in pure gold too. The king was
now sad, for he could think of no other way in which to detect a fault
in Juan. So he dismissed his son-in-law, and showed the queen the
golden letters that Juan had written. Juan returned to his apartments.
When night came, Juan decided to ask his magic ring for a tower which
should stand beside the palace of the king. During the night the
tower was erected; it was garrisoned with field-marshals, colonels,
and soldiers. Early in the morning the king was surprised to see this
tall tower standing beside his palace. He said to himself, "I rule
the kingdom, and the kingdom is mine; this tower is in my kingdom,
therefore the tower is mine." So the king went out of the palace and
entered the tower. No one saluted him. Then he called Juan, and asked
him about the tower. Juan answered that its presence there was due to
the will and power of God. When Juan and the king together entered
the tower, all the soldiers lined up and saluted Juan, and music
was heard everywhere. Everything inside was made of solid silver and
gold. The king was astounded at the magic power of his son-in-law,
whom he was trying to kill.
"Juan," said the king, "wipe away this tower and erect at this moment
a palace in its place. If you can do this, you shall be the king of
the whole of Spain." By the magic power of the ring, Juan was able
to fulfil the command, and the tower was changed into a beautiful
palace. The council of the kingdom, at the order of the king, agreed
to crown Juan and his wife king and queen. There was great rejoicing
throughout the realm. The old king and his wife abandoned the palace,
and went to live in an abbey, where they died.
Juan now called the merchant, his former master, to the palace. The
merchant was afraid, for he feared that the king wished to do him
mischief; he did not know that Juan was now king. But Juan received
him affectionately, and from that time on the merchant, Juan, and
the beautiful princess lived together happily in the palace.
It will be noticed that the Tagalog poem differs from the three
oral versions, in that after Juan has won the first wager from
the king, his skill is subjected to further tests, which he comes
out of successfully through the aid of magic objects given him by
birds. In other words, the poem carries on the folk-tale by adding
some additional episodes. The fact that the folk-tales, both Pampango
and Tagalog, preserve the simple structure, while only the printed
Tagalog verse-form seeks to elaborate and extend the tale, suggests
that the simpler form is the older, and that the anonymous author of
the romance added to the oral material for mere purposes of length. As
it is, the poem is very short compared with the other popular metrical
stories, which average well over 2000 lines. The localization of the
events in Spain signifies nothing.
The story is known also in southern Europe: e.g., in Greece (Von Hahn,
No. 13), in Sicily (Gonzenbach, No. 68; Pitrè, Nos. 95, 96). In the
Greek version, after the hero has decided to risk his neck for the
hand of the hidden princess, he goes to a shepherd and has himself
covered with the hide of a lamb with golden fleece. In this disguise
he is taken to the princess. In the night he throws off his fleece
covering and makes love to the princess, who finally accepts him,
and tells him how he may be able to recognize her among her maidens,
all of whom, herself included, her father will change into ducks,
and then will require the youth to pick out the duck which is the
princess. He succeeds, and wins her hand in marriage. In Gonzenbach,
No. 68, the hero is one of three brothers who set out to seek
their fortunes. They each come in succession to the beautiful city
where the king has issued the proclamation that whoever can find his
hidden daughter within eight days shall receive her hand in marriage;
whoever tries and fails, loses his head. The first two brothers fail
and are killed. The youngest, arriving in the city and reading the
proclamation, determines to take the risk. He is advised by an old
beggar-woman how to find the princess. He has goldsmiths make a
golden lion with crystal eyes. The animal is so contrived that it
plays continually beautiful music. The hero hides inside, and the
old woman takes the lion to the king, to whom she lends it. Then
follow the discovery of the princess, her acceptance of the hero's
love, the token given to the hero, etc. The hero is obliged to pick
the princess out from among her eleven maids who look exactly like
her. In Pitrè, No. 95, we find practically the same incidents recorded:
two older sons of a merchant go off to seek their fortunes, and lose
their heads because they cannot discover the princess "within a year,
a month, and a day." The youngest comes in turn to the same country,
wagers his head, and searches a year and fifteen days in vain. On the
advice of an old woman, he has built a golden àcula (just what this
word means I have been unable to determine) large enough to contain
a person playing a musical instrument. Four men carry the àcula to
the palace; discovery of the princess follows. Second test: to pick
the princess out from twenty-four maidens dressed exactly alike.
In none of these three stories (nor in Pitrè, No. 96, which is a
shorter variant of No. 95) does the opening resemble our forms of the
tale. Nor in any of the three, either, does the hero bring the wager
on himself because of the announcement he makes that he who has gold
can discover anything. With this detail, however, compare the couplet
which the hero displays in Pitrè, No. 96:--
"Cu' havi dinari fa chiddu chi voli,
Cu' havi bon cavallu va unni voli."
The line "He who has gold can do whatever he wishes" is almost
identical with the corresponding line in the Tagalog verse story.
It is to be noted that the bride-wager incident in this group of
stories resembles closely the same episode in our No. 19. The opening
of our No. 21 has been influenced by the setting of the stories of
the Carancal group (No. 3).
TALE 22
THE REWARD OF KINDNESS.
Narrated by Elisa Cordero, a Tagalog from Pagsanjan, La Laguna,
who heard the story from a Tagalog friend.
In a certain town there once lived a couple who had never had a
child. They had been married for nearly five years, and were very
anxious for a son. The name of the wife was Clara; and of the man,
Philip.
One cloudy night in December, while they were talking by the window
of their house, Clara said to her husband that she was going to pray
the novena, [70] so that Heaven would give them a child. "I would
even let my son serve the Devil, if he would but give us a son!" As
her husband was willing that she should pray the novena, Clara began
the next day her fervent devotions to the Virgin Mary. She went to
church every afternoon for nine days. She carried a small prayer-book
with her, and prayed until six o'clock every evening. At last she
finished her novenario; [71] but no child was born to them, and the
couple was disappointed.
A month had passed, when, to their great happiness, Clara gave birth to
a son. The child they nicknamed Idó. Idó was greatly cherished by his
parents, for he was their only child; but he did not care much to stay
at home. He early began to show a fondness for travelling abroad, and
was always to be found in the dense woods on the outskirts of the town.
One afternoon, when the family was gathered together around a small
table, talking, a knock was heard at the door. "Come in!" said Philip.
"No, I just want to talk with your wife," answered a hoarse voice
from without.
Clara, trembling, opened the door, and, to her great surprise,
she saw standing there a man who looked like a bear. "A devil, a
devil!" she exclaimed, but the Devil pacified her, and said, "Clara,
I have come here to get your son you promised me a long time ago. Now
that the day has come when your son can be of some service to me,
will you deny your promise?"
Clara could make no reply at first. She merely called her son; and
when he came, she said to the Devil, "Here is my son. Take him, since
he is yours." Idó, who was at this time about seventeen years old,
was not frightened by the Devil.
"Come," said the Devil, "and be my follower!" At first Idó refused;
but he finally consented to go, because of his mother's promise.
The Devil now took Idó to his cave, far away outside the town. He
tried in many ways to tempt Idó, but was unable to do so, because
Idó was a youth of strong character. Finally the Devil decided to
exchange clothes with him. Idó was obliged to put on the bear-like
clothes of the Devil and to give him his own soldier-suit. Then the
Devil produced a large bag full of money, and said to Idó, "Take this
money and go travelling about the world for seven years. If you live
to the end of that time, and spend this money only in doing good,
I will set you free. If, however, you spend the money extravagantly,
you will have to go to hell with me." When he had said these words,
he disappeared.
Idó now began his wanderings from town to town. Whenever people saw
him, they were afraid of him, and would refuse to give him shelter;
but Idó would give them money from his bag, and then they would gather
about him and be kind to him.
After many years he happened to come to a town where he saw an old
woman summoned before a court of justice. She was accused of owing
a sum of money, but was unable to pay her debt and the fine imposed
on her. When Idó paid her fine for her and thus released her from
prison, the woman could hardly express her gratitude. As most of the
other people about were afraid of Idó and he had no place to sleep,
this woman decided to take him home with her.
Now, this old woman had three daughters. When she reached home with
the bear-like man, she called her eldest daughter, and said, "Now,
my daughter, here is a man who delivered me from prison. As I can do
nothing to reward him for his great kindness, I want you to take him
for your husband."
The daughter replied, "Mother, why have you brought this ugly man
here? No, I cannot marry him. I can find a better husband."
On hearing this harsh reply, the mother could not say a word. She
called her second daughter, and explained her wishes to her; but the
younger daughter refused, just as her sister had refused, and she
made fun of the man.
The mother was very much disappointed, but she was unable to persuade
her daughters to marry her benefactor. Finally she determined to try
her youngest daughter. When the daughter heard her mother's request,
she said, "Mother, if to have me marry this man is the only way by
which you can repay him for his kindness, I'll gladly marry him." The
mother was very much pleased, but the two older daughters were very
angry with their sister. The mother told the man of the decision of
her youngest daughter, and a contract was signed between them. But
before they were married, the bear-like man asked permission from the
girl to be absent for one more year to finish his duty. She consented
to his going, and gave him half her ring as a memento.
At the end of the year, which was the last of his seven years'
wandering, the bear-like man went to the Devil, and told him that he
had finished his duty. The Devil said, "You have beaten me. Now that
you have performed your seven years' wandering, and have spent the
money honestly, let us exchange clothes again!" So the man received
back his soldierlike suit, which made him look like a knight, and
the Devil took back his bear-skin.
Then the man returned to Clara's [72] house. When his arrival was
announced to the family, the two older daughters dressed themselves in
their best, for they thought that he was a suitor come to see them;
but when the man showed the ring and asked for the hand of Clara's
youngest daughter, the two nearly died with vexation, while the
youngest daughter was very happy.
Notes.
This story is a variant of Grimm, No. 101, "Bear-Skin," which it
follows fairly closely from the point where the hero makes his pact
with the Devil. The bibliography of this cycle is fully given in
Bolte-Polívka, 2 : 427-435, to which I have nothing to add except
this story itself! Our version is the only one so far recorded from
the Orient, and there can be no doubt that it is derived directly
from Europe. Ralston and Moe seem to detect a relationship between
this cycle and a Hindoo saga translated into Chinese in the seventh
century, and from the Chinese into French in the middle of the
nineteenth century, by the French orientalist Stanislas Julien; but
Bolte is of the opinion (p. 435) that there is probably no connection
between the two. In any case, to judge from recorded variants, the
Tagalog story is an importation from the Occident.
And yet there are not a few deviations in our version from the norm,
if Grimm's tale may be considered representative of the cycle. The most
important of these is the opening, which is one form of the "Promised
Child" opening (see Macculloch, 415 ff.). This formula of a childless
couple finally promising in despair to let their child serve even
the Devil if they are granted offspring, or to be satisfied with an
animal-child or some other monstrosity, is a favorite one in Filipino
Märchen (cf. Nos. 3 and variants, 19 and variant, and 23), and its
use here may have been influenced by the beginning of the next tale.
Other differences may be noted briefly: (1) The compact made between
the hero and the Devil does not include the characteristic prohibitions
in the European versions; namely, that the hero is not to comb his
hair, wash himself, trim his beard, etc., during his seven years of
wandering. The Devil seems to rely merely on his bear-suit, which
he makes the hero wear, to produce insurmountable difficulties. It
may be that the prohibitions mentioned above were omitted because
they involved conditions wholly foreign to Filipino conception. The
natives take great pride in their hair, and always dress it carefully,
are scrupulously clean personally, and are beardless! I can cite no
parallel in folk-tales for the condition substituted; i.e., if the
wanderer does good with his money, the Devil will have no power over
him at the end of the seven years, while, if he spends it extravagantly
and foolishly, he goes to hell. Perhaps none need be sought outside
of actual experience. (2) The hero is supplied with money from a large
bag which the Devil gives him, not from the inexhaustible pockets of a
magic green coat, as in Grimm. The mention of the hero's soldier-suit,
by the way, since nothing has been said earlier in the story of his
having followed the profession of arms, is likely a reminiscence of
the characteristic opening of the European versions, where it is a
poor soldier who has the experience with the Devil. (3) The person
ransomed by the hero in our story is an old woman instead of an old
man. (4) The two disappointed sisters do not kill themselves, and hence
the Devil does not reappear at the end of the story,--as he does in
Grimm,--and say, "I have now got two souls in the place of thy one!"
The broken-ring recognition on the return home is a feature which I
believe occurs in no other Filipino folk-tale, but is met with not
infrequently in European saga and story (cf. Köhler-Bolte, 117, 584;
see also Bolte-Polívka, 1 : 234; 2 : 348).
TALE 23
PEDRO AND SATAN.
Narrated by Pedro D. L. Sorreta, a Bicol from Catanduanes, who heard
the story when he was a little boy.
Once upon a time there lived a very rich man, whose wife had
never given birth to a child. The couple had already made several
pilgrimages, and had spent great sums of money for religious
services, in the hope that God might give them a child, even though
a sickly one, to inherit their money; but all their efforts were
in vain. Disappointed, the man resolved to rely upon Satan for the
performance of his wish.
One dark night, when he was thinking hard about the matter, he heard
a voice say, "Your wish will be quickly fulfilled if you but ask me
for it." The rich man was so filled with joy, that he turned towards
the voice and knelt before the invisible speaker: "I will give you
my life, and even my wife's, in return for a son who will be the heir
to my riches," said the man. Meanwhile he perceived in front of him a
figure which in an instant assumed the form of Satan. At first he was
frightened; but his fear was only momentary, and he was eager to hurry
up the agreement with Satan, so that he might receive the child. They
therefore made a golden document which provided that the first child
of the heir was to be given to the Devil at the age of ten, and that
the man and his wife were no longer God's subjects, but Satan's.
After the agreement had been made, the Devil promised the rich man
that his wife would give birth to the longed-for son early the next
morning. Then he disappeared. The child was born at the appointed
time, and grew wonderfully fast, for in five days he was a full-grown
youth. But the parents could not but blame themselves for their
impious act. They intended to keep the secret from their son; but
they could not do so, for the boy was always asking about the nature
of his existence. So when Pedro--they called him by this name--knew
of his pitiful lot, he decided not to marry until he had succeeded
in wresting the golden document from the hands of Satan.
Now, Pedro knew that devils do not like crosses, and cannot even stay
where they have to look at them. So one day he asked his mother to make
for him two gowns, one having little crosses hanging from it. When
these had been finished, Pedro asked his father to give him over to
Satan, so that he might work with the demons in hell. No sooner had
he expressed his desire to his father than the Devil appeared and took
the young man off to his kingdom. There Pedro was assigned the task of
directing the demons in hauling the logs that were to be used for fuel.
Pedro ordered the demons to tie a strong piece of rope to one end of a
log, and ordered them to pull it while he stood on the other end. Every
time he counted "One, two, three!" he would hold up his outer gown;
and the demons, seeing the crosses, would run away in confusion. As
the devils could not endure Pedro's conduct, they ran to their master
Satan, and asked him to send the young man away, for he could not
do any work. The demons could not say anything about Pedro's trick,
however, for they did not dare even speak the word "cross." Satan
then summoned Pedro to his office, and had him work there.
Now, the young man had put a strong piece of rope under his gown. One
day, when Satan was taking his siesta in a rocking-chair, Pedro
tied him fast to the chair. Then he removed his outer gown and woke
Satan. The Devil with closed eyes struggled hard to escape; but he
could not get loose. So he humbly requested Pedro to go away and
leave him alone; but Pedro would neither leave him nor let him go. He
demanded the document, but Satan would not give it up. So Pedro kept on
frightening the Devil until at last Satan said that he would give up
the document if Pedro would release him. Pedro put on his outer robe,
and the Devil called his secretary and told him to give the golden
document to the young man. Pedro threw the bond into the fire; and when
he saw that it was completely melted, he took off his outer robe again,
and turned Satan loose. The Devil ran away exceedingly terrified.
Then Pedro went home, where his parents received him with great
joy. Thus by his cleverness he saved his parents and his future child
from a terrible fate.
Notes.
Like the preceding, this story is doubtless also an importation into
the Islands from Europe. It belongs to the general family of tales
known as the "Promised Child," but the narrative takes a turn which
leads into a special group of this family. The members of this group
are usually not long; and the stories, on the whole, are simple. A
parent promises, wittingly or unwittingly, his child to the Devil in
return for some service, and gives his signature to the bond. The
child grows up, and, noticing the dejection of his parents, forces
from them the secret of the pact. After equipping himself for the
struggle, he sets out for hell to recover the contract. In hell he
frightens or annoys the devils in various ways, and becomes such a
nuisance that finally the arch-fiend is glad to get rid of him by
surrendering the bond.
In a Lorraine story (Cosquin, No. LXIV, "Saint Etienne") "a woman
in confinement is visited by a grand gentleman, who persuades her to
sell her child to him for a large sum of money. He is to come for the
child in six or seven years. One day after a visit of the stranger,
the mother begins to suspect him of being the Devil. Her son notices
her sadness, and learns the secret that is troubling her. 'I'm not
afraid of the Devil,' he says boldly, and tells her to provide him with
a sheep-skin filled with holy water. Thus equipped, he sets off with
the stranger when the time comes, and, reaching hell, so frightens the
devils by sprinkling them with the holy water, that they are glad to
leave him in peace to return to his mother." In this story nothing
is said of a contract; but in a variant mentioned by Cosquin (2 :
232) a poor man signs in blood a bond according to which he agrees to
give up his son at the age of twenty to the rich stranger (Devil in
disguise) who has consented to be godfather to the infant. The demon
is finally put to flight with the aid of an image of the cross and
with the liberal use of holy water.
In a Wallachian story (Schott, No. 15) we find a close parallel
of incident to our story: the hero, acting on the advice of his
school-master, makes some ecclesiastical garments decorated with
crosses, and, dressed in these, he goes to hell and knocks on the
door. The demons, frightened by the sight, want to drive him away;
but he will not go until they surrender the parchment signed by his
father. This story differs from ours in the opening, however; for
the father is a poor fisherman, and promises unwittingly "that which
he loves most at home" in exchange for great riches. At the end of
the story, too, is added an episode of the conversion by the hero
of a band of robbers. With the beginning of this Wallachian story
compare the Italian "Lionbruno" (Crane, No. XXXVI). In a Lithuanian
tale (Chodzko, Contes des paysans et des pâtres slaves [Paris 1864],
p. 107), the hero, before setting out to meet the Devil, arms himself
with holy water and a piece of chalk blessed by the priest. With the
chalk he draws a magic circle about him, from which he throws water
on the demons until they give up the contract. For other variants,
see Cosquin, No. LXXV and notes.
Our story, while somewhat crude in style, is well motivated throughout,
and has one amusing episode for which I know no parallel, the tying
of Satan in his rocking-chair while he is taking his siesta, and
then frightening him into compliance, when he wakes, by displaying,
before him the cross-embroidered gown. The first task the hero is put
to when he enters hell--directing the hauling of logs for fuel--seems
more appropriate than that of draining two ponds, which the hero is
obliged to perform in Cosquin's "La Baguette Merveilleuse," No. LXXV.
The testimony of the narrator that he heard the story from one of
his playmates when he was a little boy, throws an interesting ray of
light on the way in which popular stories circulate in the Philippines.
TALE 24
THE DEVIL AND THE GUACHINANGO.
Narrated by José Laki of Guagua, Pampanga. He got the story from his
uncle, who heard it from an old Pampango story-teller.
There once lived in a suburb of a town a very religious old widow who
had a beautiful daughter, Piriang by name. Young men from different
parts of the town came to court Piriang, and the mother always
preferred the rich to the poor. Whenever Piriang's friends told her
that the man whom she rejected would have been a good match for her,
she always answered that she would rather have a devil for a husband
than such a man.
One day a devil heard Piriang giving this answer to one of her
friends. Thus encouraged, he disguised himself as a young man of
noble blood, and went to Piriang's house to offer her his love. The
mother and daughter received this stranger with great civility, for
he appeared to them to be the son of a nobleman. In the richness of
his dress he was unexcelled by his rivals. After he had been going to
Piriang's house for a few weeks, the old widow told him one day to
come prepared to be married on the following Tuesday. On the Sunday
before the wedding-day he had a long conversation with Piriang. He
calmly asked her to take off the cross that she had about her neck,
for it made her look ugly, he said. She refused to do so, however,
because she had worn this cross ever since she was a child. After he
had departed, Piriang told her mother what he had asked her to do.
The next day the mother went to the church. She told the priest that
Piriang's bridegroom had ordered her to take off her cross from her
neck. The priest said that that man was a devil; for no man, as a son
of God, would say that a cross made the one who wore it look ugly. The
priest gave the mother a small image of the Virgin Mary. He instructed
her to show the image to the bridegroom. If when he beheld it he turned
his back on her as she was holding it, she was to tie him around the
neck with her cintas. [73] Then she was to put him in a large jar,
and bury him at least twenty-one feet under the ground.
The mother went home very much distressed because she had allowed her
daughter to become engaged to a devil. She told Piriang not to talk
with her bridegroom, because she feared that he was a devil. That
night he came with his friend dressed like him. The mother was very
gracious to them. They talked about the wedding. When the old woman
held up the image of the Virgin Mary, the two men turned their backs
on her. She immediately wound her cintas around the neck of her
daughter's bridegroom, and Piriang came in with the dried tail of
a sting-ray in her right hand. She whipped him with this as hard as
she could. [74] Then the two together forced him to get into a large
jar. After warning him not to come back to earth again, the old woman
covered the jar with a piece of cloth wet with holy water. The other
devil suddenly disappeared.
The next morning a guachinango [75] happened to pass by the house of
the old woman. She called him in, showed him the jar, and told him
to bury it at least twenty-one feet deep. When he asked how much she
would pay him, she promised to give him ten pesos. He agreed: so,
putting the jar on his right shoulder, he set out. When he reached
a quiet place, he heard whispers behind him. He stopped and looked
around, but could see nothing. Then he put the jar on the ground to
rest a few minutes. Now he discovered that the whispers were coming
from inside the jar. He was very much surprised.
"What are you?" asked the guachinango. "Are you a man, or a devil?"
"I am a devil, my friend," answered the voice. "The old woman forced
me to go into this jar. Be kind to me, my friend, and liberate me!"
"I shall obey the old woman in order to get my pay," said the
guachinango. "I will bury you even deeper than twenty-one feet."
"If you will bury me just three feet deep," said the devil, "I will
give you a large sum of money."
"I will bury you just one and a half feet deep, if you can give me
much money," said the guachinango.
"I will give you five hundred pesos," said the devil. "Dig the ground
near the stump of that mabolo-tree. There you will find the money in
a dirty black purse."
After the guachinango had buried the devil, he went to the mabolo-tree
and took the money. Then he went to the nearest village and played
casino. As soon as he lost all his money, he returned to the devil. "I
have lost all the money you gave me," he said. "I will now bury you
twenty-one feet deep."
"No, do not bury me so deep as that, my friend!" said the devil
calmly. "I can give you twice as much money as I gave you before. You
will find it in the same place that you found the other."
The guachinango took the money and went to the village again
to gamble. Again he lost. He returned to the devil, and asked him
angrily why he always lost the money he gave him. "I don't know,"
answered the devil. "I have given you fifteen hundred pesos, but you
haven't even a cent now. You ought to set me free at once."
"Aha! I won't let you go," said the guachinango. "I will bury you
thirty-nine feet now."
"I have a plan in mind," said the devil, "which will benefit you
extremely; but before I explain my plan, let me ask you if you would
like to marry the daughter of the king."
"I have a great desire to be king some day," said the guachinango;
"but how can you make me the husband of a princess, when you are only
a devil, and I am nothing but a poor guachinango?"
"As soon as you set me free," said the devil, "I will enter the
mouth of the princess and go into her brains. Then I will give her
a very painful headache which no physician can cure. The king will
make an announcement saying that he who can cure his daughter of
her disease shall marry her. When you hear this announcement, go to
the palace at once, and offer your services to the king. As soon as
you reach the princess, tell me that you have come, and I will leave
her immediately. The princess will then recover her former health,
and you will be married to her. Do not fail to go to the palace,
for I am determined to reward you for your kindness to me."
After the guachinango had liberated the devil, he immediately set out
for the city. He had not been there three days when he met a group
of soldiers crying that "he who could cure the princess should have
her to wife." The guachinango stopped the soldiers, and said that
he could cure the princess. They took him before the king, where a
written agreement was made. If he could not cure the princess in three
days, he should lose his life; but if he cured her by the end of the
third day, he should marry her. The guachinango was then conducted
to the room of the princess. When he approached her, he said to
the devil that he had come. "You must leave the princess now; for,
if you don't, I shall be executed." But the devil refused to leave,
because he wanted to get revenge. He further told the guachinango
that he wanted him to die, for then his soul would go to hell.
The guachinango became more and more hopeless. On the morning of
the third day he thought of a good plan to get rid of his enemy. He
asked the king to order all the bells of the neighboring churches
to be tolled, while every one in the palace was to cry out loud,
"Here she comes!" While all this noise was going on, the guachinango
approached the princess, and told the devil that the old woman was
coming with her cintas. When the devil heard this, he was terribly
frightened, and left the princess and disappeared. The next day the
guachinango was married to the princess.
Notes.
From the testimony of the narrator, this capital story appears to
have been known in Pampanga for some time. The incident of the demon
entering the body of the princess, and then leaving at the request
of one who has befriended him, occurs in a Tagalog story also, which
I will give for the purpose of comparison. While the story is more
of a fairy-tale than a Märchen proper, it appears to be a variant of
our No. 24. Significant differences between the two will be noted,
however. The Tagalog story was collected and written down for me by
Manuel Reyes, a native of Manila. It runs as follows:
Mabait and the Duende.
Menguita, a king of Cebu, had two slaves,--Mabait and Masama. Mabait
was honest and industrious, while Masama was envious and lazy. Mabait
did nearly all of the hard work in the palace, so he was admired very
much by the king. Masama, who was addicted to gambling, envied Mabait.
One night, while Mabait was asleep, a duende [76] awakened him, and
said, "I have seen how you labor here patiently and honestly. I want
to be your friend."
Mabait was amazed and frightened. He looked at the duende carefully,
and saw that it resembled a very small man with long hair and a white
beard. It was about a foot high. It had on a red shirt, a pair of
green trousers, a golden cap, and a pair of black shoes. At last
Mabait answered in a trembling voice, "I don't want to be a friend
of an evil spirit."
"I am not evil, I am a duende."
"I don't know what duendes are, so I don't want to be your friend."
"Duendes are wealthy and powerful spirits. They can perform magic. If
you are the friend of one of them, you will be a most fortunate man."
"How did you come into the world?" said Mabait.
"Listen! When Lucifer was an angel, a contest in creating animals
arose between him and God. He and his followers were defeated and
thrown into hell. Many angels in that contest belonged neither to
God's side not to Lucifer's. They were dropped on the earth. Those
that fell in the forests became tigbalangs, ikis, and mananangals;
[77] those in the seas became mermaids and mermen; and those in the
cities became duendes."
"Ah, yes! I know now what duendes are."
"Now let our friendship last forever," said the duende. "I am ready
at any time to help you in your undertakings."
From that time on Mabait and the duende were good friends. The duende
gave Mabait two or three isabels [78] every day, and by the end of
the month he had saved much money. He bought a fine hat and a pair
of wooden shoes.
Masama wondered how Mabait, who was very poor, could buy so many
things. At last he asked, "Where do you get money? Do you steal it?"
"No, my friend gives it to me."
"Who is your friend?"
"A duende."
Masama, in great envy, went to the king, and said, "Master, Mabait,
your favorite slave, has a friend. This friend is a duende, which
will be injurious to us if you let it live here. As Mabait said,
it will be the means of his acquiring all of your wealth and taking
your daughter for his wife."
The king, in great rage, summoned Mabait, and punished him severely by
beating his palms with a piece of leather. Then he ordered his servants
to find the duende and kill it. The duende hid in a small jar. Masama
saw it, and covered the mouth of the jar with a saint's dress. The
duende was afraid of the dress, and dared not come out. "Open the jar,
and I will give you ten isabels," said the little man.
"Give me the money first."
After Masama received the money, he went away to the cockpit without
opening the jar. On his way there he lost his money. He went back to
the duende, and said, "Friend, give me ten isabels more, and I will
open the jar."
"I know that you will cheat me," answered the duende. "Just let me
come out of the jar, and I promise that you shall have the princess
here for your wife."
"What! Will the princess be my wife?"
"Yes."
"How can you make her love me?"
"I will enter the princess's abdomen. I will talk, laugh, and do
everything to make her afraid. I will not leave her for anybody
but you."
"Good, good!" Masama opened the jar, and the duende, flew a way to
the princess's tower.
Only a few weeks after that time a proclamation of the king was read in
public. It was as follows: "The princess, my daughter, has something
in her abdomen. It speaks and laughs. No one knows what it is, and no
one can force it to come out. Whoever can cure my daughter shall be my
heir and son-in-law; but he who tries and fails shall lose his head."
When Masama heard this, he said to Mabait, "Why don't you cure the
princess? You are the only one who can cure her."
"Don't flatter me!" answered Mabait.
"I'm not flattering you. It is the duende, your friend, who is in her
abdomen, and no one can persuade it to come out but you. So go now,
for fortune is waiting for you."
Mabait was at last persuaded, and so he departed. Before going to the
king, he first went to a church, and there he prayed Bathala that
he might be successful in his undertakings. When Mabait was gone,
Masama said to himself, "It is not fortune, but it is death, that is
waiting for him. When he is dead, I shall not have anybody to envy."
After sitting for about a half-hour, Masama also set out for the
princess's tower, but he reached the palace before Mabait. There he
told the king that he could cure his daughter. He was conducted into
the princess's room. He touched her abdomen, and said, "Who are you?"
"I am the duende."
"Why are you there?"
"Because I want to be here."
"Go away!"
"No, I won't."
"Don't you know me?"
"Yes, I know you. You are Masama, who cheated me once. Give your head
to the king." So the executioner cut Masama's head off.
Then Mabait came, and told the king that he could cure the
princess. After he was given permission to try, he said to the duende,
"Who are you?"
"I am the duende, your friend."
"Will you please come out of the princess's abdomen?"
"Yes, I will, for the sake of our friendship."
Mabait was married to the princess, was crowned king, and lived
happily with his friend the duende.
Before attempting to decide anything concerning the provenience of
these two tales, we shall first examine versions of the story from
other parts of the world. The nearest European analogue that I am
familiar with is an Andalusian story printed by Caballero in 1866
(Ingram, 107, "The Demon's Mother-in-Law"). An outline of the chief
elements of this tale follows:--
Mother Holofernes, while very neat and industrious, was a terrible
termagant and shrew. Her daughter Panfila, on the contrary, was so lazy
and thoughtless, that once, when the old woman burnt herself badly
because her daughter was listening to some lads singing outside,
instead of helping her mother with the boiling lye for washing,
the enraged Mother Holofernes shouted to her offspring, "Heaven
grant that you may marry the Evil One himself!" Not long afterward a
rich little man presented himself as a suitor for Panfila's hand. He
was accepted by the mother, and preparations for the marriage went
forward. The old woman, however, began to dislike the suitor, and,
recalling her curse, suspected that he was none other than the
Devil himself. Accordingly, on the night of the wedding, she bade
Panfila lock all the windows and doors of the room, and then beat
her husband with a branch of consecrated olive. So done. The husband
tried to escape from his wife by slipping through the key-hole; but his
mother-in-law anticipated this move. She caught him in a glass bottle,
which she immediately sealed hermetically. Then the old lady climbed
to the summit of a mountain, and there deposited the bottle in an
out-of-the-way place. Ten years the imp remained there a prisoner,
suffering cold, heat, hunger, thirst. One day a soldier, returning
to his native town on leave, took a short cut over the mountain, and
spied the bottle. When he picked it up, the imp begged to be released,
and told him of all he had suffered; but the soldier made a number of
conditions,--his release from the army, a four-dollar daily pension,
etc.,--and finally the imp promised to enter the body of the daughter
of the King of Naples. The soldier was to present himself at court
as a physician, and demand any reward he wished to, in return for
a cure. So done. The king accepted the services of the soldier, but
stipulated that if in three days he had not cured the princess, he
should be hanged. The soldier accepted the conditions; but the demon,
seeing that he had his arrogant enemy's life in his hands, and bent on
revenge, refused to leave the body of the princess. On the last day,
however, the soldier ordered all the bells rung. On the demon's asking
what all the noise was about, the soldier said, "I have ordered your
mother-in-law summoned, and she has just arrived." In great terror
the Devil at once quitted the princess, and the soldier was left
"in victorious possession of the field."
It will be noticed that the last episode is almost identical with the
ending of our story "The Devil and the Guachinango," while there is
a considerable amount of divergence between the two elsewhere.
For versions collected before 1860 I am indebted to Benfey's treatment
of this cycle. It is found in his "Pantschatantra," 1 : 519 ff. I take
the liberty of summarizing it in this place, first, because it is the
only exhaustive handling of the story I know of; and, second, because
Benfey's brilliant work, while constantly referred to and quoted,
has long been out of print, and has never been accessible in English.
The occasion for Benfey's dissertation on this particular tale is
the relationship he sees between it and the large family of stories
turning on the motive of a marvellous cure, a representative of which
is "Pantschatantra," 5 : 12, "The Miraculous Cure of a Blind Man,
a Humpback, and a Three-breasted Princess." [79] While the story we
are discussing cannot be considered in any sense an offshoot of the
Pantschatantra tale, it can scarcely be denied, says Benfey, that
between the two there is a definite internal relationship, which
is further manifested by the fact that in its later development the
latter is actually joined to the former (p. 519).
The earliest form of our story is found in the "Cukasaptati," where it
is told as the story for the 45th and 46th nights. In this version,--
A Brahman, driven away from home by the malice of his wife,
is befriended by a demon who had formerly lived in the Brahman's
house, but who had also fled in fear from her shrewish tongue. The
demon enters the body of a princess; and the Brahman, appearing as
a conjurer, forces him to leave, in accordance with their pact, and
wins half a kingdom and the hand of the princess. The demon now goes
to another city where he possesses the queen, an aunt of the Brahman's
new father-in-law. The Brahman, whose reputation as an enchanter has
become great, is summoned to cure this queen. When he arrives, the
demon threatens and insults him, refusing to leave the queen because
they are now quits. The Brahman, however, whispers in the woman's
ear, "My wife is coming here close on my heels, I have come only to
warn you;" whereupon the demon, terror-stricken, at once leaves the
queen. The Brahman is highly honored.
Benfey conjectures that this story must have passed over into the
Persian redaction of the "Cukasaptati" (i.e., the "Tuti-nameh"),
but what changes it underwent in the transmission cannot yet be
determined. The earliest European form of the tale is that found in
the Turkish "Forty Vezirs" (trans. by Behrnauer, p. 277).
Here a young wood-cutter saves money to buy a rope; but his shrewish
wife, thinking that he is going to spend it on a sweetheart, insists
on accompanying him to his work in the mountains, so that she can
keep him under her eye. In the mountains the husband decides to
abandon his wife in a well. He tells her to hold a rope while he
descends to fetch a treasure which he pretends is concealed at the
bottom; but she is so avaricious, that she insists on being let down
first. Then he drops the rope, and returns home free. A few days
later, conscience-smitten, he goes back to rescue his wife, and,
lowering another rope, he calls to her that he will draw her up;
but he hauls a demon to the surface instead. The demon thanks the
wood-cutter for rescuing him from a malicious woman "who some days
ago descended, and has made my life unbearable ever since." As in the
Cukasaptati story, the demon enters a princess and makes her insane,
and the wood-cutter cures her and marries her. Then the demon enters
another princess. The wood-cutter is summoned; he has to resort to
the well-known trick to force the imp to leave this second maiden.
In the Persian form of this story, in the "1001 Days" (Prenzlau ed.),
11 : 247, is added the death-penalty in case the hero fails to perform
the second cure, which consists in persuading the spirit, in the form
of a snake, to unwind itself from the body of the vezir's daughter. The
hero had already cured the sultan's daughter and married her.
A Serbian story (Wuk, No. 37) is closer to the "Forty Vezirs" version
than is the "1001 Days." The only essential difference is that the
opening of the Serbian tale is the well-known fabliau of the "Meadow
that was mowed."
Here the wife falls into a pit. When the husband attempts to draw
her out again, a devil appears. The devil is thankful; and, to reward
the man, it enters the body of the emperor's daughter. Here the hero
appears, not as an enchanter, but as a physician.
Practically identical is the story of "The Bad Wife and the Devil,"
in Vogl, "Slowenische Volksmärchen" (Wien, 1837).
In a Finnish version of the story (Benfey, 524-525) the hero, as in
the preceding, assumes the rôle of a physician.
The husband pushes his bad wife into an abyss. When he attempts to
draw her out again, another woman appears. She is the Plague. [80]
Out of gratitude for her liberation from that other wicked woman,
she proposes to him that they travel together through the world: she,
the pest, will make people ill; he, as physician, will cure them. So
done. As a result the man becomes rich. But at last he grows weary
of his excessive work: so he procures a snappish dog, and puts it in
a sack. The next time he is called to the side of a person made sick
by the pest, he says to her, "Enter human beings no more: if you do,
I will liberate from this sack the woman that tormented you in the
abyss," at the same time irritating the dog so that it growls. The
Plague, full of terror, begs him for God's sake not to set the woman
free, and promises to reform.
It will be seen that in its method of the "sickness and the cure,"
this story is related to Grimm, No. 44, "Godfather Death," where
Death takes the place of the Plague, and where, instead of gratitude,
the motive is the godfather relationship of Death toward the hero.
This folk-tale, says Benfey (p. 525), was early put into literary form
in Europe. Among others, he cites Machiavelli's excellent version in
his story of "Belfagor" (early sixteenth century):--
Belfagor, a devil, is sent to earth by his master to live as a married
man for ten years, to see whether certain accusations made against
women by souls in hell are true or slanderous. Belfagor marries in
Florence; but his imperious wife causes him so much bad fortune,
that he is compelled to flee from his creditors. A peasant conceals
him, and out of gratitude Belfagor tells his rescuer his story, and
promises to make him rich by possessing women and allowing himself
to be driven out only by the peasant himself. So done. The peasant
wins great renown; and at last Belfagor says that his obligations
have been fulfilled, and that the peasant must look out for himself
if they meet again. The devil now enters the daughter of Ludwig II,
King of France. The peasant is summoned to cure her, but is afraid, and
refuses. At last he is compelled to go, like the physician, against his
will (see Benfey, 515 ff.). Belfagor rages when he sees the peasant,
and threatens him vehemently. At last the peasant employs the usual
trick: "Your wife is coming!" and the devil flees in consternation,
choosing rather to rush back to hell than into the arms of his wife.
Benfey considers a Bohemian story in Wenzig's collection
(West-slawische Märchen, Leipzig, 1857, p. 167) to be the best of
all the popular versions belonging to this group, and he reproduces
it in full (pp. 527-534). This long story we may pass over, since
it contains no new features that are found in our story. In fact,
it little resembles ours or any of the others, except in general in
two or three episodes. Benfey concludes his discussion of this cycle
by stating that there have been many other imitations of this tale,
and he mentions some of these (p. 534). It may be added that further
references will be found in Wilson's note in his edition of Dunlop,
2 : 188-190.
The question of the origin of the Pampango version of this story is
not easy to answer definitely, for the reason that it presents details
not found in any of the other variants. However, since nearly all the
machinery of our story turns on the teachings of the Roman Church,
and since the denouement is practically identical with the ending of
Caballero's Andalusian story, I conclude that in its main outlines our
version was derived from Spain. At the same time, I think it likely
that the fairy-tale of "Mabait and the Duende" was already existent
earlier in the Islands (though this, too, may have been imported),
and that the motivation of the spirit's desire to revenge himself
on his tormentor for his avarice and greed was incorporated into the
Märchen from the fairy-tale. My reasons for thinking the fairy-tale
the older are: (1) its crudeness (the good and the bad hero are a
very awkward device compared with the combination of qualities in
the guachinango); (2) its local references and its native names;
(3) its use of native superstitions and beliefs.
TALE 25
JUAN SADUT.
Narrated by Nicolas Zafra, an Ilocano from San Fernando, La Union. The
story is very popular among the country people about San Fernando,
he reports.
Many years ago there lived a certain old couple who had an only
son. Juan, for that was the boy's name, was known throughout the
village as an idler, and for this reason he was called Juan Sadut. He
had no liking for any kind of work; in fact, his contempt for all
work was so great, that he never even helped his father or mother.
One day his father took him to the fields to have him help harvest
their crops; but, instead of going to work, Juan betook himself to
a shady spot on the edge of the field, and fell asleep.
His father, who was very much enraged by this conduct of his son,
determined then and there to dispose of him. He carried the sleeping
boy to another part of the field, and laid him down just beside a large
snake-hole. He expected that the snake, when it came out of its hole,
would sting the sleeping idler, who would thus be disposed of quietly.
When Juan awoke, he found a large snake coiled near him. In his fright,
he sprang to his feet to run away; but the snake looked up at him
sympathetically, and then began to speak: "Why do you fear me? Don't
you know that I am the king of the snakes? I am going to give you
a wonderful gift that will make you happy forever;" and having said
this, it dropped a gold ring on the ground, and bade Juan pick it up
and wear it on his finger. The ring was of pure gold, and it had on it
initials that Juan could not understand. "Keep that ring carefully,
for it will be of great use to you," said the snake. "Consult it for
anything you want, and it will advise you how to proceed to obtain
the object of your desire."
After thanking the snake for its gift, Juan set out on his travels. He
never worried about his food from day to day, for from his magic ring
he could get anything he needed.
In his wanderings, word reached Juan's ears that the king of that
country would give his beautiful daughter to any one who could fulfil
three conditions. Juan was thrilled with joy on hearing this news,
for he was sure that he would be the successful competitor for the
hand of the princess. When he presented himself before the court,
his slovenly appearance and awkward movements only excited laughter
and mirth among the nobles. "What chance have you of winning the
prize?" they asked him in derision.
"Let me know the conditions, and time will show," said Juan. "You must
fulfil three conditions before I give my daughter to you," said the
king. "First, you must fight with my tiger, and kill it if you can;
second, you must go get and bring back to me the burning stone that
the dragon in the mountains has in its possession; third, you must
answer correctly a question that I shall ask you."
"Very well," said Juan as he turned to go, "I will do all you require
of me." Now, many a young man had risked his life for the hand of the
beautiful princess; but no one had yet succeeded in winning even the
first contest. The king's tiger was ferocious and strong, and as agile
as a mouse. Then there was the formidable dragon in the mountains,
whose breath alone was deadly poisonous. This dragon lived in a
cave the entrance to which was guarded by poisonous serpents. Every
morning it would come out of its cave to play with its wonderful stone
by tossing it up into the air and catching it in its mouth when it
fell. Hence it was difficult, if not impossible, to succeed in these
undertakings. The young men who had been stirred by their intense
love for the princess had bartered away their lives for her hand.
When Juan arrived home, he took up his little ring, and said to it,
"Advise me as to how I may overcome the king's tiger."
"Get a handful of sand," replied the ring, "and mix with it an equal
quantity of red pepper. Take the mixture with you into the arena,
and when the tiger comes near you, fling the sand into its eyes."
Juan prepared the sand and pepper as he had been advised. The next
day he stepped into the arena amid the shouts and cheers of the
spectators. He looked, as usual, to be an idle, slow-moving fellow,
who would have no chance at all against the wild beast. The tiger soon
appeared at the opposite end of the arena, and advanced rapidly towards
Juan. When the animal was about three yards from him, he flung the
mixture of sand and pepper into its eyes. The tiger was blinded. Juan
then drew his dagger and buried it deep into the animal's heart.
The next task he had to perform was to obtain the dragon's fiery
stone. The ring advised him thus: "Go to the cave, and, in order to
gain admittance, show me to the serpents. I am sacred to them, and
they will fulfil whatever commands my possessor gives them." Juan
proceeded to the cave in the mountains. He had no sooner entered it
than hissing serpents came towards him in threatening attitudes. Juan,
however, showed them the signet ring; and they at once became tame,
and showed him that they were glad to obey whatever he should command
them to do. "Go and get the dragon's stone," he ordered, and soon
they came back with the much-coveted treasure.
When the king saw that Juan had fulfilled two of the hardest
conditions, he became alarmed because the new bridegroom was to be a
person of very low birth: so he devised the most difficult question
possible, with the view of preventing Juan from winning his daughter
the princess.
Juan now presented himself before the king and his court to perform the
third and last task. "What am I thinking about now?" asked the king.
Juan appeared to hesitate a moment, but he was really consulting
his ring. The ring said to him, "The king has in mind the assurance
that you will not be able to answer his question." Then looking up,
Juan answered the king's question in the precise words of the ring,
and thus answered it correctly.
Astonished at the wonderful power of Juan, the king gave his daughter
to him; and when he died, the young couple inherited the crown of
the kingdom.
Notes.
I know of no parallels to this story as a whole. In its separate
incidents it is reminiscent of other tales; and in its main outline,
from the point where the hero sets out to seek adventures with the
help of his magic ring, the narrative belongs to the "Bride Wager"
group. In this group Von Hahn distinguishes at least two types (1 :
54, Nos. 23 and 24): in the one, the hero bets his head against the
bride, and wins by performing difficult tasks; in the other, he wins
by answering riddles. In our story there is no formal staking of his
head by the hero, but undertaking the first two tasks amounts to the
same thing. The third task, it will be noticed, is the answering of a
difficult question, which in a way connects our story with Von Hahn's
second type.
The two distinctive features in our story are the introduction and
the first task. The cruelty displayed by the hero's father is not
unusual in folk-tales, but his method of getting rid of his son
is. The benevolence of the snake, which is not motivated at all,
may be at bottom connected with some such moralizing tradition as
is found in Somadeva, "The Story of the Three Brahmin Brothers"
(Tawney, 1 : 293), where two older brothers, in order to get rid of
the youngest, who has been slandered by their wives ("Potiphar's wife"
situation), order him to dig up an ant-hill in which lives a venomous
snake. Because of his virtue, however, he finds a pitcher filled with
gold! There is nothing else in this story which even in the remotest
way suggests ours. While Benfey (1 : 214-215, note) has shown that the
conception of the snake-jewel is essentially Indian,--and the belief in
one form or another is widespread in the Philippines,--he also shows
that it was held in Europe even in classical times; and, as every one
knows, the idea is a commonplace in folk-lore. Obviously nothing can
be concluded as to the origin of our story from this detail alone. The
first task, which is performed without supernatural aid, though the
hero asks his ring for advice, may be a remnant of tradition; if so,
it is of Indian or Malayan tradition, not Philippine, for the tiger
is not found in the Islands.
TALE 26
AN ACT OF KINDNESS.
Narrated by Pacita Cordero, a Tagalog from Pagsanjan, La Laguna.
Early one morning Andres went out to buy five cents' worth of
rice. On his way he came across a man who was about to kill a small
snake. "Please don't kill the poor creature!" said Andres. "Did it
harm you?"
"No," answered the man, "but it may bite us or some other passer-by,"
and he again drew out his bolo; but Andres restrained him. "What do
you want this snake for?" said the merciless man.
"Leave it alone, for pity's sake!" cried Andres. "Here are five
cents! Don't injure the harmless creature!"
The man, very glad to get the money, did not say a word, and went
away. After the man was gone, the snake said to Andres, "Kind friend,
come home with me. There you will find our huge chief snake, and
many others like myself. But don't fear anything! Trust me, for I
will never lead you into danger. When we reach out dwelling, I will
recommend you to our chief. He will be harsh to you at first, since
you are a stranger; but never mind that! When he asks you what you
want, ask him to give you his red cloth. This enchanted cloth can
supply you with whatever you want." So the two friends started for
the horrible snake-cave.
"Who is that stranger with you,--a murderer, or a robber?" hissed
the chief as soon as the snake and Andres entered.
"He is neither of the two," replied the snake. "Please don't do a
bit of harm to him! Had it not been for him, my life would have been
lost. He rescued me from the hands of a cruel person who found me
creeping through the grass."
"Well," said the chief to Andres, "what reward do you want me to
give you?"
"Only your red cloth, and nothing else," answered Andres. The chief
hesitated for a moment. Then he went into a very dark cell, and got
out the red cloth. He returned with it, and said to Andres, "Since
you have saved the life of one of our number, I give you this cloth
as a reward. You can ask of it anything you want."
Andres thanked the chief, and went away. It was now ten o'clock, and
he had not yet bought rice for breakfast. "Poor mother! she must be
very hungry." Andres himself felt hungry, so he asked the red cloth
to bring him food. Soon a breakfast, richer than the ordinary ones
he was accustomed to, was spread before him. Having eaten his hearty
meal under the shade of a tree, he resumed his journey homeward. He
had yet several miles to go.
After a few hours' walk he again became hungry. He went to a hut
and asked the old woman there if he might eat in her house. He said
that he had brought his own food with him. The old woman invited
him in, and Andres asked his red cloth for food. In an instant a
fine luncheon was before them. Andres invited the old woman to eat
with him, which she willingly did. She liked the food so very much,
that she asked Andres to let her have his wonderful red cloth. She
said, "Give me this cloth, and I will let you have my two stones in
exchange. When you want to get rid of persons who annoy you, just
tell these two stones where to go, and they will inflict heavy blows
on the evil-doers." Andres agreed to the exchange.
He proceeded on his way, taking with him the two stones. Tired and
exhausted from his long journey, Andres again began to feel hungry. Now
what would become of him? His red cloth was gone, and he had nothing
to eat. Fortunately he saw another hut by the roadside. He went to
it, and easily gained admittance. The witch, the only person in the
cottage, had just finished her dinner. She had nothing left to give
the starving boy. Andres then said to his stones, "Go to your former
mistress, the old woman, and tell her that I take back my red cloth. If
she refuses to give it to you, do what you think it best to do."
The two stones went back to the hut. There they found the old woman
eating. "We have come here," they said, "to take the red cloth away
from you. Our master, the boy who was here this afternoon, wants
it back again." The old woman refused to give up the cloth, so the
stones struck her with heavy blows until she fell down senseless on
the floor. Then the stones rolled themselves in the red cloth and
hastened back to their master with it. Andres spread it out and ate
his dinner. He asked for an extraordinary breakfast besides. Then he
said to the witch, "You need not prepare anything for your breakfast
to-morrow. Here is a good meal that I have asked my red cloth to give
to you, you have been so kind in letting me come to your hut." The
witch was very glad, and thanked the boy. She said to him, "Boy, I
have here two magic canes which I want to dispose of. I am very old
now, and don't need them any more. They have served me well. These
canes can kill your enemies, or any bad persons whom you want to be
put to death. Just give them directions, and they will obey you."
Andres now had three enchanted possessions. It was very late when he
reached home, and his mother was very hungry and very angry. He had
no more than reached the foot of the stairs when she met him with
a loud scolding. But Andres just laughed. He asked his red cloth to
bring his mother a good dinner; and while she was eating, he related
to her the occurrences of the day.
Andres and his mother were not rich, and their wealthy neighbors were
greatly surprised to see them become rich so soon. One particularly
selfish neighbor, already rich, who was eager to deprive Andres and
his mother of their wealth, sent a band of robbers to the cottage one
night. At midnight Andres heard his dogs barking, and he knew that
there was some one lurking about. When he saw the robbers coming,
he took out his magic stones and canes, and commanded them to get
rid of the thieves. In a few minutes all the robbers lay dead.
Andres and his mother remained rich.
Notes.
Through its main incidents and situations, this story is connected with
a number of tales, although, as in the case of the preceding narrative,
I can point to no complete analogue for it. The introduction has some
points of close resemblance to the introduction of the "Language of
Animals" cycle, where the hero saves the life of a snake, usually
from fire, and is consequently rewarded by the king of snakes with
the gift of understanding the tongues of birds and beasts. This cycle
has been fully discussed by Benfey (Orient und Occident, 2 : 133-171,
"Ein Märchen von der Thiersprache, Quelle und Verbreitung"). Additional
bibliographical details may be found in Bolte-Polívka, 1 : 132-133,
note 1. The invitation of the rescued snake to its savior to visit
the king of snakes, and its advice that he ask for one particular
magic reward only, are found in many versions of the "Language of
Animals" group, as well as in our story; but this is as far as the
similarity between the two extends. From this point on, our story
deviates altogether, except for the vaguest reminiscences.
Again, in the fact that Andres does not save the snake from an
accidental death, but buys its life from a cruel person about to
kill it, our story appears to be connected with the "Magic Ring"
cycle. We have already discussed two variants of this cycle in
No. 10; but, as has been pointed out in the notes to those stories,
the most characteristic beginning is lacking there. In most of the
members of the "Magic Ring" group, the kind-hearted hero spends all
his money to ransom from death certain animals, including a snake
which invites him to the home of its father, and then tells him
what to ask for. But in our present story, only the snake is saved;
the recompense is a magic wishing-cloth that can do only one thing,
not a stone or ring that fulfils any command; and as in the case
above of the "Language of Animals" cycle, so here, from this point
on, our story is entirely different from the "Magic Ring" group, and
attaches itself to still another family of tales. This, for want of
a better title, may be called the "Knapsack, Hat, and Horn" cycle. I
use this name merely because the most familiar member of that family
(Grimm, No. 54) bears it.
In Grimm, No. 54, the youngest of three poverty-stricken brothers
who set out to seek their fortunes finds a little table-cloth, which,
when spread out and told to cover itself, instantly becomes covered
with choice food. Not yet satisfied with his luck, he takes the cloth
and continues his wandering. One night he meets a charcoal-burner who
is about to make his meal off potatoes. The youth invites the man to
eat with him. The charcoal-burner, thinking the cloth just what he
needs in his solitude, offers to trade for it an old knapsack, from
which, whenever it is tapped, out jump a corporal and six soldiers to
do whatever they are ordered to do. The exchange is made. The youth
travels on, taps the knapsack, and orders the soldiers to bring him the
wishing-cloth that the charcoal-burner has. In this same way the youth
acquires from two other charcoal-burners successively a magic hat which
shoots off artillery and destroys the owner's enemies, and a magic horn
a blast from which throws down walls, fortifications, and houses. By
means of these articles the hero finally wins the king's daughter to
wife, and becomes ruler. Further adventures follow when the wife tries,
but without ultimate success, to steal his treasures from him.
The magic articles are not at all constant in this cycle, as may be
seen from an examination of Bolte-Polívka's variants (1 : 467-470),
but most of the lists include the wishing-cloth and articles in the
nature of weapons or soldiers for offensive purposes. A comparison of
our story with this formula discloses an undoubted relationship between
the two. The hero trades his wishing-cloth for two fighting stones,
which he later sends back to fetch the cloth. He then acquires two
magic canes (but not by trickery this time). Later, when he becomes
an object of envy, and an attempt is made by a rich neighbor to steal
his wealth (corresponding to the envy of the king), the magic stones
and canes kill all his opponents. Compare the Tagalog variant in the
notes to the following tale (No. 27).
The extraordinary articles are found as machinery in other Philippine
stories, though not in the above sequence: a "table, spread yourself"
and a magic cane occur in No. 27; a magic guitar, in No. 28; a
magic buyo, cane, purse, and guitar, in No. 35. Compare also the
magic articles in the various forms of No. 12. I know of no other
occurrence in folk-tales of two fighting stones. This detail sounds
very primitive. It might be compared with the magic "healing stones"
in No. 12 (b), "Three Brothers of Fortune," though the two objects
are wholly dissimilar in power.
As a whole, while our story is reminiscent of at least three different
cycles of tales, it nevertheless does not sound like a modern bit of
patchwork, but appears to be old; how old, I am unable to say. The most
unreasonable part of our narrative is the fact that the hero should
find himself so many miles from home when going to buy five cents'
worth of rice. It must be supposed that the trip to the snake-cave
occupied much more time than it appears in the story to have taken.
TALE 27
THE INDOLENT HUSBAND.
Narrated by Gregorio Frondoso, a Bicol from Tigaon, Camarines, who
heard the story when he was a small boy. One of the servants told it
to him.
Many hundreds of years ago there lived in the isolated village of
Hignaroy a poor couple who had many children to care for. Barbara,
the wife, was an industrious but shrewish woman. She worked all
day in a factory to support her many children. The husband, Alejo,
on the other hand, idled away his time. He either ate, or drank,
or slept all the time his wife was away at work. In the course of
time Barbara naturally became disgusted with her husband's indolence;
and every time she came home, she would rail at him and assail him
with hot, insolent words, taxing him with not doing anything, and
with caring nothing about what was going on in the house: for, on her
return home in the evening, she would always find him asleep; while
the floor would always be strewn with chairs, benches, and pictures,
which the children had left in a disorderly way after playing.
Alejo seemed to take no heed of what she said; he became more sluggish,
and had no mind for anything but sleeping all day. What was worse,
was that he would eat such big meals, that he left but little food for
his wife and children. Barbara's anger and impatience grew so strong,
that she no longer used words as a means to reform her husband. She
would kick him as he lay lazily on his bed, and would even whip him
like a child. Finally the thought of leaving home came into his head;
he determined to travel to some distant land, partly with the purpose
of getting away from his wife, who was always interfering with his
ease, and partly with the purpose of seeking his fortune.
One day he set out on a long journey, wandering through woods, over
hills, and along the banks of rivers, where no human creature could
be seen. After roaming about a long time, he became tired, and lay
down to rest in the shade of a tree near the bank of a river. While
he was listening to the melodious sounds of the birds and the sweet
murmur of the water, and was meditating on his wretched condition,
an old humpback came upon him, and addressed him in this manner:
"What is the matter, my friend? Why do you look so sad?"
"I am in great trouble," said Alejo. "I will tell you all about it. I
am married, and have many children to support; but I am poor. I have
been idling away my time, and my wife has been kicking and whipping
me like a child for not doing anything all day. So I have finally
left home to seek my fortune."
"Don't be worried, my son!" said the old man. "Here, take this
purse! It has nothing in it; but, if you need money at any time,
just say these words,--'Sopot, ua-ua sopot!' [81]--and it will give
you money."
Alejo was very glad to have found his fortune so quickly. He took
the purse from the old man, and, after thanking him for it, started
for his home with lively spirits. Soon he reached the village. Before
going home, however, he went to the house of his compadre and comadre,
[82] and related to them what he had found. They entertained him well;
they drank and sang. While they all were feeling in good spirits,
Alejo took out his magic purse to test it before his friends.
"Friends," said Alejo, now somewhat drunk, "watch my purse!" at the
same time pronouncing the words "Sopot, ua-ua sopot!" Then showers of
silver coins dropped on the floor. When the couple saw this wonder,
they thought at once that their friend was a magician. They coveted the
purse. So they amused Alejo, gave him glass after glass of wine,--for
he was a great drinker,--until finally he was dead-drunk. At last
he was overcome by drowsiness, and the couple promptly provided him
with a bed. Just as he fell asleep, the wife stealthily untied the
purse from Alejo's waist, and put in its place one of their own.
After a good nap of an hour or two, Alejo awoke. He thanked his friends
for their kind reception and entertainment, and, after bidding them
good-by, went to his own home. There he found his wife busy sewing
by the fireside. He surprised her with his affectionate greeting. "My
dear, lovely wife, be cheerful! Here I have found something useful,--a
magic purse which will furnish us with money."
"O you rogue!" she replied, "don't bother me with your foolishness! How
could you ever get anything useful? You are lying to me."
"Believe me, my dear, I am telling the truth."
"All right; prove it to me at once."
"Call all out children, so that they may also see what I have
found." When all the children were called together, Alejo asked
the purse for money, just as the old man had showed him how to ask;
but no shower of coins dropped to the floor, for, as you know, it
was not the magic purse. Barbara was so enraged, that she stormed
at him with all the bitter words that can be imagined, and drove
him from the house. Alejo was a tender-hearted, if lazy, husband,
and it never occurred to him to beat his wife in turn. In fact,
he loved her and his children very much.
He wandered away again in the direction of the place where he had
met the old humpback. Here he found the old man, who said to him,
"Where are you going, Alejo?"
"Guiloy, your purse did not prove to be any good."
"Well, take this goat home with you. It will give you money if you ask
for it. Whenever you want any money, just say these words: 'Canding,
pag coroquinanding!'" [83]
Alejo gladly accepted the goat, and set out for home again. Again he
passed by his friends' house. There he stopped, and they entertained
him as before: they drank, danced, and sang. Alejo told them about
the virtues of his magic goat when he was feeling in a jovial mood;
and when he fell asleep, they exchanged his beast for one of their
own. After his nap, Alejo started home, his goat flung over his
shoulder; but again, when he tried to demonstrate to his wife the
magic powers of the goat, the animal did nothing, but stood looking
as foolish as before Alejo spoke the words the old man had taught
him. Barbara was more angry than ever, and, after railing at her
husband, would have nothing more to do with him.
Alejo immediately left home to find the old man again. In a short
time he met him. "How now, Alejo? What's the matter?"
"Your magic goat would not obey my command," said Alejo. "Try this
table, then," said the old man. "It will provide you with all kinds
of delicious food and drink. Just say, 'Tende la mesa!' [84] and all
kinds of foods will be served you."
Thanking the old man and bidding him good-by, Alejo shouldered the
magic table and left. He was invited into his friends' house as
before, and was entertained by the deceitful couple. Alejo imparted
to them the secret of his table. "Tende la mesa!" he said, and in
the wink of an eye every kind of food you could wish for appeared
on the table. They ate, and drank wine. Again Alejo drank so much,
that soon he was asleep, and again the false couple played a trick
on him: they exchanged his magic table for a common one of their
own. When Alejo woke up, he hastened to his own home, carrying the
table on his shoulder. He called his wife, and assured her that the
table would provide them with every variety of food. Now, this was
indeed good news to Barbara, so she called all their children about
them. When every one was seated about the table, Alejo exclaimed,
"Tende la mesa!"... You cannot imagine what blows, what pinches,
what whips, Alejo received from his wife's hands when not even a
single grain of rice appeared on the table!
Alejo now felt greatly ashamed before his wife. He wondered why it
was that when before his friends' eyes the purse, the goat, and the
table displayed their magic properties, they failed to display them
before his wife. However, he did not give up hope. He immediately
set out to seek the old man again. After a long wandering through
the same woods and hills and along river-banks, he came to the place
where he usually met him.
"Did the table prove good?" said the old man.
"No, Guiloy; so I have come here again."
"Well, Alejo," said the old man, "I pity you, indeed. Take this cane
as my last gift. Be very careful in using it, for I have no other
object to give you. The secret of this cane is this: if somebody has
done you wrong, say to the cane, 'Baston, pamordon!' [85] and then
it will lash that person. There are no princes, kings, or emperors
that it will not punish."
Taking the cane and thanking the old man, Alejo hastily returned
home. This time, when he reached the village, he did not pass by his
friends' house, but went directly home. He told his wife to go call
in all their friends, relatives, and neighbors, for they were going
to have a sort of banquet. At first Barbara was unwilling to do so,
because she remembered how she had been deceived before; but at last
Alejo persuaded her to do as he wished.
When all their friends, relatives, and neighbors were gathered in his
house, Alejo shut all the doors and even the windows. Then he shouted
to his magic cane, "Baston, pamordon!" and it at once began to lash
all the people in the house, throwing them into great confusion. At
last Alejo's two friends, the deceitful couple, exclaimed almost in
one voice, "Compadre, please stop, and we will give you back your
magic purse, goat, and table." When Alejo heard them say this, he
was filled with joy, and commanded the cane to cease.
That very day the magic purse, goat, and table were returned to him by
his compadre and comadre, and now Barbara realized that her husband's
wanderings had been profitable. The husband and wife became rich,
and they lived many happy years together.
Notes.
A Tagalog story resembling the Bicol tale in some respects is "The
Adventures of Juan" (JAFL 20 : 106-107), in which
A magic tree furnishes the lad who spares it a goat that shakes silver
money from its whiskers, a net which will catch fish even on dry
ground, a magic pot always full of rice, and spoons full of whatever
vegetables the owner wishes, and finally a stick that will beat and
kill. The first three articles a false friend steals from Juan by
making him drunk. With the help of his magic cane, however, he gets
them back, and becomes rich and respected. One night a hundred robbers
come to break into the house, to take all his goods and kill him;
but he says to the stick, "Boombye, boom-ha!" and with the swiftness
of lightning the stick flies around, and all those struck fall dead,
until there is not one left. Juan is never troubled again by robbers,
and in the end marries a princess and lives happily ever after.
The last part of this story I have given in full, because it is almost
identical with the episode at the end of the preceding tale (No. 26,
q.v.), and consequently connects that story with our present cycle. In
a "Carancal" variant (III, e) the hero finds a magic money-producing
goat.
The hero of our tale is a lazy, good-natured man, whose industrious
wife's reproaches finally drive him from home. Analogous to this
beginning, but not furnishing a complete parallel, is Caballero's
"Tio Curro el de la porra" (Ingram, 174-180).
Uncle Curro is pleasure-loving and improvident, and soon finds
himself and his family in the direst need. Unable finally to bear the
reproaches of his wife, he goes out in the field to hang himself, when
a little fairy dressed like a friar appears, and blames him for his
Judas-like thought. The fairy then gives him an inexhaustible purse,
but this is stolen from him by a rascally public-house keeper. Again
he goes to hang himself; but the fairy restrains him, and gives him
a cloak that will furnish him with all kinds of cooked food. This
is likewise stolen. The third time he is given a cudgel. While on
his way home, he is met by his wife and children, who begin to insult
him. "Cudgel, beat them!" Magistrates and officers are summoned. These
are put to rout; and finally Uncle Curro and his stick make such
havoc among all sent to restrain him, that the king promises him a
large estate in America.
This version differs from the usual form, in that the inn-keeper is
not punished, nor are the first two magic objects recovered.
The "Ass-Table-Stick" cycle, of which the "Indolent Husband" is clearly
a member, is one of the most widespread Märchen in the world. For
a full bibliography of this group, see Bolte-Polívka, 1 : 346-361
(on Grimm, No. 36). The usual formula for this cycle is as follows:--
A young servant (or a poor man) is presented by his master (or by
some powerful personage--in some of the versions, God himself) on two
different occasions with a magic object, usually a gold-giving animal,
and a table or cloth which miraculously supplies food. When in an inn,
he is robbed of the magic object and magic animal by the inn-keeper
or his wife, and worthless objects resembling those that are stolen
are substituted while the hero sleeps (or is drunk). The third magic
article, which he gets possession of in the same way as he acquired
the other two, is a magic cudgel or cane, through the aid of which
he recovers his stolen property.
This is the form of the story as it is found in Basile (1 : i),
Gonzenbach (No. 52), Cosquin (Nos. IV and LVI), Schott (No. 20),
Schneller (No. 15), Jacobs (English Fairy Tales, "The Ass, the
Table, and the Stick"), Dasent (No. XXXIV, "The Lad Who Went to the
North Wind" = Asbjörnsen og Moe, 1868, No. 7), Crane (No. XXXII,
"The Ass that Lays Money"); and it is this formula that our story
follows. Grimm, No. 36, however, differs from these stories in two
respects: (1) it has a framework-story of the deceitful goat on
whose account the father drives from home his three sons; (2) the
story proper concerns three brothers, one of whom acquires the little
wishing-table, another the gold-ass, and the third the cudgel. However,
as in the other tales, the possessor of the stick compels the thieving
inn-keeper to return the property stolen from his brothers.
In their details we notice a large number of variations, even among
the European forms. The personage from whom the poor man receives the
magic objects is sometimes God, Fortune, a fairy, a statue, a magician,
a dwarf, a priest, a lord, a lady, etc. (Cosquin, 1 : 52). The old
humpback in our story may be some saint in disguise, though the
narrator does not say so. The gold-producing animal is not always an
ass, either: it may be a ram (as in the Norse and Czech versions),
a sheep (Magyar, Polish, Lithuanian), a horse (Venetian), a mule
(Breton), a he-goat (Lithuanian, Norwegian), a she-goat (Austrian),
a cock (Oldenburg), or a hen (Tyrolese, Irish). For references see
Macculloch, 215.
The Indian members of this cycle are Lal Behari Day, No. 3, "The
Indigent Brahman;" Minajev, "Indiislda Skaski y Legendy" (1877),
No. 12; Stokes, No. 7, "The Foolish Sakhouni;" Frere, No. 12, "The
Jackal, the Barber, and the Brahmin who had Seven Daughters." Of these
versions, Day's most closely resembles the European form (Cosquin,
1 : 57).
Numerous as are the Indian and other Oriental variants, it seems to
me very likely that out story was not derived directly from them, but
from Europe. However, I shall not undertake to name the parent version.
TALE 28
CECILIO, THE SERVANT OF EMILIO.
Narrated by Sancho B. de Leon, a Tagalog from Santa Cruz, Laguna. He
heard the story from his grandfather.
Once upon a time there lived a witty orphan whose name was
Cecilio. His parents had died when he was six years old. After that
time he became a servant of Emilio, a man of wealth living in a very
lonely and desolate barrio. The boy was faithful and kind-hearted,
but his master was cruel. Cecilio had no wages at all. In short,
he served Emilio for four years, and at the end of that time he was
given five hundred centavos as a payment for his services. Cecilio
thought that he had been given too much: he was so simple-minded,
that he did not know he had been cheated by his master, who should
have given him ten times five hundred centavos.
Cecilio put his money in a new purse, and rushed out into the main road
of the barrio to find his companions and tell them of the reward he had
received. He was so very happy, that before he knew it, and without
feeling at all tired, he had reached another barrio. Suddenly on his
way he met two men with drawn bolos. They stopped him, and said, "Boy,
your money, or your life!" Cecilio was much amazed at these words,
but was also so frightened that he gave up the money at once. He
only said to himself, "Well, since I am not strong enough to defend
myself, I either have to surrender my money or die." He sat under
a tree lamenting his fortune. But the two robbers were in trouble,
because one of them wanted a greater share than the other. The second
robber said that their shares should be the same, for they had stolen
the money together; but the former answered, "I am in all respects
better than you are."--"Oh, no! for we have not yet had a trial,"
said the second. At this they began to fight; and soon both fell so
severely wounded, that they died before Cecilio, who had heard the
noise of the struggle, could reach the place where they were disputing.
Now the boy was very happy again, for he had gotten his money back. As
he had already travelled very far, he did not know where he was:
he was lost. But he proceeded along the road until he met another
man, who said roughly to him, "Give me your money, or else you will
die!" Cecilio, thinking that he would rather live than try to defend
his wealth, which he would lose in any case, gave his purse to the
man. Then the boy went away and wept. While he was crying over his bad
luck, a very old woman came near him, and said, "Why are you weeping,
my boy?"
The boy replied, "I am weeping because somebody took my money."
"Well, why did you give it up?" said the old woman.
"I gave it up because he said that he would kill me if I didn't."
Then the old woman said, "Take this cane with you, and whenever you
see him, let it loose and pronounce these words:--
"'Sigue garrote, sigue garrote, [86]
Strike that fellow over there!'
"When you want the cane to stop, all you need to say is--
"'Stop, stop,
For that is enough!'"
The boy then said, "Is that all?"
"After you have recovered your money," said the old woman, "you must
turn back here; but you had better hurry up now."
Cecilio then bade the old woman good-by, and at once ran away to
overtake the man who had robbed him. When he saw the man, he said,
"Give me back my money, or else you now shall die, and not I!"
The man laughed at him, and said, "Of course I shall not give you
back your money."
When he heard these words, the boy said, "Is that so?" and, letting go
of his cane, he uttered the formula that the old woman had told him
to pronounce. The cane at once began to rain blows on the stranger's
head and body. When he could no longer endure the blows, and saw
that he could not catch the stick, the man said, "If you will call
off your cane, I will return your purse."
"Very well, I will pardon you," said Cecilio; "but if you had treated
me as you should have treated me and others, you would not have been
harmed." Then he said to the cane,--
"Stop, stop,
For that is enough!"
At once the magic stick stopped, and returned to its owner. The money
was given back, and the man promised Cecilio that he would not rob
any poor boy again.
On his way back toward the old woman, Cecilio met another man who
wanted to rob him; but the boy said, "Don't you dare attempt to take my
purse, or you will get yourself into trouble!" The man became angry,
and rushed at Cecilio to knock him down; but the boy pronounced the
words which the old woman had taught him, and let the cane loose. The
cane at once began to rain blows on the man's head and body. When he
could no longer endure the pain, the man asked Cecilio's pardon. As
the youth was kind-hearted, he forgave the man.
When he reached the old woman's house, Cecilio told her that the
cane had been very useful to him, for it had saved both his life and
his money. Then he returned the stick to the old woman, and thanked
her very much. She now offered to sell him a guitar which she had,
the price of which was five hundred centavos. Since she had been so
good to him, Cecilio at once agreed to the exchange; and after he
had once more bade her good-by, he set out for his master's house.
When he came near his old home, Cecilio saw his master Emilio shooting
at a very handsome bird on the top of a bamboo-tree. The bird fell
down, and the man ran to pick it up. As Emilio was making his way up
to the bird through the thorny bamboo undergrowth, Cecilio sat down
to wait for him, and, having nothing else to do, began to play his
guitar. The master at once began to dance among the bamboo-trees,
and he received many wounds because of the sharp spines. Now, in
reality, the boy was playing his guitar unintentionally, and did
not know of its magic power; but Emilio thought that Cecilio had
discovered the deceit that had been practised on him, and was playing
for revenge. Now, it happened that Emilio had a purse of money with
him to give to the laborers working in his hacienda, so he promised
to give all this money to Cecilio if he would only stop playing. The
boy, who had by this time learned of the magic power of his guitar,
stopped his music and received the money.
The crafty Emilio, however, at once hastened to the town, and asked
the magistrate to apprehend Cecilio, a young robber. Cecilio set out
for the old woman's house again; but the policemen soon overtook him,
arrested him, and took him before the magistrate. There the boy was
sentenced to death the next morning. Emilio's money was given back
to him. The following day, when he was about to be shot, Cecilio
asked permission to play his guitar once more, and he was not refused
it. As soon as he began to play, all began to dance, even his master,
who was still sore from the previous day's exercise. Finally Emilio
could endure no more. He begged Cecilio to stop playing, and promised
to give him all his wealth. He then told the soldiers to set the
boy free, for it was all his own fault. Cecilio stopped playing, and
was liberated by the magistrate. Emilio kept his word, and bestowed
on the boy all his wealth. When the old man died, Cecilio was the
richest man in the town. He became a capitan, [87] and was greatly
honored by the inhabitants of his barrio.
Notes.
A Tagalog variant of this story by the same narrator may be given
here in abstract. While this briefer form seems to bear evidence of
some contamination with the tale of "Cecilio," each, nevertheless,
preserves characteristics lacking in the other; and again, while the
two seem to be more or less distinct versions, there can be no doubt
that they go back to the same original. The title of the variant is
"The Fortunes of Andoy, an Orphan." In abstract it runs thus:--
Once a poor orphan named Andoy, while taking a walk, found a purse. On
his way home he met a man who, without a word, took the purse from
him. The boy beginning to cry, the man had pity on him, and returned
the purse, keeping only a few coins for himself. Andoy next met two
hunters, who robbed him; but these men had not gone far when two
genuine robbers met them, and a fight ensued in which all four were
killed. When Andoy heard the noise of the struggle, he ran to see what
was happening. He found hunters and robbers dead; so he recovered his
purse and went on. Not long afterward he met a hermit, who sold him a
magic cane. The next man he encountered was looking for a purse he had
lost in the road, and, when he saw Andoy's, took it without a word;
but the money did not really belong to this man. The boy immediately
turned his cane loose on his assailant, who, after being badly beaten,
confessed that the purse was not his, and promised Andoy half his
wealth if he would call off his stick. The rich man kept his word;
and when he died, Andoy received his entire fortune.
Another variant, which was collected by Mr. R. L. Rusk of Indiana
University, and which I have only in abstract, is called "Peter the
Violinist." It runs thus:--
Peter, a lazy ne'er-do-well, ran away from home, leaving his parents
to die of grief. For being kind to a sick "old woman" he was given a
magic violin. Soon after, he was arrested for climbing into a house
at night. When he was about to be hanged for a thief, he was granted
a last request. He asked to be allowed to play his favorite piece
on his violin. As soon as he began, every one commenced to dance. He
continued, and all cried out for him to stop; but he would not cease
until they pardoned him and promised to make him king besides.
The history of the cycle of tales to which our story and the two
variants belong has been traced briefly in Bolte-Polívka, 2 :
491-503. The earliest forms of the Märchen are the Middle-English
poems of the fifteenth century entitled "Jack and his Step-Dame" and
"The Frere and the Boye."
Here the hero is Jack, who is hated by his step-mother. Since his
father is not willing to turn him out of the house altogether, the
step-mother manages to bring it about that Jack is set to watch
the cattle, and she allows him only rotten food. An old man with
whom he shares his victuals grants him three wishes in return for
his kindness. He asks for a bow and a fife; and the old man gives
him a bow that never misses its aim, and a fife that compels every
one to dance. He also grants Jack's third wish, that every time his
step-mother hurls a bad word at him or about him, she shall give forth
another noise not permitted in polite society. When this happens that
evening at home to the amusement of all, the step-mother plans to send
the monk Tobias into the field the next day to punish Jack. However,
Jack asks the monk to fetch from the brambles a bird which he has shot,
and then he begins to play dance-music for the monk. All scratched
and bloody, Tobias returns home. That night the father calls his
son to account; but he is so pleased at the effects of the magic
fife, that he decides not to punish the boy. The official, too,
the bishop's agent, at whose court the next Friday step-mother and
monk bring charges of witchcraft against Jack, has to hear the fife,
and is obliged to dance until he promises to let Jack go unpunished.
The English story seems to have passed over into Holland, where in
1528 a Dutch form appeared, with some additions. A most significant
modification appears in a German handling of the Dutch form, by
Dieterich Albrecht in 1599:--
Here the hero is not a cowherd plagued by his malicious step-mother,
but a simple-minded servant who serves an avaricious master for three
years and receives as pay three pfennigs for the whole time. Pleased
with his earnings, however, he goes away singing. When he meets two
beggars who ask him for alms, he gives them his three coins. They
grant him three wishes in return for his goodness; and he gets a
"never-miss" crossbow, a magic fiddle that makes all dance, and the
promise that no one shall ever be able to deny him a request. By a lake
he meets a monk, who jeers at his shooting-ability, and undertakes,
if the youth can bring down a raven there on the island, to swim over
naked and fetch the bird. Soon, however, the monk regrets his bargain,
for the crossbow does not miss. While the monk stands naked in the
bushes on the island, the boy begins to fiddle. Wailing and moaning,
the ecclesiastic promises the youth the hundred ducats that he has
stolen from the monastery, and he is now permitted to return and get
his clothes. But he treacherously follows the youth, lodges a complaint
against him with the council of the nearest city, and succeeds in
getting him condemned. When the youth is already on the gallows ladder,
he requests the judge to allow him to play just one more song; and
he makes all those present dance so violently, that the judge agrees
to pardon him if he will only cease playing. Then the monk confesses
his own theft and deceit, and receives his deserved punishment.
In this version, as Bolte and Polívka note (2 : 493), the chief
deviations from the English-Dutch form of the story are the omission
of the step-mother rôle, the nature of the third wish, and the
modification of the character of the monk, who, from a mere tool
of the step-mother, has here developed into a thieving rascal. A
Czech redaction (1604) of the German poem substitutes for the runaway
monk a Jew. This substitution is also found in the German prose tale
"Von Knecht Treurecht" (about 1690).
Of the modern oral folk-versions of the story, some are based on the
Middle-English droll; but by far the larger number omit the hostile
step-mother, and retain only the dance of the monk or the Jew and the
scene at the gallows. For a complete list of stories of this second
type, see Bolte-Polívka, 2 : 495-501. All the variants, both literary
and popular, cited in this bibliography, are Occidental; and we must
inevitably conclude that the story was imported into the Philippines
some time during the Spanish occupation of the Islands. Some rather
important differences are presented by our versions, however; and these
we shall call attention to briefly, first mentioning the details that
definitely connect our forms with the European.
The opening of the story of "Cecilio" is like that of Albrecht's,
given above. Our hero works four years for a cruel master, and
receives five hundred centavos as pay,--a sum with which he is more
than satisfied. At this point our story digresses. After two adventures
with robbers, in the first of which he recovers his money by a lucky
accident (this incident is considerably elaborated in the variant),
he meets an old woman who lends him a magic cane, and with its help
he is able to regain his money from a second robber. This feature
of the magic beating-stick seems to be borrowed from the preceding
story. He now returns the cane to the old woman, and she sells him
a magic guitar. The next adventure--with his former master, who is
substituted for the knavish monk--contains a distorted reminiscence of
the shooting of the bird, and ends with the dance among the thorns
(here bamboo-spines). The hero is bought off by his master, who
immediately rushes to town and accuses him of theft. The rest is
practically as in Albrecht.
While our version introduces two magic articles, it can be
seen that the first does not properly belong to the story. The
"three-wishes" incident, and accordingly the third wish itself, is
lacking altogether. A rather artistic attempt to unify the story as
a whole is the substitution of the rascally master introduced in the
beginning of the story, for the knavish monk or Jew later on; though
it is to be noticed that the narrator falls to motivate the hero's
return to the house that he had apparently left for good when he was
paid off. The episode of the shooting is obscure, and appears to be
only a vague echo of the detail definitely connected with one of the
three gifts in some of the European literary forms. Again, in "Cecilio"
the musical instrument is a guitar instead of the usual violin or fife;
while in the variant "Andoy" the magic cane is the only enchanted
object, no musical instrument appearing at all. The episode of the two
robbers killing each other over the treasure (paralleled in "Andoy,"
where two robbers fight with two hunters, and all four are killed)
is an interesting addition, the source of which I am unable to point
out. It may be derived from some moral tale related in kind to the
"Vedabbha-jataka," No. 48; "Cento Novelle Antiche," No. 82; Morlini,
No. 42; Chaucer's "Pardoner's Tale," etc.; although the characteristic
treachery emphasized in those stories is lacking here. The incident
is not found in other versions of our tale that I know of.
I am unable to name the immediate source of our story of "Cecilio"
and of the two variants; though, as has been remarked above, it was
pretty certainly European. None of the three seems to owe anything in
particular to the Spanish ballad printed in the "Romancero General,"
No. 1265, which Bolte and Polívka think is based directly on Grimm,
No. 110. The local modifications in our story, and the definite
native atmosphere maintained throughout, suggest that it is not a
recent importation.
An interesting animal version from South Africa, containing the magic
bow and magic fiddle, is given by Honeÿ (p. 14), "The Monkey's Fiddle."
This story was doubtless taken over by the natives from the Dutch.
TALE 29
CHONGUITA.
Narrated by Pilar Ejercito, a Tagalog from Pagsanjan, Laguna. She
heard the story from her aunt, who had heard it when she was still
a little girl.
There was a king who had three sons, named Pedro, Diego, and Juan. One
day the king ordered these three gentlemen to set out from the kingdom
and seek their fortunes. The three brothers took different directions,
but before they separated they agreed to meet in a certain place in
the forest.
After walking for many days, Don Juan met an old man on the road. This
old man gave Don Juan bread, and told him to go to a palace which
was a mile away. "But as you enter the gate," said the old man,
"you must divide the bread which I have given you among the monkeys
which are guarding the gate to the palace; otherwise you will not be
able to enter."
Don Juan took the bread; and when he reached the palace, he did as
the old man had advised him. After entering the gate, he saw a big
monkey. Frightened at the sight of the animal, Don Juan was about
to tun away, when the animal called to him, and said, "Don Juan,
I know that your purpose in coming here was to find your fortune;
and at this very moment my daughter Chonguita will marry you." The
archbishop of the monkeys was called, and Don Juan and Chonguita were
married without delay.
A few days afterwards Don Juan asked permission from his wife to
go to the place where he and his brothers had agreed to meet. When
Chonguita's mother heard that Don Juan was going away, she said to him,
"If you are going away, take Chonguita with you." Although Don Juan was
ashamed to go with Chonguita because she was a monkey, he was forced to
take her, and they set out together. When Don Juan met his two brothers
and their beautiful wives at the appointed place, he could not say a
word. Don Diego, noticing the gloomy appearance of his brother, said,
"What is the matter with you? Where is your wife, Don Juan?"
Don Juan sadly replied, "Here she is."
"Where?" asked Don Pedro.
"Behind me," replied Don Juan.
When Don Pedro and Don Diego saw the monkey, they were very much
surprised. "Oh!" exclaimed Don Pedro, "what happened to you? Did you
lose your head?"
Don Juan could say nothing to this question. At last, however, he
broke out, "Let us go home! Our father must be waiting for us." So
saying, Don Juan turned around and began the journey. Don Pedro and
Don Diego, together with their wives, followed Don Juan. Chonguita
walked by her husband's side.
When the return of the three brothers was announced to the king,
the monarch hastened to meet them on the stairs. Upon learning that
one of his sons had married a monkey, the king fainted; but after he
had recovered his senses, he said to himself, "This misfortune is
God's will. I must therefore bear it with patience." The king then
assigned a house to each couple to live in.
But the more the king thought of it, the greater appeared to be the
disgrace that his youngest son had brought on the family. So one day
he called his three sons together, and said to them, "Tell your wives
that I want each one of them to make me an embroidered coat. The one
who falls to do this within three days will be put to death." Now,
the king issued this order in the hope that Chonguita would be put to
death, because he thought that she would not be able to make the coat;
but his hope was disappointed. On the third day his daughters-in-law
presented to him the coats that they had made, and the one embroidered
by Chonguita was the prettiest of all.
Still anxious to get rid of the monkey-wife, the king next ordered
his daughters-in-law to embroider a cap for him in two days, under
penalty of death in case of failure. The caps were all done on time.
At last, thinking of no other way by which he could accomplish his end,
the king summoned his three daughters-in-law, and said, "The husband of
the one who shall be able to draw the prettiest picture on the walls of
my chamber within three days shall succeed me on the throne." At the
end of the three days the pictures were finished. When the king went
to inspect them, he found that Chonguita's was by far the prettiest,
and so Don Juan was crowned king.
A great feast was held in the palace in honor of the new king. In
the midst of the festivities Don Juan became very angry with his wife
for insisting that he dance with her, and he hurled her against the
wall. At this brutal action the hall suddenly became dark; but after
a while it became bright again, and Chonguita had been transformed
into a beautiful woman.
Notes.
A Visayan variant of this story, though differing from it in many
details, is the story of the "Three Brothers," printed in JAFL 20 :
91-93.
A number of Indian Märchen seem to be related more or less closely to
our story. Benfey cites one (1 : 261) which appears in the "Asiatic
Journal" for 1833.
Some princes are to obtain their wives by this device: each is to
shoot an arrow; and where the arrow strikes, there will each find his
bride. The arrow of the youngest hits a tamarind-tree; he is married
to it, but his bride turns out to be a female monkey. However,
he lives happily with her, but she never appears at his father's
court. The sisters-in-law are curious to know what kind of wife he
has. They persuade the father-in-law to give a least for all his sons'
wives. The prince is grieved over the fact that the secret will come
out. Then his wife comforts him; she lays off her monkey covering,
and appears as a marvellously beautiful maiden. She enjoins him to
preserve the monkey-skin carefully, since otherwise great danger
threatens her; but he, in order to keep her in her present beautiful
human form, burns the hide while she is at the feast. She disappears
instantly. The prince seeks her again, and at last discovers her in
heaven as the queen of the monkeys. There he remains with her.
In a Simla tale, "The Story of Ghose" (Dracott, 40 f.), the animal is
a squirrel, which is finally changed by the god Mahadeo into a human
being, after the little creature has performed many services for her
husband. Somewhat analogous, also, is Maive Stokes, "The Monkey Prince"
(No. x, p. 41 ff.). Compare also the notes to our No. 19 and Benfey's
entire discussion of "The Enchanted Son of the Brahman" (1 : 254-269).
These forms are not close enough to our version, however, to justify
our tracing it directly to any one of them. Both it and the Visayan
variant are members of the European cycle of tales represented by
Grimm's "Three Feathers" (No. 63). The skeleton outline of this family
group Bolte and Polívka construct as follows (2 : 37):--
A father wishes to test the skill of his three sons (or their wives),
and requests that they produce extraordinary or costly articles. The
despised youngest son wins the reward with the help of an enchanted
princess in the form of a cat, rat, frog, lizard, monkey, or as a doll,
or night-cap, or stocking. At last she regains her human form. The
disenchantment is sometimes accomplished by a kiss, or by beheading,
or by the hero's enduring for three nights in silence the blows
of spirits.
In only two of the variants cited by Bolte-Polívka (to Grimm, No. 63)
is the animal wife a monkey,--Comparetti, No. 58, "Le Scimmie;"
and Von Hahn, No. 67, "Die Aeffin." Of these, only the Greek story
resembles our tale; but here the similarities are so many, that I
will summarize briefly the main points of Von Hahn's version:--
An old king once called his three sons to him, and said, "My sons, I am
old; I should like to have you married, so that I may celebrate your
wedding with you before I die. Therefore each of you are to shoot an
arrow into the air, and to follow its course, for there each will find
what is appointed for him." The eldest shot first: his arrow carried
him to a king's daughter, whom he married. The second obtained a
prince's daughter. But the arrow of the third stuck in a dung-hill. He
dug a hole in it, and came to a marble slab, which, when raised,
disclosed a flight of stairs leading down. Courageously he descended,
and came to a cellar in which a lot of monkeys were sitting in a
circle. The mother of the monkeys approached him, and asked him what
he wanted. He answered, that, according to the flight of his arrow,
he was destined to have a monkey-wife. "Choose one for yourself,"
she said. "Here sit my maids; there, my daughters." He selected one,
and took her back to his father. His brothers, however, ridiculed him.
After a time the eldest son asked the king to divide up his kingdom,
as he was already old and was likely to die. "I'll give you three
tasks," said the king to his sons. "The one who performs them best
shall be king." The first count was to be won by the son whose house
forty days thence was cleanest and most beautifully adorned. The
youngest son was very sad when inspection-time approached. "Why so
sad?" said his wife. He told her; and she said to him on the morning
of the last day, "Go to my mother, and ask her for a hazel-nut and
an almond." He did so. When the time for inspection arrived, the
monkey-wife cracked the hazel-nut and drew from it a diamond covering
for the whole house. From the almond she drew a very beautiful
carpet for the king to walk on. Youngest son won the first count,
naturally. The second task was to furnish the king with fresh fruits
in the winter-time. The two oldest sons were unable to get any, but
the youngest son got a fine supply from the monkeys' garden under
the dunghill. The third count was to be won by the son whose wife
should be declared the most beautiful at a feast to be given ten
days thence. The monkey-wife sent her husband again for an almond,
a hazel-nut, two stallions, and five servants. When he returned with
them, she cracked the almond and drew from it a magnificent dress
for herself. From the hazelnut she drew her own beauty, and handsome
equipment for her husband. When she was arrayed, she rode into the
courtyard of the king, and tried to escape without being recognized;
but the king was too quick for her: she was caught, and her husband
was declared the final winner. He became king when his father died.
This Greek story can hardly have any immediate relationship with
"Chonguita," though it does appear in its first half to be connected
with the 1833 Indian Märchen given above. Our story, it will be
noticed, lacks the shooting of arrows, so characteristic of the
European forms; it mentions the monkey-kingdom to which the youngest
prince was directed by an old man, and where Chonguita is forced
on him; it represents the king as requiring his daughters-in-law to
perform difficult tasks because he wishes to find an excuse for putting
to death the animal-wife. Moreover, the three tasks themselves are
different, although the first two are reminiscent of some found in the
Occidental versions. For the third I know of no folk-tale parallel. On
the whole, I am prone to believe that our story was not imported from
Europe, but that it belongs to an Oriental branch of the family.
The disenchantment of the monkey-wife by hurling her in anger against
the wall is exactly like the disenchantment of the frog-prince in
Grimm, No. 1. This conceit is most unusual, and, it might be added,
unreasonable. Hence this identity of detail in two stories so far
removed in every other way is particularly striking. I know of no
further occurrences of the incident.
TALE 30
THE GOLDEN LOCK.
Narrated by Vicente Hilario of Batangas, Batangas, who heard the
story from an old man (now deceased) from the barrio of Balayan.
Long ago there lived in a distant kingdom an influential noble named
Ludovico, who vastly increased his wealth by his marriage to a rich
heiress called Clotilde. During the first ten years of their union
she had never peeped out of her window or stirred out of her room:
she only walked to the door of her chamber to bid farewell to her
husband or to receive his parting kiss when he was off to attend
to his official business, and to meet him with a tender embrace
when he returned. Nobody else but Ludovico and her chaperon could
see or talk with her: to these two persons only did Clotilde reveal
her secrets and convey the thoughts of her spotless soul. She spent
her time in voluntary seclusion, not in the luxuries of the court
or the gaieties of society, but in embroidery, knitting, and in the
unnecessary embellishment of her extremely lovely person.
But an incident now happened that seriously threatened to destroy
the foundations of their blissful union, for there may be eddies and
counter-currents in the steady and swift flow of a stream. The king
invited all the nobles in the land to a sumptuous banquet to be given
in one of the principal frontier cities. Ludovico was among the first
persons to accept the king's invitation. When the luxurious repast
was over, the guests gathered in groups around small tables in the
adjoining grounds to while away the sultry hours and to discuss the
questions of the day. One of these groups was composed of Ludovico
and six other nobles, among whom was a bold, sharp-tongued rich youth
named Pio. The conversation touched on topics concerning the fair sex,
especially of women historically famous for their personal charms,
virtues, and vices. The garrulous Pio ridiculed the noble constancy
and other excellent traits of the fair Clotilde.
"I will bet you anything you want to bet, that you cannot learn the
secrets of my wife in fifteen days," said Ludovico, his face flushed
with wrath.
"All right," said Pio, exasperated by Ludovico's boast. "The loser
shall be hanged. I will bet my life that I'll know the secrets of
your wife within fifteen days."
The terms of the contract were carefully written down, solemnly
ratified by the king, and signed by the two contestants and by the
other high-born gentlemen.
Pio set out the next day for Ludovico's home town. The inexperienced
youth looked in vain for Ludovico's residence. Finally he asked
a jolly fellow, who showed him the house after a long roundabout
conversation. Pio went upstairs, where he saw the gray-haired chaperon
sitting alone in the spacious hall, which was decorated to vie in
magnificence with the most gorgeously furnished apartment of the
king. The accomplished Pio doffed his bonnet to the old woman, and
politely asked for her mistress.
"Nobody but her husband and me is allowed to see her," said the ugly
old hag.
Pio then sat down and began to talk to her. By his persuasive language
and the magnetic touch of his hands he easily insinuated himself into
her confidence. Then, dropping a piece of gold on her palm, he said,
"Will you tell me the secrets of your mistress?"
The old woman looked at him suspiciously, but the brilliant coin
proved too great a temptation for her. "Clotilde," she said, "has
three golden [88] locks of hair under her left armpit. I know this
fact, because I bathe her every day."
Pio heaved a deep groan and turned his face aside. After recovering
himself, he dropped another gold-piece into the hand of the chaperon,
and said, "Will you get one of those locks for me?"
She hesitated, but his eloquence was irresistible. "I'll give you
the lock to-morrow," she said. Pio then departed, and she returned
to her mistress.
Early the next morning, while the old woman was bathing Clotilde as
usual, she pulled out one of Clotilde's golden locks. "Aray!" exclaimed
Clotilde, "what's the matter with you?"
"Never mind, never mind!" said the old woman with many caresses. "This
is the only reward I want for my many faithful services to you."
Ignorant of the treasonable intrigues of her chaperon, Clotilde
said nothing more. Before noon Pio arrived. With trembling hands and
pale cheeks, the old woman gave him the golden lock. She was amply
rewarded with a purse of gold. Ignorant of the fatal consequences of
her treacherous act, she gayly went back to Clotilde's private chamber.
Pio left the town late in the afternoon, and soon arrived at the
capital. Ludovico was struck aghast at the sight of the golden lock. He
at once wrote a letter to his wife which ran in part as follows:--
"I have spent ten years of my life in perfect happiness with you. I
expected to enjoy such blissful days for a much longer period. But now
everything is hopeless. My life shall be ended by violence, because
of your faithlessness. We shall see each other no more. Receive the
sad farewell of your Ludovico."
When Clotilde read this letter, she swooned. When she came to her
senses, she awoke as from a trance. But when she beheld the letter
again, she read again the opprobrious word "faithlessness" in her
husband's handwriting. She did not know what act of disloyalty she had
committed. She moved about in her room by fits and starts. At last a
thought came to her mind: she sent for the best goldsmith in town, and
told him to make her a gold slipper adorned with precious stones. Under
her strict supervision the work was completed in a marvellously short
time. Then she put on her best clothes and the precious slipper,
and with all possible expedition set out for Ludovico.
Clotilde arrived in the city just a few minutes before the
execution. She drove directly to the king's pavilion. Her only
companion was the same old woman who had caused all this trouble. The
turbulent persons who had gathered in the public square to witness
the horrible spectacle were awed by the loveliness and magnificent
attire of Clotilde. When she reached the king, and asked him for all
the details concerning Ludovico's case, and when the king had given
her all the information he could, she turned and pointed toward Pio,
and said, "That man has stolen my other slipper which looks like this
one I am wearing."
The king called Pio from the place where he was standing, and told
him all about the fair lady's accusation. "I have not committed any
crime against her," said Pio angrily. "I don't even know her. This
is the first time I have ever seen her."
"Sir," said Clotilde sneeringly, "why, then, did you tell his Majesty
and other persons that you have discovered my secrets? I am the wife
of Ludovico, whose life you have threatened to end by your deceit. I
know now by what means you got possession of my golden lock."
Clotilde's statement sealed Pio's fate. He was hanged in place of
Ludovico, who deeply regretted having doubted his faithful wife. And
what happened to the old woman, who preferred the gold of an impostor
to the kindness of a virtuous woman? The hag was sentenced to spend
the remainder of her life in a damp, dreary dungeon.
Notes.
A close Tagalog parallel is to be found in the last part of the
metrical romance entitled (in English translation) "The Life of Duke
Almanzor and the Kind and Clever Maria, in the Kingdom of Toledo when
it was under the Moors." My copy bears no date, but Retana mentions
an edition before 1898 (No. 4159). The poem is in 402 quatrains of
12-syllable lines. The section which resembles our story begins at
line 1260, and may be paraphrased in prose as follows:--
Soon after this, Almanzor was baptized (he had been a Moor), and was
married to Maria. After a few months of happy life, the duke was called
away to Cordova on important business. When Duke Almanzor arrived at
the court of the Governor of Cordova, he found that all the noblemen
were present. As he arrived somewhat late, he excused himself by saying
that he was newly married, and that he could not leave his wife any
sooner. Among the nobles was a proud, self-confident man named Abdala,
who, when Almanzor had finished speaking, remarked that he (Abdala)
did not mean to marry, as he could very easily seduce any woman,
be she unmarried or a wife. Almanzor was angered by this remark. He
said to Abdala, "I have my wife in Toledo: go and see if you can
seduce her." Abdala said that there was no doubt of his being able
to do so. A wager of death for the loser was agreed upon.
Abdala immediately set out for Toledo. He tried to gain access
to the duke's palace; but ever since her husband's departure,
Maria had ordered the servants to keep all the windows and
doors closed. Moreover, nobody but women were allowed to enter
the palace. Abdala was about to give up in despair, when he met a
sorceress, who offered to help him. This witch gained admittance into
the palace, and was allowed to pass the night there. At midnight
the hag secretly went to Maria's bedroom and jotted down a brief
description of it. Then she cut off a lock of Maria's hair. The next
morning the witch left the palace. She went to Abdala, and gave him
the lock of hair, together with the description of the bedroom.
Abdala hurriedly returned to Cordova. When he reached the palace,
the governor at once assembled the nobles. Abdala then showed the
lock of hair, and described minutely Maria's bedroom. Almanzor was
asked what he had to say. The noble duke said that he acknowledged to
be true everything that Abdala had said. Then the governor ordered
his guards to take the duke to prison. The duke was to be beheaded
on the third day. While in prison, Duke Almanzor wrote to his wife,
telling her of his coming death. Maria resolved at once to save her
husband. She went to Cordova, carrying with her all her wealth. She
had a famous jeweller make for her a large, beautiful ear-ring.
The third day came, and the soldiers took Duke Almanzor out of
prison. The governor and all the nobles accompanied the duke to the
plaza where he was to be executed. Maria stopped the procession, and
addressed the governor thus: "My lord, do you see this ear-ring?" The
governor nodded. "Then I ask you to give me justice. My other
ear-ring was stolen by that gentleman who is standing near you," and
she pointed at Abdala as she made the accusation. Abdala became very
angry. He said, "I don't know you; I have never seen you before. How
could I steal your ear-ring?"--"Do you say that you have never seen me
before?" Maria asked. "I do say so," said Abdala emphatically. "Why,
then, do you claim that you have been in my room, and that I gave you
a lock of my hair?" Maria demanded. Abdala could not answer. "Answer,
Abdala," the governor said, But Abdala could not utter a single
word. At last he confessed that he had never seen Maria, and that
the description of the room and the lock of hair had been furnished
him by a sorceress. The governor then ordered him to be seized. Duke
Almanzor was set free. His wife gently reprimanded him for risking his
life so foolishly. As for Abdala, he was beheaded, and the sorceress
who helped him was burned at the stake.
In our notes to No. 7 we have already summarized the first part of the
"Story of Rodolfo." The last episode of this romance is an analogue
of our present story, and runs briefly thus:--
After his marriage, Rodolfo went back to Valencia, and informed the
king that he had found a virtuous woman and had married her. She
was then in Babilonia. The king detained him for a few days in
the palace. At the same time he sent Fortunato, a gallant, to
court Rodolfo's wife, to test whether or not she was true to her
husband. Fortunato went to Babilonia and declared his love to Estela;
but she would have nothing to do with him. Ashamed to return to the
palace without having won her affection, Fortunato stole her underskirt
and took it to the king, stating that Estela had given it to him as
a remembrance. Rodolfo was summoned: and when he saw the skirt with
Adela's name on it, he was thunderstruck. The king then said, "You see,
your wife is no more virtuous than my daughter Leocadia. Remember
your boast; your life is forfeit." Rodolfo, however, asked for a
complete investigation of his wife's alleged treachery. Estela was
accordingly summoned to Valencia; and when asked how her underskirt
happened to be there in the palace, she asked in turn who had brought
it. "Fortunato," she was told. Then she said, "The underskirt is
mine. The knight Fortunato declared his love to me, but I rejected
it because I am married. He stole the underskirt while I was taking
a bath, and ought to be punished." When confronted with the charge,
Fortunato denied the theft, and maintained that he had been given the
garment by Estela as a token of her love for him. When Rodolfo heard
this denial, he begged the king to assemble all the dignitaries and
judges in the kingdom. Before the court Rodolfo asked Fortunato for
definite proof to back up his assertions. He was unable to give any,
and was consequently sentenced to be deported for ten years to a
lonely island. Rodolfo and his wife were now honored by the king,
and Rodolfo was finally made a knight.
Although this portion of the romance is only a distant analogue
of out story, inasmuch as it lacks both the wager and the clever
trick of the wife to get her maligner to convict himself, I give it,
because this same combination of the "chastity-wager" motive with the
"hen-divided" motive (see first part of "Rodolfo," notes to No. 7)
occurs in a Mentonese story, "La Femme Avisée" (Romania, II : 415-416).
The tale may be briefly summarized:--
A prince benighted in a forest is entertained for the night at a
countryman's house. At dinner the prince carves the fowl, and gives the
head to the father, the stomach to the mother, and the heart to the
daughter. On the old man's complaining later of his guest's strange
division of the bird, the girl explains to her father just why the
prince acted as he did. The prince overhears her, admires her wit,
falls in love with her, and marries her. Some time afterward the
prince is called to Egypt on business. He leaves his wife behind at
home, and she promises to be very discreet. The prince communicates
her promise to a friend, who wagers that he will be able to tell the
prince of any defects on her body. The friend goes to the home of
the prince and bribes the lady-in-waiting. She informs him, that,
beautiful as the young wife is, she has a strawberry-mark on her
shoulder. When the prince, on his return, is told this intimate detail
by his friend, he is very angry, and, going home, accuses his wife of
faithlessness. She proves her innocence by going before the king and
swearing that her maligner has stolen one of her golden slippers. He
denies the charge, and swears that he has never seen his accuser
before. Thus self-convicted, he is imprisoned for many years.
The Mentonese folk-tale and "Rodolfo" emphasize not only the virtue
of the wife, but her cleverness as well, and definitely connect the
"Chastity Wager" cycle with our No. 7. While it would be difficult
to maintain successfully that the "Chastity Wager" cycle and the
"Clever Lass" group are descended from the same parent,--I really
believe the latter to be much the older,--it seems that we have a sort
of combination of the two as early as the time of the "Tuti-nameh"
collection. In the following story taken from that compilation,
traces of both cycles may be discerned, though clearly the tale is
more nearly related as a whole to the "Chastity Wager" group. This
Persian story is entitled "The Nobleman and the Soldier's Wife, whose
Virtue he put to the Proof" (No. 4, pp. 42 ff., of "The Tootinameh;
or, Tales of a Parrot" in the Persian Language, with an English
Translation; Calcutta, 1792). An abridged version of it follows:--
In a certain city dwelt a military man who had a very beautiful
wife. He was always under apprehension on her account; and one
day, after he had been idle a long time, she asked him why he had
quitted his profession. He answered, "I have no confidence in you,
and therefore I do not go anywhere in quest of employment." The wife
told him that he was perverse; for no one could seduce a virtuous
woman, and a vicious woman no husband could guard successfully. Then
she told him a story to illustrate the second type of wife. When
he asked if she had anything more to say to him, she replied,
"It is right for you to travel and seek service. I will give you
a fresh nosegay: as long as the nosegay continues in this stare,
you may be assured that I have not committed any bad action; if the
nosegay should wither, you will then know that I have been guilty of
some fault." The soldier heeded her words, and set out on a journey,
taking the nosegay with him. When he arrived at a certain city,
he entered the service of a nobleman of that place. Winter came on,
and the nobleman was astonished to see the soldier wearing a fresh
nosegay every day, though flowers were practically unattainable,
and he asked him about it. The soldier told him that his wife had
given the nosegay to him as an emblem of her chastity; that as long
as it continued fresh, he was sure that her honor was unspotted.
Now, the nobleman had two cooks remarkable for their cunning and
adroitness. To one of these he said, "Repair to the soldier's country,
where, through artifice and deceit, contrive to form an intimacy with
his wife, and return quickly with a particular account of her. Then
we shall see whether this nosegay continues fresh or not." The cook,
in accordance with his master's command, went to the soldier's city,
and sent a procuress to the wife with his message. The wife did not
assent directly, but told the procuress to send the man to her, so
that she might see whether he was agreeable or not. The wife made a
secret assignation with the cook, but trapped him in a dry well; and
when he found that he could not get out, he confessed the nobleman's
plot. When the cook did not return, the nobleman sent the second cook;
but he fared no better: he too was captured in the same way by the
clever wife. Now the nobleman resolved to go himself. He set out
under the pretext of hunting, accompanied by the soldier. When they
arrived at the soldier's city, the soldier went to his own home and
presented the fresh nosegay to his wife, who told him all that had
happened. So the next day the soldier conducted the nobleman to his
home, where a hospitable entertainment was given him. The two cooks,
under promise of subsequent liberty, consented to dress as women and
wait on the guests. When the nobleman saw them, he failed to recognize
them, for their long confinement and bad air had made them thin and
pale. He asked the soldier about the "girls," but the soldier told
the cooks to tell their own story. Then the nobleman recognized them;
and when they testified to the woman's chastity, he was abashed,
and asked forgiveness for his offences.
Another Oriental form of this story is given by Somadeva, chapter
XIII (Tawney, 1 : 85 f.), "The Story of Devasmita." It runs in part
as follows:--
Here, on the departure of the husband, the divinity Siva says to the
couple, "Take each of you one of these red lotuses; and, if either
of you shall be unfaithful during your separation, the lotus in the
hand of the other shall fade, but not otherwise." Then the husband
set out for another city, where he began to buy and sell jewels. Four
merchants of that country, astonished at the never-fading lotus in
his hand, wormed the secret out of the husband by making him drunk,
and then planned the seduction of the wife out of mere curiosity. To
aid them in their plan, they had recourse to a female ascetic. She
went to the wife, and attempted to move her to pity by showing her a
weeping bitch, which she said was once a woman, but was transformed
into a dog because of her hard-heartedness [for this device worked
with better success; see Gesta Romanorum, chap. XXVIII]. The wife
divined the plot and the motive of the young merchants, and appeared
to be glad to receive them; but when they came at appointed times,
she drugged them, and branded them on the forehead with an iron dog's
foot. Then she cast them out naked in a dung-heap. The procuress was
later served even worse: her hose and ears were cut off. The young
wife, fearing that for revenge the four merchants might go slay her
husband, told her whole story to her mother-in-law. The mother-in-law
praised her for her conduct, and devised a plan to save her son. The
wise wife disguised herself as a merchant, and embarked in a ship to
the country where her husband was. When she arrived there, she saw
him in the midst of a circle of merchants. He, seeing her afar off
in the dress of a man, thought to himself, "Who may this merchant be
that looks so like my beloved wife?" But she went to the king, said
that she had a petition to present, and asked him to assemble all his
subjects. He did so, and asked her what her petition was. She replied,
"There are residing here four escaped slaves of mine; let the king
give them back to me." She was told to pick out her slaves, which she
did, choosing the four merchants who had their heads tied up. When
asked how these distinguished merchants' sons could be her slaves, she
said, "Examine their foreheads, which I marked with a dog's foot." So
done. The truth came out; the other merchants paid the wife a large sum
of money to ransom the four, and also a fine to the king's treasury.
There can be no doubt of a rather close relationship between the
Persian and the Indian stories; nor can there be any doubt, it seems
to me, of the relationship of these two with the "Chastity Wager"
cycle. The additional details in Somadeva's narrative connect it with
European Märchen; e.g., J. F. Campbell, No. 18, and Groome, No. 33.
Our story of the "Golden Lock," as well as the variants, is
unquestionably an importation from Europe; but what the immediate
source of the tale is, I am unable to say. For the convenience of
any, however, who are interested in this group of stories, and care
to make a further study of it, I give here a list of the occurrences
of the tale in literature and in popular form. In literature, this
story in Europe dates from the end of the twelfth century.
Roman de Guillaume de Dole (c. 1200). Ed. by G. Servois for the
Soc. des Anc. Textes français. Paris, 1893.
Roman de la Violette (13th century). Ed. by Michel. 1834.
Roman du Comte de Poitiers (13th century). Ed. by Michel. 1831.
Le roi Flore et la belle Jehanne (a 13th century prose
story). Published by L. Moland et C. d'Hericault in Nouvelles
françaises en prose du xiiie siècle, 1856 : 87-157; also in Monmerqué
et Michel, Théâtre français au Moyen Age, 1842 : 417.
Miracle de Othon, roy d'Espaigne (a 14th century miracle), in the
Miracles de Nostre Dame. Published by G. Paris and U. Robert for the
Soc. des Anc. Textes français, 4 : 315-388; and in Monmerqué et Michel,
op. cit., p. 431 f.
Perceforest, bk. iv, ch. 16, 17 (an episode, where the chastity
token is a rose), retold by Bandello, part I, nov. 21 (cf. R. Köhler,
in Jahrb. für rom. u. eng. lit., 8 : 51 f.).
Boccaccio's Decameron, 2 : 9 (cf. Landau, Die Quellen des Dekameron,
1884 : 135 ff.).
Two important treatments of the story in dramatic form are
sixteenth-century Spanish, Lope de Rueda's "Eufemia," where the heroine
tricks her maligner by accusing him of having spent many nights with
her and of finally having stolen a jewel from under her bed; he denies
all knowledge of her (cf. J. L. Klein, Geschichte des Dramas, 9 [1872]
: 144-156); and English, Shakespeare's "Cymbeline." For modern dramas
and operas dealing with this theme, see G. Servois, op. cit., p. xvi,
note 5. In ballad form the story occurs in "The Twa Knights" (Child,
5 : 21 ff., No. 268).
Popular stories belonging to this cycle and containing the wager are
the following:--
J. F. Campbell, No. 18.
J. W. Wolf, p. 355.
Simrock, Deutsche Märchen, No. 51 (1864 ed., p. 235).
H. Pröhle, No. 61, p. 179 (cf. also p. xlii).
Ausland, 1856 : 1053, for a Roumanian story.
F. Miklosisch, Märchen und Lieder der Zigeuner der Bukowina, No. 14.
D. G. Bernoni, Fiabe popolari veneziane, No. I.
Gonzenbach, No. 7.
G. Pitrè, Nos. 73, 75.
V. Imbriani, La Novellaja Fiorentina, p. 483.
Other folk-tales somewhat more distantly related are,--
Comparetti, Nos. 36 and 60.
Webster, Basque Legends, p. 132.
F. Kreutzwald, Estnische Märchen (übersetzt von F. Löwe), 2d Hälfte,
No. 6.
H. Bergh, Sogur m. m. fraa Valdris og Hallingdal, p. 16.
For the story in general, see the following:--
Landau on the Dekameron, op. cit.
A. Rochs, Ueber den Veilchen Roman und die Wanderung der Euriant
saga. Halle, 1882. (Reviewed as a worthless piece of work by R. Köhler
in Literaturblatt für germ. und rom. Philologie, 1883 : No. 7.)
R. Ohle, Shakespeares Cymbeline und seine Romanischen
Vorläufer. Berlin, 1890. (This does not discuss the popular versions
at all.)
H. A. Todd, Guillaume de Dole, in Transactions and Proceedings of
the Modern Language Association of America, 2 (1887) : 107 ff.
Von der Hagen, Gesammtabenteuer, 3 : LXXXIII.
G. Servois, op. cit., Introduction.
For some additional bibliographical items in connection with this
cycle, see Köhler, "Literaturblatt," etc., p. 274. To the list above
should be added finally, of course, the stories given in more detail
earlier in this note.
TALE 31
WHO IS THE NEAREST RELATIVE?
Narrated by Leopoldo Uichanco, a Tagalog of Calamba, Laguna.
"On my life!" exclaimed old Julian one day to his grandson Antonio,
who was clinging fast to his elbows and bothering him, as usual, "you
will soon become insane with stories. Now, I will tell you a story on
this condition: you must answer the question I shall put at the end
of the narrative. If you give the correct answer, then I will tell
you some more tales; if not, why, you must be unfortunate." Antonio
nodded, and said, "Very well!" as he leaned on the table to listen
to his grandfather. Then the old man began:--
"There was once a young man who had completed his course of study
and was to be ordained a priest. Now, whenever a man was about to
be entrusted with the duty of being a minister of God, and Christ's
representative on earth, it was the custom to trace his ancestry back
as far as possible, to see that there was no bad member on any branch
of his family tree. Inquiries were made and information was sought
regarding the young man's relatives. Unfortunately his mother's brother
was an insurrecto. But the boy wanted very much to become a priest,
so he set out for Mount Banahaw to look for his uncle.
"As he was walking along the mountain road, he came across his
uncle, but neither knew the other. The uncle had a long bolo in his
hand. 'Hold!' shouted the old man as the boy came in sight. 'Hands up!'
"'Mercy!' entreated the young man. 'I am a friend, not an enemy.'
"'What are you doing in this part of the country, then? Have you
come to spy?'
"'No,' said the youth. 'I have come in search of my uncle named
Paulino, general of the Patriots of Banahaw.'
"'And who are you to seek for him? What is your name?'
"'Federico.'
"The uncle stared at him. 'If that is so,' he said, 'I am the man
you are looking for. I am your uncle.' Federico was amazed, but was
very glad to have found his uncle so easily. Then the old man took
his nephew to the cave where he dwelt with his soldiers.
"Weeks passed by, months elapsed, but Federico never thought of
going back to his mother. So one day Federico's father went out to
seek for his son, and soon found him and his uncle. The father, too,
remained there with the soldiers, and never thought of going back home.
"One day Josefa received news that the bandits of Banahaw had been
caught by the government authorities. Among the prisoners were her
brother Paulino, her son Federico, and her husband. The captives were
to be executed at sunrise without any trial. Josefa hurried to the
capitan general, and pleaded with him to release her husband, her
son, and her brother. Besides, the woman presented the officer with
some gifts. She pleaded so hard, that finally the capitan general
was moved with pity. He consented to release one of the prisoners,
but one only. Josefa did not know what to do. Whom should she select
of the three,--her husband, the other half of her life; her son, the
fruit of her love; or her brother, that brother who came from the same
womb and sucked the same milk from the same mother? To take one would
mean to condemn the other two to death. She wished to save them all,
but she was allowed to select only one."
"If you, Antonio, were in her place, whom would you select?" Antonio
did not speak for some moments, but with knitted eyebrows looked up
to the ceiling and tried to think of the answer.
"Nonsense!" exclaimed the grandfather; "you cannot find the answer
in the ceiling! You really do not know, do you? Very well. I will
give you until next Tuesday to get your answer. You have one week in
which to think it out. Tell me the correct answer before you go to
school on that day."
When Tuesday came, Antonio had gotten the answer to his grandfather's
puzzle-tale; but the rascally little boy deceived the old man: he
had sought the information from his uncle.
"If you were in the place of the woman," asked the playful grandfather
with a smile on his face, "whom would you select?" Antonio timidlv
said that he would select the brother.
"You are only guessing, aren't you?" said old Julian doubtfully.
"Bah! No, sir!" said the boy. "I can give you a reason for my
selection."
"Very well, give your reason, then."
"The woman would be right in selecting her brother"--
"Because"--
"Because, what to a woman is a husband? She can marry again; she can
find another."
"That is true," said the old man.
"And what to a woman is her son? Is it not possible to bear another
one after she marries again?"
"To be sure," said old Julian.
"But," continued the boy, raising his voice, "is it possible for her
to bring into the world another brother? Is it possible? The woman's
parents were dead. Therefore she would be right in selecting her
brother instead of her husband or her son."
"Exactly so, my boy," returned the satisfied old man, nodding his
gray head. "Since you have answered correctly, to-morrow I will tell
you another story."
Notes.
This saga-like story is of peculiar literary interest because of
its ancient connections. I know of no modern analogues; but there
are two very old parallels, as well as two unmistakable references
to the identical situation in our story which date from before the
Christian era, and also a Persian Märchen that goes back as far as
the twelfth century.
Herodotus (III, 119) first tells the story of a Persian woman who
chooses rather to save the life of her brother than of her husband
and children.
"When all the conspirators against Darius had been seized [i.e.,
Intaphernes, his children, and his family], and had been put in chains
as malefactors condemned to death, the wife of Intaphernes came
and stood continually at the palace-gates, weeping and wailing. So
Darius after a while, seeing that she never ceased to stand and weep,
was touched with pity for her, and bade a messenger go to her and say,
'Lady, King Darius gives thee as a boon the life of one of thy kinsmen;
choose which thou wilt of the prisoners.' Then she pondered a while
before she answered, 'If the king grants the life of one alone, I make
choice of my brother.' Darius, when he heard the reply, was astonished,
and sent again, saying, 'Lady, the king bids thee tell him why it is
that thou passest by thy husband and thy children, and preferrest to
have the life of thy brother spared. He is not so near to thee as thy
children, not so dear as thy husband.' She answered, 'O king! if the
gods will, I may have another husband and other children when these
are gone; but, as my father and mother are no more, it is impossible
that I should have another brother. That was my thought when I asked
to have my brother spared.' The woman appeared to Darius to have spoken
well, and he granted to her the one that she asked and her eldest son,
he was so pleased with her. All the rest he put to death."
This story from the Greek historian clearly supplied not merely
the thought but also the form of the reference in lines 909-912
of Sophocles' "Antigone." In Campbell's English translation of the
Greek play, the passage, which is put into the mouth of the heroine,
runs thus:--
"A husband lost might be replaced; a son,
If son were lost to me, might yet be born;
But with both parents hidden in the tomb,
No brother may arise to comfort me."
Chronologically, the next two occurrences of the story are Indian. In
the "Ucchanga-jataka" (Fausböll, No. 67, of uncertain date, but
possibly going back to the third century B.C.) we are told--
"Three husbandmen were by mistake arrested on a charge of robbery,
and imprisoned. The wife of one came to the King of Kosala, in whose
realm the event took place, and entreated him to set her husband at
liberty. The king asked her what relation each of the three was to
her. She answered, 'One is my husband, another my brother, and the
third is my son.' The king said, 'I am pleased with you, and I will
give you one of the three; which do you choose?' The woman answered,
'Sire, if I live, I can get another husband and another son; but,
as my parents are dead, I can never get another brother. So give me
my brother, sire.' Pleased with the woman, the king set all three
men at liberty."
In the Cambridge translation of this "Jataka," the verse reply of
the woman is rendered thus:--
"A son's an easy find; of husbands too
An ample choice throngs public ways. But where
With all my pains another brother find?"
In the "Ramayana," the most celebrated art epic of India, we are
told how, in the battle about Lanka, Lakshmana, the favorite brother
and inseparable companion of the hero Rama, is to all appearances
killed. Rama laments over him in these words: "Anywhere at all I
could get a wife, a son, and all other relatives; but I know of no
place where I might be able to acquire a brother. The teaching of
the Veda is true, that Parjanya rains down everything; but also is
the proverb true that he does not rain down brothers." (Ed. Gorresio,
6 : 24, 7-8.) This parallel was pointed out by R. Pischel in "Hermes,"
28 (1893) : 465.
The Persian Märchen alluded to above is cited by Th. Nöldeke in
"Hermes," 29 : 155.
In this story the wife, when she is given the opportunity to
choose which she will save of her three nearest relatives,--i.e.,
her husband, her son, and her brother, who have been selected to be
the food for the man-eating snake that grows from the devil-prince
Dahak's shoulder,--says, "I am still a young woman. I can get another
husband, and it may happen that I might have another child by him:
so that the fire of separation I can quench somewhat with the water
of hope, and for the poison of the death of a husband find a cure
in the antidote of the survival of a son; but it is not possible,
since my father and mother are dead, for me to get another brother;
therefore I bestow my love on him [i.e., she chooses the brother]." The
Dahak is moved to pity, and spares her the lives of all three.
The riddle form in which our story is cast is possibly an invention
of the narrator; but folk-tales ending thus are common (see notes to
No. 12). Again, our story fails to state whether or not all three men
were pardoned. The implication is that they were not. The localization
of the events seems to point either to a long existence of the story
in La Laguna province or to exceptional adaptive skill on the part
of the narrator.
TALE 32
WITH ONE CENTAVO JUAN MARRIES A PRINCESS.
Narrated by Gregorio Frondoso, a Bicol, who heard the story from
another Bicol student. The latter said that the story was traditional
among the Bicols, and that he had heard it from his grandfather.
In ancient times, in the age of foolishness and nonsense, there lived
a poor gambler. He was all alone in the world: he had no parents,
relatives, wife, or children. What little money he had he spent on
cards or cock-fighting. Every time he played, he lost. So he would
often pass whole days without eating. He would then go around the town
begging like a tramp. At last he determined to leave the village to
find his fortune.
One day, without a single cent in his pockets, he set out on his
journey. As he was lazily wandering along the road, he found a centavo,
and picked it up. When he came to the next village, he bought with his
coin a small native cake. He ate only a part of the cake; the rest he
wrapped in a piece of paper and put in his pocket. Then he took a walk
around the village; but, soon becoming tired, he sat down by a little
shop to rest. While resting, he fell asleep. As he was lying on the
bench asleep, a chicken came along, and, seeing the cake projecting
from his pocket, the chicken pecked at it and ate it up. Tickled by
the bird's beak, the tramp woke up and immediately seized the poor
creature. The owner claimed the chicken; but Juan would not give it up,
on the ground that it had eaten his cake. Indeed, he argued so well,
that he was allowed to walk away, taking the chicken with him.
Scarcely had he gone a mile when he came to another village. There
he took a rest in a barber-shop. He fell asleep again, and soon a
dog came in and began to devour his chicken. Awakened by the poor
bird's squawking, Juan jumped up and caught the dog still munching its
prey. In spite of the barber's protest and his refusal to give up his
dog, Juan seized it and carried it away with him. He proceeded on his
journey until he came to another village. As he was passing by a small
house, he felt thirsty: so he decided to go in and ask for a drink. He
tied his dog to the gate and went in. When he came out again, he found
his dog lying dead, the iron gate on top of him. Evidently, in its
struggles to get loose, the animal had pulled the gate over. Without
a word Juan pulled off one of the iron bars from the gate and took
it away with him. When the owner shouted after him, Juan said,
"The bar belongs to me, for your gate killed my dog."
When Juan came to a wide river, he sat down on the bank to rest. While
he was sitting there, he began to play with his iron bar, tossing
it up into the air, and catching it as it fell. Once he missed, and
the bar fell into the river and was lost. "Now, river," said Juan,
"since you have taken my iron bar, you belong to me. You will have
to pay for it." So he sat there all day, watching for people to come
along and bathe.
It happened by chance that not long after, the princess came to
take her bath. When she came out of the water, Juan approached her,
and said, "Princess, don't you know that this river is mine? And,
since you have touched the water, I have the right to claim you."
"How does it happen that you own this river?" said the astonished
princess.
"Well, princess, it would tire you out to hear the story of how I
acquired this river; but I insist that you are mine."
Juan persisted so strongly, that at last the princess said that she
was willing to leave the matter to her father's decision. On hearing
Juan's story, and after having asked him question after question,
the king was greatly impressed with his wonderful reasoning and wit;
and, as he was unable to offer any refutation for Juan's argument,
he willingly married his daughter to Juan.
Notes.
I know of no complete analogues of this droll; but partial variants,
both serious and comic, are numerous. In our story a penniless,
unscrupulous hero finds a centavo, and by means of sophistical
arguments with foolish persons makes more and more profitable
exchanges until he wins the hand of a princess. A serious tale of a
clever person starting with no greater capital than a dead mouse, and
finally succeeding in making a fortune, is the "Cullaka-setthi-jataka,"
No. 4. This story subsequently made its way into Somadeva's great
collection (Tawney, 1 : 33-34), "The Story of the Mouse Merchant"
(ch. VI). Here it runs approximately as follows:--
A poor youth, whose mother managed to give him some education in
writing and ciphering, was advised by her to go to a certain rich
merchant who was in the habit of lending capital to poor men of good
family. The youth went; and, just as he entered the house, that rich
man was angrily talking to another merchant's son: "You see this dead
mouse here upon the floor; even that is a commodity by which a capable
man would acquire wealth; but I gave you, you good-for-nothing fellow,
many dinars, and, so far from increasing them, you have not even been
able to preserve what you got." The poor stranger-youth at once said
to the merchant that he would take the dead mouse as capital advanced,
and he wrote a receipt for it. He sold the mouse as cat-meat to a
certain merchant for two handfuls of gram. Next he made meal of the
gram, and, taking his stand by the road, civilly offered food and
drink to a band of wood-cutters that came by. Each, out of gratitude,
gave him two pieces of wood. This wood he sold, bought more gram with
a part of the price, and obtained more wood from the wood-cutters the
next day, etc., until he was able in time to buy all their wood for
three days. Heavy rains made a dearth of wood, and he sold his stock
for a large sum. Then he set up a shop, began to traffic, and became
wealthy by his own ability. Now he had a golden mouse made, which he
sent to the rich merchant from whom he had gotten his start, and that
merchant bestowed the hand of his daughter on the once poor youth.
The comic atmosphere, it will be seen, is altogether absent from this
Buddhistic parable.
A slight resemblance to our story may be traced in Bompas, No. XLIX,
"The Foolish Sons," where the clever youngest (of six brothers)
manages to acquire ten rupees, starting with one anna. He proceeds
by "borrowing," and paying interest in advance. The trick used here
is the same as that practised on the foolish wife in "Wise Folks"
(Grimm, No. 104), where a sharper buys three cows, and leaves one with
the seller as a pledge for the price of the three (see Bolte-Polívka,
2 : 440 f.).
Much closer parallels than the preceding, to the incidents of out
story, are to be found in a cycle of tales discussed by Bolte-Polívka
(2 : 201-202) in connection with "Hans in Luck" (Grimm, No. 83). It
will be recalled that in the Grimm story the foolish Hans exchanges
successively gold for horse, horse for cow, cow for pig, pig for
goose, goose for grindstone, which he is finally glad to get rid of by
throwing it into the water. "A counterpart of this story," say Bolte
and Polívka, "is the Märchen of the 'profitable exchange,' in which
a poor man acquires from another a hen because it has eaten up a pea
or millet-seed that belonged to him; for the hen he gets a pig which
has killed it; for the pig, a cow; for the cow, a horse. But when he
finally levies his claim for damages upon a girl, and places her in
a sack, his luck changes: strangers liberate the maiden without the
knowledge of her captor, and put in her place a big dog, which falls
upon him when he opens the sack." It is to be noted that the cycle
as here outlined consists really of two parts,--the "biter biting"
and the "biter bit." Cosquin (2 : 209) believes that the last two
episodes--the maiden gained by chicanery, and the substitution of an
animal for her in the sack--form a separate theme not originally a part
of the cumulative motive; and, to prove his belief, he cites a number
of Oriental tales containing the former, but lacking the cumulative
motive (ibid., 209-212). Cosquin seems to be correct in this; although,
on the other hand, he is able to cite only one story (Rivière, p. 95)
in which there is not some trace of the "biter-bit" idea. Moreover,
even in the animal stories belonging to this group,--and he analyzes
Stokes, No. 17, and Rivière, p. 79,--the animal-rogue meets with an
unlucky end. The same is true of Steel-Temple, No. 2, "The Rat's
Wedding." In another Indian story, however, "The Monkey with the
Tom-Tom" (Kingscote, No. XIV, a rather pointless tale), the monkey,
whose last exchange is puddings for a tom-tom, is left at the top of
a tree lustily beating his drum and enumerating his clever tricks. A
very similar story is to be found in Rouse, p. 132, "The Monkey's
Bargains." It will thus be seen that Bolte and Polívka's analysis holds
for the larger number of human hero tales of this cycle, as well as for
the animal tales; but that the first half of the sequence of events,
where the hero's good luck is continually on the increase, is also
to be found as a separate story,--Kingscote's, Rouse's, and our own.
The Filipino version appears to be old, and I am inclined to
think that it is native; that is, if any stories may be called
native. Several facts point to the primitiveness of the tale: (1)
the local color and realistic touches, slight though they are; (2)
the non-emphasis of the comic possibilities of the situations; (3)
the somewhat unsystematic arrangement of incidents, the third demand
and exchange (iron rod for dead dog) not appearing to be an upward
progression; (4) the crudity of invention displayed in this same third
exchange (though an iron-picketed fence seems modern). My reasons for
thinking our story not imported from the Occident are the differences
in beginning, middle, and end between it and the European versions
cited by Bolte-Polívka (loc. cit.). The good luck coming to the hero
from the exchange of dead animals suggests a distant basic connection
between our story and the "Jataka," although it must be admitted that
the idea could occur independently to many different peoples.
TALE 33
THE THREE HUMPBACKS.
Narrated by Pacita Cordero, a Tagalog from Pagsanjan, Laguna, who
heard the story from her lavandera, or washer-woman.
Pablo was badly treated by his older brothers Pedro and Juan. The
coarsest food was given to him. His clothes were ragged. He slept on
the floor, while his two brothers had very comfortable beds. In fact,
he was deprived of every comfort and pleasure.
In the course of time this unfortunate youth fell in love with
a well-to-do girl, and after a four-years engagement they were
married. Thus Pablo was separated from his brothers, to their great
joy. Pedro and Juan now began spending their money lavishly on
trifles. They learned how to gamble. Pablo, however, was now living
happily and out of want with his wife. Every morning he went to fish,
for his wife owned a large fishery.
One day, as Pablo was just leaving the house at the usual hour to
go fishing, he said to his wife, "Wife, if two humpbacks like myself
ever come here, do not admit them. As you know, they are my brothers,
and they used to treat me very badly." Then he went away. That very
afternoon Pedro and Juan came to pay their brother a visit. They
begged Marta, Pablo's wife, to give them some food, for they were
starving. They had squandered all their money, they said. Marta was
so impressed by the wretched appearance of her brothers-in-law, that
she admitted them despite her husband's prohibition. She gave them
a dinner. When they had finished eating, she said to them, "It is
now time for my husband to come home. He may take vengeance on you
for your past unkindness to him, if he finds you here, so I'll hide
you in two separate trunks. You stay there till to-morrow morning,
and I'll let you out when my husband is gone again."
She had scarcely locked the trunks when Pablo entered. He did not find
out that his brothers had been there, however. The next morning Pablo
went to his work, as usual. Marta had so much to do about the house
that day, that she forgot all about Pedro and Juan. The poor boys,
deprived of air and food, died inside the trunks. Not until two days
later did Marta think of the two humpbacks. She ran and opened the
trunks, and found their dead bodies inside. Her next thought was how
to dispose of them. At last a plan occurred to her. She called to her
neighbor, and asked him to come bury one of her brothers-in-law who
had just died in her house. She promised to pay him five pesos when
he came back from his work.
The neighbor lifted the heavy body of Pedro, and, putting it on his
shoulder, carried it away to a far place. There he dug a hole that
was waist deep, put the corpse into it, and covered it up. Then he
hastened back to Marta, and said, "Madam, I have buried the dead man
in a very deep grave."
"No, you have not," said Marta. "What is that lying over there?" and
she pointed to the corpse of Juan.
"That's very strange!" exclaimed the neighbor, scratching his
head. "You are very artful," he said to the dead body of Juan. He
was very angry with the corpse now, for he had not yet received his
pay. So he bore the corpse of Juan to the seashore. He got a banca
[89] and dug a very deep grave beneath the water. Then he said to
the corpse, "If you can come out of this place, you are the wisest
person in the world." He then returned to Marta's house.
On his way back he happened to look behind him, when he saw, to his
great surprise, the humpback following him, carrying some fish. The
gambler gazed at him; and when he saw that he resembled exactly the
corpse that he had just buried, he said, "So you have come out of the
grave again, have you, you naughty humpback!" And with these words
he killed the humpback that very instant. This humpback was Marta's
husband returning home from the fishery.
Thus Marta tried to deceive, but she was the one who was deceived.
The Seven Humpbacks.
Narrated by Teofilo Reyes, a Tagalog from Manila.
Once there lived seven brothers who were all humpbacks, and who looked
very much alike. Ugly as these humpbacks were, still there was a lady
who fell in love with one of them and married him. This lady, however,
though she loved her husband well, was a very stingy woman. Finally
the time came when the unmarried humpbacks had to depend on the other
one for food. Naturally this arrangement was very displeasing to the
wife; and in time her hate grew so intense, that she planned to kill
all her brothers-in-law.
One day, when her husband was away on business, she murdered the six
brothers. Next she hired a man to come and bury a corpse. She told him
of only one corpse, because she wanted to deceive the man. When he had
buried one of the bodies, he came back to get paid for his work. The
woman, however, before he had time to speak, began to reproach him
for not burying the man in the right place. "See here!" she said,
showing him the corpse of the second brother, "you did not do your
work well. Go and bury the body again. Remember that I will not pay
you until you have buried the man so that he stays under the earth."
The man took the second corpse and buried it; but when he returned,
there it was again. And so on: he repeated the operation until he
thought that he had buried the same corpse six times. But after the
sixth, the last humpback, had been buried, the married humpback came
home from his work. When the grave-digger saw this other humpback,
he immediately seized and killed him, thinking he was the same man
he had buried so many times before.
When the wicked woman knew that her very husband had been killed,
she died of a broken heart.
Notes.
A Pampango variant (c), which I have only in abstract, is entitled
"The Seven Hunchbacked Brothers." It was collected by Wenceslao Vitug
of Lubao, Pampanga. It runs thus:--
There were seven hunchbacked brothers that looked just alike. One of
them married, and maintained the other six in his house. The wife,
however, grew tired of them, and locked them up in the cellar,
where they starved to death. In order to save burial-expenses,
the woman fooled the grave-digger. When he had buried one man and
returned for his money, she had another body lying where the first
had lain, and told him that he could not have his money until the
man was buried to stay. Thus the poor gravedigger buried all six
corpses under the impression that he was working with the same one
over and over again. On his way back from burying the sixth, he met
the husband riding home on horseback. Thinking him to be the corpse,
which he exactly resembled, the grave-digger cried out, "Ah! so this
is the way you get ahead of me!" and he struck the living hunchback
with his hoe and killed him.
This Pampango variant, although it is a little more specific than
the Tagalog, is identical with our second version.
Our two stories and the variant represent a family of tales found
scattered all over Europe. They are also connected distantly with
one of the stories in the "1001 Nights," and thus with the Orient
again. For a discussion of this cycle, see Clouston, "Popular Tales and
Fictions," 2 : 332 ff., where are cited and abstracted versions from
the Old-English prose form of the "Seven Wise Masters," from the Gesta
Romanorum, also the fabliau "Destourmi;" then five other fabliaux from
Legrand's and Barbasan's collections, especially the trouvere Dutant's
"Les Trois Bossus;" and the second tale of the seventh sage in the
"Mishlé Sandabar," the Hebrew version of the book of Sindibad. On
pp. 344-357 Clouston gives variants of the related story in which
the same corpse is disposed of many times. For further bibliography,
see Wilson's Dunlop, 2 : 42, note.
The nearest parallel I know of to our first story is Straparola, 5 :
3, from which it was probably derived.
There were three humpbacked brothers who looked very much alike. The
wife of one of them, disobeying the order of her husband, secretly
received her two brothers-in-law. When her husband returned
unexpectedly, she hid the brothers in the kitchen, in a trough used
for scalding pigs. There the two humpbacks smothered before the
wife could release them. In order to rid herself of their corpses,
she hired a body-carrier to cast one of them into the Tiber; and
when he returned for his pay, she informed him that the corpse had
come back. After the man had removed the second corpse, he met the
humpbacked husband, whom he now likewise cast into the river.
The identity of this story with ours makes a direct connection between
the two practically certain. The two stories differ in this respect,
however: the Italian has a long introduction telling of the enmity
between the hunchback brothers, and of the knavish tricks of Zambo,
the oldest, who goes out to seek his fortune, and is finally married
in Rome. All this detail is lacking in the Filipino version, as is
likewise the statement (found in Straparola) that the wife rejoiced
when she learned that she had been rid of her husband as well as of
the corpses of her brothers-in-law.
In our other story and the Pampango variant we note some divergences
from the preceding tale. Here the one married brother charitably
supports his six indigent brothers, whom the wife subsequently
murders. In the majority of the European versions the deaths are either
accidental or are contrived by the husband and wife together (e.g.,
Gesta Romanorum; and Von der Hagen, No. 62). While I am inclined
to think these two stories of ours imported, they do not appear to
be derived immediately from the same source (Straparola). However,
the facts that the seven men are brothers and are humpbacks, and that
the husband is killed by mistake, make an Occidental source for our
second story and for the Pampango variant most probable.
I know of no Oriental analogues to the story as a whole, though the
trick of getting a number of corpses buried for one appears in several
stories from Cochin-China, Siam, and the Malay Archipelago:--
(1) Landes, No. 180, which I summarize here from Cosquin (2 : 337):
In the course of some adventures more or less grotesque, four monks are
killed at one time near an inn. The old woman who keeps this hostelry,
fearful of being implicated in a murder, wishes to get rid of the
corpses. She hides three of the bodies, and has one buried by a monk
who is passing by. She pretends that the dead man is her nephew. The
monk, returning to the inn after his task, is stupefied to see the
corpse back there again. The old woman tells him not to be astonished,
for her nephew loved her so much that he could not bear to leave her;
he would have to be buried deeper. The monk carries this corpse away,
and on his return has the same experience with the third and fourth
corpses. After the last time, he meets, while crossing a bridge,
another, live monk resembling those he has interred. "Halloo!" he says,
"I have been burying you all day, and now you come back to be buried
again!" With that he pushes the fifth monk into the river.
(2) Skeat, I : 36-37, "Father Follow-My-Nose and the Four Priests:"
Father Follow-My-Nose would walk straight, would climb over a house
rather than turn aside. One day he had climbed up one side of a
Jerai-tree and was preparing to descend, when four yellow-robed
priests, lest he should fall, held a cloak for him. But he jumped
without warning, and the four cracked their heads together and
died. Old Father Follow-My-Nose travelled on till he came to the hut of
a crone. The crone went back and got the bodies of the four priests. An
opium-eater passed by; and the crone said, "Mr. Opium-Eater, if
you'll bury me this yellow-robe here, I'll give you a dollar." The
opium-eater agreed, and took the body away to bury it; but when he
came back for his money, there was a second body waiting for him. "The
fellow must have come to life again," he said; but he took the body
and buried it too. After he had buried the fourth in like manner,
it was broad daylight, and he was afraid to go collect his money.
(3) A story communicated to me by a Chinese student, Mr. Jut L. Fan
of Canton, who says that he saw the tale acted at a popular theatre
in Canton in 1913. The story I give is but the synopsis of the play:
In Canton, the capital of Kwong Tung, a mile's walk from the
marketplace, stood a prehistoric abbey, away from the busy streets,
and deep in the silent woods. In this old monastery an aged abbot
ruled over five hundred young monks; but they were far from being like
their venerable master. Men and women, rich and poor, for fear of the
dread consequences if they should incur the displeasure of the gods,
went in great numbers to worship in the ancient buildings, kneeling
in long rows before the sacred figures and incense.
These gatherings made it possible for the young monks and the young
girls to become intimately acquainted,--so intimate, that sometimes
shame and disgrace followed. One young girl who had been seduced,
on an appropriate occasion and after great consideration, persuaded
seven of the disciples who had been engaged in her ruin to enter
her house. Then she invited them into her private chamber. As if by
chance, there came a sharp rap on the locked door; so she hid her
unusual visitors in a big wardrobe. What this young lady next did
might seem unnatural; but, with the help of her servants, she poured
boiling oil into the wardrobe, and killed the miscreants.
She next hired a porter to convey one body to the river near by and
bury it. This porter was not informed as to the number of corpses he
would have to bury; but every time he came back for his pay, there was
another body for him. So one after another he dropped the bodies of
the young monks into the swift-flowing stream, wondering all the while
by what magic the lifeless body managed to return to the original spot.
Just after he had disposed of the seventh, up came the old abbot
himself, with dignified mien. "Ah! I see now how you return," said the
drudger, and he laid hold of the priest and ended his natural days. The
old abbot thus suffered the fate of his seven unworthy disciples.
TALE 34
RESPECT OLD AGE.
Narrated by José Ignacio, a Tagalog from Malabon, Rizal.
Once there lived a poor man who had to support his family, the
members of which were a hot-headed wife who predominated over the
will of her husband; a small boy of ten; and an old man of eighty,
the boy's grandfather. This old man could no longer work, because of
his feebleness. He was the cause of many quarrels between the husband
and wife, but was loved by their son.
One rainy morning the husband was forced by his wife to send his
father away. He called his son, and ordered him to carry a basket full
of food and also a blanket. He told the boy that they were to leave
the old man in a hut on their farm some distance away. The boy wept,
and protested against this harsh treatment of his grandfather, but
in vain. He then cut the blanket into two parts. When he was asked to
explain his action, he said to his father, "When you grow old, I will
leave you in a hut, and give you this half of the blanket." The man
was astonished, hurriedly recalled his order concerning his father,
and thereafter took good care of him.
The Golden Rule.
Narrated by Cipriano Seráfica, a Pangasinan from Mangaldan, Pangasinan.
A long time ago there lived in a town a couple who had a son. The
father of the husband lived with his son and daughter-in-law happily
for many years. But when he grew very old, he became very feeble. Every
time he ate at the table, he always broke a plate, because his hands
trembled so. The old man's awkwardness soon made his son angry, and
one day he made a wooden plate for his father to eat out of. The poor
old man had to eat all his food from this wooden plate.
When the grandson noticed what his father had done, he took some
tools and went down under the house. There he took a piece of board
and began to carve it. When his father saw him and said to him,
"What are you doing, son?" the boy replied to him, "Father, I am
making wooden plates for you and my mother when you are old."
As the son uttered these words, tears gushed from the father's
eyes. From that time on, the old man was always allowed to eat at
the table with the rest of the family, nor was he made to eat from
a wooden plate.
MORAL: Do unto others as you want them to do unto you.
Notes.
A Pampango variant of these stories, entitled "The Old Man, his Son,
and his Grandson," and narrated by Eutiquiano Garcia of Mexico,
Pampanga, has been printed by H. E. Fansler (p. 100). Mr. Garcia
says that he heard the story told by his father at a gathering
of a number of old story-tellers at his home during the Christmas
vacation in 1908. The tale has every appearance of having long been
naturalized in the Islands, if not of being native. It is brief,
and may be reprinted here:--
In olden times, when men lived to be two or three hundred years old,
there dwelt a very poor family near a big forest. The household had but
three members,--a grandfather, a father, and a son. The grandfather
was an old man of one hundred and twenty-five years. He was so old,
that the help of his housemates was needed to feed him. Many a time,
and especially after meals, he related to his son and his grandson his
brave deeds while serving in the king's army, the responsible positions
he filled after leaving a soldier's life; and he told entertaining
stories of hundreds of years gone by. The father was not satisfied
with the arrangement, however, and planned to get rid of the old man.
One day he said to his son, "At present I am receiving a peso daily,
but half of it is spent to feed your worthless grandfather. We do
not get any real benefit from him. To-morrow let us bind him and take
him to the woods, and leave him there to die."
"Yes, father," said the boy.
When the morning came, they bound the old man and took him to the
forest. On their way back home the boy said to his father, "Wait! I
will go back and get the rope."--"What for?" asked his father, raising
his voice. "To have it ready when your turn comes," replied the boy,
believing that to cast every old man into the forest was the usual
custom. "Ah! if that is likely to be the case with me, back we go
and get your grandfather again."
This exemplum is known in many countries and in many forms. For
the bibliography, see Clouston, "Popular Tales and Fictions,"
2 : 372-378; T. F. Crane, "Exempla of Jacques de Vitry" (FLS,
1890 : No. 288 and p. 260); Bolte-Polívka (on Grimm, No. 78), 2 :
135-140. The most complete of these studies is the last, in which are
cited German, Latin, Dutch, English, French, Spanish, Greek, Croatian,
Albanian, Bulgarian, Polish, Russian, Lettish, Turkish, and Indian
versions. Full as Bolte-Polívka's list is, however, an old important
Buddhistic variant has been overlooked by them,--the "Takkala-jataka,"
No. 446. This Indian form of the story, it seems to me, has some close
resemblances to our Pampango variant; and I give it here briefly,
summarizing from Mr. Rouse's excellent English translation:--
In a certain village of Kasi there lived a man who supported his old
father. The father regretted seeing his son toil so hard for him, and
against the son's will sent for a woman to be his daughter-in-law. Soon
the son began to be pleased with his new wife, who took good care of
his father. As time went on, however, she became tired of the old man,
and planned to set his son against him. She accused her father-in-law
of being not only very untidy, but also fierce and violent, and
forever picking quarrels with her, and at last, by constant dinning
her complaints in his ear, persuaded her husband to agree to take
the old man into a cemetery, kill him, and bury him in a pit. Her
small son, a wise lad of seven, overheard the plot, and decided to
prevent his father from committing murder. The next day he insisted
on accompanying his father and grandfather. When they reached the
cemetery, and the father began to dig the pit, the small boy asked
what it was for. The father replied,--
"Thy grandsire, son, is very weak and old,
Opprest by pain and ailments manifold;
Him will I bury in a pit to-day;
In such a life I could not wish him stay."
The boy caught the spade from his father's hands, and at no great
distance began to dig another pit. His father asked why he dug that
pit; and he answered,--
"I too, when thou art aged, father mine,
Will treat my father as thou treatest thine;
Following the custom of the family,
Deep in a pit I too will bury thee."
By repeating a few more stanzas the son convinced his father that
he was about to commit a great crime. The father, penitent, seated
himself in the cart with his son and the old man, and they returned
home. There the husband gave the wicked wife a sound drubbing, bundled
her heels over head out of the house, and bade her never darken his
doors again. [The rest of the story, which has no connection with
ours, tells how the little son by a trick made his mother repent and
become a good woman, and brought about a reconciliation between her
and his father.]
The chief difference between our Pampango variant and the "Jataka,"
it will be seen, is in the prominent rôle played by the wife in
the latter. She is lacking altogether in the Filipino story. The
resemblances are strong, on the other hand. The father plans to kill
the grandfather,--a turn seldom found in the Occidental versions,--and,
accompanied by his son, he goes out to the forest (in the Indian,
cemetery) to despatch the old man. The small boy's thinking (or
pretending to think) it a family custom to put old men out of the
way is found in both stories. Our Pampango variant appears to me to
represent a form even older than the "Jataka," but at the same time
a form that is historically connected with that Indian tale.
Of our two main stories,--"Respect Old Age" and "The Golden Rule,"--the
second is very likely derived from Europe. Compare it, for instance,
with Grimm, No. 78. The "machinery" of the wooden plates establishes
the relationship, I believe. This form of the story, however, is not
unlike an Oriental Märchen cited by Clouston (op. cit., 2 : 377). It
is from a Canarese collection of tales called the "Kathá Manjarí,"
and runs thus:--
A rich man used to feed his father with congi from an old broken
dish. His son saw this, and hid the dish. Afterwards the rich man,
having asked his father where it was, beat him [because he could not
tell]. The boy exclaimed, "Don't beat grandfather! I hid the dish,
because, when I become a man, I may be unable to buy another one for
you." When the rich man heard this, he was ashamed, and afterwards
treated his father kindly.
The Pangasinanes may have got this story of "The Golden Rule" through
the Church, from some priest's sermon.
Our first example, "Respect Old Age," is the only one of the three
which turns on the "housse partie" idea. This is the form found
in the thirteenth-century French fabliau "La Housse Partie;" and a
variant of it is given by Ortensio Lando, an Italian novelist of the
sixteenth century (Dunlop, 2 : 206). The only Spanish example I know
of is found in the fourteenth-century "El Libro de los Enxemplos"
(printed in Bibliotéca de Autores Españoles, vol. 51 [Madrid, 1884]),
No. CCLXXII. It runs in the original as follows:--
Patri qualis fueris, tibi filius talis erit.
Cual fueres á tu padre que trabajó por tí,
El fijo que engendrares tal será á tí.
Cuentan que un viejo dió á un fijo que lo sirvió mucho bien todos
sus bienes; mas despues que gelos hobo dado, echólo de la cámara onde
dormia é tomóla para él é para su mujer, é fizo facer á su padre el
lecho tras la puerta. É de que vino el invierno el viejo habia frio,
ca el fijo le habia tornado la buena ropa con que se cobria, é rogó
á un su nieto, fijo de su fijo, que rogase á su padre que le diese
alguna ropa para se cobrir; é el mozo apenas pudo alcanzar de su padre
dos varas de sayal para su abuelo, é quedábanle al fijo otros dos. É
el mozo llorando rogó al padre que le diese las otros dos, é tanto
lloró, que gelas hobo de dar, é demandóle que para qué las queria,
é respondióle: "Quiérolas guardar fasta que tú seas tal commo es
agora tu padre, é estonce non te daré mas, así commo tú non quieres
dar á tu padre."
Finally may be given another Indian story, No. 16 in the
"Antarakathasamgraha" of Rajasekhara (Bolte-Polívka, 2 : 139),
which connects the "divided-blanket" motif with the old "Jataka."
Rajasekhara flourished about A.D. 900. This story runs thus:--
In Haripura lived a merchant named Sankha, who had four sons. When
he became old, he handed over his business and all his wealth to
them. But they would no longer obey him; their wives mistreated him;
and the old man crept into a corner of the house, wasted by hunger
and oppressed with years. Once in the cold time of the year he asked
his oldest son, Kumuda, for a cloth to protect him from the night
frost. Kumuda spoke this verse:--
"For an old man whose wife is dead, who is dependent on his sons for
money, who is cut by the words of his step-daughters, death is better
than life."
But at the same time he said to his son Kuntala, "Give him that
curtain there!" Kuntala, however, gave the old man only half of the
small curtain. When the old man showed the piece to Kumuda, Kumuda
angrily asked his son why he had not given his grandfather the whole
curtain. Respectfully placing his hands together, Kuntala replied,
"Father, when old age also overtakes you, there will be ready for
you the half-curtain which corresponds to the one here." Then Kumuda
was shamed; and he said, "Son, we have been instructed by you; you
have become a support for us whose senses have been stupefied by the
delirium of power and wealth." And from that time on he began to show
his father love, and so did the whole family.
In conclusion, and by way of additional illustrative material, I give
in full another brief Tagalog moral tale which seems to be distantly
related to our stories. It was collected by Felix Guzman, a Tagalog
from Gapan, Nueva Ecija, who got it from his uncle. It is entitled
"Juan and his Father."
Five hundred years ago there lived in Pagao an old man, and his son
named Juan. The latter had a wife. As Juan's father was very weak on
account of old age, and could not do any work in the house, Juana,
his daughter-in-law, became discontented. One day the old man became
sick. He moaned day and night so constantly, that Juana could get no
sleep at all. So she said to her husband, "If you do not drive your
father away from the house immediately, I shall go away myself. I
cannot sleep, because he is always moaning." Juan then drove his poor
father away for the sake of his wife.
The poor old man went begging about the neighborhood. After a long
walk, he found at last a cave where he could live. After he had
recovered his health, he found in the cave a bag of ashes. He further
discovered, that, whenever he took some of the ashes and exposed them
to the light, they became money. Now the old man went back to his son
with the magic bag. On his arrival, he was welcomed, for the couple
saw that he was carrying a bag that might contain something useful
for them.
The old man next gave his son a certain sum of money, and said, "Juan,
with this you may find another wife." So Juan gladly took the money
and went and bought him another wife. When he returned, the old man
gave his son some more money, and said, "Go over there, Juan, and
buy an old man in that house to serve us as our servant." When Juan
reached the house where the other old man was, he said, "I want to
buy your father, the old man." Juan had scarcely got the sentence out
of his mouth when the son of the old man fell on him with a whip and
drove him away. Juan went running to his father, and said, "Father,
I only said that I wanted to buy their father, but they began to whip
me. Why did they do that?"
"You see," said the old man, "you can buy a wife with money, but not
a single father can you buy."
Compare this last story with No. 31.
TALE 35
COCHINANGO.
Narrated by Felix Y. Velasco, who heard the story from his grandmother,
a native of Laoag, Ilocos Norte.
Once upon a time there lived in a small village on the border of a
powerful kingdom a poor farmer, who had a son. This son was called a
fool by many; but a palmer predicted that Cochinango would some day
dine with the king, kiss the princess, marry her, and finally would
himself be king.
Cochinango wondered how he could ever marry the princess and himself
be king, for he was very poor. One day he heard that the king had
summoned all those who would like to attempt to answer the questions
of the princess. It was announced that the person who could answer
them all without fall should marry her. Cochinango thought that the
time had now come for him to try his fortune, so he mounted his ass
and rode towards the king's palace.
On his way Cochinango had to pass through a wide forest. Just at the
edge of the wood he met a weary traveller. Cochinango had forgotten
to bring buyo with him, so he asked the traveller for some. The
traveller said, "I have with me a magic buyo that will answer any
question you put to it. If you give me some food, I will give you my
buyo." Cochinango willingly exchanged a part of his provisions for
it. Then he rode on.
He came to a stream, where he met an old man leaning on his
cane. Seeing that the old man wanted to get on the other side, but was
too weak to swim, Cochinango offered to carry him across. In return
for his kindness, the old man gave him his cane. "You are very kind,
young man," said he. "Take this cane, which will furnish you with
food at any time." Cochinango thanked the old man, took the cane,
and rode on. It is to be known that this old man was the same one
who had given him the magic buyo. It was God himself, who had come
down on earth to test Cochinango and to reward him for his kindness.
Cochinango had not ridden far when he met a wretched old woman. Out
of pity he gave her a centavo, and in return she gave him an empty
purse from which he could ask any sum of money he wanted. Cochinango
rode on, delighted with his good fortune, when he met God again, this
time in the form of a jolly young fellow with a small guitar. He asked
Cochinango to exchange his ass for the guitar. At first Cochinango
hesitated; but, when he was told that he could make anybody dance by
plucking its strings, he readily agreed to exchange.
Cochinango now had to proceed on foot, and it took him two days
to reach the gates of the palace. Luckily he arrived on the very
day of the guessing-contest. In spite of his mean dress, he was
admitted. The princess was much astonished at Cochinango's appearance,
and disgusted by his boldness; but she was even more chagrined when he
rightly answered her first question. Yet she denied that his answer
was correct. She asked him two more questions, the most difficult
that she could think of; but Cochinango, with the help of his magic
buyo, answered both. The princess, however, could not admit that his
answers were right. She shrunk from the idea of being married to a
poor, foolish, lowly-born man. So she asked her father the king to
imprison the insolent peasant, which was instantly done.
In the prison Cochinango found many nobles who, like himself, were
victims of the guessing-match. Night came, and they were not given any
food. The princess wanted to starve them to death. Cochinango told them
not to worry; he struck a table with his cane, and instantly choice
food appeared. When this was reported to the princess by the guards,
she went to the prison and begged Cochinango to give her the cane;
but he would not give it up unless she allowed him to kiss her. At
last she consented, and went away with the cane, thinking that this
was the only way by which she could starve her prisoners. The next
day Cochinango asked for a large sum of money from his magic purse. He
distributed it among his companions and among the guards, and they had
no difficulty in getting food. Again the princess went to the prison,
and asked Cochinango for the purse; but he would give it up only on
condition that he be allowed to dine with the king. Accordingly he was
taken to the king's table, where he ate with the king and the princess;
but he was put in prison again as soon as the dinner was over.
At last Cochinango began to be tired of prison life, so he took up his
wonderful guitar and began to play it. No sooner had he touched the
strings than his fellow-prisoners and the guards began to dance. As he
played his guitar louder and louder, the inmates of the palace heard
it, and they too began to dance. He kept on playing throughout the
night; and the king, princess, and all got no rest whatsoever. By
morning most of them were tired to death. At last the king ordered
the guards to open the prison doors and let the prisoners go free;
but Cochinango would not stop playing until the king consented to
give him the princess in marriage. The princess also at last had to
agree to accept Cochinango as her husband, so he stopped playing. The
next day they were married with great pomp and ceremony.
Thus the poor, foolish boy was married to a princess. More than once
he saved the kingdom from the raiding Moros by playing his guitar;
for all his enemies were obliged to dance when they heard the music,
and thus they were easily captured or killed. When the king died,
Cochinango became his successor, and he and the princess ruled happily
for many years.
Notes.
I know of no parallel to this story as a whole; the separate incidents
found in it, however, are widespread.
The first part of the story--the prophecy concerning the hero recalls
the opening of many Märchen; but our narrative is so condensed,
that it is impossible to say just what material was drawn on to
furnish this section. The riddle-contest for the hand of a princess
forms a separate cycle, to which we have already referred (notes to
No. 25); but the turn the motive takes here is altogether different
from the norm. Our hero, provided with his magic buyo, has really
won the wager before the contest is begun. As for the magic objects,
the last three--cane, purse, guitar--we have met with before, with
properties either identical with or analogous to those attributed in
this story. The method of the hero's acquiring them, too, is not new
(cf. No. 27). The magic buyo, however, is unusual: it is very likely
native Ilocano belief, or else a detail borrowed from the Ilocanos'
near neighbors, the Tinguian (see Cole, 18-19, Introduction, for
betel-nuts with magic powers). In No. 25, it will be recalled, the
hero's magic ring furnishes the answer to the king's question, just
as the buyo does in this tale. Indeed, there may be some association
of idea between a buyo and a ring suggested here. The last part of
the story--the imprisonment of the hero, and his success in thwarting
the evil designs of the obstinate princess--is reminiscent of various
cycles of tales, but I know of no exact analogue.
With the general outline of the story of "Cochinango" might be compared
a Tagalog tale,--"The Shepherd who became King" (H. E. Fansler, 78
ff.), though the resemblances between the two are only vague. The
Tagalog story, it might be noted in passing, is connected with
the second half of Grimm, No. 17, and with Grimm, No. 165. For the
"sack full of words" in the Tagalog tale, see Rittershaus, 419-421
(No. CXVIII, and notes).
The reference at the end to raiding Moros appears to be a remnant of
very old native tradition.
TALE 36
PEDRO AND THE WITCH.
Narrated by Santiago Dumlao of San Narciso, Zambales.
Pedro was the son of a poor man. He lived with his father and mother by
the seashore. Early one morning his parents went to look for food,
leaving him alone in the house. He staid there all day waiting
for them to return. Evening came, but his father and mother did not
appear; some misfortune had overtaken them. Pedro felt very hungry,
but he could find no food in the house. In the middle of the night he
heard some one tapping at the door. Thinking that it was his mother,
he arose and went to meet her. When he opened the door, however,
he saw that it was not his mother who had rapped, but Boroka, [90]
whom children are very much afraid of. Now, Boroka was a witch. She
had wings like a bird, four feet like a horse, but a head like that
of a woman. She devoured boys and girls, and was especially fond of
their liver. As soon as Pedro opened the door, she seized him and
carried him off to her home in the mountains.
Pedro was not afraid of the witch; he was obedient to her, and soon
she made him her housekeeper. Whenever she went out at night to look
for food, he was sure to have flesh and liver for breakfast the next
day. Whenever the witch was away, Pedro used to amuse himself riding
on the back of a horse that would often come to see him. It taught
him how to ride well, and the two became great friends.
One day when children began to get scarce, and Boroka was unable to
find any to eat, she made up her mind to kill Pedro. She left the house
and went to invite the other witches, so that they might have a great
feast. While she was gone, the horse came and told Pedro of his danger,
and advised him what to do. It gave him two handkerchiefs,--one red
and the other white. Then Pedro jumped on the horse's back, and the
horse ran away as fast as it could. Not long afterward he noticed
that the witches were pursuing them. When they came nearer, Pedro
dropped the red handkerchief, which was immediately changed into a
large fire. The wings of the witches were all burnt off. However,
the witches tried to pursue the horse on foot, for they could run
very fast. When they were almost upon him again, Pedro dropped the
white handkerchief, which became a wide sea through which the witches
could not pass. Pedro was now safe, and he thanked the horse for its
great help.
Notes.
While this story is not much more than a fragment, I have given it
because of its interesting connections. The chief elements appear
to be three: (1) the kidnapping of the hero by a cannibal witch,
(2) the friendly horse, (3) the transformation-flight and the escape
of the hero. Clearly much is missing. What becomes of the hero is
not stated, except that he escapes from the witches. The story is
in the form rather of a fairy-tale than of a Märchen proper, since
it deals primarily with an ogress fond of the flesh of children. On
its surface it might be mistaken for a native demon-story told as
an exemplum to children not to answer strange knocks at the door
at night. But a glance below the surface reveals the fact that
the details of the story must have been imported, as they are not
indigenous,--Boroka, horse, transformation-flight; and a little search
for possible sources reveals the fact that this tale represents the
detritus of a literary tradition from Europe. To demonstrate, I will
cite a Pampangan metrical romance and a Tagalog romance, the former
probably the parent of our folk-tale. These two romances, in turn,
will be shown to be a borrowing from the Occident.
The Pampangan romance is a long story in 954 quatrains of 12-syllable
lines, and is entitled "Story of the Life of King Don Octavio and
Queen Teodora, together with that of their son Don Fernando, in
the Kingdom of Spain [no date]." The inside of the cover bears the
statement that the work is the property of Doña Modesta Lanuza. Señora
Lanuza was doubtless the redactor of this version; her name appears on
other corridos (see JAFL 29 : 213). Although a consideration of this
literary form takes us somewhat out of the realm of popular stories,
strictly speaking, we may give as our excuse for summarizing it the
fact that the related Tagalog romance, "Juan Tiñoso," is one of the
most widely-known stories in the Islands, and is told as a folk-tale in
many of the provinces where no printed translations of it exist. The
story of "Don Octavio"--or "Pugut Negro," as it is popularly known
among the Pampangans--runs as follows:--
In Spain there lived a king whose queen, in the ninth month of
pregnancy, longed greatly for some pau (a species of mango). As it
was the custom then to procure any kind of fruit a pregnant woman
might desire to eat, the whole kingdom was stirred up in search of
some pau, but in vain. At last a general and a company of soldiers
who had been sent out to scour the kingdom found a pau-tree in the
mountain of Silva; but the owner, a giant, Legaspe by name, would not
give up any of the fruit except to the king himself. When the king
was informed of this, he went to the giant, and was obliged to agree
that the giant should be the godfather of the expected child. Then
he was given the fruit.
Not long after this event the queen gave birth to a son. While the baby
was being carried to the church to be baptized, the giant appeared
and claimed his right. After the baptism, the giant snatched the boy
from the nurse's hands and carried him off to his cave. He found an
old woman to take care of the infant, which grew to be a fine youth.
Now, this giant fed on human flesh. One day, when the boy was about
fifteen, the giant gave this horrible command to the old woman: "If
I fail to catch any human beings for dinner to-day, you will have to
cook my godchild, for I am intolerably hungry." No sooner had the giant
disappeared than the old woman woke up the youth, and said to him,
"My master wants me to cook you for his dinner, but I cannot do such
a thing. I will save you. Yonder you see a horse. Fetch it to me,
so that we can depart at once." The boy got the horse, and he and
the old woman mounted it and rode off as fast as they could.
They had not gone very far, however, when they heard the giant roaring
after them. The old woman immediately dropped her comb to the ground,
and it became a big mountain. Thus they gained some time; but the giant
was soon after them again. The old woman dropped her pin, which became
a dense underbrush of thorns; but the giant got through this too. Now
the old woman poured out the contents of a small bottle, and all at
once there was a large sea, in which the giant was drowned. By this
time the two companions were a great distance from Spain. Then the old
woman said to the young prince, "Take this whip. On your way home you
will see a dead Negro. Flay him, and put on his skin so that you will
be disguised. Cultivate humility, be kind to others, and look to the
whip in time of need." Having given these directions, the old woman,
who was none other than the Virgin Mary in disguise, disappeared.
Pugut-Negru ("disguised Negro") went on his way, and soon found
the dead Negro. When he had flayed him and put on the black skin,
he mounted his horse and rode facing its tail. When he reached the
capital of Albania, he was greatly ridiculed by every one. However,
he went to the king and applied for work. The king said that he might
take care of his sheep which were in a certain meadow. When he had been
conducted to the meadow where the sheep were, he saw the bones of many
men. It was said that every shepherd in that place had been killed by
"spirits" (multos). That night the spirits threw bones at Pugut-Negru;
but he chastised them with his whip, and was left in peace.
This Negro disguise of Prince Fernando, however, was only for
Albania. Leaving Albania for a time, he went in his princely garments
to visit his parents. He found them in the power of the Moors, who had
conquered the kingdom of Spain. With his whip he drove all the Moors
out of the country, and freed his family. Later he went to Navarre,
and won a tournament and the hand of the princess. Instead of marrying
her, however,--for he had already fallen in love with the youngest
daughter of the King of Albania,--he went back and resumed his old
work as shepherd, disguised as a Negro.
Some time afterwards it was proclaimed that whoever could cure the
king's illness would be amply rewarded. The king had an eye-disease,
but none of the learned doctors could help him. Finally it was said
that Pugut-Negru knew how to cure eye-diseases, and so the king
summoned him. "If you can cure my disease," said the afflicted king,
"I will marry one of my daughters to you. If you cannot, you shall be
hung."--"I'll do my best, your Majesty," said Pugut-Negru humbly. Then
he gathered certain herbs, and applied them to the king's eyes. The
king soon got well, and asked his three daughters which of them wanted
to marry his savior. "I won't!" said the eldest. "Neither will I,"
rejoined the second. But the youngest and prettiest one said, "I am
at your disposal, father." So Pugut-Negru took the youngest for his
wife. After the ceremony he went back to his sheep, but he did not
live with his wife; he left her at the palace.
It was not many months after the king had been cured when the queen
fell ill. As before, it was proclaimed that any one who could cure her
would receive one of her daughters in marriage. Two princes presented
themselves, and promised to get the lion's milk that was needed to
make the queen well. After they had started on their search, they
came to the dwelling of Pugut-Negru, whom they forced to accompany
them. Pugut-Negru pretended to be lame, and so he could not keep
up with them. As he was so slow, they mercilessly threw him into a
bush of thorns and left him there. But he said to his magical whip,
"Build me at once, along the road in which the two princes will pass,
a splendid palace; and let lions, leopards, and other animals be about
it." No sooner was the order given than the palace was built, and
Pugut-Negru was in it, attired like a king. When the two princes came
up, they said to him, "May we have some of your lion's milk?"--"Yes,
on one condition I will give you the milk: you must let me brand
you with my name." Although this condition was very bitter to them,
they agreed. Then they hastened back to present the milk to the queen,
who at once married them to her two older daughters. Pugut-Negru went
back to his old life as shepherd.
Not long after this event the Moors declared war on the Christians. The
king's country was invaded, and the Christians were about to
be disastrously defeated, when a strange knight with a magic
whip (Pugut-Negru) appeared on the field and put the Saracens to
flight. This knight wounded himself in his left arm so that he might
receive the attention of the princess. The king's youngest daughter
(Pugut-Negru's own wife) dressed his wound without recognizing her
husband. After the battle was over, the knight said to the king,
"Do you know where my brother Pugut-Negru lives?" But the king was
ashamed at the way he had treated Pugut-Negru, so he denied all
knowledge of him. Although the king pressed the strange knight to
come to the palace, he refused. He hastened back to his sheep, and
donned his disguise once more.
One day the youngest princess, the wife of Don Fernando, went
stealthily to the hut of Pugut-Negru. She found him undisguised,
and at once recognized her handkerchief with which she had tied
the strange knight's wound. She embraced her husband with joy, and
hastened back to the palace to tell the king of her discovery. The
king immediately despatched his prime-minister to the hut in the
fields, and Don Fernando was brought back in state. When he had
been welcomed to the palace, he told all about his treatment by the
two cruel princes, who he said were his slaves. When the king was
convinced of their imposture,--they said they had got the lion's milk
by their own bravery,--he drove them and their heartless wives from
his kingdom. After many other adventures, in which he was always
successful, Don Fernando took his wife Maria to Spain, where they
lived with his father, King Octavio.
While it is not absolutely certain that our folk-tale of "Pedro and
the Witch" was derived from the first part of this romance, I think
it most likely. The problem here is the same as that we have met with
in the notes to Nos. 13, 16, and 21: Which are earlier,--the more
elaborate literary forms, or the simpler popular forms? Obviously no
general rule can be made that will hold: each particular case must be
examined. In the present instance, as I have shown at the beginning
of the note, the evidence seems to point to the folk-tale as being
the derivative, not necessarily of this particular form of the story,
but at any rate of the source of the romance.
The romance of "Prince Don Juan Tiñoso, Son of King Artos and
Queen Blanca of the Kingdom of Valencia, and the Four Princesses,
the Daughters of Don Diego of Hungary," which we have spoken of
above as a Tagalog romance, has been printed also in the Pampangan,
Visayan, Ilocano, Bicol, and Pangasinan dialects. As to the date of
the Tagalog version, Retana mentions an edition between 1860 and 1898
(No. 4176). This romance is not directly connected with our folk-tale,
it will be seen, but is related closely (in the second half, at least)
with "Pugut-Negru." Briefly the life of Juan Tiñoso runs thus:--
King Artos and Queen Blanca of Valencia had one son, Don Juan
Tiñoso,--handsome, brave, strong, kind. One day, while passing the
prison, Don Juan heard sounds of great lamentation. On being admitted,
he saw the giant Mauleon, a captive of his father's. Moved by the
giant's entreaties, Juan freed him; and the monster, grateful in
return, gave him a magic handkerchief that would furnish him with
everything he wanted, and would, if displayed, subdue all wild
animals. Then the giant departed. King Artos, extremely wroth
with his son for freeing one of his captives, drove Juan out of
his kingdom. Juan went to the mountains, and there became king of
the animals.
One night Juan dreamed of the beautiful Flocerpida, the youngest and
most beautiful of the four daughters of Diego, King of Hungary. But,
determined to do penance for the liberty he had taken in freeing
Mauleon, Juan asked his magic handkerchief for the disguise of an
old leper, which he vowed he would wear for seven years. He went to
Hungary and entered the service of King Diego as a gardener. The
princess Flocerpida was very compassionate toward the old leper,
and Juan's love grew stronger. One night, when Juan was bathing,
Flocerpida saw him without his disguise, and immediately fell in love
with him. One day King Diego summoned all the knights of his kingdom,
so that his daughters might choose husbands. The three older princesses
threw their golden granadas, which were caught by men of rank; but
Flocerpida refused to throw hers. Angry, the king next day ordered
all his subjects to be present, and required his daughter to throw
her golden apple. She threw it to the old leprous gardener, and the
two were married; but the king drove his daughter from the palace.
Soon King Diego grew sick. The doctors prescribed lion's milk, and the
three noble sons-in-law set out to get it. They forced the gardener,
their brother-in-law, to go with them, reviling him all the way;
but, as he was on foot, they soon left him behind. By means of his
magic handkerchief, Juan procured a prince's armor and mount, and,
riding fast, he anticipated his brothers-in-law at the cave of the
lioness. They soon came up and asked for milk. Juan, king of the
animals, would give it to them only on condition that they allowed
themselves to be branded on the back with an inscription saying that
they were the servants of Don Juan Tiñoso. They agreed, and received
the milk. On the return Don Juan again outstripped them, resumed his
old disguise, and was reviled by the brothers when they came up. King
Diego drank the milk and recovered his health.
Later King Diego received an embassy from the Moors saying that
they were coming to fight him. He appointed his three sons-in-law
generals. While they were at the war, Juan Tiñoso summoned three
giants, and told them to go fight the Moors too, to get the Moorish
flag, and to exchange it with the generals for their three golden
granadas. On the return of the Christian army, a big fiesta was
prepared to honor the successful princes. King Artos and Queen Blanca
of Valencia were invited. On the first day some of the guests asked
about Flocerpida, and the king gave orders that she should appear
on the morrow in an old beggar's gown that he was sending her;
but Juan Tiñoso supplied her with beautiful clothes and a coach,
and he himself was dressed as a prince. They went to the fiesta,
where, in the presence of the king, he demanded his three servants,
pointing to his three brothers-in-law. They were made to undress,
and the brands on their backs became clear. Then Juan Tiñoso told his
story: he said that it was he who obtained the lion's milk, who won
against the Moors, (and showed the golden granadas exchanged for the
enemy's standard.) King Diego and King Artos were then reconciled to
him and Flocerpida, and the other three princes and their wives were
driven out of Hungary.
Next to "Doce Pares" and "Bernardo Carpio," this romance is the most
popular of the metrical romances circulating in the Philippines. It
is read, told as a folk-tale, and acted as a moro-moro (see JAFL 29 :
205 [note], 206). It belongs to the same cycle of stories as Grimm,
No. 136, "Iron John," which has many members. (For bibliography,
see Köhler-Bolte, 330-334; Cosquin, I : 138-154.) These members
vary greatly, and some of them (e.g., Cosquin, No. XII) establish
definitely the connection between the "Pugut-Negru" type--kidnapping
of hero, friendly horse, transformation-flight, disguise of hero,
etc.--and the "Juan Tiñoso" type, although it will be seen that our
second romance lacks the first three incidents mentioned.
This whole family of stories is one well worth studying in
detail. Unfortunately the war has held up the appearance of
Bolte-Polívka's "Anmerkungen," Volume III, which is to contain
the notes to the Grimm story; but, with the references furnished by
Köhler-Bolte and Cosquin, a good beginning towards such a study might
be made. Compare also Rittershaus, No. XXlV and notes; Von Hahn,
No. 6 and notes; Macculloch, 173.
It might be added as an item of some interest that "Juan Tiñoso"
is written as a sequel to another story of widespread popularity,
"The Story of Prince Oliveros and Princess Armenia in the Kingdom of
England, and that of Prince Artos and Princess Blanca, who were the
Father and Mother of Don Juan Tiñoso in the Kingdom of Valencia." This
tale of Oliveros and Artos is directly derived from a Spanish romance
of chivalry, and is one form of the "Grateful Dead" type (see Gerould,
"The Grateful Dead," FLS 1907).
TALE 37
THE WOMAN AND HER COLES PLANT.
Narrated by José Hilario of Batangas, who says that the tale is common
among the Tagalogs, especially among the people living in the city
of Batangas.
One summer afternoon I saw several men talking to one another. They
seemed to be lively and enjoying themselves, for they had finished
their work for the day. I went towards them; and, upon coming within
earshot, I found out that they were telling tales to one another. The
following was one of the stories I heard that afternoon:--
Once there lived a very poor woman. She lived practically by begging,
but sometimes she got money with which to buy rice by selling small
vegetables in the market. She had a little garden, and one day planted
some seeds. Out of one of these seeds there grew up a plant which we
call coles. [91] This plant grew very fast, and in a few months it
reached the sky.
Out of curiosity, one day the woman began to climb the plant. When she
was assured that it was strong, she kept on climbing, and did not stop
until she reached the sky. There she called to St. Peter, and asked
him to give her a magic wand from which she could ask anything she
wished. St. Peter gave her what she asked for, but told her not to
disturb him again. Then she descended, and went down so quickly that
she almost hurt herself. When she reached her little hut, she at once
asked the wand for food. Immediately there appeared a table on which
was the best food in the world. When she had finished eating, she
commanded the table to disappear, and it disappeared instantly. Now
she became very proud on account of her wonderful possession. She
did not recognize her friends any more.
One day an archbishop arrived in the town in which she was living,
and all the bells were rung in his honor. She then became very angry,
and wondered why the bells were not rung for her whenever she passed
in front of the church. So she went to the tower where the bells were,
and commanded them to toll for her. They began to ring, but she was
struck on the head and was knocked senseless. When she recovered,
she hastened home, and began to climb the plant to ask St. Peter for
another gift; but, before she had covered one-half the distance to
the sky, the plant broke, and she was killed by her fall. Thus she
was punished for her vanity.
Notes.
This story is a sort of exemplum of the sin of pride and avarice. In
this respect it is connected in idea with Grimm's story of "The
Fisherman and his Wife" (No. 19). In its method and machinery, again,
it belongs to the "Jack and the Beanstalk" cycle, the main feature of
which is a magic plant which grows rapidly until it reaches the sky
and enables its owner to climb to the upper regions and secure magic
articles. Macculloch devotes a whole chapter (XVI) to the discussion
of this cycle, and cites many folk-tales turning on the incident
of the magic plant reaching from earth to heaven (see especially
pp. 434-435). Brief, and lacking in detail though our story is, it is
nevertheless interesting as a combination of incidents from the two
cycles just mentioned; and in its combination it shows, I believe,
that it has been derived from some southern European Märchen,--such a
one, perhaps, as the following from Normandy (given in Köhler-Bolte,
102-103), the story of poor Misère and his ever-dissatisfied wife:--
Misère meets Christ and St. Peter, and begs from them. Christ gives him
a bean, and tells him to be satisfied with it. Misère goes home with
his gift, and sticks the bean in the hearth inside his hut. Straightway
a plant grows out of the bean, and rapidly pushes its way up through
the chimney. The next day its top is entirely out of sight. The wife
now orders Misère to find out if there are any beans on it ready
to be picked. He climbs up the plant, and, since he finds no pods,
continues higher and higher, until he finds himself before a large
golden house. This house is Paradise. St. Peter opens the door for
him, and in answer to his request promises him that he will find at
home food and drink. The next day Misère's wife gives her husband no
rest until he again climbs up to Paradise and asks St. Peter for a
new house. Some days later Misère is again forced to visit St. Peter
and ask him to make him and his wife king and queen. The saint fulfils
this wish likewise, but warns Misère against coming any more. In brief,
however, Misère's wife is still unsatisfied, and even wishes to become
the Holy Virgin and her husband to be made God himself. When Misère,
with this request, comes again to Paradise, St. Peter angrily sends
him away; and the poor man finds on earth his old hut and everything
else just as it was in the first place.
Köhler (ibid., p. 103) says that probably the heaven-reaching plant
did not originally belong to this story of the poor man's proud wife,
and that it was probably taken over from the English folk-tale of
"Jack and the Beanstalk." Bolte and Polívka, in their notes to Grimm,
No. 19 (1 : 147), observe: "It can easily be seen that these stories
(i.e., the variants of the 'Fisherman and his Wife') fall into two
groups. In the one, which is particularly widespread among the Germanic
and Slavic peoples, but is also found in France and Spain, a captive
goblin in the form of a fish grants his captor three or more wishes;
among the French and Italians, on the other hand, it is usually God
or the door-keeper of heaven who grants the same wishes to a poor
man who reaches Paradise by means of a bean-stalk. This beanstalk
here may have originated from the story of 'Jack and the Beanstalk'
or from the 'lying-story,' Grimm No. 112." In a French folk-tale
given by Carnoy (Romania, 8 : 250), "La Tige de Fève," the husband
plants a bean which he has received from a beggar, and climbs up the
stalk to heaven. When he asks for his last wish, he plunges down to
earth. This story, it will be seen, resembles ours in its tragic
conclusion, although the protagonist, as in the Normandy version,
is a man instead of a woman. The fact that in our story no husband is
mentioned counts for little, as practically all the exempla of this
type are directed against woman's vanity; and the woman's case in our
story illustrates the punishment for that vanity, or pride. There
appears to be recorded no Spanish story containing the insatiable
wife and the heaven-reaching plant. It seems reasonable to conclude,
therefore, that our folk-tale was derived from the French or Italian,
and probably through the medium of the clergy.
TALE 38
A NEGRITO SLAVE.
Narrated by Jesus de la Rama, a Visayan from Valladolid, Negros
Occidental.
Once upon a time there were three princes who owned a Negrito
slave. Although he was called a slave, he was not really one: he was
only nominally a slave; for the princes, especially the youngest, whom
he loved most, treated him kindly. One striking characteristic of this
Negrito was that his grinning was like that of a monkey; and he often
grinned, and grinned without cause. He would often follow his young
master when he went out for a walk; and he had a suit similar to the
prince's, so that, when they were out on the street, they looked very
much alike. The only difference between them was that he was black,
and the prince was white. Yet he owned a ring, a charm which had been
given him by a woman for saving her from the hands of a robber. This
ring gave him power to call for anything he wanted; and this was the
reason, doubtless, why he was treated with kindness by his masters.
In a neighboring land there was a king who had a beautiful
daughter. This princess wanted to marry. She was so desirous
of having a companion, that she could not sleep day or night,
meditating on how she could have a husband that would suit both
herself and her father. At last, won over by her many entreaties,
the king proclaimed to all the world that his daughter would marry
any one who had a handsome appearance, and who could answer his three
difficult questions. Those who came to the court and were unable to
answer the questions of the king were to lose their lives.
The three princes were all handsome. The two elder brothers tried
to answer the king's questions, but lost their lives. The youngest
remained, and, although he wanted to try, he was sure that he would
fail too. The Negrito determined to help him. By means of his ring he
was able to make his skin white. He also got a mask that was exactly
like the face of his young master. Then he dressed himself to resemble
the prince, and went to the court of the king. The king said to him,
"Will you have your head cut off, too?" He answered, "Yes, if I cannot
answer your questions; but let us see!"
"All right," said the king. Then he asked, "Who owns this kingdom?"
The prince answered, "God owns this kingdom." The king was surprised
at his bold reply. However, he could not say that it was not God's,
for that would be untrue: therefore he could not compel the prince
to answer that it was his, the king's. The next question was this:
"How much am I worth?"
The prince answered, "You are not worth more than thirty pieces of
silver." The king was furious when he heard this, and said that,
if the prince could not give a good reason for his insulting words,
he would be put to death instantly.
"Yes, yes!" said the Negrito. "Our Saviour was sold for that much:
therefore you, who are inferior to the Saviour, cannot be worth more
than he was sold for." The people at the court were astounded by
this bold answer; and they murmured to one another, "The prince is
wise. He is wise, indeed!"
"Well," said the king, "answer this third question, and you shall
be married to my daughter: Can you drink all the fresh water in
the world?"
"Yes," said the prince.
"Well, then," said the king, "drink it."
"But here," answered the prince, "in many parts of the world the
water of the ocean mixes with the fresh water: so, before I drink,
you must separate the fresh water from the salt." As the king was
unable to do this, he acknowledged himself vanquished.
"All right," said the king. "To-morrow come here for the wedding." The
Negrito hastened home, and told his young master all that had
happened. The prince gave him five thousand pesetas, and promised him
that he would urge the princess to give her consent to the marriage
of the Negrito with her maid of honor. The next morning the prince
and the princess were married, and the following day the Negrito
received the maid of honor for his wife.
Notes.
Like the preceding, this story was doubtless imported from Europe,
and probably through the medium of the religious. The occasion for the
three questions, as well as the questions themselves, varies widely
in the many different forms of the story; but the relationship among
the members of the cycle is unmistakable. A general outline that would
embrace most of the variants is this: A certain person, on penalty of
losing his head if he fails, is required to give satisfactory answers
to three (or four) difficult questions; a friend of the contestant,
who resembles him, wears the other's clothes, and answers the questions
ingeniously, thus saving his friend's life and winning a considerable
reward for him and himself. The fullest bibliography of this cycle
is that given by Oesterley in his edition of Pauli's "Schimpf und
Ernst" (Stuttgart, 1866), p. 479. For other references to the group
of stories, see Grimm, No. 152, and his notes; Rittershaus, 404-408
(No. CXV, "Der König und der Bischof"); Köhler-Bolte, 82 (on Moncaut's
French story "Le Meunier et le Marquis"), 267 (on J. F. Campbell's
No. 50), and 492 (on the Turkish Nasreddin's 70th jest).
The opening of our story is like that of many of the tales in the
"Bride Wager" group, in which the youngest of three brothers, after
the two older have lost their lives, risks his. Compare, for instance,
the European variants cited in our notes to No. 21. This opening,
which does not belong to our present cycle, was doubtless attached
to the story of the three questions in the Islands themselves. The
combination does not appear to have been very happily effected,
although it is easy to see the basis for the association (cf. Von
Hahn's formula 24 and bibliography). Very little distinction is made
between the good qualities of the three brothers, and the Negrito's
determination to help the last only is not motivated. The Negrito
himself, however, is necessary to the story,--he takes the place of the
miller in most of the European forms,--and he had to be fitted in as
best he could. The magic ring of the slave, with the aid of which he
is able to make himself look exactly like his master, does not appear
in any of the other variants that I know of. In many of the European
forms the occasion of the questions is this: A king or a nobleman
becomes angry with a priest or bishop, and threatens him with death
if he cannot answer within a definite time three questions that are
put to him. As the chief interest of the story is in the solving of
the riddles or problems, it is easy to see how there might be a wide
variation in setting if the story passed around much by word of mouth.
The questions themselves are curious. Here are some of those found in
the European versions: (1) How much water is there in the sea? (2)
How many days have passed since Adam lived? (3) Where is the centre
of the earth? (4) How far is it from earth to heaven? (5) What is the
breadth of heaven? (6) What is the exact value of the king and his
golden crown? (7) How long a time would it take to ride around the
whole world? (8) What is the king thinking of this very moment? (9)
How far is fortune removed from misfortune? (10) How far is it from
East to West? (11) How heavy is the moon? (12) How deep is water?
Some of the answers to these questions are clever; others are only less
stupid than the persons who asked the questions. The solutions to the
twelve just given are: (1) "A tun."--"How can you prove that?"--"Just
order all the streams which flow into the sea to stand still." This
reply is not unlike the counter-demand to the third question in our
story. (2) "Seven; and when they come to an end, they begin again." (3)
"Where my church stands: let your servants measure with a cord, and
if there is the breadth of a blade of grass more on one side than on
the other, I have lost my church." (4) "Just so far as a man's voice
can easily be heard." (5) "A thousand fathoms and a thousand ells:
then take away the sun and moon and all the stars, and press all
together, and it will be no broader." (6) This question is answered
exactly as the second in out story. (7) "If you set out with the
Sun and ride with him, you will get around the earth in twenty-four
hours." (8) "The king thinks I'm an abbot, and I'm only a shepherd
(or miller)." With this question and answer compare the last task
in our No. 25. (9) "Only one night, for yesterday I was a shepherd,
and to-day I am an abbot." (10) "A day's journey." (11) "A quarter
(of a pound): if the king doesn't believe it, let him weigh the moon
himself." (12) "A stone's throw."
The method of answering the questions asked in this cycle of
stories, and the obscure origin of the clever substitute, form a
direct connection, I believe, between this group and the "Clever
Lass" cycle. Not only do we find in both the situation of a person
out of favor required to answer difficult riddles, and the task
assumed voluntarily by some one humbler but more clever than he,
but even some of the questions themselves, and the same style of
answers, are found in both cycles. For example, compare questions and
answers 1, 3, 5, 7, above, with tasks 1, 2, 4, in the notes to our
No. 7. In Grimm, No. 152, "The Shepherd Boy," the hero is asked three
questions impossible to answer,--How many drops of water are there
in the sea? How many stars are in the heavens? How many seconds has
eternity? He gets out of his difficulty just as the "Clever Lass"
gets out of hers,--by making equally impossible counter-demands,
or else giving answers that cannot be proved incorrect.
TALE 39
ALBERTO AND THE MONSTERS.
Narrated by Pacita Cordero of Pagsanjan, Laguna. She says, "This
story is common among the Tagalogs. It was told to me by my nurse
when I was a little girl."
Once there was a king in Casiguran named Luis. King Luis had three
beautiful daughters, but the youngest was the fairest of all. One
day the three princesses went to the orchard to amuse themselves. It
happened that on that day the wind blew very hard, and they were swept
away. The king felt very sad over the loss of his daughters; and he
issued proclamations in all parts of his kingdom, saying that any
one who could find his daughters within three days would be allowed
to choose one of the three for his wife.
At that time there was also in the neighboring kingdom of Sinucuan
a king who had a brave son named Alberto. When Alberto heard of the
matter, he went to the king, and said that he would look for his lost
daughters. King Luis accepted his offer. Prince Alberto now began
his search. He walked and walked until he came to a large forest
where he found two boys fighting. "What are you fighting about?" he
said. The one answered that the other boy was taking his boot away
from him. Alberto then said to the other boy, "Why don't you give
the boy his boot? The boot is old." The boy said that the boot, if
worn by any one, would carry him to whatever place he wanted to go,
provided he kicked the ground. To settle the contest between the
two, Prince Alberto took the boot from them, and said, "Go over by
that large tree, and the one who can run here first shall have the
boot." While the boys were walking towards the tree, the prince put on
the boot and kicked the ground. He was at once carried far away. When
the boys got back to the original place, Alberto had disappeared.
At the place where the boot carried him Alberto found two young men
fighting over a rusty key. He said to them, "Why do you fight for
such an old rusty key? You are not children: you are young men. You
ought to be ashamed of yourselves." The elder of them answered that
the key, if it were knocked against a stone, would open the stone,
however hard it might be. The prince took the key from them, and said,
"Go to a certain place, and face back here. The one to reach here first
shall have the key." The two agreed, and started away. While they were
gone, Alberto kicked the ground, and the boot carried him to another
place. When the young men came back, the prince was no longer there.
This time Prince Alberto found two old men fighting. He asked them the
same question as he had asked the others; and one of them answered,
"If that hat is worn by any one, his body will be invisible; he will
not be seen." The prince secured the hat from these old men by telling
them the same thing he had told the others. While they were running
their race, he put the hat on and kicked the ground.
The boot now brought him before a huge rock which had a small hole in
it. Alberto put the key in the hole, and the rock suddenly opened. When
he entered it, he found a street leading to a palace. He went up to
the palace; and when he entered the door, a beautiful princess met
him. Before Alberto could say a word, the princess told him to go away;
for she said that a seven-headed monster was living with her. "If
that is the case," said the prince, "show me his sword, and I will
kill him." The princess pointed to the sword, which was hanging on
the wall. The prince went to get it, but it was too heavy for him: he
could not even move it. Then the princess gave him a pail of water to
drink. She said that that was the water the monster always drank before
touching his sword. The prince drank the water, and then sat down on an
iron chair, and the chair broke. The princess now told him that he was
strong. Soon steps were heard on the stairs. Prince Alberto put on his
hat, and stood by the door, sword in hand. When the monster came up,
he thrust one of his heads through a window near the door, and said,
"I smell something human!" The prince cut off that head. "Somebody
must be here!" cried the monster; but the princess answered that there
was no one there with her. The prince then cut off the monster's heads
one after another until only the main one was left. The monster waved
his arms, but he could not grasp anything. At last he entered the
door. The prince cut off his last head, and he fell dead.
Inexpressible was the joy of the princess when she saw the monster
lying dead on the floor. She embraced the prince, and thanked him for
her deliverance. Then she told him how she happened to be there. When
the prince knew that she was one of the daughters of King Luis, he
said to her that she was the very one for whom he was looking. The
princess then told the prince about her two sisters, who were kept
prisoners in the same way. So Prince Alberto left her, saying that
he would go save her two sisters and then return.
He went outside and kicked the ground, and was brought before another
huge rock. He entered it, and another princess met him. After asking
him a few questions, she told him to go away, for the ten-headed
monster who was living with her would soon return. But the prince
said that he did not fear anything, and he told her to give him the
monster's sword. Before he could lift the sword he had to drink two
pails of water, which the princess gave him. Then he sat down on
an iron bed, and the bed broke in two, so he thought he was strong
enough. When the ten-headed monster came home, Alberto killed him
in the same way he had killed the other. The princess rejoiced, and
told the prince that he had saved her life. Then she embraced him and
thanked him. Her joy was increased when Alberto told her that he had
saved her younger sister. She begged him to save her eldest sister,
who was in the next rock. The prince answered that that was what he
had come for. So he left her without further talk, for it was already
the night of the second day.
He then kicked the ground, and found himself in front of another huge
rock, which he opened. Here the third princess greeted him. After
asking him several questions as to how he had come there, she begged
him to go away, for she said that it was time for the twelve-headed
monster to come home. But he did not go away. He asked for the sword
of the monster, but of course he could not move it. So the princess
gave him three pails of water to drink. When the monster came home,
the prince cut his heads off one after another, as he had done to the
other two. The main head was now the only one left. Then the prince
removed his hat, and presented himself before the monster, who thought
that he could easily kill him, now that he could see him. He said,
"Wait, I'll go and get my sword." But he could not find it, for the
prince had already taken it. When he returned, he said to the prince,
"You have my sword." He had scarcely spoken these words when Alberto
cut off his remaining head. When Alberto told the princess that he had
already saved her two sisters, she jumped with joy and embraced him.
Alberto now took the princess in his arms, kicked the ground, and
they were brought to the palace of the second sister. Then the prince
kicked the ground again, and all three were carried to the palace of
the youngest sister. But there was no time for delay, as the third
day was nearly gone. So he quickly brought all three princesses back
to their father's kingdom. When they arrived at the palace, King
Luis was overjoyed to see his daughters again. He told the prince to
decide which one he wanted for a wife. While the three princesses
were talking about their life with the monsters, Alberto managed,
without being noticed, to give his handkerchief to the youngest.
The next day Alberto called at the palace. "Have you decided whom you
are going to take for a wife?" said the king. The prince answered,
"The one who has a handkerchief just like mine shall be my wife." Now,
all three were anxious to have the brave prince for their husband, so
they hastened to their rooms to get their handkerchiefs. The two older
sisters first presented theirs, but neither resembled Alberto's. Then
the youngest showed the one which Alberto had given her the day
before, and so she was married to him. For three days banquets of
thanksgiving were held, and the marriage festivities lasted for two
days. The other two princesses were also married to kings' sons.
Notes.
There is a striking analogy between the opening of our story and that
of a Servian tale (Wuk, No. 5), where a Kaiser has three daughters
whom he rears in close confinement, but whom he permits one day, after
they have become of marriageable age, to dance the kolo. While they
are dancing, a storm blows up, and carries them all away. The rest of
the story is a variant of our No. 18, with which our present story,
too, has some points of contact.
For the magic articles secured by the hero from certain persons
quarrelling over them, and for the "Fee-fi-fo-fum" formula, see notes
to No. 18.
The hero's drinking a pail of magic water, and becoming so strong
that when he sits in an iron chair it breaks down under him, recalls
the similar feat of Strong Hans (Grimm, No. 166).
The three monsters of increasingly greater formidability--Seven-Heads,
Ten-Heads, Twelve-Heads--which are slain by the hero, who uses their
own Weapons on them, recall the underworld monsters killed by the
hero in the "Bear's Son" cycle (cf. our notes to No. 17).
Although the events of our story are located in the Philippines, the
Casiguran mentioned probably being the town in Tayabas on the west
toast of Luzon, the tale as a whole appears to have been imported. The
Sinucuan referred to is probably the famous legendary King of Pampanga,
of whom the Pampangans have a rich oral literature. He is said to
have lived on Mount Arayat. He figures in our No. 79 (b).
TALE 40
JUAN AND MARIA.
Narrated by Anicio Pascual of Arayat, Pampanga, who says, "This story
is often told by Pampangan grandmothers to their grandchildren. I have
heard it many times. Lately it was told to me again by an old woman."
Once there lived in a barrio an old beggar couple. They had a son named
Juan, and a daughter Maria. The proceeds from their begging were hardly
enough to support the family. One day, after the old man had returned
home from town, he ordered his wife to cook the rice that had been
given him. The old woman obeyed him. When he saw that the rice was
not enough for him and his wife and children, he angrily said to her,
"From now on, don't let me see our children in this house. Chase them
as far as you can, and let them find their own food." The old mother
wept when she heard the words of her cruel husband. She did not want
to be separated from her children; but she feared that she would be
whipped if she kept them, so she obeyed the cruel order. At first
the poor children did not want to go away; but, when they saw that
their bad father was going to kick them, they ran off crying.
Soon the children came to a wild forest. "Maria, what will become of
us here?" said Juan. "I am very hungry," said the little girl. "I
don't think that I can get you any food in this wilderness," said
the kind brother, "but let me see!" He then looked around. By good
luck he found a guava-tree with one small fruit on it. He immediately
climbed up for the guava, and gave it to his hungry sister. Then the
two children resumed their journey.
As they were walking along, Maria found a hen's egg on the grass. She
picked it up and carried it along with her in her dirty ragged
skirt. At last they saw a very small hut roofed with dry talahib
(coarse, long grass). An old woman in the hut welcomed them, and asked
them where they were going. After Juan had told her their story, she
invited the tired children to stay in the hut with her. She promised
that she would treat them as her little son and daughter. From that
time on, Juan and Maria lived with the kind old woman. Juan grew to
be a strong fine man, and Maria became a beautiful young woman. Juan
spent almost all his time hunting in the mountains and woods.
One morning he caught a black deer. While he was taking the animal
home, the deer said to him, "Juan, as soon as you reach your home,
kill me, eat my flesh, and put my hide in your trunk. After three days
open your trunk, and you will see something astonishing." When Juan
reached home, he did as the deer had told him to do. On the third
day he found in the trunk golden armor. He was greatly delighted by
the precious gift.
Maria had not been living long with the old woman when she found
that the egg had hatched into a chick, which soon grew into a fine
fighting cock. One morning the cock crowed, "Tok-to-ko-kok! Take me
to the cockpit. I'll surely win!" Maria told the old woman what the
cock had said, and the next Sunday Juan took the fighting cock to the
cockpit. There the rooster was victorious, and won much money for Juan.
One day Juan heard that a tournament would be held in front of the
king's palace. The winner of the contest was to become the husband of
the princess, and would inherit the throne. Juan quickly put on his
golden armor, and hastened to the palace to try his skill. He defeated
all his opponents. The next day his bridal ceremony was celebrated,
and the crown was placed on his head. That very day he ascended the
throne to rule over the kingdom. Although Juan was now king, he was
not proud. He and the queen visited Maria to get her to live in the
palace; but the old woman would not allow her to go with her brother,
as she had no other companion in the hut.
One day a prince was lost in the forest. He happened to come across
the hut in which Maria was living. He fell in love with her, and
wanted to marry her. As the old woman offered no objections to the
proposal of the prince, the following day Maria became a queen, just
as her brother had become king. Although the parents of Juan and Maria
had been very cruel, yet the king and queen did not forget them. The
brother and sister visited their father and mother, whom they found in
the most wretched condition. When the father saw that his children had
become king and queen, he wept greatly for his former cruelty to them.
Notes.
A Tagalog folk-tale printed in the "Journal of American Folk-Lore"
(20 : 306), "Tagalog Babes in the Woods," is related to our story.
"There the twins Juan and Maria are driven to the forest by their cruel
father. After days of wandering, Juan climbs a tree, and sees in the
distance a house. They approach it, and, having asked permission to
enter, are invited in; but there is no one to be seen in this magic
house, although food and drink and clothing are supplied the two
wanderers in abundance." The story is evidently incomplete. It is
based on a metrical romance, "The Life of the Brother and Sister,
Juan and Maria, in the Kingdom of Spain," of which I will give a
brief synopsis, since the chap-book version contains details which
are lacking in the fragment cited above.
This metrical romance is printed in both Tagalog and Pampangan. My
Tagalog copy, which contains 1836 lines, bears the date 1910, but is
clearly a reprint. The Pampangan text is slightly shorter, with 1812
lines. Retana (No. 4164) cites a Pampangan version some time between
the years 1860 and 1898, and a later reprint of 1902 (No. 4349). The
summary that follows is based on the Tagalog.
Juan and Maria.
During the reign of King Charles the Fifth there lived in Spain a
poor couple, Fernando and Juana. They had a son Juan, ten years old,
and a daughter Maria, but eight months in age. Fernando was very cruel
to his wife and children. He was also very selfish. During meal-times
he ate alone, without inviting the rest of his family to eat with him.
One day Fernando said to his wife, "You must send our two children
away. If my command is not executed, your life shall answer for your
disobedience." The broken-hearted mother summoned her children,
and with tears in her eyes told them of the cruel order of their
father. The children had to obey their father, for they feared him,
and so set off for the mountains. For many days they wandered around,
living on wild fruits, and sleeping under trees.
One day Juan was greatly surprised to hear Maria ask for some water
to drink, for she had never spoken before. They were far from any
stream, and Juan did not know what to do to satisfy his sister. At
last he climbed a tree to see whether there was any water near by,
and he saw in a valley not far off a beautiful house surrounded with
flowers. Juan quickly came down the tree, and the two children set
out for the house. When they reached it, they knocked at the door,
but no one answered. After knocking again in vain, the boy decided to
enter. He pushed open the door, and found himself in a golden salon,
luxuriously furnished with gold and silver chairs. On the silver wall
hung an image of the Immaculate Conception. The two children knelt down
in front of the image and prayed. Then they went to the dining-room,
where they found a golden table with exquisite dishes of all kinds.
Several years passed by. Under the care of the Virgin, Maria grew to
be a beautiful young woman. One day, as Maria was praying, the Virgin
spoke to her through the image. She said that the gallant prince of
Borgoña would come to the mountains to hunt deer, and that he would
lose his way in the woods. He would come to their house to ask for
some water, and would fall in love with Maria. Everything turned out
as had been predicted. The gallant prince was so attracted by the
beauty and grace of Maria, that he could not help saying to her,
"I love you." With the consent of her guardian the Virgin, Maria
accepted the Prince of Borgoña, and the day for their wedding was
set. The king, his son, and all the nobility of Borgoña, set out for
the mountains to get Maria, and on their arrival were surprised at
the magnificence of her house. The bishop who was with the company
married the couple, and all the retinue went back to the capital.
When Juan now found himself left all alone in the house, he knelt
before the image and complained to the Virgin of his situation. The
Virgin said to him, "Don't worry! To-morrow mount the horse which
is in the stable, clothe yourself in iron, and go to the kingdom of
Moscobia to help the king drive the Moors away." Juan did so, and
upon his arrival in Moscobia he found thousands of Moors threatening
the king. With his sword he killed half the enemy: the rest were
routed. Because of his great services, the king married his daughter
to Juan, and the new couple were proclaimed king and queen.
Some time afterwards, Juan wrote to his sister, suggesting that they
visit their parents. The two couples, accompanied by many of the
nobles of their kingdoms, set out for Spain. Their cruel father was
astounded to see his children raised to such a lofty position, and
he begged their pardon for his former harsh treatment of them. They
forgave him, and then returned to their respective kingdoms, where
they lived peacefully for many years.
The connection between our folk-tale and the romance is not very
clear. In both we have the abandoned children, the discovery of the
house in the woods where the children are reared to manhood and
womanhood, and the marriage of Maria with a prince who loses his
way in the forest. In both Juan becomes a king, and in both the two
children seek again their cruel parents and forgive them. On the other
hand, there is much in the folk-tale that is lacking in the romance;
e.g., the incident of the egg that hatches into a fighting cock,
and the incident of the black deer with the miraculous hide. In the
folk-tale Juan becomes king because of his skill in a tournament;
in the romance, because, with the help of the Virgin, he defeats a
large Moorish army. In the one, the shelter in the woods is but a
thatch-roofed hut inhabited by a kindly old woman; in the other,
it is a magnificent house occupied by no one except the image of
the Virgin. The correspondences as well as the differences between
the two versions, neither of which appears to be new, suggest that
the source of the folk-tale and the romance is one and the same,
but that the folk-tale went its own way, the way of the people, and
thus acquired its more native appearance. That the common source was
some European story, can hardly be doubted, I think.
The opening of our story is not unlike that of the German "Hänsel
und Gretel" (Grimm, No. 15). Bolte and Polívka (1 : 123) note that
various different Märchen have this beginning "of children whom their
father, either because of bitter necessity or because he is forced
by their step-mother, takes to the woods and there abandons." One of
the most widespread cycles in which it occurs is "Hop o' my Thumb,"
a version of which is told among the Tagalogs. I will give this
Tagalog version here in the notes, by way of compromise, as it were:
for while the story is a bona fide Tagalog tale, in that it is told
in the dialect, it must have been received directly from Europe; and
it appears to have retained the form in which it was received, with
but few modifications. No other Oriental form whatsoever of this story
has been recorded (see Bolte-Polívka, 1 : 124-126). The Tagalog story
was narrated by Pacita Cordero of Pagsanjan, Laguna, and runs thus:--
Pitong.
Melanio and Petrona had seven sons. The father was a woodman. They
were so poor, that sometimes the whole family went without dinner. One
day Melanio said to his wife, "Petrona, our children are growing,
and I don't see how we shall be able to support them all. At present
they cannot help us earn a living, because they are too small. Don't
you think we should get along better without them?"--"Yes," answered
Petrona, "if we could only get rid of them some way!"--"Well,
to-morrow I will take them to the forest to gather fuel," said the
husband. "While they are busy, I will leave them on the pretext of
looking for better kinds of wood, and will hurry home. They will not
be able to get home, for they won't know the way."
The wife agreed to this cruel plan. But the youngest son overheard
the conversation, and told his brothers about it. At last Pitong
(seventh), for that was the name of the youngest, and he was the
wisest of all, made this suggestion: "Before we go to the forest
to-morrow, I will pick up white stones. I will carry them with me,
and as we go along I will drop them one by one. I'll walk behind, so
that father will not notice what I am doing. Then, if he leaves us,
we can easily follow the track of stones back home." While the six
brothers consented to the plan, their minds were troubled, for they
doubted the ability of so small a boy to save them.
The next day the children marched straight into the forest with their
father as if they were going on a picnic. Pitong dropped his stones
one by one. When they reached the woods, their father commanded them to
get together what sticks they could find. He left them there, promising
that he would meet them in a certain place; but really he hurried home
and told his wife. "We are now rid of a heavy burden," he said, and the
two were very happy. When the poor boys had finished their work, they
looked in vain for their father. Of course they could not find him;
but Pitong led the company, and they followed the track of stones. The
boys reached home safely, and the parents were route with astonishment.
The next morning Melanio took his sons out with him again. This
time all the boys took white stones with them, besides bread, which
they intended to eat if they should get hungry; but the part of the
forest to which they went was so far, that all the stones were used
up before they got there. Pitong did not eat his bread; he broke it
into pieces, and dropped them on the ground as they went along. They
now reached the nook where their father proposed to leave them. This
place was grown up with wild shrubs, so that there were plenty of
twigs to keep the boys busy. Melanio slipped away from them without
their noticing it. After the seven brothers had worked a long time,
they thought of returning home. But they could not find the track:
the pieces of bread had been eaten by the ants. They cried out,
"Father, father! where are you?" When they were so hungry and tired
that they could not shout any more, they sat down on the ground and
began to weep.
It began to grow dark. Pitong advised his brothers to pluck up courage,
and said to them, "Follow me." So they went on without taking any
particular course, and in about a half-hour they came to a tall
tree. Pitong climbed it to see if there was a road near by. When
he reached the top, he said, "Brothers, I see a lighted house from
here. Let us go look for the house! Maybe we can get something to
eat there."
When they came near the house, they saw that it was well lighted and
richly adorned, as if there were a banquet going on; only it was very
quiet. Pitong, followed by his brothers, knocked at the door. A woman
kindly admitted them, and the boys begged for some food. They told
her how they had been deserted by their selfish father. The woman
said to them, "I have a giant husband who is a great eater of human
beings. If he finds you here, you will surely be devoured; but I can
give you something to eat. I will hide you before he comes, and you
must remain perfectly still." The boys had hardly finished dinner
when a loud sound was heard from without. The woman said to them,
"Here comes my husband! Boys, follow me into that room! You all get
into this big trunk and stay here."
The door was suddenly flung open. As soon as the giant entered,
he said in a fierce voice, "I smell something human: somebody
must be here." He said this many times; and although the wife did
not want to show him the boys, she finally did so, for she feared
that she would be punished. She beckoned to them to come out of the
trunk. "Welcome, my young friends!" said the giant. "I am very glad
to have you here." Pitong gazed fearlessly at him, but the others
trembled with fright. "Give these boys some food, and prepare them
a comfortable bed," said the giant to his wife. "To-morrow early in
the morning they will all be killed."
These words increased the terror of the six older brothers. They could
not swallow a morsel more of food when the old woman set it before
them. Pitong, however, kept trying to think of a plan by which he could
save them all. Now, the room in which they were to sleep was also the
room of the giant's seven sons, who were about the same height as the
woodman's sons. But the giant's sons had on rich garments. At midnight
Pitong awoke his brothers. They quietly and carefully exchanged clothes
with the giant's sons, and then pretended to sleep. At four o'clock
in the morning the giant came in. He paused before the two beds,
but at last turned to the one his sons were in. When he felt their
rough clothes, he thought them the strangers, and with his axe he
cut off the heads of all seven. Then he went away and slept again.
Now Pitong and his six brothers stealthily hurried away into the
forest. When morning came, and the giant found that he had killed his
own children, he was enraged. He at once took his magic cane, and put
on his magic boots and cap. When the boys heard the giant coming after
them, they went down into a big hole they had dug. There they hid. But
the giant had a keen sense of smell, and he walked around and around,
looking for them. At last he became tired; he leaned against a tree
and fell asleep. Pitong peeped through a small opening from under
the ground. When he saw that the giant was asleep, he called out to
his brothers. They quickly stole the magic boot, cap, and cane of
the giant, and were soon carried home. Their parents were very much
surprised to see them back; but they welcomed their children when they
knew of the magic objects. By means of these the family became rich.
As for the giant, when he awoke, he was deprived of all his power. He
was so weak that he could not even get up from the ground, so he died
there in the woods.
TALE 41
THE ENCHANTED PRINCE.
Narrated by Pedro D. L. Sorreta, a Bicol from Virac, Albay, who heard
the story from his grandfather.
Many years ago there lived a very rich king in a beautiful city near a
wild forest, the home of many wicked witches. The king had a gallant
son named Ucay, who fell in love with a beautiful young witch, the
daughter of the most bitter enemy of his father. When Ucay became old
enough to marry, his father requested him to select the most beautiful
lady in the city for his wife; but the prince would neither select one,
nor would he tell his father about his love for the witch. So the rich
king ordered his soldiers to bring to the palace all the beautiful
women that could be found in the kingdom. His order was soon obeyed,
but none of the girls suited the prince. So the king took the matter
of selection into his own hands; and, after choosing a very handsome
girl, he forced his son to marry her. Out of fear, Ucay consented to
do as his father bade him. But the beautiful young witch to whom he
had already pledged his love became angry with him for his timidity,
and so she resolved to change the city into a forest of beautiful
trees. Her fickle lover she transformed into a monkey, who should
live in the tallest tree, and who should not be able to recover his
human shape till five centuries had passed, when a charming girl
would live with him and love him more than anything else. Moreover,
she changed the king's subjects into other animals as she pleased. No
sooner had the marriage of the prince been proclaimed, then, than
the desire of the witch was accomplished, to the great surprise of
the neighboring cities.
Four centuries had already passed. The wonderful disappearance of
the city was already forgotten, and people from other places began
to build houses in the enchanted city. The monkey-prince was always
watching for an opportunity to catch a beautiful girl who should
break the spell that kept him in his miserable condition. Soon a
church was built near the foot of the tree in which he lived. He
had already succeeded in capturing two ladies, but they had died
of fear. After incalculable suffering and extraordinary patience,
the time for his recovery came at last.
One Sunday morning before the mass was over, a very beautiful girl, the
daughter of a poor man, came out of the church and sat at the foot of
the tree. She had been disappointed in her love with a rich man's son,
who had forsaken her in order to marry the daughter of a rich man. So
she wished to die. When the monkey-prince saw her sitting there alone,
he noiselessly went down, carefully took her by the right hand, and
carried her to the top of the tree. She would have died of fright, as
was the fate of the two former women, had she not seen in the monkey's
eyes a noble look that filled her with wonder and sympathy. As days
went by, she lived on delicious fruits which were entirely strange
to her; and her love for the poor creature grew greater and greater,
until at last she loved him more than anything else.
On the evening of the tenth day she was surprised to find herself
beside a gallant prince in a richly-decorated room. At first she
thought that she was dreaming; but when the prince woke up, kissed
her, and then told her the history of his life, she knew that it
was real. She was so astonished, that she exclaimed, "Ah, me! God
is wise!" The next morning she was crowned queen of her husband's
happy subjects, whom she had restored from the enchantment of the
wicked witch. Every one in the kingdom loved his new queen as long
as he lived.
Notes.
I know of no parallels to this interesting story, which appears to
be old native tradition. The hero transformed by enchantment into
a beast, and saved by the devotion of the human lover, suggests the
"Beauty and Beast" cycle (Macculloch, ch. IX; Crane, 7, 324 [notes 5
and 6]; Ralston, Tibetan Tales, p. XXXVII f.); only it is to be noted
that those stories are, after all, heroine tales, not hero tales, for
the interest in them is centred on the disenchantment brought about
by the maiden who comes to love the prince in his beast form. The
curse by a disappointed witch, and the prophecy that only after
five hundred years will the curse be removed, suggest in a way the
"Sleeping Beauty" cycle (Grimm, No. 50; and Bolte-Polívka's exhaustive
notes); only here, too, the resemblance is but vague. There is no magic
sleep in our story, but a Circe-like transformation of the prince and
all his subjects into animals, the city itself being changed into a
forest of trees. We have already met with stories in the Philippines
based on the idea of animal-marriages (e.g., Nos. 18, 19, 29);
but, even were it demonstrable that all those tales were imported,
it would not necessarily follow that the savage idea behind them,
too, was imported. Their adoption by the natives might indicate,
on the contrary, that the basic idea was already well known.
I might call attention to the fact that the number 500 and the
monkey-prince suggest vaguely Buddhistic lore.
TALE 42
THE PRINCE'S DREAM.
Narrated by Gregorio Frondoso, a Bicol of Tigaon, Camarines. The
narrator says, "This story was told to me by my guardian while I was
in Nueva Caceres. He told it to me in the Bicol dialect, and said
that this must be a Bicol story."
Once there lived a young prince who, after his father's death,
succeeded to the throne as the sole heir of a vast, rich kingdom. He
indulged himself in all worldly pleasures. He gave dances, and
all sorts of merry-making surrounded his court to attract the most
beautiful ladies of the kingdom. Meanwhile the royal treasury was
being drained, and his subjects were becoming disloyal to him; for,
his time being chiefly absorbed in personal cares, he often neglected
his duties as king. Disappointed by his conduct, his counsellors
plotted against him: they resolved to dismiss him from the realm. The
prince's mother, the widowed queen, learned of their plot. So, when
he returned to the palace from his evening walk one day, she said
to him, "My son, I wish you would turn from your foolish trifling,
and govern your people as you ought to do; for your advisers are
planning to dethrone you." The prince, who was not bad at heart,
followed his mother's sensible advice: he now began to devote himself
to the welfare of his subjects. His ministers, too, gave up their plan,
and aided the young king in his royal tasks.
One noon, when the prince was taking his siesta, he had a dream. A
ghost appeared to him, and spoke in this manner: "Your father left
a hidden treasure of gold and diamonds, which he forgot to mention
in his will. Should you care to have that treasure, go to the city
of Black. There you will find a Negro, the richest in that city,
who will tell you all about the treasure." On hearing these words,
the prince woke up, and hurriedly acquainted his mother with his
dream. "Undeceive yourself," she said. "Never believe in dreams. I
don't believe in them myself." In spite of his mother's words, he
decided to look for the Negro.
The next day, disguising himself as a poor traveller, the prince set
out for the city of Black. He arrived there at ten o'clock at night,
and the gate of the city was closed; for there was a law there, that,
after the bell had rung ten, no person could enter the city. So he had
to sleep outside the walls. Then the very same ghost that had spoken
to him in his palace appeared to him, and said, "Go back to your
palace, prince, and there in the cellar you will find the treasure
I spoke of." The moment he heard the voice, the prince got up and
returned to his own city. When his mother saw him, she said to him,
"Did you find what you were looking for?"--"Mother, the very same
ghost told me that the treasure is buried in the cellar of the palace."
"I have told you that dreams are never true," she said. "The ghost must
be joking you. You see, you have gone to a faraway land in vain. Banish
all thoughts of that treasure, and continue ruling your kingdom well,
and you will be very much better off."
At first the prince followed his mother's counsel, and tried to rid his
mind of the thought of the treasure; but the ghost haunted him in his
sleep, day and night, reminding him of the gold and diamonds. Early one
morning, without the knowledge of his mother, he took a pointed iron
bar and went down into the cellar of the palace. There he dug where
the treasure was supposed to be. He dug and dug to find the coveted
gold and diamonds. He remained there several hours, and had excavated
a hole some three metres deep, but had found no sign of the hidden
wealth. Just as he was about to give up, his bar struck something hard
which produced a metallic sound. He went on digging until finally he
uncovered an iron platform in the form of a square. It was locked with
a padlock, and the key was in the lock. He lifted the platform, and
to his great surprise and wonder found a low ladder made of diamond
bars, leading down into a small apartment all shining bright as if
it were day. Here he found two columns of diamond bars, each a foot
in thickness and a metre in height, whose brightness shot through all
the corners like sunbeams. This subterranean chamber immediately led
to another in which there was a big safe about five feet in height
and three feet wide. He opened the safe, and from out of it flowed
gold coins like water in torrents from a cliff. His eyes were dazzled
by their brightness; and he was so startled at the inexhaustible flow
of money, that he said to himself, "Are these gold coins and diamonds
real, or am I simply dreaming?" To assure himself, he filled his cap
with the gold coins and went up into the sunlight. He rubbed his eyes
and examined the coins: they were of pure gold. Greatly delighted
by his discovery, he hastened to his mother, and said, "I have found
the treasure, I have found the treasure!" When the queen saw the gold
glittering in her son's hand, she was very glad. Now both mother and
son hurried down to the cellar. There the prince continued his search
for the hidden treasure, while his mother contemplated in awe the
columns of diamonds she saw in those underground apartments. Now the
prince came to a third chamber, in which he found two more columns
of diamonds like those in the first room; and finally he came to a
fourth apartment, in which he saw a wide curtain of silk hanging on
the wall. Back of this wall was another apartment, but it was securely
locked. On the curtain were embroidered the following words in big
golden letters: "Inside this chamber is another column of diamonds
twice as large and twice as high as those in the other two; none can
unlock this apartment but the wealthiest Negro in the city of Black."
Anxious to have this last column of diamonds, the prince determined
to find the Negro. Disguising himself again as a poor traveller,
he set out for the city of Black. There he found the Negro, who
received him very kindly. In the course of their talk the prince
spoke of his dream, and told how he found the gold coins and the
diamond columns, and finally gave the reason for his coming there
as a poor traveller. Furthermore, the prince mentioned his father's
name. On hearing the prince's story, the Negro knelt down before him,
saying, "My prince, I was the most beloved servant of your father. I
acknowledge you as my master, and am disposed and ready to do anything
for your sake. As to the chamber you spoke of, I have not the power
to unlock it. There is but one man who can unlock it, who knows very
well your dead father, and who was his friend. He knows me, too,
very well. This man is the king of the demons. And to him we will go
together; but before we go, we should eat our dinner." Then the Negro
ordered all kinds of delicious dishes, and the two feasted together.
After they had dined, they set out on their journey to the palace
of the king of the demons. Soon they came to a river. There the
Negro instructed the prince not to say anything if he should see
any extraordinary sights, lest some terrible danger befall them. The
Negro waved his hand, and in a moment there came a sphinx paddling
a small banca towards them. They got into it, and the sphinx rowed
back to the other side. Then they walked on till they came to the
palace of the king of the demons, which was protected by two circular
walls. They knocked at the gate of the first. The moment they knocked,
it became dark all around them; lightnings flashed before their eyes,
and it thundered. Then the gate opened. After passing through the
first gate, they came to the second. "They knocked, and the gate flung
open. At once two lions ran out towards them with eyes glowing like
balls of fire, and were ready to spring upon them and devour them;
but on coming nearer the strangers, and recognizing the Negro, these
two kings of beasts wagged their tails as a sign of welcome.
The Negro and the prince were conducted to the king's throne. The
king of the demons asked them what they wanted. The prince spoke:
"King of the demons, I have found in the cellar of my palace a store
of gold coins and several diamond columns, my father's hidden treasure
which he forgot to mention in his will. The last column is locked
up in a separate apartment, and there is none who has the power to
unlock it but yourself."
"Young king," replied the king of the demons, "it is true that I am
the only one who can unlock it. I gave that diamond column to your
father as a gift which he might bequeath to his son; and if you are
his son, you shall have it. But, before giving it to you, I should
like to have you do me a favor in return for that rich gift. If you
will bring me a very beautiful woman to be my companion, one whose
heart is untainted by any worldly passion, I will unlock for you your
wished-for treasure, the diamond room."
At this request the young man stood speechless for some time. At
last, perplexed, he replied, "O king of the demons! it seems to me
impossible to fulfil your wish. I am not a man of superhuman power
to read into a woman's heart."
"Well," returned the king of the demons, taking out of his pocket a
small oval mirror, "if you see a beautiful woman, hold this mirror
before her face. If the surface of the mirror becomes clouded, leave
her; but if the surface of the mirror remains as clear as before,
bring her to me, for she is the one I want for my comfort."
The prince took the mirror, and with his Negro companion left the
palace to look for the desired girl for the king of the demons. They
visited cities and villages. In three days they had searched through
three cities and three villages, but every girl that looked on the
magic mirror clouded its surface. Then, discouraged by their failure,
the travellers decided to go back to the palace of the king of the
demons. On their return they felt very tired, and so stopped in a
small village to rest. There they found a most beautiful girl, the
daughter of a poor farmer. It was the very girl desired by the king of
the demons; for, after she had looked on the magic mirror, its surface
remained as clear as before. Then with joyful hearts the Negro and the
prince set out with the lady for the abode of the king of the demons.
On their way, the prince, fascinated by her beauty, fell in love with
the girl. He did not want to give her up to the king of the demons,
and so proposed to the Negro that they take her to his palace. But the
Negro would not consent, for the king of the demons knew all about
their doings, he said. So the prince gave up his plan on condition
that the girl's face be veiled.
When they arrived at the palace, the king of the demons gladly met
them, and said to the prince, "Now you have fulfilled my wish. You may
go back to your palace, and there you will find the diamond apartment
unlocked for you." The sorrowing prince turned his back and left the
palace with heavy heart; for he no longer thought of the treasure of
gold and diamonds, but had his whole soul centred in that beautiful
maiden that he had given up to the king of the demons. He reached
his own palace sad and dejected. Yet, to divert his mind from the
thought of her, he went to the subterranean apartment; and there he
found the last chamber unlocked.
After some hesitation, he went into the apartment. There he found
two veiled figures,--the one in the form of a king with his sceptre
and crown; the other, a maiden. He unveiled the one with the crown,
and was astounded to find the very same king of the demons. "Prince,
unveil that figure," said the king of the demons to him. The young
king did so, and to his great joy saw the beautiful maiden he had
lost his heart to. At once his sadness disappeared. Then the king
of the demons said to the prince, "Young king, since on your way to
my palace you fell in love with this maiden, I deem it fit that you
should have her for your companion; but do not expect the diamond
column any more." Then the king of the demons disappeared. The prince
at once embraced the maiden, and conducted her up to his palace. That
same day their marriage was celebrated with pomp and luxury.
Note.
Dr. Franz Boas informs me that this story is from the "Arabian Nights,"
"The Tale of Zayn Al-Asnam" (see Burton, Supplemental Nights," iii,
3-38; for Clouston's discussion of variants and analogues, ibid.,
553-563).
TALE 43
THE WICKED WOMAN'S REWARD.
Narrated by Gregorio Frondoso, a Bicol from Camarines. The story was
told by a father to one of his sons.
Once there lived a certain king. He had concubines, five in number. Two
of them he loved more than the others, for they were to bear him
children. He said that the one who should give birth to a male baby
he would marry. Soon one of them bore a child, but it was a girl,
and shortly afterward the other bore a handsome boy. The one which
had given birth to the baby girl was restless: she wished that she
might have the boy. In order to satisfy her wish, she thought of an
ingenious plan whereby she might get possession of the boy.
One midnight, when all were sound asleep, she killed her own baby
and secretly buried it. Then she quietly crept to her rival's bed and
stole her boy, putting in his place a newborn cat. Early in the morning
the king went to the room of his concubine who had borne the boy, and
was surprised to find a cat by her side instead of a human child. He
was so enraged, that he immediately ordered her to be drowned in the
river. His order was at once executed. Then he went into the room of
the wicked woman. The moment he saw the boy baby, he was filled with
great joy, and he smothered the child with kisses. As he had promised,
he married the woman. After the marriage the king sent away all his
other concubines, and he harbored a deep love for his deceitful wife.
Soon afterwards there was a great confusion throughout the
kingdom. Everybody wondered why it was that the river smelled so
fragrant, and the people were very anxious to find out the cause of
the sweet odor. It was not many days before the townspeople along
the river-bank found the corpse of the drowned woman floating in
the water; and this was the source of the sweetness that was causing
their restlessness. It was full of many different kinds of flowers
which had been gathered by the birds. When the people attempted to
remove the corpse from the water, the birds pecked them, and would
not let the body be taken away.
At last the news of the miracle was brought to the ears of the
king. He himself went to the river to see the wonderful corpse. As
soon as he saw the figure of the drowned woman, he was tortured with
remorse. Then, to his great surprise and fear, the corpse suddenly
stood up out of the water, and said to him in sorrowful tones, "O
king! as you see, my body has been floating on the water. The birds
would have buried me, but I wanted you to know that you ordered me to
be killed without any investigation of my fault. Your wife stole my
boy, and, as you saw, she put a cat by my side." The ghost vanished,
and the king saw the body float away again down the river. The king
at once ordered the body of his favorite to be taken out of the water
and brought to the palace; and he himself was driven back to the town,
violent with rage and remorse. There he seized his treacherous wife
and hurled her out of the window of the palace, and he even ordered
her body to be hanged.
Having gotten rid of this evil woman, the king ordered the body of
the innocent woman to be buried among the noble dead. The corpse
was placed in a magnificent tomb, and was borne in a procession with
pompous funeral ceremonies. He himself dressed entirely in black as
a sign of his genuine grief for her; yet, in spite of his sorrow for
his true wife, he took comfort in her son, who grew to be a handsome
boy. As time went on, the prince developed into a brave youth,
who was able to perform the duties of his father the king: so, as
his father became old, no longer able to bear the responsibilities
of regal power, the prince succeeded to the throne, and ruled the
kingdom well. He proved himself to be the son of the good woman by
his wise and just rule over his subjects.
Note.
I know of no other versions of this story. The incident of the animal
substitution for child is a commonplace in folk-tales, though it is
usually ascribed to an envious step-mother rather than an envious
co-wife. For abstracts of Filipino stories containing this incident
see JAFL 29 : 226 et seq., 228, 229; 19 : 265-272.
TALE 44
THE MAGIC RING ("ANG SINGSING NGA TANTANAN").
Narrated by Encarnacion Gonzaga, a Visayan from Jaro, Iloilo. The
story, she says, is very popular among the Visayans.
In the town of X, not far from the kingdom of Don Fernando, there
lived an old religious woman named Carmen. She had a son named
Carlos. She had been a widow since Carlos was nine months old. She
was poor--poor even to raggedness. One day she said to her son,
"I have named you Carlos because I love you. For me, no name is
prettier than yours. Every letter in it means something." Carlos asked
his mother to tell him the meaning of his name; but she said to him,
"I'll tell it to you later. First go to the king's palace, and there
beg something for us to eat. O my son! if you only knew the miseries I
have had to endure to bring you up, you would not refuse this request
of your poor mother," she said, weeping.
Carlos pitied his mother very much, so he ran towards the king's
palace to beg some food; but when he reached the gate, he hesitated
to enter. He was ashamed to beg, so he went and stood silently under
the orange-tree which was not far from the princess's window. "If
I should obey my mother's request," he said to himself, "what would
the princess say? She would probably say to me, 'You are too young to
beg.' What a disgrace then would it be for me!" As Carlos was looking
at the declining sun with tears in his eyes, the princess raised her
window and unintentionally spit on his head. Carlos's eyes flashed. He
looked at the princess sternly, and said, "If the Goddess of the Sea,
who has a star on her forehead [92] and a moon on her throat, does
not dare to spit on me, how can you--you who are but the shadow of
her power and beauty?"
At these harsh words the princess fainted. When she came to herself,
she cried. Her tears were like drops of dew falling from the leaves
in the morning. Her father entered her room, and found her in her
sorrow. "Why do you weep, Florentina?" asked Don Fernando.
"O Father!" answered Florentina, "my heart is broken. I have been
disgraced."
"Why should you say so?" replied her father. "Who broke your heart,
and who disgraced you?"
"There's a man under the orange-tree," answered the princess, "who
said to me these words"--and she repeated what Carlos had said to her.
The king instantly ordered Carlos to be seized and brought into his
presence. Carlos stood fearless before him, and answered all his
questions. Don Fernando at last said, "If within a week you cannot
show me that what you said to my daughter is true, you'll be hanged
without mercy."
These words frightened Carlos. With tears in his eyes and with his
thoughts devoted to God, who alone could give him consolation, he
walked down the shore of the Golden River. He sat down to rest under
a pagatpat-tree [93]. An eagle which had a nest at the very top of
the tree saw him crying, and said to him, "Why do you weep, Carlos?"
"O Eagle, queen of the birds! I'd be very thankful to you if you'd
only tell me where the home of the Goddess of the Sea is," said Carlos.
"Why do you want her house?" asked the eagle. "Don't you know that
no human being is able to see her?"
"I didn't know that; but if I cannot see her, my life is lost,"
said Carlos sadly.
The eagle pitied Carlos very much: so she said, "Come, Carlos,
come! and I'll lead you to the right path." Carlos followed her
until they came to the mouth of the river. There they stopped. The
eagle shouted, "O king of the fishes! come and help me, for I am
in great need of assistance." The king of the fishes appeared, and
asked what the eagle needed. The eagle told him the story of Carlos,
and asked him if he could take Carlos to the home of the Goddess of
the Sea. As the fish could not refuse the request of the queen of the
birds, he said to Carlos, "Carlos, lie on my back and close your eyes:
within five minutes you'll be in the home of the goddess."
Carlos obeyed the fish. When he opened his eyes, he found that he was
in a very beautiful house. He was lying on a golden bed, and beside
him was standing a beautiful woman with a star on her forehead and
a moon on her throat. Carlos could not believe that the vision was
true. By and by he heard a sweet voice saying, "What has brought you
to this place?"
Carlos trembled, and answered, "I have come here to ask for your help."
"What help do you desire?" asked the goddess. Carlos related his
story. The goddess could not refuse help to one who had spoken so
well of her beauty, so she took her diamond ring off her finger
and gave it to Carlos, saying, "Take this ring with you. Whenever
you want or need my help, touch the ring thrice, and say, 'O God,
help me!' If the king wants my presence, touch the ring six times,
and I'll appear before you."
Carlos received the ring, and, humbly kneeling before the goddess,
said, "I can find no words in which to express to you my gratitude. I
thank you with all my heart."
The goddess then called to the king of the fishes, and ordered him
to take Carlos back to land. When Carlos arrived at the shore of the
river, he met the eagle, who showed him the way to the king's palace.
The king Don Fernando, on seeing Carlos once more before him, said,
"You wretch! one day more is all you have to live."
"To-morrow," replied Carlos, "I'll come before your Highness, and I'll
show to you that what I said to the princess is true." When morning
came the next day, Carlos was ordered into the king's presence. All
the lords and nobles of the kingdom were in the palace, anxious to
see the Goddess of the Sea. It was already eight o'clock, and the
goddess had not yet appeared. The king asked, "Where is she, Carlos?"
"She cannot come," replied Carlos; "but, if your Highness wants me to,
I'll give you a trunk filled with gold in exchange for my life."
"No," said the king angrily: "what we want is the Goddess of the
Sea. If you cannot show her to us, prepare to be hanged."
Carlos touched the ring six times, and the beautiful Goddess of the
Sea appeared. All were amazed to see a woman with curly hair, a star
on her forehead, a moon on her throat, and wearing a white dress
glistening with diamonds. "Carlos is an enchanter!" cried the king,
and he ran to embrace the goddess. In five minutes she disappeared,
and Carlos's life was saved.
Don Fernando now proposed to marry his daughter Florentina to
Carlos. At first the princess hesitated to say yes, but at last she
consented. Carlos was glad to marry the beautiful princess; but,
before the marriage took place, he went to get his poor mother,
who was anxiously awaiting his return home.
Carlos with his diamond ring could now have everything he needed. In
fact, he made the chapel in which he was married all of gold. The
wedding-dress of the princess was adorned with diamonds. Immediately
after the wedding, poor Carmen died of happiness. Carlos continued
to live in the palace with his wife Florentina, but he never came to
know the meaning of his name.
Note.
I know of no variants of this story. The detail of the helpful animals
is common in Filipino Märchen; here, however, the kindness of the
eagle and the fish lack the usual motivation.
TALE 45
MARIA AND THE GOLDEN SLIPPER.
Narrated by Dolores Zafra, a Tagalog from Pagsanjan, Laguna. She
says that this is a Tagalog story, and was told to her when she was
a little girl.
Once there lived a couple who had an only daughter, Maria. When Maria
was a little girl, her mother died. A few years later Maria's father
fell in love with a widow named Juana, who had two daughters. The
elder of these daughters was Rosa, and the younger was Damiana. When
Maria was grown to be a young woman, her father married the woman
Juana. Maria continued to live with her father and step-mother. But
Juana and her two daughters treated Maria as a servant. She had to do
all the work in the house,--cook the food, wash the clothes, clean the
floors. The only clothes she herself had to wear were ragged and dirty.
One day Prince Malecadel wanted to get married: so he gave a ball, to
which he invited all the ladies in his kingdom. He said that the most
beautiful of all was to be his wife. When Damiana and Rosa knew that
all the ladies were invited, they began to discuss what clothes they
would wear to the ball; but poor Maria was in the river, washing the
clothes. Maria was very sad and was weeping, for she had no clothes
at all in which she could appear at the prince's fête. While she
was washing, a crab approached her, and said, "Why are you crying,
Maria? Tell me the reason, for I am your mother."
Then Maria said to the crab, "I am treated by my aunt (sic!) and
sisters as a servant; and there will be a ball to-night, but I have
no clothes to wear." While she was talking to the crab, Juana came
up. The step-mother was very angry with Maria, and ordered her to
catch the crab and cook it for their dinner. Maria seized the crab
and carried it to the house. At first she did not want to cook it,
for she knew that it was her mother; but Juana whipped her so hard,
that at last she was forced to obey. Before it was put in the earthen
pot to be cooked, the crab said to Maria, "Maria, don't eat my flesh,
but collect all my shell after I am eaten, and bury the pieces in
the garden near the house. They will grow into a tree, and you can
have what you want if you will only ask the tree for it." After her
parents had eaten the flesh of the crab, Maria collected all its shell
and buried it in the garden. At twilight she saw a tree standing on
the very spot where she had buried the shell.
When night came, Rosa and Damiana went to the ball, and Juana retired
for the night as soon as her daughters were gone. When Maria saw that
her aunt was sleeping, she went into the garden and asked the tree
for what she wanted. The tree changed her clothes into very beautiful
ones, and furnished her with a fine coach drawn by four fine horses,
and a pair of golden slippers. Before she left, the tree said to her,
"You must be in your house before twelve o'clock. If you are not,
your clothes will be changed into ragged, dirty ones again, and your
coach will disappear."
After promising to remember the warning of the tree, Maria went to the
ball, where she was received by the prince very graciously. All the
ladies were astonished when they saw her: she was the most beautiful
of all. Then she sat between her two sisters, but neither Rosa nor
Damiana recognized her. The prince danced with her all the time. When
Maria saw that it was half-past eleven, she bade farewell to the prince
and all the ladies present, and went home. When she reached the garden,
the tree changed her beautiful clothes back into her old ones, and the
coach disappeared. Then she went to bed and to sleep. When her sisters
came home, they told her of everything that had happened at the ball.
The next night the prince gave another ball. After Rosa and Damiana
had dressed themselves in their best clothes and gone, Maria again
went to the garden to ask for beautiful clothes. This time she was
given a coach drawn by five (?) horses, and again the tree warned
her to return before twelve. The prince was delighted to see her,
and danced with her the whole evening. Maria was so enchanted that
she forgot to notice the time. While she was dancing, she heard the
clock striking twelve. She ran as fast as she could down stairs and
out the palace-door, but in her haste she dropped one of her golden
slippers. This night she had to walk home, and in her old ragged
clothes, too. One of her golden slippers she had with her; but the
other, which she had dropped at the door, was found by one of the
guards, who gave it to the prince. The guard said that the slipper
had been lost by the beautiful lady who ran out of the palace when
the clock was striking twelve. Then the prince said to all the people
present, "The lady whom this slipper fits is to be my wife."
The next morning the prince ordered one of his guards to carry
the slipper to every house in the city to see if its owner could
be found. The first house visited was the one in which Maria
lived. Rosa tried to put the slipper on her foot, but her foot was
much too big. Then Damiana put it on her foot, but her foot was too
small. The two sisters tried and tried again to make the slipper fit,
but in vain. Then Maria told them that she would try, and see if
the slipper would fit her foot; but her sisters said to her, "Your
feet are very dirty. This golden slipper will not go on your foot,
for your feet are larger than ours." And they laughed at her. But
the guard who had brought the slipper said, "Let her try. It is the
prince's order that all shall try." So he gave it to Maria. Then
Maria put it on, and it fitted her foot exactly. She then drew the
other slipper from underneath her dress, and put it on her other
foot. When the two sisters saw the two slippers on Maria's feet,
they almost fainted with astonishment.
So Maria became the wife of the prince, and from that time on she
was very dear to her sisters and aunt.
Abadeja.
This is a Visayan story from Leyte. Unfortunately I have no record
of the name of the narrator.
Once upon a time there lived in the town of Baybay a man whose name was
Abac. The name of his wife was Abadesa. They had a beautiful daughter
named Abadeja. The mother died when her daughter was about thirteen
years old; and in a year her father married again, a widow who had
three daughters. The second wife envied her step-daughter because
Abadeja was much more beautiful than her own children: consequently
she treated the poor girl very badly, and made her do all the hard
work. When Abadeja could not do the work, her step-mother punished
her severely.
One evening the step-mother said to Abadeja, "Take these two
handkerchiefs to the river and wash them. The white one must be black,
and the black one white, when you bring them back to me. If they are
not, I shall beat you." Abadeja went to the river, where she sat down
on a rock and began to cry. In a little while she heard a noise that
made her look up. There in front of her stood a beautiful woman. The
woman asked Abadeja why she was crying. Abadeja replied, "I am crying
because my step-mother has commanded me to do the impossible. She told
me that I must change this white handkerchief into black, and the black
one into white." The woman took the handkerchiefs, and in an instant
they were transformed. Then she gave them back to Abadeja, and invited
the girl to come see her any time she needed help. After she had spoken
thus, she disappeared. Abadeja went home and gave the handkerchiefs
to her cruel step-mother, who now had no excuse to punish her.
The next morning Abadeja was ordered to put some rice on a mat in the
sun to dry. While she was in the house doing other work, a pig came,
ate up the rice, and tore the mat to pieces. When the step-mother knew
what had happened, she whipped Abadeja severely for having lost the
rice, and told her that she would have to repair the mat so that it
was as good as new. Abadeja took the mat and went across the river,
crying. The beautiful woman met her again, and, taking her by the hand,
led her to her home among the high trees. Then she asked Abadeja what
she wanted. Abadeja told her friend that her step-mother had ordered
her to repair the mat so that it would be as good as new. The woman
took the mat from the girl and waved it in the air. Immediately it
became a whole mat again. Then she gave Abadeja a beautifully-colored
chicken. Abadeja thanked her for her help and her gift, and hurried
home, for she knew that her step-mother would be waiting to scold
her if she were late.
The next day when Abadeja was away from the house, her cruel
step-mother took the chicken, killed it, and cooked it. When the girl
returned, only the feet of her chicken were left. She cried over
her loss, and ran to the river to ask the beautiful woman what she
should do. The beautiful woman, when she heard what had happened,
told the girl to take the chicken's feet and plant them in the
forest. Abadeja went home, took the feet, and carried them with her
to the forest. There she made a little garden, in which she planted
the right foot toward the east, and the left foot toward the west.
A month later she visited her garden in the woods, and was astonished
to see that the feet had grown up into the air, and that they bore
pearls, diamonds, gold dresses, rings, bracelets, shoes, necklaces,
and ear-rings. She was delighted, but she did not tell her step-mother
about her garden.
One day the son of the richest man in Baybay came across this
little garden in the forest. He picked off a ring and put it on his
finger. When he reached home, his finger began to swell. His father
called in all the best physicians, but they could not remove the
ring. Then he called in all the girls of the town, and said that the
one who could take the ring from the finger of his son should be his
son's wife. All the girls of the town tried except Abadeja. She did
not try, because her mother would not allow her to go. At last some
one told the rich man that there was still a girl who had not tried,
and that it was Abadeja: so he sent for her. Now, her step-mother
did not dare refuse to let her go. Abadeja ran to her little garden,
put on one of the gold dresses, and went to the rich man's house. As
soon as she touched the ring, it slid off.
The next day Abadeja was married to the son of the rich man. The
beautiful woman attended the wedding unseen by every one except
Abadeja. The young couple lived happily for many years.
Notes.
In another variant (c), "The Wonderful Tree," which was collected by
Mr. Rusk, and of which I have only an abstract,--
Maria's mother was drowned by the cruel husband, a fisherman, who
desired to marry another woman. The daughter was now ill-treated
by her step-mother, and often went to the seashore to talk with the
spirit of her dead mother. When the mother could no longer continue
the meetings with Maria, she told her to plant in a certain place
all the fins of all the fish the family should eat on a certain
day. From these fins there grew up a magic tree of gold and precious
stones. One day a prince, hearing the music made by the wind in the
magic tree, approached the tree and found the beautiful Maria. Later
he married her.
For still other Philippine variants of the Cinderella story, see
JAFL 19 : 265-272, where Fletcher Gardner gives two oral Tagalog
versions. In the same journal (29 : 226 f.) I have given synopses of
two Tagalog metrical romances which open with the Cinderella setting.
The Cinderella story is perhaps the most widespread Märchen
in the world. See M. R. Cox's bibliographical study of it:
"Cinderella, 345 Variants of Cinderella, Catskin, and Cap o' Rushes,
abstracted and tabulated, with a discussion of medieval analogues,
and notes. London, 1893." Bolte-Polívka's notes to Grimm, No. 21,
examine Miss Cox's material from a somewhat new angle, and are very
useful for reference. It seems hardly necessary to attempt to add here
to those two exhaustive monographs. Attention may be called to the
fact, however, that our story of "Abadeja," which comes from Leyte,
presents a number of interesting items not found in the other Filipino
variants: e.g., (1) the task of washing a black handkerchief white,
and vice-versâ; (2) the magic tree growing up from the feet of a
wonderful chicken given the heroine by the mysterious woman; (3) the
unusual device for providing a rich husband for the heroine. There
are some slight resemblances between these last two details and
corresponding incidents in Mr. Rusk's variant "The Wonderful Tree."
TALE 46
JUAN THE POOR.
Narrated by Dolores Zafra, a Tagalog from Pagsanjan, who heard this
story from her grandfather.
Many years ago there lived a king who was always sad. He used to go to
a mountain and climb the highest tree that was growing there. One day
when he was in the top of the tree, he saw on another high mountain a
beautiful princess, Doña Maria. When he returned home to his palace,
he sent a proclamation all over his kingdom, saying that the one
who could take Doña Maria from her mountain and bring her before him
should have one-half of his kingdom.
Juan was a beggar; and it was his custom, whenever he saw a beggar
like himself, to share with that beggar the alms which had been given
him. One day he saw a wretched old woman, and out of pity for her he
gave her all the food he had begged that day. Then the old woman,
who knew of the proclamation of the king, said to Juan, "You must
tell the king, my boy, that you will fetch Doña Maria for him." Juan
did not want to, because he said that he did not know where and how he
might get Doña Maria; but the old woman at last persuaded Juan to go by
telling him that she would accompany him, and promising her help. After
Juan had visited the palace and told the king that he would bring the
princess Doña Maria to him, the poor boy and the old woman set out
on their journey to the distant mountain. When they reached the gates
of the city, the old woman said to Juan, "Juan, I am very tired, and
I cannot go any farther, but I will give you this handkerchief. When
you come to the first mountain, you must spread the handkerchief on the
ground, and many fat horses will approach you; but I advise you not to
choose any of them. You must choose the very last one, which will be
lean and weak-looking. That is the horse which can endure hardships,
and which will be able to carry you to the princess's palace."
Juan followed the advice of the old woman, when the time came, and
chose the thin horse. He mounted on its back, and rode on towards the
mountain of Doña Maria. When he had ridden very far, he saw before
him a hill full of ants. He was afraid to try to pass over this hill,
lest the ants should devour him and his animal. The horse said to
him, "You must ask the handkerchief for food, and we will feed the
ants." Juan spread out the handkerchief, and asked it to bring him
much food. After he had scattered it on the ground for the ants, the
leader of the ants approached Juan, and said, "Since you have been
very kind to us, I will give you one of my legs; and at any time you
want aid from us, you must burn the leg, and let the ashes be carried
by the wind. Then we will come to help you."
When Juan had again gone a long distance from the hill, he saw the sky
full of birds flying around and looking for food. Again the horse told
Juan to ask for food from the handkerchief; so that they might feed the
birds, and not be killed by them and eaten. Juan did so, and gave the
birds all they wanted to eat. Then the king of the birds, the eagle,
flew up to Juan, and said, "To repay you for your kindness, I will
give you some feathers from my wings. Any time you want aid from us,
just burn some of the feathers, and let the ashes be carried by the
wind. Then we will come to you." Juan thanked the bird, and put the
feathers in his pocket where he kept the leg of the ant.
Then he continued his journey. When they came near the palace of
Doña Maria, the horse told Juan to hide, and said that he alone
would enter her garden; but before he should hide, Juan should ask
his handkerchief for a complete equipment of saddle and bridle, so
that the horse could be mounted by a lady. Juan did so, hid himself,
and the horse wandered into the garden of Doña Maria. When the princess
saw the horse, she became very angry, and said, "Who is the one who is
so bold as to let his horse enter my garden?" She looked all about,
but could see no one: so she said to herself, "I will mount this
horse and find out who its owner is." She mounted the horse, which
immediately ran to the place where Juan was hiding, and told him to
get up on its back. Then the horse carried them swiftly back to the
small house of Juan. When he reached home, Juan sent word to the king
that the princess Doña Maria was in his home. The king, accompanied
by all his retinue, went in great state to Juan's house, made over to
him one-half of his dominion, and took Doña Maria back to his palace.
Now, Doña Maria was very beautiful, and the king fell deeply in love
with her. When he was alone with her in the palace, he began to court
her. He asked her to be his wife; but Doña Maria said, "Only the one
who can do what I wish him to do shall be my husband. I will mix one
hundred cavans of husked rice with one hundred cavans of unhusked
rice (palay). He who in one night can separate the two kinds of rice,
and also bring my palace here to your kingdom, shall be married to
me." The king said that no one could accomplish those things; but
Doña Maria told him that there was one who could accomplish the tasks,
and that was Juan.
The king then sent for Juan, and said to him, "Juan, here are one
hundred cavans of husked rice mixed with one hundred cavans of unhusked
rice. To-night you must separate the grain into two piles, and also
transport the palace of Doña Maria to my kingdom. If you have not
done both by to-morrow morning, you shall lose your head." Juan went
away very sad toward the mountain. As he was walking along, he met
the thin horse which had helped him before. The horse said to him,
"Why are you so sad, Juan?" Juan told the horse what the king had
ordered him to do. Then the horse said, "Don't be sad, Juan! you can
accomplish both those difficult tasks. Don't you remember the leg
of the ant and the feathers of the eagle which were given to you,
and the promise of the ant and eagle?" So Juan took the ant's leg
and the feathers from his pocket, burned them, and threw the ashes
into the air. In a short time thousands of birds and ants came to him
and asked him what he wanted. Then Juan said, "I want the palace of
Doña Maria brought here before daybreak, and the two hundred cavans
of mixed rice separated." When they heard Juan's order, the birds
flew to the mountain to get the palace, and the ants hastened to the
king's grounds to separate the unhusked from the husked rice.
By morning both tasks were completed: so Juan was married to Doña
Maria, for she would have no other husband.
Notes.
Although this story is clearly derived from the Tagalog romance of the
"Life of King Asuero," nevertheless it is also told as a folk-tale,
and for that reason I have included it in this collection. As has been
intimated already so many times, it is often hard to draw the line
between folk-tales and literary tales, especially when the latter are
widely told and read. Since our object in this collection is to present
to Occidental readers a comprehensive account of what is in Philippine
popular literature, it has seemed unwise to exclude this story.
The full title of the romance is "The Story and Life of King Asuero,
Doña Maria, and Juan the Poor, in the City of Jerusalem." My copy
is dated 1905; Retana (No. 4192) mentions an edition between the
years 1860 and 1898. In outline the folk-tale differs little from
the romance, hence it is unnecessary to give a detailed summary of
the printed version. The more important variations might be noted,
however. The romance opens thus:--
Once there lived an old man whose name was Asuero. He was the king
of Jerusalem. One night he dreamed that he should be dethroned,
and that a poor young countryman would take his place. He awoke and
became sad and thoughtful. Unable to go to sleep again, he climbed a
tower of his palace, and began to look around with a spy-glass. When
he directed his gaze toward a mountain-region beyond the Nile (!),
he saw an enchantress who was looking out of her window. She was
Doña Maria. He was charmed by her beauty, and became restless. At
length he resolved to relate to his council of chiefs what he had
seen, and to ask their advice. Many suggestions were made, and many
objections. Since the king could not be deterred from his purpose
of attempting to get possession of Doña Maria, his chief counsellor
proposed an assembly of all the people of the kingdom, where the king's
desire might be made known. At the assembly the king promised money
to any one who dared to undertake the adventure, and his appointment
as chief counsellor if he were successful.
The folk-tale and the romance are practically identical, except
that the romance is more detailed, up to the point where the horse
leaves Juan to go to entice Doña Maria from her palace and get her
in its power.
The horse told Juan that it would go with the golden bit and saddle
and get Doña Maria, while Juan should hide in a bush near by until they
should come back. The horse also told Juan that when it passed by the
bush, he should seize its tail and hold on tight. Then the horse left,
and after a time came to the garden of Doña Maria. When the maiden
saw the animal, she became angry at its owner for letting it into her
garden. After looking about for the rider in vain, she claimed the
horse, and was about to mount it when the animal spoke to her, and told
her to put on a better dress, one which would be more appropriate for
the golden saddle. When she returned, she had on a magnificent gown,
and wore a magic ring. The horse told her that it had been sent by
God to be her faithful steed, and then suggested that she visit the
abode of the eagles. She was very anxious to see this wonderful place,
and agreed to be taken there. Before they set out, the horse asked her
for her magic ring, saying that he would carry it safely for her in
his mouth. She surrendered the ring, and the horse carried her to the
place where Juan was concealed. Juan seized the tail of the horse, and
the animal flew into the air and alighted beyond the sea. Here, by the
magic power of the handkerchief, Juan produced food, a table, and two
chairs at the request of the horse. Six maids served them. The horse
now gave Juan the ring of Doña Maria; and as long as he kept this,
he was sure of keeping the maiden. After eating, Doña Maria asked Juan
why she had been brought there; but Juan, following the advice of the
horse, made no reply. She flattered him and tried to get him to sleep,
but he paid no attention to her. At length the horse told them that
they must resume their journey. The horse travelled rapidly, and soon
reached the royal palace; but the gates were closed, for it was then
about midnight. So the riders decided to spend the rest of the night
at Juan's house. There the old mother received them all gladly. When
the saddle and bit had been taken from the horse, the animal said
that it would return the following morning and carry Juan to the
palace. It further warned Juan not to sleep if he valued his life ....
The romance closes with the inevitable war with the Moors, and the
rescue of the kingdom from the hands of the Pagans by the invincible
Juan.
The exact source of this romance I am unable to point to; but without
question it is Occidental, I believe.
TALE 47
THE FATE OF AN ENVIOUS WOMAN.
Narrated by Vicente M. Hilario, a Tagalog from Batangas, Batangas. He
was told the story by his gardener.
There lived once upon a time a young couple of the middle class. The
man was a reckless scapegrace and spendthrift; but the woman was a
pious, faithful, and virtuous housewife. Juan was the husband's name;
Maria, the wife's. One of the worst things about Juan was that he
spent on another woman the greater part of the money which Maria
could with difficulty scrape together. This other woman's name was
Flora. It is true that she surpassed Maria in personal charm, but in
real worth Flora was greatly Maria's inferior. Hence we should not
wonder at the fact that Maria soon grew distasteful to her husband,
and that after a year of married life he should seek to be entertained
by a more beautiful woman. He spent most of his time in listless
indolence by the side of Flora, returning home only to get his meals,
which Maria prepared with the greatest care. But her efforts were all
to no purpose. In vain did Maria array herself in her best clothes,
and scent herself with the most delicate perfumes: her face remained
pitted with small-pox scars, as before.
Years came and passed, and Juan became more and more harsh to his
wife. At last Maria sought the aid of St. Vicente Ferrer. She knelt
before the image, and asked the saint to rescue her husband from the
pit into which he had fallen. Her prayers were soon answered. The
image became animated. It touched her face several times, and in a few
seconds Maria was converted into an extraordinary beauty. Her once
rough skin was now smooth and velvety. She then went to the window
to await her husband's return. When he arrived an hour later, he was
at first unwilling to come up into the house, for he did not believe
that the beautiful woman was his wife; but at last she disclosed her
true self to him. A great change now came over Juan. The once despised
wife now began to enjoy the caresses of her husband, who pressed her
close to his heart.
Days elapsed, and Flora began to get uneasy at her home. She
wondered why Juan did not come to see her. At length she went to
his house. After asking Maria how she had acquired her beauty, Flora
decided to try her fortune also. She too knelt before the image of
St. Vicente Ferrer. But, alas! instead of becoming as white and as
beautiful as the women of a Turkish harem, she became as black and as
ugly as the mistress of a Kaffir household. Her once delicate lips
became thick and coarse, and her nose became as long as a monkey's
tail. Filled with shame at her appearance, and with a consciousness
of her own guilt, she went home, where she pined away and died.
The once homely Maria, whose home had rung with laughter by the taunt
and ridicule of those who made fun of her ugliness, [94] now graced her
house with sweet smiles and engaging features, which drew scores of
visitors to her home. Juan confessed his sins, and underwent penance
for his wickedness; and the two lived together in peace and happiness
the rest of their lives.
Notes.
A Visayan variant, "The Two Wives and the Witch," may be found in
JAFL 19 : 105. In the southern version "Juan puts away his first,
plain-looking wife, and takes another, handsomer one. The first
wife, weeping by a well, is transformed by a witch into a beautiful
woman. She wins her husband's affections back again. The second wife,
deserted in turn, weeps by the well, and is transformed by the witch
into such a hideous old hag, that, when she looks at herself in
the glass and sees her ugliness, she refuses to eat, and in a few
days dies."
In a broad way this story and ours belong to the "Toads and
Diamonds" group (see Grimm, No. 13 ["The Three Little Men in the
Wood"] and No. 24 ["Mother Holle"]; and Bolte-Polívka's notes to
the two stories). In these groups, however, the two young women
are sisters,--one bad, and the other good. About all there is in
common between the norm of the "Toads and Diamonds" cycle and our
tales is the situation of the plain-looking but faithful, unselfish,
good-hearted woman being granted by some supernatural creature wealth
and beauty; while the handsome but selfish and wicked woman, envious
of her rival's good luck, becomes loathsome and miserable when she
asks a boon from the same supernatural source.
The only other member of this group that narrates the story of
two wives instead of two sisters is Lal Behari Day's No. 22. This
Bengal tale, it appears to me, is related both to our stories and to
those of the "Mother Holle" group, thus linking ours with the latter
also. Following is Cosquin's summary of Day's story (2 : 123):--
A man had two wives,--one young, and one old. The latter was treated by
the other as if she were a slave. One day her rival, in a fit of anger,
snatched from the old woman's head the one tuft of hair she had, and
drove her from the door. The old woman went into the forest. Passing
by a cotton-tree, she saw that the ground round about the tree needed
sweeping, and she swept it. The tree, much pleased, showered its
blessings on her. She did the same thing for other trees--a banana
and a tulasi--and also for a bull, whose stall she swept out. All
blessed her. She arrived next at the hut of a venerable mouni (a
kind of ascetic), and she told him of her misery. The mouni told her
to go plunge herself once, but only once, in a certain pool. She
obeyed, and came up out of the water with the most beautiful hair
in the world, and altogether rejuvenated. The mouni next told her
to enter his hut and to select from among many willow baskets that
which pleased her. The woman took one very simple in appearance. The
mouni bade her open it: it was filled with gold and precious stones,
and was never empty. On her way back home she passed in front of the
tulasi. The tree said to her, "Go home in peace! your husband will
love you to madness." Next the bull gave her some shell ornaments
which were about its horns, and told her to place them on her wrists:
if she would but shake them, she would have all the ornaments she could
wish. The banana-tree gave her one of its large leaves, which filled
itself of its own accord with excellent dishes. And, last of all,
the cotton-tree gave her one of its branches, which would give her,
if she shook it, every kind of beautiful garment. When she returned
to the house, the other wife could hardly believe her eyes. Having
learned of the old woman's adventures, she too went into the forest:
but she passed by the trees and the bull without stopping. And instead
of dipping herself only once in the pool, as the mouni told her to do,
she plunged in a second time, hoping to become even more beautiful;
and so she came out of the water as ugly as before. The mouni did
not give her any present, either; and thenceforth, disdained by her
husband, she finished her life as a servant in his house.
It is unsafe to attempt to trace a story with only three examples
as data: but it appears to me not unreasonable to suppose that our
Tagalog story is a refined, pious, Christianized modernization of the
Visayan form represented by "The Two Wives and the Witch;" and that
the Visayan form, in turn, goes back to some Indian or Malayan moral
tale of two wives, rivals for the affection of their husband. The
Bengali tale can hardly be the direct source of our Visayan form,
but it appears to be fairly closely related to that source.
TALE 48
THE MONKEY AND JUAN PUSONG TAMBI-TAMBI.
Narrated by Encarnacion Gonzaga, a Visayan from Jaro, Iloilo. She says
that she has often heard this story; that it was very popular among
the "inhabitants of yesterday;" and that even now many are fond of it.
Tiring-tirang was a barrio in the town of Tang-tang, situated at
the foot of a hill which was called "La Campana" because of its
shape. Around the hill, about a mile from the barrio, flowed the
Malogo River, in which the people of the town used to bathe. It
so happened that one time an epidemic broke out in the community,
killing off all the inhabitants except one couple. This couple had
an only son named Juan Pusong Tambi-tambi.
When Juan had reached his twelfth year, his father died: consequently
the boy had to go to work to earn money for the support of himself
and his mother. At first Juan followed the occupation of his father,
that of fisherman; but, seeing that he made little money from this,
he decided to become a farmer. His mother had now reached the age of
seventy (!), and was often sick. Juan frequently had to neglect his
farm in order to take care of her.
One day Juan went to Pit-pit to buy medicine for his mother. On his
way to the town he saw a flock of crows eating up his corn. He paid
no attention to the birds; but on his way back, when he saw these
same birds still eating his corn, he became angry. He picked up a
stone about the size of his fist, and crept into a bush near by. He
had hardly hidden himself when the birds heard a rustling, and began
to fly off. Juan jumped up, and hurled his stone with such accuracy
and force that one of the crows fell dead to the ground. He tied
the dead crow to a bamboo pole, and planted it in the middle of his
cornfield. No sooner was he out of sight than the crows flew back to
the field again; but when they saw their dead companion, they flew off,
and never troubled Juan again.
For six months Juan had no trouble from birds. He did not know,
however, that not far from his field there was a monkey (chongo)
living in a large tree. This monkey used to come to his field every
day and steal two or three ears of corn. One day, as Juan was walking
across his field, he saw many dead cornstalks. He said to himself,
"I wonder who it is that comes here and steals my corn! I am no longer
troubled by birds; and yet I find here many husks." He went home and
made an image of a crooked old man like himself. This he covered with
sticky wax. He placed it in the middle of the field.
The next morning, when the sun was shining very brightly, the monkey
felt hungry, so he ran towards the field to steal some corn to
eat. There he saw the statue. Thinking that it was Juan, he decided
to ask permission before he took any corn. "Good-morning, Juan!" said
the monkey in a courteous tone; but the image made no reply. "You
are too proud to bend your neck, Juan," continued the monkey. "I have
only come to ask you for three or four ears of corn. I have not eaten
since yesterday, you know; and if you deny me this request, I shall
die before morning." The waxen statue still stood motionless. "Do you
hear me, Juan?" said the monkey impatiently. Still the statue made
no reply. "Since you are too proud to answer me, I will soon give you
some presents. Look out!" he cried, and with his right paw he slapped
the statue which he thought was Juan; but his paw stuck to the wax,
and he could not get free. "Let my hand loose!" the monkey shouted,
"or you will get another present." Then he slapped the statue with his
left paw, and, as before, stuck fast. "You are foolish, Juan. If you
do not let me go this very moment, I'll kick you." He did so, first
with one foot, and then with the other. At last he could no longer
move, and he began to curse the statue. Juan, who had been hiding
in a bush near by, now presented himself, and said to the monkey,
"Now I have caught you, you thief!" He would have killed the monkey
at once, had not the monkey begged for mercy, and promised that he
would at some future time repay him for his kindness if he would only
spare his life. So Juan set the monkey free.
It was now the month of April. The monkey, impatient to fulfil his word
to Juan, went one day to the field, and there he found Juan hard at
work. "Good-morning, Master Juan!" he cried. "I see that you are busy."
"Busy indeed!" replied Juan.
"Master Juan, do you want to marry the king's daughter? If you do,
I'll arrange everything for you," said the monkey.
Juan replied, "Yes," little thinking that what the monkey promised
could be true.
The monkey scampered off towards the market. When he entered the
market, he saw a boy counting his money. The monkey pretended to be
looking in the other direction, but walked towards the boy. When he
saw that the money was fairly within his reach, he seized it and ran
back to Juan. After telling his master what he had done, the monkey
went to the king's palace, and said, "Sir, my master, Juan, wants
to borrow your ganta, for he desires to measure his money." The king
gave him the ganta. In three days the monkey appeared at the palace
again to return the measure, in the bottom of which he stuck three
centavos. "My master, Juan, thanks you for your kindness," said the
monkey. The monkey was about to leave the room when the king perceived
the three centavos sticking to the bottom of the measure.
"Here, monkey, here are your three cents!" said the king. "Oh, oh,
oh, oh, oh!" answered the monkey, laughing, "my master cares not for
three cents. He has too much money. He is very, very rich." The king
was much surprised to hear that there was a man richer than himself.
Two weeks later the monkey returned to the palace again, and said,
"Pray, king, my master, Juan, desires to borrow your ganta again. He
wants to finish measuring his money."
The king was filled with curiosity; and he said, "I'll let you borrow
the ganta, monkey, but you must tell me first who is this Juan whom
you call your master."
"My master, Juan," replied the monkey, "is the richest man in the
world."
Before giving the measure to the monkey, the king went to his room
and stuck four pieces of gold on the four corners of the ganta. "I'll
find out who is the richer, Juan or I," he said to himself. The monkey
took the measure, and left the hall with a polite bow.
As he was walking towards Juan's farm, the monkey noticed the four
pieces of gold sticking to the corners of the ganta. He knew that they
had been artfully placed there by the king himself. Two weeks later
he went back to the palace to return the measure, not forgetting to
stick a gold dollar on each corner. "Good-afternoon, king!" said he,
"my master, Juan, returns you your ganta with a thousand thanks."
"Very well," replied the king; "but tell me all about this master
of yours who measures his money. I am a king; still I only count
my money."
The monkey remained silent. Not receiving a prompt reply, the king
turned to Cabal, one of his lords, and said in a whisper, "Do you
know who this Juan is who measures his money?"
"I have not heard of him," replied the lord, "except from this monkey
and yourself."
The king then turned to the monkey, and said, "Monkey, if you don't
tell me who your master is, where he lives, and all about him, I'll
hang you." Doubtless the king was jealous of Juan because of his
great wealth.
Fearing that he would lose his life, the monkey said to the king,
"My master, Juan, the richest and best man in the world, lives in
the town of XYZ. He goes to church every morning wearing his striped
(tambi-tambi) clothes. This is why he is known among his people as
Juan Pusong Tambi-tambi. If you will just look out of your window
to-morrow morning, you will see him pass by your garden."
The king's anger was appeased by this explanation. Early the next
morning he was at his window, anxious to get a glimpse of Juan. He had
not been there long when his attention was attracted by the appearance
of a crooked man dressed in striped clothes. "This must be the man whom
the monkey described to me yesterday," he said to himself. Soon his
servant entered the room, and said, "The monkey desires to see you."
The king left the window and went to where the monkey was waiting for
him. As soon as the monkey saw the king, he bowed politely, and said,
"My master, Juan, sends me to tell you frankly that he loves your
daughter, and that, if it pleases you, he will marry her." At first
the king was angry to hear these words; but, being very desirous to
get more money, he at last consented without even asking his daughter.
"If my master does not call on you to-day, he will surely come
to-morrow." So saying, the monkey left the palace, and ran about
town, trying to think of some way he might escape the great danger he
was in. It so happened that an old man who was carrying a bundle of
clothes to his son in the mountains passed along the same road where
the monkey was. The sun was very hot, so the old man decided to rest
under a leafy tree. No sooner was he seated there than the cunning
monkey climbed the tree, and shook the branches with such force that
twigs and fruits fell all around the old man. Panic-stricken, he ran
away as fast as his feet would carry him, leaving everything behind
him. When the man was out of sight, the monkey climbed down the tree,
picked up the bundle of clothes, and carried it to Juan.
"To-morrow, Juan," said the monkey, "you will marry the princess. I'll
arrange everything for you if you will only follow my advice." Half
doubting and half believing, Juan asked the monkey if he really meant
what he said. "What do you think of me?" asked the monkey.
Without waiting for a reply from Juan, the monkey left the hut, and ran
towards the home of the Burincantadas who lived on the summit of the
hill. As soon as he entered the gate, he began to scoop up the ground
as fast as he could. The Burincantadas, who at that very moment were
looking out of the window, saw the monkey. They rushed downstairs,
and, half frightened, said to him, "What are you trying to do?"
"Why, our king has been defeated in the war. The enemies have already
taken possession of the crown. The princess is dead, and it is said
that everybody will be killed before tomorrow noon," replied the
monkey, his teeth chattering. "I am resolved to hide myself under
the ground to save my life."
The three Burincantadas seized him by the arm, and said, "For mercy's
sake, have pity on us! Tell us where we can hide!" They were already
trembling with fear.
"Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh! let me loose! The enemy are coming!" On hearing
these words, the Burincantadas all shouted at once, "Tell us where
to hide!"
"If you will not let me scoop out a hole here, I'll jump into the
well," said the monkey in a hoarse voice.
As soon as the Burincantadas heard the word "well," they all ran as
fast as they could, following the monkey. "Let me jump first!" said
the monkey.
"No, let us jump first!" shouted the Burincantadas; and so they
did. The monkey made a motion as if he were going to follow; but,
instead, he lifted up the biggest stone he could find and threw it
down the well. "They are dead," he said to himself, laughing. "Ah,
I have caught you! Ha, ha!"
The Burincantadas now being dead, the monkey was at leisure to
decide what to do next. He entered their palace, and there he found
everything magnificent. "This is the very place where my master
shall live!" He opened the first room, but there he found nothing
but bones. He closed the door and opened the second, where he found
many prisoners who were waiting to be eaten. He set them all free,
and told them to clean up the palace at once. The prisoners set to
work, not forgetting to thank the monkey for his kindness. Before he
left the palace, he addressed the crowd as follows: "My brothers and
sisters, if any one comes and asks you who your master is, tell him
that he is Don Juan Pusong Tambi-tambi."
Then he left the crowd of people busy cleaning the palace, and went
to the farm, where he found thousands of horses, cows, and sheep. "My
master is indeed rich," he said to himself. He called the shepherd
who was lying under the tree, and said to him, "Tell your other
companions that, if any one comes and asks whose animals these are,
they must answer that they all belong to Don Juan Pusong. Don Juan
is your master now."
After seeing that everything was in order, the monkey hastened to
his master, who was still ploughing, and said, "Throw away your
plough. Let's go to the king's palace, for to-night you will be
married to the princess Doña Elena."
Night came. The palace was splendidly adorned. The princess was
sitting by her father, when Don Juan, dressed in his striped clothes
and accompanied by the monkey, entered the gate of the palace. Soon the
priest came, and the princess was called to the reception-hall. When
she saw her bridegroom, she ran away in despair, and cried to her
father, "Father, how dare you accept as my husband such a base, dirty,
crooked man! Look at him! Why, he is the meanest of the mean."
But the king replied, "He is rich. If you don't marry him, I'll punish
you very severely." The princess had to obey her father; but, before
giving her hand to Juan Pusong, she said, "O God! let me die."
When the marriage ceremony was over, the king called the monkey,
and asked, "Where is the couple going to live?"
"In Don Juan's palace," was the reply of the monkey.
The king immediately ordered carriages to be gotten ready. Then they
started on their journey. Four hours passed, and still no palace
was to be seen. The king became impatient, and said to the monkey,
"Monkey, if what you have said to me is not true, your head shall
answer for your lie." Hardly had he said these words when he beheld
before him a number of men watching a herd of cattle. "I wonder who
owns these, monkey!" said the king.
The monkey made some signs, and soon three shepherds came running up
to them. "Good-evening, king!" they said.
"Good-evening!" replied the king. "Whose cattle are these?"
"They are all owned by Don Juan Pusong," said the shepherds.
The king nodded, and said to himself, "He is truly rich." The palace
was now in sight. The king could hardly express his joy on seeing
such a magnificent building. "Why, it is not a palace; it is heaven
itself," he said.
They were now upstairs. The king, on seeing still more beauties, said,
"I confess, I am not the richest man on earth." Soon he died of joy,
and his body was placed in a golden coffin and buried in the church.
The couple inherited his dominion; but Queen Elena could not endure
her ugly husband, and two weeks later she died broken-hearted. So
Juan was left as sole ruler of two kingdoms. The monkey became his
chief minister.
This story shows that a compassionate man oftentimes gets his reward.
Andres the Trapper.
Narrated by Domingo Perez of San Carlos, Pangasinan, who heard the
story from his grandfather, now dead. The story is popular among
the Pangasinanes.
Once upon a time there lived in a village a poor widow who had an
only son named Andres. They lived in a small hut situated near the
Patacbo forest. When Andres was between twelve and thirteen years old,
his mother died. From now on he lived alone in his mean little hut,
where he had to cook his own food and wash his clothes.
One morning some boys invited Andres to go to the woods with them to
trap. When they got to the forest, his companions set their traps
in the places where the wild chickens used to feed. Then they went
home. In the afternoon they returned to the woods, where they found
that each trap had caught a wild cock. Now Andres became envious of
his companions: so when he reached home, he took his knife and made
two traps of his own. After he had finished them, he ran to the forest
and set them. Early the next morning he went to the woods to see if he
had caught anything. There he found two wild cocks snared. He took them
home, sold one, and ate the other for his dinner. When he had finished
eating, he made many traps, which he set up that afternoon. From now
on he made his living by trapping, often catching as many as fifteen
birds in a day. From the money he earned he was able to feed himself
and buy clothes.
One day, after Andres had been a trapper for many years, he went
to the forest, as usual, to see what he had caught. He found that
his traps had been moved, and that in one of them was a big monkey
caught by the leg. As Andres was about to kill the monkey with a big
stick which he picked up, the animal said to him, "My dear Andres,
don't harm me! and I will be your helper by and by."
Andres was much astonished to hear the monkey talk. He was moved
to pity, and set the animal free. When he started toward his home,
the monkey followed him. From now on they lived together. Soon the
monkey learned how to sell wild chickens in the market.
Now, in that town there lived a very rich man by the name of Toribio,
who had a daughter named Aning. The people considered Aning the most
beautiful lady in the province. However, none of the young men of
the town courted Aning, for they felt unworthy and ashamed to woo
the richest and most beautiful girl. One fine day the monkey went to
town and sold wild chickens, as usual. On his way home he stopped at
Don Toribio's house. Don Toribio asked what he wanted, and the monkey
said that his master had sent him to borrow their money-measure.
"Who is your master?" said Don Toribio.
"Don't you know? Don Andres, a very rich, handsome young gentleman
who lives in the valley of Obong," said the monkey.
Don Toribio at once lent the ganta-measure to the monkey, who
thanked him and hurried home. Before he returned it to the owner
the next morning, he put a peso, a fifty-centavo piece, a peseta,
and a media-peseta in the cracks of the measure.
When the monkey handed the ganta back to Don Toribio, the man said,
"Why do you return it? Has your master finished measuring his money?"
"No, sir!" said the monkey, "we have not finished; but this box is
too small, and it takes us too long to measure with it."
"Well," said Don Toribio, "we have a bigger one than that; do you
want to borrow it?"
"Yes, I do, if you will let me keep it till to-morrow," said the
monkey.
Don Toribio then brought a cavan, which equals about twenty-five
gantas. When the monkey reached home carrying the large measure,
Andres said to him, "Where did you get that box?" The monkey said
that it had been lent to him by the richest man in the town.
"What did you tell the man that you were going to do with it?" said
Andres.
"I told him that you wanted to count your money," said the monkey.
"Ah, me!" said Andres, "what money are you going to count? Don't you
know that we are very poor?"
"Let me manage things, Andres," said the monkey, "and I promise you
that you shall marry the beautiful daughter of the rich man."
The following day Andres caught many wild chickens. When the monkey
had sold them all in the market, he went back to their hut, and took
the cavan which he had borrowed. Before returning it to Don Toribio,
he stuck money in the cracks, as he had done to the first measure.
"Good-morning, Don Toribio!" said the monkey. Don Toribio was sitting
in a chair by the door of his house.
"Good-morning, monkey! How do you do?" replied the rich man. "Have
you come to return the box?"
"Yes, sir!" said the monkey, "we have finished. My master sends his
thanks to you." When Don Toribio took the box and saw the money inside,
he told the monkey about it; but the monkey said, "Never mind! we
have plenty more in our house."
"I am the richest man in town, yet I cannot throw money away like the
master of this fellow," said Don Toribio to himself. "Perhaps he is
even richer than I am." When the monkey was about to take his leave,
the rich man told him to tell his master to come there on the third
day. The monkey said that he would, and thanked Don Toribio for
the invitation.
On his way home, the monkey stopped at the market to buy a pair of
shoes, some ready-made clothes, and a hat for Andres. He took these
things home to his master, and in three days had taught Andres how to
walk easily with shoes on, how to speak elegantly, how to eat with a
spoon and fork and knife, and how to tell Don Toribio that he wanted
to marry his daughter.
When the time came, Andres and the monkey set out for the town. They
were welcomed by Don Toribio and his daughter Aning. After a short
talk, Andres spoke of his purpose in coming there. He said that he
wanted to marry Don Toribio's daughter. Don Toribio gladly accepted the
offer, and said that the wedding would be held the next morning. Hasty
preparations were made for the ceremony. In the morning a priest
came, and Andres and Aning were married. Many guests were present,
and everybody had a good time.
A few years later Don Toribio died, and Andres inherited all his
wealth. He then became a very rich man.
Notes.
Two other Philippine variants of the "Puss in Boots" cycle have been
printed,--one Visayan, "Masoy and the Ape" (JAFL 20 : 311-314);
and the other Tagalog, "Juan and the Monkey" (ibid., 108-109). It
would thus appear, not only from the fact of its wide distribution,
but also from the testimony of the recorders of the stories, that
the tale is fairly well known and popular throughout the Archipelago.
The most complete bibliography of this cycle is Bolte-Polívka's notes
on Grimm, No. 33 (a), "Puss in Boots" (Anmerkungen, I : 325-334). See
also Köhler's notes to Gonzenbach, No. 65, "Vom Conte Piro" (2 :
242 f.); Macculloch, ch. VIII (p. 225 f.); W. R. S. Ralston in the
"Nineteenth Century" (13 [1883] : 88-104). The oldest known version
of the story is Straparola's (XI, i), which is translated in full by
Crane (pp. 348-350). The second oldest is also Italian, by Basile (2 :
iv); the third, French, Perrault's "Le Chat Botté." In all three the
helpful animal is a cat, as it is without exception in the German,
Scandinavian, English, and French forms. In the Italian the animal is
usually a cat, though the fox takes its place in a number of Sicilian
tales. In the Greek, Roumanian, Bulgarian, Serbian, Russian, and in
general all East European forms, the helpful animal is regularly the
fox, as it is also in the examples collected from Siberia, Kurdestan,
Daghestan, and Mongolia. In the four Indian variants known, the animal
is a jackal; in the four from the Philippines, a monkey. In a Swahili
tale (Steere, p. 13) it is a gazelle. It is not hard to see how,
through a process of transmission, jackal, fox, and cat might become
interchanged; but where the Philippine monkey, consistently used in
all versions, came from, is more difficult to explain; so the Swahili
gazelle. I have, however, attempted an explanation below.
An examination of the four members of the Philippine group reveals some
striking family resemblances: (1) The motive of the monkey's gratitude
is the same in all the stories: the thieving animal is caught in some
sort of trap, and promises to serve the hero for life if he will only
spare it. The animal is true to its word. (2) In all the stories occurs
the incident of the borrowed measure returned with coins sticking
to it. (3) In all the versions occurs the marriage of the poor hero
with the chief's daughter, brought about by the ingenious monkey. (4)
In three of the versions (all except the Pangasinan) we have as the
final episode the destruction of a powerful witch or demon, and the
winning of all its fortune by the monkey for the hero. In the Hindoo
variants we find that the motive of the jackal's gratitude agrees
with the motive in our versions. In other respects they differ (with
the exception of the marriage, which is found in nearly all members
of the "Puss in Boots" cycle): the Hindoo tales lack the incidents
of the borrowed measure and the destruction of the demon. So far as
the opening is concerned, then, our variants and the Indian belong
to the same family. The separation, however, must have taken place
ages ago; for in India the animal is consistently a jackal, and in the
Philippines a monkey. The only other form that I know of in which the
animal is a monkey is the Arabian, in the "1001 Nights," "Aboo Mohammed
the Lazy;" but here the helpful ape later turns out to be a malicious
demon, who treacherously abducts the hero's beautiful wife. At last,
through the aid of a friendly jinnee, the hero recovers her, captures
the ape, and encloses it forever in a bottle of brass. He then gains
possession of all the demon's enormous wealth. It is difficult to
see any immediate connection between the Arabian version and ours.
Our two Visayan forms are of particular interest in that they make
use of the "Tar Baby" device to catch the monkey. If Joseph Jacobs
is correct in tracing this incident to the Buddhist birth-story, the
"Pancavudha-jataka," No. 55 (see Indian Fairy Tales, pp. 305 ff.),
the Philippines may easily have derived it directly from India along
with other Buddhistic fables (e.g., "The Monkey and the Crocodile,"
No. 56, below). Indeed, Batten's ingenious explanation that the Brer
Rabbit of Negro lore is a reminiscence of an incarnation of Buddha
may be applied equally well to the monkey in our Visayan tales,
for the monkey is a much more common form for the Bodhisatta than
is the hare. In the five hundred and forty-seven Jatakas, Buddha
is born as a hare only once; whereas in eleven separate stories he
appears as a monkey,--oftener, indeed, than as any other animal (lion,
ten times; stag, nine; elephant, seven). This same explanation (viz.,
that "Puss in Boots" is the Bodhisatta) would account for the gazelle
(deer) in the Swahili tale. The extreme cleverness of the Bodhisatta
in most of his animal manifestations might easily have suggested the
"Puss in Boots" cycle. Another point worth noticing in connection
with this theory is the consistent faithfulness of the animal. The
ingratitude of the human hero, which is found even in some of the
Occidental versions, and the gratitude of the animal, form a favorite
Buddhistic contrast. Altogether it appears to me wholly reasonable to
derive not only the "Tar Baby" incident, but also the whole "Puss in
Boots" cycle, from Buddhistic lore. For the appearance of both in the
Philippines we do not need to go to Europe as a source. The "Tar Baby"
device to catch a thieving jackal is found in a Santal story, "The
Jackal and the Chickens" (Bompas, No. CXII). See also two South African
tales in Honeÿ,--"The Story of a Dam" (p. 73), and "Rabbit's Triumph"
(p. 79). For other references, see Dähnhardt, 4 : 26-43 (ch. 2).
There is a connection, however, between some of the Occidental
versions and three of ours,--the incident of the destruction of
the demon. This detail, as I have pointed out, is hinted at in the
"1001 Nights" version. [95] In spite of the fact that it exists in
a number of the oldest European literary forms of the story and is
not found in modern Indian folk-tales, I believe that this incident
is of Oriental origin. In Straparola it has been rationalized, so
to speak. A significant version intermediary between the Orient and
Occident in this respect, as well as geographically, is the Mongolian
tale of "Boroltai Ku" (FLJ 4 : 32 f):--
This story has the Oriental opening: the animal is a fox, which the
hero digs out of its hole and spares. Through its cleverness the
fox brings about the marriage of Boroltai Ku, the man who spared
its life, with the daughter of Gurbushtên Khan. After the wedding
the khan sends the new couple back to their home, and with them an
official attendant. On the return journey the fox runs on ahead, and
requests every herdsman it meets to say, if he is asked whose cattle
he is tending, "It is the cattle of Boroltai Ku, the rich khan." At
last the fox comes to the tent of Khan Manguis, and groans. "What's
the matter?" says the khan. "A storm is coming," says the fox. "That
is a misfortune for me too," says the khan. "How so? You can order a
hole ten fathoms deep to be dug, and can hide in it," says the fox. So
done. Boroltai Ku and his party now appear, and he occupies the khan's
tent as if it were his own. The fox assures the official attendant
that the tent is Boroltai Ku's, but that it has one defect. "What is
that?"--"Under the tent lives a demon. Won't you bring down lightning
to slay him?" The attendant brings down lightning and slays Khan
Manguis, who is sitting in the hole. Boroltai Ku becomes khan,
and takes all the possessions, cattle, and people of Khan Manguis,
and goes to live near his father-in-law.
In this story, it will be noticed, the animal's ruse is the same as
ours,--it persuades the rich khan (demons in ours) to hide himself
in a pit. There he is subsequently killed.
The borrowed measure returned with coins sticking to it has already
been met with in No. 20 (c). The incident occurs elsewhere in Filipino
drolls. It is curious to find it so consistently a part of the Filipino
"Puss in Boots" stories.
In conclusion may be noted the fact that in "Andres the Trapper"
the monkey's solicitude over the appearance his master will make at
the rich man's house has a parallel in the jackal's similar concern
in the Santal story:--
Before the wedding-feast, the jackal gave Jogeswhar some hints as to
his behavior. He warned him that three or four kinds of meats and
vegetables would be handed round with the rice, and bade him to be
sure to help himself from each dish; and when betel-nut was handed
to him after the feast, he was not to take any until he had a handful
of money given him; by such behavior he would lead every one to think
he was really a prince.--BOMPAS, p. 175.
In Dracott's story the human hero is a weaver also, as in the
Santal. His last exploit has been borrowed from another Indian tale
not connected with our group, "Valiant Vicky the Weaver" (Steel-Temple,
p. 80; cf. Kingscote, No. IX).
TALE 49
JUAN THE FOOL.
This story was narrated by Remedios Mendoza of Manila, but the story
itself comes from the Tagalog province of Bulakan.
(NARRATOR'S NOTE.--This story was told to me by a student. He said
that he first heard it in one of the informal gatherings which are
very common in Bocawe, Bulakan, during the hot season. The young men
often assemble at a little shop kept by a young woman, and there the
story-teller of the barrio tells stories. This story of Juan was told
at one of these gatherings by an old man about fifty years old.)
Juan is twenty years old. At this age he begins to become famous in his
little barrio. He is short in stature. His eyes are neither bright nor
dull: they are very black, and slowly roll in their sockets. His mouth
is narrow. He has a double chin, and a short flat nose. His forehead
is broad, and his lips are thick. His hair is black and straight. His
body is round like a pumpkin, and his legs are short. He seems to be
always tired. In spite of all these physical peculiarities, however,
he is invited to every bayluhan and katapusan, [96] because he is
sure to bring with him laughter and merriment.
Juan lives in a poor barrio, which consists of a few poor nipa
huts. It has a small chapel of stone, with a turret and bells. In
the courtyard in front of the chapel is erected a cross. A few nipa
cottages are scattered along the lonely streets of the barrio. There
is a rivulet just outside the village. Its course is hidden and lost
in a thick forest which extends to the foot of a mountain.
At the time the story opens Juan is eating his breakfast with his
mother. She is an old widow, whose sole ambition is to establish
Juan in a good social position. She is constantly advising her
son, when there is any occasion to preach, to be on the lookout
for a virtuous wife. She tells him that, since she is an old and
experienced woman, he must follow her advice. Her advice is that a
good wife is always quiet and tongue-tied, and does not go noisily
about the house. As Juan is an obedient son, he soon determines to get
him a good wife. After a short time Juan comes home to his mother,
and says to her, "Mother, I have found the girl you will like,--the
one who shall be my wife. She is speechless and motionless. Her eyes
are staring in just one place. Though I have watched her closely for
about twelve hours, I have not observed the slightest motion in her
lips and eyelids. She remained quiet in her bed, although there were
many noisy people in the house."
"And is that all?" says his mother.
"No, mother," says Juan, "her hands were very cold. She was deaf,
and she did not answer me. This fact makes her all the lovelier,
and I am sure you will like her. There is only one thing you did not
tell me, however."
"I think," says the mother, "that I advised you well."
"Yes, I think so too," says Juan. "The girl had a stinking waxy-like
odor."
"O Juan!" exclaims his mother, "I already suspected from your long
description that you followed my instructions too literally. The girl
you found is a dead one. Now, remember: those who stink are dead."
"Thanks, mother," says Juan quietly, "I will never forget that."
A few days later, when Juan and his mother are eating their breakfast,
Juan smells a stinking odor. He looks around the little room. As
he does not see any one else there, he thinks that his mother is
dead. Then, when his mother is taking her siesta, Juan says to himself,
"Surely mother is dead." He goes out quietly and digs a grave for
her. Then he buries her in it, and mourns for her nine days. Now Juan
is alone in the world.
One morning, when Juan is eating his breakfast by himself, he smells
again a stinking odor. He looks around, and, as he does not see
any one, he thinks that he himself is dead. There is nobody to bury
him. So he goes to the river, takes five or six banana-trunks, and
makes a raft of them. He lies down on the raft, and lets the current
of the river carry him away. In three hours the current has carried
him into the woods. While he is floating through the forest, all of
a sudden he is called in a fierce voice by some one on shore. This
man was the captain of a band of robbers. Juan does not stir in his
place. The second shout is accompanied by a terrible oath. Juan opens
his eyes. He sadly looks at the robbers, and tells them that he is
a dead man. The robbers laugh; but when Juan insists on remaining on
the river, the captain frightens Juan, and says that he will shoot if
he does not get up. As Juan does not care for the taste of bullets,
he goes to the bank of the river, still thinking that he is a walking
dead body.
Juan goes with the robbers into the woods. Their house is in a deserted
spot. The captain appoints Juan their housekeeper. He tells him to
cook rice, but orders him to keep very still and quiet, for they may
be caught by the Spanish soldiers (cazadores). Then the robbers go
out on an expedition, and Juan is left alone in the house. He shuts
the windows, and everything is quiet and undisturbed. He even tries to
control his breathing for fear of the noise it may make. He cautiously
takes an earthen pot and puts rice and water into it. Then he places
the pot on the fire, and sits down near it. Everything is silent. But
suddenly a murmuring sound seems to come from the pot. (The water
is beginning to boil.) Soon the sound seems to be very loud. Juan
thinks that the pot is saying, "Buluk ka." This expression means,
"You are decayed." So Juan gets very angry. He whispers to the pot
to stop; but the pot does not seem to hear him, for the murmuring
sound becomes louder and louder. At last Juan is so exasperated,
that he takes a piece of bamboo-bellows (ihip) and gives the pot a
fatal blow. This puts an end to the pot, the rice, and the flames.
At noon the hungry robbers come home. They find Juan almost breathless
in the darkest corner of the house, the pot broken, and the rice
scattered over the floor. They ask Juan what is the matter. Juan
says that the naughty pot was making too much noise, and was mocking
him; and, as the captain bade him be careful about making a noise,
he struck the pot and broke it into pieces. The captain cannot help
smiling at Juan's foolishness, and he tells Juan to prepare a lunch
with anything he can find in the house.
The next day comes, and all the food is eaten. The captain gives Juan
some money, and tells him to go to the market to buy some earthen pots
and some crabs. When Juan reaches the barrio, he buys all the crabs
he can find, and about two dozen large earthen pots. He next finds
out that the pots are too bulky for him to carry, although they are
not heavy. At last he thinks of a good way to carry them. He has the
pots carried to one corner of the market, where he buys a long piece
of rattan. He sharpens one end of the rattan and passes it through
the bottoms of all the pots, so that they are now very easy to be
carried. He slings them over his shoulder, and starts for home with
the pots and the crabs. Soon he comes to a large, wide river with a
very strong current. He sits down on the bank and wonders what is to
be done. He remembers that crabs are good swimmers, so he decides to
untie them and let them swim to the other side of the river. As he
unties the crabs, he says, "Now, crabs, we have to cross this broad
river. I know that you are good swimmers. I am a slow swimmer myself,
and especially with these pots to carry. Please swim to the other
side of the river as quickly as you can, for I cannot carry you. If
you reach the other side before I do, you may go straight home, or
wait for me." With this warning, he releases the crabs one by one
so that they may go in a straight line. He is very glad to see them
swim so fast. Then with the help of a piece of bamboo, and after a
long struggle, he himself reaches the opposite shore. He looks around
for the crabs; but, seeing none, he says to himself, "Perhaps they
have become tired of waiting for me and have gone straight home, as
I ordered them to do. What a surprise for the captain!" Juan is very
glad at the decision of the crabs, and he sets out for the robbers'
house, always hoping to overtake the rear of the long procession of
crabs. He soon reaches home. He asks the robbers if the crabs have
arrived. When Juan finds out that not one of the naughty crabs obeyed
him, he blames himself for his quiet nature, and swears that he will
never trust a crab again. The captain asks him about the pots. Juan
tells him that they are all safe, and that the captain must thank him
for his wit in solving the problem of how to carry two dozen large
pots at the same time. All the robbers are eager to see what Juan's
scheme was. When they find out what Juan has done, and see the holes
in the bottom of all the pots, they cannot help laughing. The captain,
however, addresses Juan with all the epithets found in a common slang
dictionary. The captain now decides never to let Juan stay in the house
alone, and from that time on takes him with them on their expeditions.
Several days later the captain calls Juan one night, and tells him
to get ready, for they are going to rob a certain house. They go
through the forest, and soon come to a clearing, in the middle of
which stands a large nipa house. While they are still in the thicket,
the captain calls Juan to him, and says, "Juan, go into the silong
[97] of the house, and see if the people are awake. Now, remember,
if you feel something hot, it is a man; but if it is cold, it is a
bolo. Do you understand?" Juan answers, "Yes," and obediently goes
to the house, repeating to himself the orders of the captain. He
cautiously goes under the house, and looks around. After a while
something hot falls on his back. He quickly runs away, and begins
to cry, "Tao, tao!" ("Man, man!") All the robbers get frightened,
so they run away too. After a few minutes they come together. Seeing
that they are not pursued, the captain calls Juan, and says to him,
"Juan, why did you fool us? Nobody is pursuing us."
"Well," says Juan, "I followed your orders. You said that if I felt
something hot, it was a man; but if cold, it was a bolo. I went into
the silong. I looked up. There was a faint light, and I saw a large
mat outlined on the floor. As I was looking at it, a hot thing fell
on my back. Then I ran away to warn you."
"Let us see," says the captain impatiently, "what tao that is which has
fallen on your back." One of the robbers lights a match. The robbers
examine Juan's back, and they see only a little lizard clinging to his
worn-out camisa (loose, thin cotton coat). [98] Some of the robbers
get angry, and some laugh at Juan's foolishness. The captain tells
Juan that he may go away, for he is not worth anything. He also tells
Juan not to tell anybody that he has been with them, for, if he does,
they will kill him.
Juan leaves the band of robbers, and decides to live up in a tree,
because he is all alone, he says. He takes a low bamboo table and
goes up into a very large mango-tree. He chooses a well-hidden place,
and there he ties his table firmly to the branches. He spends the day
in the neighboring towns looking for food, but at night he comes back
to the tree and sleeps there.
Early one morning Juan wakes up and hears faint whispers. He looks
down, and sees two men talking very earnestly together. One is carrying
a bag of money. Juan loosens his table and lets it fall on the men. It
makes a loud crash, and they run away. Juan quickly climbs down the
tree and makes off with the bag of money. He now decides to live in
town. After he has found a barrio that suits him, he buys a house, a
carabao, and a cart. He lives peacefully in his new house. Sometimes
he works; but he spends most of his time sleeping, for he is a very
lazy fellow.
One morning the capitan of the town sends a town crier around to
announce an order to the people. The town crier says, "The capitan
orders you all to sprinkle with water the street in front of your
houses." Juan takes a small cocoanut-shell full of water, and goes
out and sprinkles the street. In the afternoon the capitan of the
town goes about the streets to see if the people have obeyed his
orders. He sees that everybody has obeyed him except Juan. He goes
to Juan's house, and asks him why he has not sprinkled the street;
and Juan tells him what he has done. The capitan then tells him that
he must use much water. As soon as the capitan has left, Juan begins
to pour buckets of water on the street. But when the water all flows
away, Juan thinks that his irrigation is not good enough: so he takes
his cart and carabao, and with their help he digs a large ditch. All
night long Juan works filling the ditch with water. The next morning,
when the capitan sees the ditch, he becomes very angry, and summons
Juan. Juan excuses himself by saying that the laws of the town are
not stated clearly. So the capitan has to let Juan go.
When Sunday comes, Juan goes to church. In the pulpit the priest tells
the people to put a little cross on their street doors. When Juan
goes home, he takes a piece of tinting (the rib of a cocoanut-leaf)
and makes a little cross about two inches high. When the priest makes
his rounds, he does not see the cross, for it is so small. He asks
Juan where his cross is. Juan shows him; and the priest tells him
to make a large one, for it is too small, and the evil spirits will
not be able to see it. Juan takes his bolo and cuts two long pieces
of bamboo. This time his cross is so large, that the priest cannot
see it, either. The priest becomes so angry at Juan's stupidity, that
he expels him from the town. Juan good-naturedly goes away. He sells
his house, and with his cart and carabao he moves on to another town.
He settles in a barrio where the soil is red. Here he lives several
weeks, but he is always longing to go back to his old home. He finally
says to himself that he is going there in spite of the anger of the
priest. He fills his cart with red earth, and hitches his carabao to
it. He sits in the middle of his cart, and slowly drives to the town
where he had lived before. As he is driving down the main street
in the afternoon, whom should he meet but the priest himself! The
priest cries, "Juan, so you are here again! Didn't I tell you that you
must never tread the soil of this town again? If you do not go away,
I shall tell the capitan to imprison you."
"Dear priest," says Juan humbly, "before you accuse me, use your
eyes. I am not treading on your soil. This earth which I have in my
cart is my own." The priest looks in the cart. By this time there are
many people around them, and they too look in the cart. They laugh at
Juan's wit. The priest wants to laugh too; but he controls himself,
for he is afraid that the people will not respect him any more if he
laughs. So he angrily threatens Juan, and tells him to leave the town
instantly. Poor Juan has nothing to do but go.
He sells his carabao and cart, and spends the money foolishly in
the neighboring villages. Soon Juan is reduced to poverty again, so
he decides to go back to his native town. There he finds everything
changed: the houses are better, and the little chapel is prettier. He
looks for relatives or friends, but he finds only his old grandmother,
who lives by herself in the field. He goes to her and tells her the
history of his family. The old woman recognizes him at last, and
asks him if he is not the Juan who buried his mother. Juan answers,
"Yes," but excuses himself by saying that he only obediently followed
his mother's advice.
Juan now stays with his grandmother. Her hut, which is very small,
is surrounded by a small garden of vegetables. Juan does nothing but
eat and sleep. He soon develops the bad habit of throwing things out
of the window. His grandmother tells him that he must throw them far
away. One morning the old woman does not find Juan, and he does not
appear until midnight. She asks him where he has been, and he tells
her that he went to the other side of the mountain to throw away a
banana-skin which was left on his plate. She tells him that he does not
need to go so far, that he can throw the banana-skins behind the fence.
One day early in the morning the old woman leaves Juan in charge
of the house, for she is going to town. She tells him to cook two
small measures (chupas) of rice for her, for perhaps she will be very
hungry when she gets home. Then she goes away quite happy, thinking
that Juan understands her. As soon as she leaves, Juan thinks it is
time to begin to cook. He is surprised to find only one measure in
the earthen jar. He looks for the other one everywhere; but, as he
cannot find it, he thinks his grandmother was mistaken when she told
him to cook two measures of rice. So he takes his bolo, goes outside,
cuts a piece of bamboo, and makes a wooden measure just like the other
one. This takes him a long time; but when he has finished, he fills
the two measures with dry rice, and puts them in the fire. While
the measures are burning, the grandmother arrives. She calls Juan,
and asks him if the rice is ready, for she is very hungry. Juan tells
her that it is quite ready. The old woman sees that it is very bright
in the house, and she fears that it is on fire. Juan says that it is
the two measures burning. When the old woman sees what Juan has done,
she becomes angry. However, she controls herself, and teaches Juan how
to cook rice. Under the supervision of the old woman, Juan takes an
earthen pot, cleans it, and puts rice into it. Then he puts water into
the pot, and finally puts the pot on the fire. The old woman goes to
rest, telling him to watch the rice. After a while she calls to Juan,
and says,
"Did you cover the pot [tinungtungan mo na ang paliok]?" [99]
"No, I did not," says Juan.
"Cover the pot, then [tungtungan mo]!" she cries.
"That is impossible," says Juan.
"Why impossible?" cries the old woman. "The rice will have a smoky
taste if you don't."
"All right," says Juan, getting up. He goes to the fireplace and thinks
for a little while. Then he jumps up to the rafters of the ceiling,
which are but two feet above his head. He goes just above the pot,
adjusts his feet very well, and then lets himself fall. The pot is
broken to pieces. The old woman wakes up at the noise of the crash,
and says, "What is that, Juan? Is the rice cooked?"
"Why do you ask me that?" says Juan impatiently. "You told me to step
on the pot, and now you ask me if the rice is cooked!"
She goes out to the kitchen; and when she sees her broken pot, the old
woman becomes truly angry. She drives Juan from the house, telling him
that he cannot live with her any more because he is too troublesome.
Juan now goes off, and wanders from town to town. Sometimes he is
obliged to work in order to get anything to eat. Finally he comes
to a large town where the people wear shoes and carry umbrellas. He
becomes enchanted with the shoes and umbrellas: so he works hard, and
saves enough money to buy both. But he surprises every one who sees
him; for he carries his shoes dangling at his belt, and his umbrella
closed under his arm. Some of the more curious fellows follow after
him. They see that, although it rains or the sun is very hot, Juan
never opens his umbrella except when he sits to rest under a tree;
and also that he never puts his shoes on when he is on dry land,
but only when he is crossing a river. At last they ask him why he
does such foolish things. Juan says, "Don't you know that there are
many worms and loose branches in a tree? If, for example, a snake
should fall down, well, it would hit my umbrella. As for the shoes,
it is better for one to wear his shoes when he crosses a river,
for there he cannot see the ground." The people leave him alone;
but some persons think he is wise, and imitate his example.
Juan goes on with his travels. At last he falls in love. He serves
the girl's parents, and becomes their cook. He always keeps the
best parts of the chicken for the girl and himself, and gives only
the bones to the parents. They ask him why he gives them the worst
parts. Juan replies, "I do that because you are our supporters. The
bones, compared with a house, are the foundation and framework." The
parents find Juan's reasoning so good, that they at once marry their
daughter to him. After this Juan is a good and sensible fellow,
and does not do foolish things any more.
Notes.
This long, loosely-constructed droll is not of any fixed length,
according to the narrator; adventures are added or omitted at the
caprice of the story-teller. It would be useless to attempt to parallel
the tale as a whole, because of the very nature of its composition. The
separate incidents, however, we may examine, pointing out analogues
already in print, and citing others from my own manuscript collection.
(1) "If it smells bad, it's dead." This joke is common among the
Tagalogs and Pampangans, and forms the basis of many of their comical
stories. As an example I will give the opening of a story entitled
"Ricardo and his Adventures" narrated by Paulo Macasaet, a Tagalog
from Batangas:--
Ricardo and his Adventures.
Once there was a widow who had a son named Ricardo. One day the mother
said to the boy, "Ricardo, I want you to go to school, so that you
may learn something about our religion." Ricardo was willing enough,
so he took his Catechism and set out. Instead of going to the school,
however, he went to a neighboring pond and listened to the merry
croaking of the frogs. When eleven o'clock came, he went home and
told his mother about the real school. The poor woman was very happy,
thinking that her son was spending his time wisely. Ricardo took great
delight in joining the chorus of the frogs, for his mother gave him
food as a reward for his diligence.
One morning the woman asked her son to read his lesson. The boy opened
his Catechism and croaked very loudly. His mother was glad when she
heard that her son could croak so well, because she thought that that
was the way to read the book.
As Ricardo was playing with his schoolmates one day, he saw a dead
cat. It smelled very bad, so he left the pond and went home. He
said, "Mother, I saw a cat lying near our school. It had a very bad
odor." The mother said, "My son, remember this: whenever a body smells
bad, you may be sure that it is dead." Ricardo repeated the words of
his mother many times to himself, and learned them by heart.
One day, when he was on his way to the pond, Ricardo smelled something
bad. He looked in every direction, but he could not find anybody. So
he said, "Since I cannot find any dead body here, I must be the one
who is dead." He lay down on the ground, and said, "Ricardo is dead! I
cannot eat any more. O how unhappy I am!" While he was lying there,
he saw a ripe guava above his head. He exclaimed, "Delicious fruit,
you are very fortunate! If I were alive, I would eat you." He wished
to get the fruit, but he dared not do so. After a while, when he
could no longer smell the stink, he got up and went home, and told
his mother his story.
[As the rest of the story is not droll, and is in no way connected
with our present tale, it may be given in abstract.]
One day Ricardo learned from his mother how his father had been
killed by a giant who had afterwards carried away his sister. The
boy set out in search of the giant. An old man along the way, whom he
treated kindly, gave him two bottles of magic water,--one that would
make invulnerable the man who should drink it, another that would take
away all the strength of him on whose head it should be poured. Later
a leprous old woman to whom he gave some food presented him with
a magic saddle that would carry him through the air. So equipped,
he soon arrived at the cave of the giant. He succeeded in killing
that seven-headed monster and in freeing his sister and many other
prisoners. Ten barrels of money were found in the cave. Of these,
Ricardo took two; the rest he gave to the prisoners he had freed. Later
Ricardo married a beautiful woman named Lucia.
(2) Destruction of the singing rice-pot. Another Tagalog form of this
incident, likewise connected with Juan's experiences while cook for a
band of robbers, was collected from Singalong, Manila. It was related
by Crisanto H. Aragon, and runs as follows:--
Juan and the Robbers.
Once there was a young man named Juan, who left his parents to seek
his fortune. While he was wandering in the mountains, he reached
the cave of some robbers. Juan decided to be a robber, and asked the
chief to admit him. The chief accepted Juan.
One night Juan was left alone in the cave, for his companions had gone
to town to make a raid. Before leaving, the chief said, "Juan, you
will stay here and take care of our property. If you hear a noise, take
your bolo and kill whoever makes that noise, for he is our enemy. Cook
some rice, so that when we return we may have something to eat."
While Juan was cooking the rice, to his great surprise he heard a
noise. Faithful to the command that had been laid upon him, Juan
took his bolo and walked around the cave to see where the noise came
from. When he reached the kitchen, he noticed that the noise was
louder. After a careful observation, he concluded that it was coming
from the rice-pot. "The enemies must be here," said Juan, pointing
to the rice-pot; and, without a moment's hesitation or fear, Juan
smashed the pot into a thousand pieces. The noise stopped at once,
and Juan was satisfied.
When the robbers came home and asked Juan for rice, he told them what
had happened. The chief realized that the fault was his, so he only
laughed at Juan; but, from that time on, Juan was never allowed to
stay alone in the cave.
One night the robbers decided to rob the captain of the Municipal
Police in a town near by. When they reached the captain's house, they
saw that it was empty: so they took everything they could find. Juan
entered the captain's bedroom, but, instead of searching for valuables,
he took the captain's uniform and put it on. Then Juan went out to
join his companions. But as soon as the robbers saw the uniformed man,
they thought it was the captain, and ran away as fast as their legs
would carry them. Juan ran too, for he thought that the captain must
be after them. The robbers were so frightened, that they separated;
but Juan decided to follow the chief. Finally the chief became so
tired, that he made up his mind to stop and fight his pursuer; but
when Juan came up, the chief recognized him, and it was only then
that both of them felt that they had gotten rid of the real captain.
For a Santal story of a stupid hero joining a band of thieves, see
A. Campbell, "Jhorea and Jhore," pp. 11-12; Bompas, p. 19.
(3) Adventure with the crabs. Compare "The Adventures of Juan" (JAFL
20 : 106), in which Juan's mother sends her foolish son to town to
buy meat to eat with the boiled rice. He buys a live crab, which he
sets down in the road and tells to go to his mother to be cooked for
dinner. The crab promises, but, as soon as Juan's back is turned,
runs in another direction. Clearly our version of the incident is
superior to this.
(4) Juan as a thief. With this incident may be compared another
Tagalog story, narrated by Adolfo Scheerer. It is entitled--
The Adventure of two Robbers.
There were once two robbers, who, hearing of the trip that a certain
family was about to make, decided to rob them during the night. They
were encouraged in their purpose by the thought that everything in
the house would be in a state of great confusion. During the night
the two thieves climbed a tree which grew close by a window of this
house. From this place they could easily observe what the people
inside were doing. As they sat there waiting, they saw two servants
packing something which seemed to be very heavy. They believed that
the bundle contained much money, so they decided to steal it.
In the dead of night one of the robbers went up into the house, took
the bundle, and passed it to his companion below. When he joined the
other, they took to their heels, carrying the bundle between them on
their shoulders. When they had gone some way, the one in the rear began
to get curious as to what they were carrying, so he cut an opening in
the mat that was wrapped around the contents. To his great surprise,
he noticed a human toe stick out; and he at once shouted, "Man, man,
man!" The one in front took this shout as a warning that some one was
chasing them, so he ran faster. The other only continued to shout,
"Man, man!" but his companion paid no attention to him. Finally his
foot caught in the root of a tree, and he fell down. When he understood
the situation, the two villains left the bundle and ran away.
(5) Frightening robbers under tree. This incident is widespread, and
has made its way into many Märchen cycles. It is distinctly comic in
its nature. For references to its occurrence, see Köhler-Bolte, 99
and 341 (sub "Herabwerfen der Thür"); Crane, 380, note 19; Cosquin,
I : 243 f.; and especially Bolte-Polívka, I : 521-525 (on Grimm,
No. 59), episode F.
(6) Walking on his own soil. This trick of Juan's we have already
met with in "King Tasio," No. 7 (b).
(7) Cooking rice-measures. Juan's misunderstanding about cooking two
measures of rice is almost exactly paralleled in a Santal story in
Bompas, No. I. The story is entitled "Bajun and Jhore," and this is
the first of a series of noodle-like incidents:--
Once upon a time there were two brothers named Bajun and Jhore. Bajun
was married, and one day his wife fell ill of fever. So, as he was
going ploughing, Bajun told Jhore to stay at home and cook the dinner,
and he bade him put into the pot three measures of rice. Jhore staid
at home, and filled the pot with water and put it on to boil; then
he went to look for rice-measures. There was only one in the house;
and Jhore thought, "My brother told me to put in three measures,
and if I only put in one, I shall get into trouble." So he went to a
neighbor's house and borrowed two more measures, and put them into the
pot, and left them to boil. At noon Bajun came back from ploughing,
and found Jhore stirring the pot, and asked him whether the rice was
ready. Jhore made no answer: so Bajun took the spoon from him, saying,
"Let me feel how it is getting on!" but when he stirred with the spoon,
he heard a rattling noise; and when he looked into the pot, he found
no rice, but only three wooden measures floating about. Then he turned
and abused Jhore for his folly; but Jhore said, "You yourself told
me to put in three measures, and I have done so." So Bajun had to
set to work and cook the rice himself, and got his dinner very late.
This ludicrous mistake suggests a not dissimilar droll of the Tinguian
(Cole, 198, No. 86):--
A man went to the other town. When he got there, the people were
eating bamboo sprouts (labon). He asked them what they ate, and they
said pangaldanen (the bamboo ladder is called aldan). He went home and
had nothing to eat but rice: so he cut his ladder into small pieces,
and cooked all day, but the bamboo was still very hard. He could
not wait longer, so he called his friends, and asked why he could
not make it like the people had in the other town. Then his friends
laughed and told him his mistake.
For an almost identical Santal story, see Bompas, No. CXXIV, "The
Fool and his Dinner."
(8) The last two episodes--wearing of shoes only when crossing rivers
and raising umbrella under tree, and the division of the fowl--we have
discussed in the notes to No. 7 (see pp. 63-64, [9], [8]). Add to the
bibliography given there, Bompas, No. CXXVIII, "The Father-in-law's
Visit," which contains a close parallel to the first episode.
In conclusion I will give two other Filipino noodle stories,
which, while not variants of any of those given above, have the
same combination of stupidity and success as that found in "Juan the
Fool." The first is an Ilocano story narrated by Presentacion Bersamin
of Bangued, Abra, and runs thus:--
Juan Sadut.
Juan Sadut was a very lazy fellow. His mother was a poor old woman,
who earned their living by husking rice. What she earned each day
was hardly enough to last them until the next. When a boy, Juan was
left at home to watch over their hens and chickens. One day, as his
mother went to work, she told Juan to take care of the little chicks,
lest a hawk should get them. Now, Juan had been told this so many
times, that he had grown tired of watching chickens: consequently,
when his mother went away, he tied all the chickens and hens together,
and hung them on a tree. He did this, because he thought that no bird
of prey could see them there. In the evening, when his mother came
home, she asked if everything was all right. Juan said, "Nana, I tied
all the hens and chickens by their legs, and hung them in that tree,
so that they would be safe." The mother asked where they were. Juan
showed them to her, but they were all dead. The mother was angry,
and whipped Juan very severely.
Time passed on, and Juan grew up to be a man; but he was as lazy as
ever. He wanted to get married, but the girl he had picked out was the
daughter of a rich man; and his mother told him that he was not a good
match for the girl, for they were very poor, and, besides, he was too
lazy to support a wife. Still Juan was determined to marry the girl,
and he thought out a way to get her. One day Juan went to work in the
fields, and earned a peseta. The next day he earned another. Then he
said to his mother, "Nana, please go to the father of Ines Cannogan
(for such was the name of the girl) and borrow their salup (a half
cocoanut-shell used for measuring). The mother went, and Ines asked
her who had sent for the salup. The mother told her that her son
Juan was a merchant that had just arrived from a successful trip. So
the salup was lent. When returning the measure, Juan put the two
pesetas in the husk of the cocoanut-shell, and told his mother to
take it back to Ines, pesetas and all. When Ines examined the salup,
she found the pesetas, and told her father all about them.
Not long afterwards Juan sent his mother again to borrow the
measure. Again Juan returned it with money sticking in the husk of
the shell. This he did several times, until at last Ines's father
believed that Juan was very rich. Juan now had a chance to talk with
Ines's father about his daughter, and of course the old man accepted
his proposal immediately. So Juan and Ines were married.
After their marriage, when the old man found out that his new
son-in-law was not only very poor, but also very lazy, he repented
of his rashness. However, he compelled both Juan and his wife to
go work on his farm. Once, when Ines was taking her siesta, many
wild cocks and hens came to eat the rice which she had put in the
sun to dry. Juan was too lazy to get up and drive them away, so he
took Ines's gold hairpin and threw it at the birds. When Ines awoke,
she missed her hairpin. Juan told her what he had done with it. She
scolded him so severely, that he felt hurt, and began to weep bitterly,
for even his wife disliked him.
The next day Juan went to look for the hairpin at the place where
he had thrown it. To his great surprise, he found a bush with golden
branches, and on one of them was the hairpin. Immediately he called
his wife. They pulled up the bush, and discovered at its roots a
jar full of gold and silver money. Now Ines was very proud of her
husband's luck. They went to the town to tell their father of their
good fortune. From now on, the old man no longer hated Juan, hut
loved him, and gave him all his property to supervise.
Thus Juan Sadut became a rich man without any effort. Fortune favors
the lazy--sometimes.
The other story comes from the other end of the Archipelago, from the
province of Misamis. It was narrated by Antonio Cosin of Tagoloan,
Misamis, and is a Visayan tale. As may easily be seen, it is distantly
related to Grimm, No. 7, "A Good Bargain." For the "sale to animals"
comic episode, see Grimm's notes; Clouston, "Book of Noodles," p. 148;
and Bolte-Polívka, 1 : 60. For the "sale to statue" incident, which
is analogous to our third episode below, see Clouston, ibid., p. 146;
Crane, 379, note 12; Cosquin, 2 : 178. The story follows:--
Juan Loco.
A great many years ago there lived a certain fool that went by the name
of Juan Loco. He was the son of a butcher, in so far as the following
experiences of his are concerned; he had many other experiences that
are not recorded in this story.
Juan could not be intrusted with anything, he was such a dunce; but one
day he persuaded his father to let him go out and sell meat. So about
eight in the morning Juan left home with about three pesos' worth
of pork, full of many a hopeful expectation. After having wandered
through many streets, he noticed that a big horse-fly was following him
with an imploring murmur. Imagining that the fly wanted to buy meat,
this sapient vender said to it, "Do you want to buy meat?" The fly
answered with a "buzzzzz." For Juan this was a sufficient answer:
so he left one-third of the pork with the fly, saying that he was
coming back again for his pay. Next he met a hungry and greatly-abused
pig, and he asked it if it wanted to buy meat. The pig merely said,
"hack, hack," and gave a few angry nods, but Juan understood it to
be saying, "Yes:" so he threw it one-half of the meat he had left,
with the same warning as he gave the fly,--that he was coming back
to collect the price of the meat. His third customer was himself, or
his reflection. Warm, tired, and thirsty from his wanderings, he came
to a well, where he thought he would take a drink. On looking down,
however, he saw a man in the bottom of the well. When Juan shouted
to him and made gestures, the man--or his reflection and the echo of
his own voice--returned some sort of inarticulate sound, and made
the same gestures as Juan. For the third time this sufficed for a
"Yes." So Juan threw the rest of his pork down the well, and said he
would come back for his money.
Now comes the collection, which he found to be quite easy. He
entered a dry-goods store, where he saw a fly on the hand of the
shop-keeper. Juan talked to the fly and demanded his money. It
did not answer: so he began chasing it around the room, sometimes
striking at it when it was on some customer's hand. At last, tired
of the disturbance, the shop-keeper paid him off to get rid of
him. Next Juan came to a garden where there was a pig. With the pig
he encountered the same obstinate silence. He began to chase the pig,
and he beat it whenever he was near enough to hit it. When the owner
of the animal saw what he was doing, and realized that he was crazy,
he paid him off, too. Now, as to his third customer. The reflection
in the pool simply mocked him and made him disgusted. So Juan got a
long pole and stirred the bottom of the well. When he found that this
treatment simply made his customer disappear, he began shouting at the
top of his voice. Finally the owner of the well came; and, to avoid
further disturbance, he also paid him off, for every one could easily
see that the vender was crazy (loco) from the way he talked and acted.
So Juan went home in ecstasy. He received much praise from his father,
who promised to let him sell meat every day; and the poor fellow
gloried in being thus praised.
For other noodle stories of the Filipinos, see our No. 9 and JAFL
20 : 104-106.
TALE 50
JUAN AND HIS PAINTED HAT.
Narrated by Adolfo Scheerer, a Tagalog from Manila, who heard the
story from their native servant some fifteen years ago.
There once lived a man by the name of Juan, who did nothing but fool
people all the time. Once, when he had only seventy pesos left in his
pockets, he determined to resort to the following scheme: he bought
a balangut hat (a very cheap straw), and painted it five different
colors. In the town where Juan was to operate, there were only three
stores. He went to each one of them and deposited twenty pesos,
saying to the owner of each, "I will deposit twenty pesos in your
store, and to-morrow afternoon I will bring some friends here with
me. We will perhaps take some refreshments or buy some goods, but in
any case I will see to it that the total amount of the things we take
is not over the twenty pesos. Then, when we leave, do not ask me to
pay you for the things. I will simply make you a bow with my hat,
and your attendants should thank me with much courtesy. That mere
bow with my hat is to be the payment. You may keep the twenty pesos,
but you must also keep this little plan a secret." The owners of the
three stores promised.
The next day Juan was walking in the street with his painted hat on,
when one of his friends met him. "Halloo, Juan!" exclaimed his friend,
"where did you get that funny hat?"
Juan looked serious, and said, "Don't be foolish! Don't you know that
this hat is the only means I have of earning a living?"
"Means of living?" returned the other.
"Why, of course. I can go in any store, take anything I please,
and pay for it with a mere bow of my hat."
By this time two other friends of Juan had come along, and they
too were surprised to see what Juan had on his head. To convince
them of the marvellous character of the hat, Juan took his friends
to one of the stores. There they sat down, and Juan ordered some
refreshments. They ate much, and of the best that the store could
furnish. After they had had enough, Juan stood up, made a bow to the
proprietor with his hat, and then they all left. Then they visited
another store, where the same thing took place.
The friends of Juan were very much astonished, and each wished to
possess the hat. One offered him a thousand pesos for it; another, two
thousand; and the third, one-half of all his property, which amounted
to about five thousand pesos. Juan, of course, was willing to sell it
to the highest bidder; but when the sale was about to be concluded,
the buyer began to doubt the power of the hat. So he asked Juan to
take him to another store to prove once more the qualities of the hat,
after which trial, he said, he would pay him the money. Juan took
his friend to the third store, and the friend was now sure that the
hat could really work wonders. So he paid Juan the five thousand pesos.
When he had received the money, Juan left his friends, went on board
ship, and sailed away to a foreign country. One day the friend who
had bought the hat desired to make a showing with it. So he invited
several friends, among them some ladies. He took them to one of the
stores, and there ordered some refreshments to be served them. When
they had finished, the man bowed with his hat, and started to leave.
"Thank you, sir!" said the owner of the store, "but where is my
payment for the refreshments you have just eaten?"
The owner of the hat was astonished, and, thinking that perhaps he
held the hat in the wrong way, or else his fingers were not on the
right color, he turned the hat around. Then he made another bow. The
owner of the shop now became angry, and began to swear at the man. The
other became excited, twirling the hat around, and holding it in as
many different ways as he could think of. Finally the shop-keeper
ordered the man arrested.
When the owner of the hat heard how Juan had played his trick by paying
twenty pesos in advance, he fainted and became very sick. In the mean
time Juan was performing other tricks in some different country.
Notes.
This droll was without doubt imported from Europe, where it has
a fairly wide distribution. It does not appear hitherto to have
been found in the Orient. In the European forms we find it both as
a separate tale, like our story, and also as a part of the "Master
Cheat" cycle, which we have discussed in the notes to No. 20. For a
complete list of the known occurrences of the "hat pays" episode, see
Bolte-Polívka, 2 : 10-15, incident D (on Grimm, No. 61). According
to their classification, versions from Holland, Denmark, Sweden,
Rumania, Serbo-Croatia, Poland, Russia, and Lithuania are known. See
also Köhler-Bolte, 246, 251 (note 1).
TALE 51
JUAN AND CLOTILDE.
Narrated by Vicente Hilario, a Tagalog, who heard the story from an
old man living in Batangas.
In ages vastly remote there lived in a distant land a king of such
prowess and renown, that his name was known throughout the four regions
of the compass. His name was Ludovico. His power was increased twofold
by his attachment to an aged magician, to whom he was tied by strong
bonds of friendship.
Ludovico had an extremely lovely daughter by the name of Clotilde. Ever
since his arrival at the palace the magician had been passionately
in love with her; but his extreme old age and his somewhat haughty
bearing were obstacles in his path to success. Whenever he made love
to her, she turned aside, and listened instead to the thrilling tales
told by some wandering minstrel. The magician finally succumbed to the
infirmities of old age, his life made more burdensome by his repeated
disappointments. He left to the king three enchanted winged horses;
to the princess, two magic necklaces of exactly the same appearance,
of inimitable workmanship and of priceless worth. Not did the
magician fall to wreak vengeance on the cause of his death. Before
he expired, he locked Clotilde and the three magic horses in a high
tower inaccessible to any human being. She was to remain in this
enchanted prison until some man succeeded in setting her free.
Naturally, King Ludovico wanted to see his daughter before the hour
of his death, which was fast approaching. He offered large sums of
money, together with his crown and Clotilde's hand, to anybody who
could set her free. Hundreds of princes tried, but in vain. The stone
walls of the tower were of such a height, that very few birds, even,
could fly over them.
But a deliverer now rose from obscurity and came into prominence. This
man was an uneducated but persevering peasant named Juan. He
possessed a graceful form, herculean frame, good heart, and unrivalled
ingenuity. His two learned older brothers tried to scale the walls
of the tower, but fared no better than the others. At last Juan's
turn came. His parents and his older brothers expostulated with him
not to go, for what could a man unskilled in the fine arts do? But
Juan, in the hope of setting the princess free, paid no attention to
their advice. He took as many of the biggest nails as he could find,
a very long rope, and a strong hammer. As he lived in a town several
miles distant from the capital, he had to make the trip on horseback.
One day Juan set out with all his equipment. On the way he met his
disappointed second brother returning after a vain attempt. The
older brother tried in every way he could to divert Juan from his
purpose. Now, Juan's parents, actuated partly by a sense of shame if
he should fail, and partly by a deep-seated hatred, had poisoned his
food without his knowledge. When he felt hungry, he suspected them
of some evil intention: so before eating he gave his horse some of
his provisions. The poor creature died on the road amidst terrible
sufferings, and Juan was obliged to finish the journey on foot.
When he arrived at the foot of the tower, he drove a nail into the
wall. Then he tied one end of his rope to this spike. In this way he
succeeded in making a complete ladder of nails and rope to the top of
the tower. He looked for Clotilde, who met him with her eyes flooded
with tears. As a reward for his great services to her, she gave him
one of the magic necklaces. While they were whispering words of love
in each other's ears, they heard a deafening noise at the bottom of
the tower. "Rush for safety to your ladder!" cried Clotilde. "One of
the fiendish friends of the magician is going to kill you."
But, alas! some wanton hand had pulled out the nails; and this
person was none other then Juan's second brother. "I am a lost man,"
said Juan.
"Mount one of the winged horses in the chamber adjoining mine," said
Clotilde. So Juan got on one of the animals without knowing where to
go. The horse flew from the tower with such velocity, that Juan had
to close his eyes. His breath was almost taken away. In a few seconds,
however, he was landed in a country entirely strange to his eyes.
After long years of struggle with poverty and starvation, Juan was
at last able to make his way back to his native country. He went
to live in a town just outside the walls of the capital. A rich old
man named Telesforo hired him to work on his farm. Juan's excellent
service and irreproachable conduct won the good will of his master,
who adopted him as his son. At about this time King Ludovico gave
out proclamations stating that any one who could exactly match his
daughter's necklace should be his son-in-law. Thousands tried, but
they tried in vain. Even the most dextrous and experienced smiths were
baffled in their attempts to produce an exact counterfeit. When word of
the royal proclamations was brought to Juan, he decided to try. One day
he pretended to be sick, and he asked Telesforo to go to the palace to
get Clotilde's necklace. The old man, who was all ready to serve his
adopted son, went that very afternoon and borrowed the necklace, so
that he might try to copy it. When he returned with the magic article,
Juan jumped from his bed and kissed his father. After supper Juan went
to his room and locked himself in. Then he took from his pocket the
necklace which Clotilde had given him in the tower, and compared it
carefully with the borrowed one. When he saw that they did not differ
in any respect, he took a piece of iron and hammered it until midnight.
Early the next morning Juan wrapped the two magic necklaces in a silk
handkerchief, and told the old man to take them to the king. "By
the aid of the Lord!" exclaimed Clotilde when her father the king
unwrapped the necklaces, "my lover is here again. This necklace,"
she said, touching the one she had given Juan, "is not a counterfeit"
for it is written in the magician's book of black art that no human
being shall be able to imitate either of the magic necklaces.--Where is
the owner of this necklace, old man?" she said, turning to Telesforo.
"He is at home," said Telesforo with a bow.
"Go and bring him to the palace," said Clotilde.
Within a quarter of an hour Juan arrived. After paying due respect to
the king, Juan embraced Clotilde affectionately. They were married
in the afternoon, and the festivities continued for nine days and
nine nights. Juan was made crown-prince, and on the death of King
Ludovico he succeeded to the throne. King Juan and Queen Clotilde
lived to extreme old age in peace and perfect happiness.
Notes.
This Tagalog Märchen appears to be closely related to an
eighteenth-century Spanish ballad by Alonso de Morales. The ballad is
No. 1263 in the "Romancero General," and is entitled, "Las Princesas
Encantadas, y Deslealdad de Hermanos." Although in general outline the
two stories are very close to each other, there are some significant
differences.
In the Spanish, the king's name is Clotaldo, and he rules in Syria. The
king builds a very high tower, and puts in it his three beautiful
daughters; then he calls a powerful magician to cast a spell about
the place, so that the tower cannot be scaled until the king wishes
it to be. Confined in the tower with the princesses are three winged
horses (o satánicas arpias). The king then issues a proclamation that
whoever can reach the princesses shall be married to them. The three
brothers that make the attempt are knights from Denmark. The two older
proceed to Syria on horseback, fail, and on their return home meet
their youngest brother making his way leisurely in a bullock-cart. He
too is going to try, and is taking with him abundant provisions,
many nails, and a rope. After they have tried in rain to persuade
him to return home, they accompany him. [The episode of the poisoned
food is lacking.] Juan gains the top of the tower, lowers the two
older princesses, and then, last of all, the youngest, who gives him
a necklace before she descends. The treacherous brothers now destroy
Juan's means of escape, and make off with the three maidens, leaving
him on the tower. He mounts one of the winged horses, and it flies
with him to a distant country. Making his way back to Syria on foot,
he exchanges clothes with a drover, and appears in Clotaldo's kingdom
in disguise, pretending to be simple-minded. The king has already
married his two older daughters to Juan's treacherous brothers, and
is now trying to persuade his youngest daughter to marry: but she
wishes only her rescuer. She paints a necklace in every respect like
the one which she gave Juan, and says that she will marry only when a
person is found who can make a necklace exactly like the picture. The
king sends the painting to an alchemist in the city, and orders him,
under penalty of death if he falls, to produce the necklace in two
months. He is unable to do so, and becomes downcast. Juan, who has
been in service as a porter, and is the one who carried the command
of the king to the alchemist, asks him why he is sad. He tells the
reason. Juan gives the alchemist his necklace. [The rest is practically
as in our story.]
There is a sequel to this ballad, No. 1264, which has a close
resemblance to the Tagalog "Juan Tiñoso," already summarized in the
notes to No. 36.
The Spanish story, says the editor of the "Romancero General," is one
of those founded directly on Oriental material which was transmitted
by the Arabs. It is curious that so few of these tales, which have
been preserved for generations as oral tradition, have made their
way into print. The differences noticeable between our Märchen and
the ballad may be due to a tradition somewhat divergent from that on
which Alonso de Morales's poem is based.
TALE 52
THE POOR MAN AND HIS THREE SONS.
Narrated by Gregorio Velasquez, a Tagalog from Pasig, Rizal. He says,
"This is a primitive Tagalog fable. I think. I heard it from old
people."
Once there lived a poor man who had three sons. When the father was on
his death-bed, he called his sons, and said to them, "My sons, I shall
die very soon; and I shall not be able to leave you much wealth, for
wealth I have not. But I will give each one of you something which,
if you will only be able to find a place in which it has no equal,
will make you happy men." The father then gave to one a rooster,
to another a cat, and to the third a scythe. Then he died.
The owner of the scythe was the first to try his fortune and test his
father's advice. He left his brothers, and went on a journey until
he came to a town where he saw the people harvesting rice by pulling
the stalks out of the ground. He showed the people the convenience of
the scythe. They were so delighted and astonished, that they offered
to give him a large sum of money in exchange for the tool. Of course
he was willing to sell it, and he went home a rich man.
The owner of the rooster, seeing the good luck of his brother,
next resolved to try his fortune with the bird. Like his brother,
he travelled until he came to a town where there was no rooster. The
people were very much interested in the rooster's crowing, and asked
the owner why the bird crowed. He said that the bird told the time of
day by its crowing. "The first crow in the night announces midnight,"
he said; "the second, three o'clock in the morning; and the third
crow announces five o'clock." The people were very anxious to get
the rooster for their town, and offered to buy it. The owner was
willing, and he returned to his home as rich as his brother who had
sold the scythe.
The last brother now set out to try his luck with his cat. At last
he came to a town where the rats were vexing the people very much. He
showed them the use of his cat. With wonder the people watched the cat
kill the rats, and were astounded to see how the rats fled from this
strange animal. The news of the cat reached the king, who summoned
its owner to the palace. The king asked the brother to try his cat on
the rats in the palace, and so the cat was turned loose. In a short
time all the rats had either been killed or driven away. The king
wanted the cat, and offered to pay a large sum of money for it. So
the owner of the cat, after the king had paid him, went home as rich
as his other two brothers.
Thus the three brothers became rich, because they followed their
father's wise advice: select the right place in which to trade.
Notes.
This story, like the preceding, is clearly an importation from the
Occident. The bibliography of the cycle to which it belongs may be
found in Bolte-Polívka, 2 : 69-71 (on Grimm, No. 70). German, Breton,
French, Flemish, Swedish, Catalan, Serbian, Bulgarian, Czech, Polish,
Russian, Lithuanian, and Finnish versions have been recorded. The
story as a whole does not appear to have been collected from the Far
East hitherto, though separate tales turning on the sale of a cat in
a catless country (Dick Whittington type) are found among the Jews
and in Africa. Bolte and Polívka give the bibliography of this latter
group of stories on pp. 71-76.
The oldest form of our story known is that found in Nicholas de
Troyes' "Grand Parangon des nouvelles Nouvelles," No. X, dating from
1535. The three things here bequeathed by the father are a cock, a cat,
and a sickle, as in our version. I think it probable that the tale
was introduced into the Philippines through the medium of a French
religious. The Catalan form differs from the French in mentioning a
fourth "heirloom," a raven, and was probably not the parent of our
Tagalog version.
TALE 53
THE DENIED MOTHER.
Narrated by Leopoldo Uichanco, a Tagalog from Calamba, Laguna.
(One day little Antonio fell down and sprained his elbow. His
grandfather told him to put on his camisa and they would go to Tandang
Fruto, an old manghihilot (a man who pretends to correct dislocated
bones by means of certain prayers). On their way they met a beggar
with a guitar. He sat down on a stone in front of a house and began
to sing. Antonio wished to hear him, and so did the old grandfather:
so they stopped and listened. The beggar sang the story of "The Denied
Mother" in Tagalog verse. The story is this:--)
In a certain country there lived a king who had a pet dog. He loved
the dog so much and treated it so kindly, that, wherever he went, the
dog followed him. In the course of time the dog gave birth to three
puppies. The most striking thing about these new-born creatures was
that they were real human beings in every particular. So the king
ordered them to be baptized. The eldest sister was named Feliza;
the second, Juana; and the youngest, Maria. When they grew up into
beautiful young women, they married three princes, each of a different
kingdom. After the marriage-festivities, each went to live in the
country of her husband.
Feliza was very happy: she dressed elegantly, and had all that a woman
of her rank could wish for. One day, when her husband was away from
home, a lean, dirty, spectre-looking dog came to her. It was Feliza's
mother, who, after the death of her master the king, had been cast out
of the palace. The poor dog had had nothing to eat for many days. She
had been driven away from every house, and had been frightened by
mischievous boys with sticks and stones. Although Feliza's kingdom
was very far away, she had managed, in spite of difficulty, to reach
it. She hoped to gain her daughter's pity. "My daughter," she said,
as she ascended the steps of the ladder(!), "have compassion on me! I,
your mother, am in a very wretched condition."
"What care I?" returned Feliza. "What business have you to come
here? Don't you know that I will never sacrifice anything for your
sake? Get out of here!" And she kicked the poor dog until it fell
tumbling to the ground. Feliza did not want her husband to find out
that her mother was a dog.
Sadly the dog went away, and decided to go to her daughter Juana's
kingdom. The country was far away, but what else could she do? As
Juana was coming out of the church with her husband, she saw the dog
hurrying after her. Like Feliza, she was ashamed of her mother. She
whispered to one of the guards to catch the dog and tie it securely
in a distant forest, so that it might no longer annoy her.
Not long after this, Maria, the youngest daughter, was riding through
the forest with her husband. There they found the poor dog crying
and yelping in a pitiful manner. Maria recognized her mother. She
got out of the carriage, and with her own hands untied the dog. She
wrapped her veil around it, and ordered the carriage to turn back
to the palace. "Husband," she said as she ascended the steps of the
royal residence, "this dog that I am carrying is my mother, so please
your Majesty."
The husband only said, "Thank God!" and not another word. Maria ordered
the cook to prepare delicious food for the dog. She assigned the best
chamber in the palace to the animal. While the dog was eating with
Maria, the prince, and the courtiers, the dining-room was suddenly
illuminated with a bright light. The dog disappeared, and in its place
stood a beautiful woman in glorious attire. The woman kissed Maria,
and said, "I am the dog your mother. God bless you, my good child!"
Notes.
I can offer no close parallels for this somewhat savage tale, though a
few analogies to incidents in our story are to be found in an Indian
story in Frere (No. 2, "A Funny Story"), the first part of which may
be abstracted here for comparison.
A certain Rajah and Ranee are sad because they have no children and
the little dog in the palace has no puppies; but at last the Ranee is
confined, and bears two puppies, while the little dog at the same time
gives birth to two female infants. In order to keep her offspring from
the Ranee, who wishes to substitute her own for the dog's, the dog
carries its two daughters to the forest, and there rears them. When
they have become of marriageable age, they are found by two princes,
who take them away and make them their wives. For twelve years the poor
dog looks in vain for her lost children. One day the eldest daughter
looks out of her window, and sees a dog running down the street. "That
must be my long-lost mother!" she exclaims to herself; and she runs
out, gets the animal, bathes it and feeds it. The dog now wants to
go visit her younger daughter, although the elder tries in vain to
dissuade her mother from going. When the younger daughter sees the dog,
she says, "That must be my mother! What will my husband think of me
if he learns that this wretched, ugly, miserable-looking dog is my
mother?" She orders the servants to throw stones at it and drive it
away. Wounded in the head, the dog runs back to her elder daughter,
but dies, in spite of the tender care it receives. The daughter now
tries to conceal the body until she can bury it. The husband discovers
the corpse of the dog, but it has become a statue of gold set with
diamonds and other precious stones. He asks where the treasure came
from. His wife lies, and says, "Oh, it is only a present my parents
sent me!" [The rest of the story has nothing to do with ours: it is
a variant of the "Toads and Diamonds" cycle (see notes to No. 47).]
It will be noticed that in the Indian tale the rôles of the daughters
are the reverse of what they are in our story.
TALE 54
TOMARIND AND THE WICKED DATU.
Narrated by Eutiquiano Garcia of Mexico. Pampanga. He says that this
is an old Pampangan tale.
Before the Spanish occupation there were in the Philippines many
petty kingdoms headed by native princes known as datus. Luzon, the
scene of countless ravages and hard fightings of warlike tribes, was
the home of Datu Nebucheba. His kingdom--at first only a few square
miles--was greatly extended by the labor of his young brave warrior,
Tomarind. Tomarind had a very beautiful wife, with whom Datu Nebucheba
fell in love; but the ruler kept his vile desire secret in his heart
for many years. Many times he thought of getting rid of his warrior
Tomarind, and thus getting possession of his beautiful wife.
One day Tomarind was sent on a dangerous errand. He was ordered
to get an enchanted marble ball from one of the caves in a certain
mountain. Two monsters of terrible aspect, whose joy was the burning of
villages, and whose delight was the killing of human beings, guarded
the entrance of that cave. Many persons had entered the door of that
death-chamber, but nobody had come from it alive. Suspicious of the
coming danger, Tomarind did not go directly to the cave. He sought the
famous witch of Tipuca, and told her about his situation. Immediately
the witch performed a sort of diabolical ceremony, gave Tomarind a
magic cane, and sent him away. When he reached the cave, those that
guarded the cave received Tomarind very kindly, and they delivered
the enchanted marble ball to him.
"To-morrow," said Nebucheba to himself, "the wife of Tomarind
will be mine." Alas for him! very early the next morning Tomarind
presented the marble ball to Datu Nebucheba. "How quickly he executed
my orders!" exclaimed Nebucheba. "What shall I do to destroy this
brave man? The next time he will not escape the danger. I will ask
him to take a letter to my parents, who are living under ground,
in the realm of the spirits," he said to himself.
The datu caused a well to be dug, and big stones to be piled near
the mouth of it. When everything was ready, he summoned the brave
warrior. He gave him the letter, and told him to start the next
morning. Tomarind went again to the witch of Tipuca. "This is a very
great task," said the witch; "but never mind! you will get even with
Datu Nebucheba." That night the witch, with the help of unseen spirits,
made a subterranean passage connecting the bottom of the datu's well
with that of Tomarind's. "Nebucheba," the witch said to Tomarind,
"will ask you to go down into his well; and as soon as you are at the
bottom, he will order that the pile of stones be thrown on you. Lose
no time, but go in to the subterranean passage that I have prepared
for you." When morning came, Tomarind went to execute the orders of
the datu.
Now, Nebucheba firmly believed that Tomarind was dead. There was
great rejoicing in the datu's house. In the evening, while the
revelry was going on, Tomarind appeared with the pretended answer
from Nebucheba's parents. The letter read, "We wish you to come and
see us here. We have a very beautiful girl for you." Nebucheba was
greatly surprised. He made up his mind to go down into the well the
next day. He gathered all his subjects together, and said to them,
"I am going to see my parents. If the place there is better than the
place here, I shall not come back. Tomarind will be my successor."
In the morning Nebucheba's subjects took him to the well and lowered
him slowly into it. When he reached the bottom, Tomarind threw big
stones down on him, and Nebucheba was crushed to death. The people
never saw him again. Tomarind became datu, and he ruled his subjects
with justice and equity for many years.
Note.
I know of no variants of this tale, which pretty evidently represents
old tribal Pampangan tradition. The device by which Tomarind lures
the wicked datu to his death is not unlike incident J in our No. 20
(see notes), but there is clearly no other connection between the
two stories.
PART II
FABLES AND ANIMAL STORIES.
TALE 55
THE TURTLE AND THE MONKEY.
Narrated by Eutiquiano Garcia of Mexico, Pampanga.
It was mid-day. The blinding heat of the sun forced all the
water-loving animals--such as pigs, carabaos, and turtles--to go to
the river-banks and there seek to cool themselves in the water. On
that part of the bank where a big shady tree stood, a monkey and a
turtle were having a good time, discussing the past, present, and
future. Just then they saw a banana-stalk floating by.
"Don't you think that it would be a wise thing for us to get that
banana-stalk and plant it?" said the monkey.
"Can you swim?" replied the turtle.
"No, I can't, but you can," said the monkey.
"I will get the banana-tree," said the turtle, "on condition that
we divide it. You must allow me to have the upper part, where the
leaves are." The monkey agreed; but when the stalk was brought to
shore, the monkey took the leaves himself, and gave the turtle only
the roots. As the humble turtle was unable to fight the monkey, all
he could do was to pick up his share and take it to the woods and
plant it. It was not strange that the monkey's part died, while that
of the turtle brought forth clusters of ripe bananas in time.
When the monkey learned that the bananas were ripe, he went to visit
his friend the turtle. "I will give you half the bananas," said the
turtle, "if you will only climb the stalk and get the fruit for me."
"With great pleasure," replied the monkey. In less than a minute he
was at the top of the tree. There he took his time, eating all he
could, and stopping now and then to throw a banana-peeling down to
his friend below. What could the poor turtle do? It was impossible
for him to climb.
"I know what I'll do!" he said to himself. He gathered pointed sticks,
and set them all around the base of the tree. Then he cried out to the
monkey, saying, "The hunters are coming! The hunters are coming!" The
monkey was very much frightened, so he jumped down in the hope of
escaping; but he was pierced by the sharp sticks, and in a few hours
he died. Thus the turtle got his revenge on the selfish monkey.
When the monkey was dead, the turtle skinned him, dried his meat, and
sold it to the other monkeys in the neighborhood. But, in taking off
the skin, the turtle was very careless: he left here and there parts
of the fur sticking to the meat; and from this fact the monkeys which
had bought the meat judged the turtle guilty of murder of one of their
brethren. So they took the turtle before their chief, and he was tried.
When the turtle's guilt had been established, the monkey-chief ordered
him to be burned.
"Fire does not do me any harm," said the turtle. "Don't you see the
red part on my back? My father has burned me many times."
"Well, if fire doesn't harm him, cut him to pieces," said the
monkey-chief angrily.
"Neither will this punishment have any effect on me," continued the
wise turtle. "My back is full of scars. My father used to cut me over
and over again."
"What can we do with him?" said the foolish monkeys. At last the
brightest fellow in the group said, "We will drown him in the lake."
As soon as the turtle heard this, he felt happy, for he knew that
he would not die in the water, However, he pretended to be very
much afraid, and he implored the monkeys not to throw him into the
lake. But he said to himself, "I have deceived all these foolish
monkeys." Without delay the monkeys took him to the lake and threw
him in. The turtle dived; and then he stuck his head above the surface
of the water, laughing very loud at them.
Thus the turtle's life was saved, because he had used his brains in
devising a means of escape.
The Monkey and the Turtle.
Narrated by Bienvenido Gonzales of Pampanga. He heard the story from
his younger brother, who heard it in turn from a farmer. It is common
in Pampanga.
Once there lived two friends,--a monkey and a turtle. One day they saw
a banana-plant floating on the water. The turtle swam out and brought
it to land. Since it was but a single plant and they had to divide it,
they cut it across the middle.
"I will have the part with the leaves on," said the monkey, thinking
that the top was best. The turtle agreed and was very well pleased, but
she managed to conceal her joy. The monkey planted his part, the top
of the tree; and the turtle planted hers, the roots. The monkey's plant
died; but that of the turtle grew, and in time bore much fine fruit.
One day, since the turtle could not get at the bananas, she asked
the monkey to climb the tree and bring down the bananas. In return
for this service she offered to give him half the fruit. The monkey
clambered up the tree, but he ate all the fruit himself: he did not
give the turtle any. The turtle became very angry, waiting in vain;
so she collected many sharp sticks, and stuck them in the trunk of the
tree. Then she went away. When the monkey slid down to the ground,
he injured himself very badly on the sharp sticks; so he set off to
find the turtle and to revenge himself.
The monkey looked for a long time, but finally found the turtle under
a pepper-plant. As the monkey was about to strike her, she said,
"Keep quiet! I am guarding the king's fruits."
"Give me some!" said the monkey.
"Well, I will; here are some!" said the turtle. "But you must promise
me not to chew them until I am far away; for the king might see you,
and then he would punish me." The monkey agreed. When the turtle was
a long way off, he began to chew the peppers. They were very hot,
and burned his mouth badly. He was now extremely angry, and resolved
that it would go hard with the turtle when he should catch her.
He searched all through the woods and fields for her. At last he
found her near a large snake-hole. The monkey threatened to kill the
turtle; but she said to him, "Friend monkey, do you want to wear the
king's belt?"
"Why, surely! Where is it?" said the monkey.
The turtle replied, "It will come out very soon: watch for it!" As
soon as the snake came out, the monkey caught it; but the snake
rolled itself around his body, and squeezed him nearly to death. He
finally managed to get free of the snake; but he was so badly hurt,
that he swore he would kill the turtle as soon as he should find her.
The turtle hid herself under a cocoanut-shell. The monkey was by this
time very tired, so he sat down on the cocoanut-shell to rest. As he
sat there, he began to call loudly, "Turtle, where are you?"
The turtle answered in a low voice, "Here I am!"
The monkey looked all around him, but he saw nobody. He thought that
some part of his body was joking him. He called the turtle again,
and again the turtle answered him.
The monkey now said to his abdomen, "If you answer again when I don't
call you, stomach, I'll punish you." Once more he called the turtle;
and once more she said, "I am here!"
This was too much for the monkey. He seized a big stone, and began to
hit his belly with it. He injured himself so much, that he finally
died.
The Monkey and the Turtle.
Narrated by José M. Katigbak of Batangas, Batangas. This is a genuine
Tagalog story, he says, which he heard from his friend Angel Reyes.
Once upon a time there was a turtle who was very kind and patient. He
had many friends. Among them was a monkey, who was very selfish. He
always wanted to have the best part of everything.
One day the monkey went to visit the turtle. The monkey asked his
friend to accompany him on a journey to the next village. The turtle
agreed, and they started early the next morning. The monkey did not
take much food with him, because he did not like to carry a heavy
load. The turtle, on the contrary, took a big supply. He advised the
monkey to take more, but the monkey only laughed at him. After they
had been travelling five days, the monkey's food was all gone, so the
turtle had to give him some. The monkey was greedy, and kept asking
for more all the time. "Give me some more, friend turtle!" he said.
"Wait a little while," said the turtle. "We have just finished eating."
As the monkey made no reply, they travelled on. After a few minutes
the monkey stopped, and said, "Can't you travel a little faster?"
"I can't, for I have a very heavy load," said the turtle.
"Give me the load, and then we shall get along more rapidly," said
the monkey. The turtle handed over all his food to the monkey, who
ran away as fast as he could, leaving the turtle far behind.
"Wait for me!" said the turtle, doing his best to catch his friend;
but the monkey only shouted, "Come on!" and scampered out of sight. The
turtle was soon very tired and much out of breath, but he kept on. The
monkey climbed a tree by the roadside, and looked back. When he saw
his friend very far in the rear, he ate some of the food. At last
the turtle came up. He was very hungry, and asked the monkey for
something to eat.
"Come on a little farther," said the selfish monkey. "We will eat
near a place where we can get water." The turtle did not say anything,
but kept plodding on. The monkey ran ahead and did the same thing as
before, but this time he ate all the food.
"Why did you come so late?" said the monkey when the turtle came
up panting.
"Because I am so hungry that I cannot walk fast," answered the
turtle. "Will you give me some food?" he continued.
"There is no more," replied the monkey. "You brought very little. I
ate all there was, and I am still hungry."
As the turtle had no breath to waste, he continued on the road. While
they were on their way, they met a hunter. The monkey saw the hunter
and climbed a tree, but the man caught the turtle and took it home
with him. The monkey laughed at his friend's misfortune. But the
hunter was kind to the turtle: he tied it near a banana-tree, and
gave it food every hour.
One day the monkey happened to pass near the house of the hunter. When
he saw that his friend was tied fast, he sneered at him; but after
he had remained there a few hours, and had seen how the turtle was
fed every hour, he envied the turtle's situation. So when night came,
and the hunter was asleep, the monkey went up to the turtle, and said,
"Let me be in your place."
"No, I like this place," answered the turtle.
The monkey, however, kept urging and begging the turtle, so that
finally the turtle yielded. Then the monkey set the turtle free,
and tied himself to the tree. The turtle went off happy; and the
monkey was so pleased, that he could hardly sleep during the night
for thinking of the food the hunter would give him in the morning.
Early the next morning the hunter woke and looked out of his window. He
caught sight of the monkey, and thought that the animal was stealing
his bananas. So he took his gun and shot him dead. Thus the turtle
became free, and the monkey was killed.
MORAL: Do not be selfish.
Notes.
The story of these two opponents, the monkey and the turtle, is
widespread in the Philippines. In the introduction to a collection
of Bagobo tales which includes a version of this fable, Laura Watson
Benedict says (JAFL 26 [1913] : 14), "The story of 'The Monkey and
the Turtle' is clearly modified from a Spanish source." In this note
I hope to show not only that the story is native in the sense that
it must have existed in the Islands from pre-Spanish times, but also
that the Bagobo version represents a connecting link between the
other Philippine forms and the original source of the whole cycle,
a Buddhistic Jataka. Merely from the number of Philippine versions
already collected, it seems reasonable to suspect that the story is
Malayan: it is found from one end of the Archipelago to the other, and
the wild tribes have versions as well as the civilized. In addition
to our one Tagalog and two Pampangan versions, five other Philippine
forms already exist in print, and may be cited for comparison. These
are the following:--
(d) Bagobo, "The Monkey and the Tortoise" (JAFL 26 : 58).
(e) Visayan, "Ca Matsin and Ca Boo-ug" (JAFL 20 : 316).
(f) Tagalog, "The Monkey and the Turtle" (JAFL 21 : 46).
(g) Tinguian, "The Turtle and the Monkey" (Cole, 195, No. 77).
(k) Tagalog, Rizal's "Monkey and the Turtle." [100]
Before discussing the origin of the story, we may examine the different
incidents found in the Philippine versions. That they vary considerably
may be seen from the following list:--
A The division of the banana-stalk: monkey takes top; and turtle,
roots. Monkey's share dies, turtle's grows, or (A1) monkey and turtle
together find banana-tree growing; turtle unable to climb, but monkey
easily gets at the fruit.
B Monkey steals turtle's bananas and will not give him any, or (B1)
sticks banana up his anus and throws it to turtle, or (B2) drops his
excrement into turtle's mouth.
C Turtle, in revenge, plants sharp stakes (or thorns) around base of
the banana-tree; and when monkey descends, he is severely injured,
or (C1) he is killed.
D Turtle sells monkey-flesh to other monkeys; either his trick is
discovered accidentally by the monkeys, or (D1) the turtle jeers them
for eating of their kind.
E Turtle is sentenced to death. He says, "You may burn me or pound me,
but for pity's sake don't drown me!" The monkeys "drown" the turtle,
and he escapes.
F The monkeys attempt to drink all the water in the lake, so as to
reach the turtle: they burst themselves and perish. Or (F1) they
get a fish to drain the pond dry; fish is punctured by a bird, water
rushes out, and monkeys are drowned. Or (F2) monkeys summon all the
other animals to help them drink the lake dry. The animals put leaves
over the ends of their urethras, so that the water will not flow out;
but a bird pecks the leaves away, and the monkeys turn to revenge
themselves on the bird. (F3) They catch him and pluck out all his
feathers; but the bird recovers, and revenges himself as below (G).
G Monkeys and other animals are enticed to a fruit-tree in a meadow,
and are burned to death in a jungle fire kindled by the turtle and
his friend the bird.
H Episode of guarding king's fruit-tree or bread-tree (Chile peppers).
J Episode of guarding king's belt (boa-constrictor).
K Turtle deceives monkey with his answers, so that the monkey thinks
part of his own body is mocking him. Enraged, he strikes himself with
a stone until he dies.
L Turtle captured by hunter gets monkey to exchange places with him
by pointing out the advantages of the situation. Monkey subsequently
shot by the hunter.
These incidents are distributed as follows:
Version (a) ABC1DE
Version (b) ABCHJK
Version (c) (Opening different, but monkey greedy as in B) L
Version (d) A1B2C1D1EF2F3G
Version (e) ABC1DEF1
Version (f) A1BC (glass on trunk of tree) EF (monkey in his rage
leaps after turtle and is drowned)
Version (g) AB1C1 (sharp shells) DEF (monkeys dive in to catch
fish when they see turtle appear with one in his mouth, and are
drowned). Incidents K and a form of J are found in the story of
"The Turtle and the Lizard" (Cole, 196)
The incidents common to most of these versions are some form of
ABCDEF; and these, I think, we must consider as integral parts of the
story. It will be seen that one of our versions (c) properly does not
belong to this cycle at all, except under a very broad definition of
the group. In all these tales the turtle is the injured creature:
he is represented as patient and quiet, but clever. The monkey is
depicted as selfish, mischievous, insolent, but stupid. In general,
although the versions differ in details, they are all the same story,
in that they tell how a monkey insults a turtle which has done him
no harm, and how he finally pays dearly for his insult.
The oldest account I know of, telling of the contests between
the monkey and the turtle, is a Buddhist birth-story, the
"Kacchapa-jataka," No. 273, which narrates how a monkey insulted a
tortoise by thrusting his penis down the sleeping tortoise's throat,
and how the monkey was punished. Although this particular obscene
jest is not found in any of our versions, I think that there is a
trace of it preserved in the Bagobo story. The passage runs thus
(loc. cit. pp. 59-60): "At that all the monkeys were angry [incident
D], and ran screaming to catch the tortoise. But the tortoise hid under
the felled trunk of an old palma brava tree. As each monkey passed
close by the trunk where the tortoise lay concealed, the tortoise said,
'Drag (or lower) your membrum! Here's a felled tree.' Thus every
monkey passed by clear of the trunk, until the last one came by; and
he was both blind and deaf. When he followed the rest, he could not
hear the tortoise call out, and his membrum struck against the fallen
trunk. He stopped, and became aware of the tortoise underneath. Then
he screamed to the rest; and all the monkeys came running back,
and surrounded the tortoise, threatening him." This incident, in its
present form obscure and unreasonable (it is hard to see how following
the tortoise's directions would have saved the monkeys from injury,
and how the blind and deaf monkey "became aware" of the tortoise just
because he hit the tree), probably originally represented the tortoise
as seizing the last monkey with his teeth (present form, "his membrum
struck against the fallen trunk"), so that in this way the monkey
became painfully aware of the tortoise's close proximity. Hence his
screams, too,--of pain. With incident B2 two other Buddhist stories
are to be compared. The "Mahisa-jataka," No. 278, tells how an impudent
monkey voids his excrement on a patient buffalo (the Bodhisatta) under
a tree. The vile monkey is later destroyed when he plays the same
trick on another bull. In the "Kapi-jataka," No. 404, a bad monkey
drops his excrement first on the head and then into the mouth of a
priest, who later takes revenge on the monkey by having him and all
his following of five hundred destroyed. All in all, the agreement
in general outline and in some details between these Hindoo stories
and ours justifies us, I believe, in assuming without hesitation that
our stories are descended directly from Buddhistic fables, possibly
these very Jatakas. Compare also the notes to Nos. 48 and 56.
For a Celebes variant of the story of "The Monkey and the Turtle,"
see Bezemer, p. 287.
The sources of the other incidents, which I have not found in the
Buddhistic stories, I am unable to point out. However, many of them
occur in the beast tales of other Oriental and Occidental countries:
for instance, incident E is a commonplace in "Brer Rabbit" stories
both in Africa and America, whence it has made its way into the tales
of the American Indians (see, for example, Honeÿ, 82; Cole, 195, note;
Dähnhardt, 4 : 43-45); incident J and another droll episode found in
an Ilocano story--"king's bell" (= beehive) motif--occur in a Milanau
tale from Sarawak, Borneo, "The Plandok, Deer, and the Pig" (Roth, 1 :
347), and in two other North Borneo stories given by Evans (p. 474),
"Plandok and Bear" and "Plandok and Tiger." In Malayan stories in
general, the mouse-deer (plandok) is represented as the cleverest
of animals, taking the rôle of the rabbit in African tales, and of
the jackal in Hindoo. In the Ilocano story referred to, both these
incidents--"king's belt" and "king's bell"--are found, though the
rest of the tale belongs to the "Carancal" group (No. 3; see also
No. 4 [b]), Incident L is found among the Negroes of South Africa
(Honeÿ, 84, where the two animals are a monkey and a jackal). With
incident G compare a Tibetan story (Ralston, No. XLII), where men
take counsel as to how to kill a troop of monkeys that are destroying
their corn. The plan is to cut down all the trees which stand about
the place, one Tinduka-tree only being allowed to remain. A hedge of
thorns is drawn about the open space, and the monkeys are to be killed
inside the enclosure when they climb the tree in search of food. The
monkeys escape, however; for another monkey goes and fires the village,
thus distracting the attention of the men. Incident D, the Thyestean
banquet, is widespread throughout European saga and Märchen literature:
but even this incident Cosquin (I : xxxix) connects with India through
an Annamite tale. With incident F3 compare a story from British North
Borneo (Evans, 429-430), in which the adjutant-bird (lungun) and the
tortoise revenge themselves on monkeys. The monkeys pull out all of the
bird's feathers while it is asleep. In two months the feathers grow in
again, and the bird seeks vengeance. It gets the tortoise to help it
by placing its body in a large hole in the bottom of a boat, so that
the water will not leak in; the bird then sails the boat. The monkeys
want a ride, and the bird lets forty-one of them in. When the boat is
out in the ocean and begins to roll, the bird advises the monkeys to
tie their tails together two and two and sit on the edge of the boat
to steady it. Then the bird flies away, the tortoise drops out of the
hole, and the boat sinks. All the monkeys are drowned but the odd one.
TALE 56
THE MONKEY AND THE CROCODILE.
Tagalog Version.
Narrated by Engracio Abasola of Manila. He heard the story from
his nephew.
One day, while a clever monkey was searching for his food along the
river-bank, he saw a tall macopa-tree laden with ripe fruits. The
tree was standing just by the shore of a river where a young crocodile
lived. After eating all the fruit he wanted, the monkey climbed down
the tree. He suddenly conceived the desire of getting on the other
side of the wide river, but he found no means by which to cross. At
last he saw the crocodile, who had just waked up from his siesta;
and the monkey said to him in a friendly way, "My dear crocodile,
will you do me a favor?"
The crocodile was greatly surprised by this amicable salutation of the
monkey. However, he answered humbly, "Oh, yes! If there is anything I
can do for you, I shall be glad to do it." The monkey then told the
crocodile that he wanted to reach the other side of the river. Then
the crocodile said, "I'll take you over with all my heart. Just sit
on my back, and we'll go at once."
When the monkey was firmly seated on the crocodile's back, they began
their trip. In a short while they reached the middle of the stream,
and the crocodile began to laugh aloud. "Now, you foolish monkey!" it
said, "I'll eat your liver and kidneys, for I'm very hungry." The
monkey became nervous; but he concealed his anxiety, and said, "To
be sure! I thought myself that you might be hungry, so I prepared my
liver and kidneys for your dinner; but unfortunately, in our haste
to depart, I left them hanging on the macopa-tree. I'm very glad that
you mentioned the matter. Let us return, and I'll get you the food."
The foolish crocodile, convinced that the monkey was telling the
truth, turned back toward the shore they had just left. When they were
near, the monkey nimbly jumped on to the dry land and scampered up
the tree. When the crocodile saw how he had been deceived, he said,
"I am a fool."
Zambal Version.
Narrated by Leopoldo Uichanco, a Tagalog, who heard the story from
a native of Zambales.
One stormy day a monkey was standing by the shore of a river, wondering
how he could get to the other side. He could not get over by himself;
for the water was deep, and he did not know how to swim. He looked
about for some logs; but all he saw was a large crocodile with its
mouth wide open, ready to seize him. He was very much frightened;
but he said, "O Mr. Crocodile! pray, do not kill me! Spare my life,
and I will lead you to a place where you can get as many monkeys as
will feed you all your life."
The crocodile agreed, and the monkey said that the place was on the
other side of the river. So the crocodile told him to get on his back,
and he would carry him across. Just before they reached the bank, the
monkey jumped to land, ran as fast as he could, and climbed up a tree
where his mate was. The crocodile could not follow, of course: so he
returned to the water, saying, "The time will come when you shall pay."
Not long afterwards the monkey found the crocodile lying motionless,
as if dead. About the place were some low Chile pepper-bushes loaded
with numerous bright-red fruits like ornaments on a Christmas tree. The
monkey approached the crocodile, and began playing with his tail;
but the crocodile made a sudden spring, and seized the monkey so
tightly that he could not escape. "Think first, think first!" said the
monkey. "Mark you, Mr. Crocodile! I am now the cook of his Majesty the
king. Those bright-red breads have been intrusted to my care," and the
monkey pointed to the pepper-shrubs. "The moment you kill me, the king
will arrive with thousands of well-armed troops, and will punish you."
The crocodile was frightened by what the monkey said. "Mr. Monkey,
I did not mean to harm you," he said. "I will set you free if you will
let me eat only as many pieces of bread as will relieve my hunger."
"Eat all you can," responded the monkey kindly. "Take as many as you
please. They are free to you."
Without another word, the crocodile let the monkey go, and rushed
at the heavily-laden bushes. The monkey slipped away secretly,
and climbed up a tree, where he could enjoy the discomfiture of his
voracious friend. The crocodile began to cough, sneeze, and scratch
his tongue. When he rushed to the river to cool his mouth, the monkey
only laughed at him.
MORAL: Use your own judgment; do not rely on the counsel of others,
for it is the father of destruction and ruin.
Notes.
Like the monkey and the turtle, the monkey and the crocodile have
been traditional enemies from time immemorial. In our present group
of stories, however, the rôles are reversed: the monkey is clever;
the water-animal (crocodile), cruel and stupid. Two very early
forms of this tale are the "Vanarinda-jataka," No. 57, which tells
how the crocodile lay on a rock to catch the monkey, and how the
latter outwitted the crocodile; and the "Sumsumara-jataka," No. 208,
in which a crocodile wanted the heart of a monkey, and the monkey
pretended that it was hanging on a fig-tree. From the Buddhistic
writings the story made its way into the famous collection known
as the "Kalilah and Dimnah," of which it forms the ninth chapter
in De Sacy's edition, and the fifth section in the later Syriac
version (English translation by I. G. N. Keith-Falconer, Cambridge,
1885). In the "Pancatantra" this story forms the framework for the
fourth book. For a discussion of the variations this tale underwent
when it passed over into other collections and spread through Europe,
see Benfey, 1 : 421 ff. Apparently Benfey did not know of these two
Buddhistic birth-stories; but he has shown very ingeniously that most
of the fables in the "Pancatantra" go back to Buddhistic writings. Nor
can there be any doubt in this case, either, though it is not to be
supposed that the five hundred and forty-seven Jatakas were invented
by the Buddhistic scribes who wrote them down. Many of them are far
older than Buddhism.
Our Zambal form of the story does not represent the purest version. A
variant much closer to the Buddhistic and close to the Tagalog is a
tale collected by Wenceslao Vitug of Lubao, Pampanga. He says that
the story is very common throughout his province, and is well known
in the Visayas. His version follows in abstract form:--
A crocodile goes out to look for a monkey-liver for his wife, who is
confined at home. As the crocodile starts to cross a stream, a monkey
asks for passage on its back. The crocodile gladly complies, and,
on arriving in mid-stream, laughs at the credulous monkey, and tells
him that he must have a monkey-liver. The monkey says, "Why didn't you
tell me before? There's one on a tree near the bank we just left." The
simple crocodile went back to the bank, whereupon the monkey escaped
and scrambled up into a tree to laugh at the crocodile. The crocodile
then tried to "play dead," but he could not fool the monkey. Next
he decided to go to the monkey's house. The monkey, suspecting his
design, said aloud, "When no one is in my house, it answers when I
call." The crocodile inside was foolish enough to answer when the
monkey called to his house, and the monkey ran away laughing.
Our Zambal story has evidently been contaminated with the story of
"The Monkey and the Turtle;" for it lacks the characteristic incident
of the monkey-heart (or liver), and contains incident H from our
No. 55. However, it does preserve an allusion to the principal episode
of the cycle,--in the ride the monkey takes on the crocodile's back
across the stream. Other Oriental versions of the "heart on tree"
incident are the following: Chinese, S. Beal's "Romantic Legend
of Sâkya Buddha" (London, 1875), pp. 231-234, where a dragon takes
the place of the crocodile; Swahili, Steere, p. i, where, instead
of a crocodile, we have a shark (so also Bateman, No. I); Japanese,
W. E. Griffis's "Japanese Fairy World," p. 144, where the sea-animal
is a jelly-fish. An interesting Russian variant, in which a fox takes
the place of the monkey, is printed in the Cambridge Jataka, 2 : 110.
Once upon a time the king of the fishes was wanting in wisdom. His
advisers told him that, once he could get the heart of a fox, he
would become wise. So he sent a deputation consisting of the great
magnates of the sea,--whales and others. "Our king wants your advice
on some state affairs." The fox, flattered, consented. A whale took
him on his back. On the way the waves beat upon him. At last he asked
what they really wanted. They said what their king really wanted
was to eat his heart, by which he hoped to become clever. He said,
"Why didn't you tell me that before? I would gladly sacrifice my life
for such a worthy object. But we foxes always leave our hearts at
home. Take me back, and I'll fetch it. Otherwise I'm sure your king
will be angry." So they took him back. As soon as he got near to the
shore, he leaped on land, and cried, "Ah, you fools! Have you ever
heard of an animal not carrying his heart with him?" and ran off. The
fish had to return empty.
A reminiscence of this incident is also found in Steel-Temple, No. XXI,
"The Jackal and the Partridge," where a partridge induces a crocodile
to carry her and the jackal across a river, and en route suggests
that he should upset the jackal, but at last dissuades him by saying
that the jackal had left his life behind him on the other shore.
Related to our Zambal story are two modern Indian folk-tales in
which a jackal is substituted for the monkey (this substitution is
analogous to the Indian substitution of the jackal for the Philippines
monkey in the "Puss-in-Boots" cycle). In the first of these--Frere,
No. XXIV, "The Alligator and the Jackal"--we have the incident of
the house answering when the owner calls. In Steel-Temple, No. XXXI,
"The Jackal and the Crocodile," the jackal makes love to the crocodile,
and induces her, under promise of marriage, to swim him across a stream
to some fruit he wants to eat. When she has brought him back, he says
that he thinks it may be a long time before he can make arrangements
for the wedding. The crocodile, in revenge, watches till he comes
to drink, and then seizes him by the leg. The jackal tells her
that she has got hold of a root instead of his leg: so she lets go,
and he escapes. Next she goes to his den to wait for him, and shams
dead. When the jackal sees her, he says that the dead always wag their
tails. The crocodile wags hers, and the jackal skips off. Closely
connected with this last is a story by Rouse, No. 20, "The Cunning
Jackal," only here the jackal's opponent is a turtle. The original,
unadapted story runs thus as given in the notes by Mr. Rouse:--
Jackal sees melons on the other side of the river. Sees a
tortoise. "How are you and your family?"--"I am well, but I have
no wife."-"Why did you not tell me? Some people on the other side
have asked me to find a match for their daughter."--"If you mean
it, I will take you across." Takes him across on his back. When
the melons are over (gone?), the jackal dresses up a jhan-tree as a
bride. "There is your bride, but she is too modest to speak till I am
gone." Tortoise carries him back. Calls to the stump. No answer,--Goes
up and touches it. Finds it a tree. Vows revenge. As jackal drinks,
catches his leg. "You fool! you have got hold of a stump by mistake;
see, here is my leg!" pointing to stump. Tortoise leaves hold, Jackal
escapes. Tortoise goes to jackal's den. Jackal returns, and sees
the footprints leading into the den. Piles dry leaves at the mouth,
and fires them. Tortoise expires.
Compare also a Borneo tale of a mouse-deer and a crocodile (Evans,
475). In a Santal story (Bompas, No. CXXIII, "The Jackal and the
Leopards") a jackal tricks some leopards. In the second half he
outwits a crocodile. Crocodile seizes jackal's leg. Jackal: "What a
fool of a crocodile to seize a tree instead of my leg!" Crocodile
lets go, and jackal escapes. Crocodile hides in a straw-stack to
wait for jackal. Jackal comes along wearing a sheep-bell it has
found. Crocodile says, "What a bother! Here comes a sheep, and I
am waiting for the jackal." Jackal hears the exclamation, bums the
straw-stack, and kills the crocodile.
The "Vanarinda-jataka," No. 57, contains what I believe is the
original of the "house-answering owner" droll episode in our Pampangan
variant. The monkey suspected the crocodile of lurking on the rock
to catch him: so he shouted, "Hi, rock!" three times, but received
no answer. Then he said, "How comes it, Friend Rock, that you won't
answer me to-day?" The crocodile, thinking that perhaps it was the
custom of the rock to return the greeting, answered for the rock;
whereupon the monkey knew of his presence, and escaped by a trick. The
"house-answering owner" episode is also found in a Zanzibar tale of
"The Hare and the Lion" (Bateman, No. 2, pp. 42-43). The hare here
suggests a Buddhistic source.
Of all the modern Oriental forms of the story, our Tagalog version and
Pampangan variant are closest to the Jatakas, and we may conclude
without hesitation that they mark a direct line of descent from
India. The fact that the story is popular in many parts of the Islands
makes it highly improbable that it was re-introduced to the Orient
through a Spanish translation of the "Kalilah and Dimnah."
For further bibliography and discussion of this cycle, see Dähnhardt,
4 : 1-26.
TALE 57
THE MONKEYS AND THE DRAGON-FLIES.
Narrated by Pedro D. L. Sorreta, a Bicol from Albay, who says that
the story is very common in the island of Catanduanes.
One day, when the sun was at the zenith and the air was very hot,
a poor dragon-fly, fatigued with her long journey, alighted to rest
on a branch of a tree in which a great many monkeys lived. While she
was fanning herself with her wings, a monkey approached her, and said,
"Aha! What are you doing here, wretched creature?"
"O sir! I wish you would permit me to rest on this branch while
the sun is so hot," said the dragon-fly softly. "I have been flying
all morning, and I am so hot and tired that I can go no farther,"
she added.
"Indeed!" exclaimed the monkey in a mocking tone. "We don't allow any
weak creature such as you are to stay under our shelter. Go away!" he
said angrily, and, taking a dry twig, he threw it at the poor creature.
The dragon-fly, being very quick, had flown away before the cruel
monkey could hit her. She hurried to her brother the king, and told
him what had happened. The king became very angry, and resolved to
make war on the monkeys. So he despatched three of his soldiers to
the king of the monkeys with this challenge:--
"The King of the Monkeys.
"Sir,--As one of your subjects has treated my sister cruelly, I
am resolved to kill you and your subjects with all speed.
"DRAGON."
The monkey-king laughed at the challenge. He said to the messengers,
"Let your king and his soldiers come to the battle-field, and they
will see how well my troops fight."
"You don't mean what you say, cruel king," answered the
messengers. "You should not judge before the fight is over."
"What fools, what fools!" exclaimed the king of the monkeys. "Go
to your ruler and tell him my answer," and he drove the poor little
creatures away.
When the king of the dragon-flies received the reply, he immediately
ordered his soldiers to go to the battle-field, but without anything
to fight with. Meanwhile the monkeys came, each armed with a heavy
stick. Then the monkey-king shouted, "Strike the flying creatures
with your clubs!" When King Dragon heard this order, he commanded his
soldiers to alight on the foreheads of their enemies. Then the monkeys
began to strike at the dragon-flies, which were on the foreheads of
their companions. The dragon-flies were very quick, and were not hurt
at all: but the monkeys were all killed. Thus the light, quick-witted
dragon-flies won the victory over the strong but foolish monkeys.
Notes.
A Visayan variant, "The Ape and the Firefly" (JAFL 20 : 314) shows
the firefly making use of the same ruse the dragon-flies employ to
get the monkeys to slay one another. The first part of this variant
is connected with our No. 60. The "killing fly on head" incident we
have already met with in No. 9, in the notes to which I have pointed
out Buddhistic parallels. It also occurs in No. 60 (d). In a German
story (Grimm, No. 68, "The Dog and the Sparrow") the sparrow employs
the same trick to bring ruin and death on a heartless wagoner who
has cruelly run over the dog.
A closer analogue is the Celebes fable of "The Butterfly and the Ten
Monkeys," given in Bezemer, p. 292.
Our story belongs to the large cycle of tales in which is represented
a war between the winged creatures of the air and the four-footed
beasts. In these stories, as Grimm says in his notes to No. 102, "The
Willow-Wren and the Bear," "the leading idea is the cunning of the
small creatures triumphing over the large ones .... The willow-wren
is the ruler, for the saga accepts the least as king as readily as
the greatest." For the bibliography of the cycle and related cycles,
see Bolte-Polívka, 1 : 517-519, and 2 : 435-438, to which add the
"Latukika-jataka," No. 357, which tells how a quail brought about
the destruction of an elephant that had killed her young ones. I am
inclined to think that the Bicol and Visayan stories belonging to this
group are native--at least, have not been derived through the Spanish.
I have another Visayan story, however, relating a war between the
land and the air creatures, which may possibly have come from the
Occident. It was narrated by José R. Cuadra, and runs thus:--
The Battle between the Birds and the Beasts.
A great discussion once took place between the lion, king of the
land-animals, and the bat, king of the air-animals, over the relative
strength of each. The lion claimed to be more powerful than the bat,
while the bat claimed to be more powerful than the lion. The final
outcome was a declaration of war. The lion then called a general
meeting of all his subjects. Among them were tigers, leopards,
elephants, carabaos, wolves, and other fierce land-animals. The carabao
was appointed leader of the army. Each animal in turn made a speech to
the king, promising a sure victory for him. At the same time the bat
also called a general meeting of his subjects. There were present all
kinds of birds and insects. The leadership of the army was given to the
bees and the wasps. Early in the morning the two opposing armies were
assembled on the battle-field. At a given signal the battle began. The
land-animals tried to chase the air-animals, but in vain, for they
could not leave the ground. The bees and wasps were busy stinging
the eyes and bodies of their enemy. At last the land-animals retired
defeated, because they could not endure longer their severe punishment.
TALE 58
THE MONKEY, THE TURTLE, AND THE CROCODILE.
Narrated by Vicente Hilario, a Tagalog from Batangas. He heard the
story from his father, who said that it is common among the country
people around Batangas town.
There was once a monkey who used to deceive everybody whom he met. As
is the case with most deceivers, he had many enemies who tried to
kill him.
One day, while he was walking in the streets of his native town, he
met in a by-lane a turtle and a crocodile. They were so tired that they
could hardly breathe. "I'll try to deceive these slow creatures of the
earth," said the monkey to himself. So said, so done. He approached
the crocodile and turtle, and said to them, "My dear sirs, you are
so tired that you can hardly move! Where did you come from?"
The two travellers were so much affected by the kind words of the
monkey, that they told him all about themselves with the greatest
candor imaginable. They said, "We are strangers who have just made
a long journey from our native town. We don't know where to get food
or where to spend this cold night."
"I'll conduct you to a place where you can spend the night and get
all you want to eat," said the monkey.
"All right," said the two travellers. "Lead on! for we are very hungry
and at the same time very tired."
"Follow me," said the crafty monkey.
The turtle and the crocodile followed the monkey, and soon he brought
them to a field full of ripe pumpkins. "Eat all the pumpkins you want,
and then rest here. Meanwhile I'll go home and take my sleep, too."
While the two hungry travellers were enjoying a hearty meal, the owner
of the plantation happened to pass by. When he saw the crocodile,
he called to his laborers, and told them to bring long poles and
their bolos. The turtle clung to the tail of the crocodile, and away
they went.
"Don't cling to my tail! Don't cling to my tail!" said the
crocodile. "I cannot run fast if you cling to my tail. Let go! for
the men will soon overtake us."
"I have to cling to your tail," said the turtle, "or else there will
be no one to push you."
But their attempt to escape was unsuccessful. The men overtook them
and killed them both. Such was the unhappy end of the turtle and
the crocodile.
MORAL: Never trust a new friend or an old enemy.
Notes.
I know of no exact parallels for this story, though the character
of the monkey as depicted here is similar to that in No. 55. Compare
with it the rôle of the deceitful jackal in some of the South African
stories (e.g., Metelerkamp, No. v; Honeÿ, 22, 24, 45, 105, etc.). This
may be a sort of "compensation story," manufactured long ago, however,
in which the monkey gets even with his two traditional opponents,
the crocodile and the turtle.
TALE 59
THE IGUANA AND THE TURTLE.
Narrated by Sixto Guico of Binalonan, Pangasinan, who says that the
story is fairly common among the Pangasinanes.
Once upon a time there lived two good friends,--an iguana and a
turtle. They always went fishing together. One day the turtle invited
the iguana to go catch fish in a certain pond that he knew of. After
they had been there about two hours, the old man who owned the pond
came along. The iguana escaped, but the turtle was caught. The old
man took the turtle home, tied a string around its neck, and fastened
it under the house.
Early in the morning the iguana went to look for his friend the
turtle. The iguana wandered everywhere looking for him, and finally
he found him under the old man's house, tied to a post.
"What are you doing here, my friend?" said the iguana.
"That old man wants me to marry his daughter, but I do not want to
marry her," said the turtle.
Now, the iguana very much wanted a wife, and he was delighted at this
chance. So he asked the turtle to be allowed to take his place. The
turtle consented. So the iguana released the turtle, and was tied up
in his place. Then the turtle made off as fast as he could.
When the old man woke up, he heard some one saying over and over again,
"I want to marry your daughter." He became angry, and went down under
the house to see who was talking. There he found the iguana saying,
"I want to marry your daughter." The old man picked up a big stick
to beat its head, but the iguana cut the string and ran away.
On his way he came across the turtle again, who was listening to
the sound produced by the rubbing of two bamboos when the wind
blew. "What! are you here again?" said the iguana.
"Be quiet!" said the turtle. "I am listening to the pipe of my
grandfather up there. Don't you hear it?"
The iguana wanted to see the turtle's grandfather, so he climbed
up the tree, and put his mouth between the two bamboos that were
rubbing together. His mouth was badly pinched, and he fell down to
the ground. The turtle meanwhile had disappeared.
MORAL: This teaches that the one who believes foolishly will be
injured.
Notes.
This story is doubtless native. A Tinguian tale related to ours is
given by Cole (No. 78), whose abstract runs thus:--
A turtle and lizard go to stem ginger. The lizard talks so loudly
that he attracts the attention of the owner. The turtle hides; but the
lizard runs, and is pursued by the man. The turtle enters the house,
and hides under a cocoanut-shell. When the man sits on the shell, the
turtle calls. He cannot discover source of noise, and thinks it comes
from his testicles. He strikes these with a stone, and dies. The turtle
and the lizard see a bees' nest. The lizard hastens to get it, and
is stung. They see a bird-snare, and turtle claims it as the necklace
of his father. Lizard runs to get it, but is caught and killed.
Some of the incidents found in the Tinguian story we have met with
in No. 55; e.g., episodes K, J, L, and "king's bell." Indeed, there
appears to be a close connection between the "Monkey and Turtle"
group and this story. A Borneo tale of the mouse-deer (plandok),
small turtle (kikura), long-tailed monkey (kra), and bear contains
the "king's necklace" incident, and many other situations worthy of
notice. A brief summary of the droll, which may be found in Roth,
1 : 342-346, is here given:--
The Kikura deceives the Plandok with the necklace sell (snare), and
the Plandok is caught. When the hunter comes up, the little animal
feigns death, and is thrown away. Immediately it jumps up, and is
off to revenge itself on the turtle. It entices the turtle into
a covered pit by pretending to give it a good place to sleep. Man
examining pitfall discovers turtle, and fastens it with a forked
stick. Monkey comes along, exchanges places with the turtle, but
escapes with his life by feigning dead, as did the Plandok. Monkey,
turtle, and Plandok go fishing. Monkey steals ride across stream on
back of good-natured fish, which he later treacherously kills. The
three friends prepare the fish, and Bruin comes along. Fearing the
size of the bear's appetite, they send him to wash the pan; and when
he returns, fish, monkey, turtle, and mouse-deer have disappeared.
The escape of snared animals and birds by shamming dead, and then
making off when the bunter or fowler throws them aside as worthless,
is commonly met with in Buddhistic fables.
TALE 60
THE TRIAL AMONG THE ANIMALS.
Narrated by Domingo Pineda of Pampanga.
In ancient times Sinukuan, the judge of the animals, lived in one of
the caves of Mount Arayat. He had formerly lived in a neighboring town;
but, since he was so brave and strong, the people began to envy him,
then to hate him. At last they made so many plots against his life,
that he gave up all his property and friends in the town, and went
to live in Mount Arayat, where he devoted all his time to gaining
the friendship of the animals there.
Now, it was not hard for Sinukuan to win the love of the animals, for
he had the power of changing himself into whatever form he pleased;
and he always took the form of those animals who came to him. It
was not long before all the animals realized the power, wisdom,
and justice of their good companion, so they made him their judge.
One day a bird came to Sinukuan's court, and asked Sinukuan to
punish the frog for being so noisy during the night, while it was
trying to sleep. Sinukuan summoned the troublesome frog, and asked
him the reason for his misbehavior. The frog answered respectfully,
"Sir, I was only crying for help, because the turtle was carrying
his house on his back, and I feared that I might be buried under it."
"That is good enough reason," said Sinukuan; "you are free."
The turtle was the next to be summoned to Sinukuan's court. On his
arrival, he humbly replied to the question of the judge, "Honorable
Judge, I carried my house with me, because the firefly was playing
with fire, and I was afraid he might set fire to my home. Is it not
right to protect one's house from fire?"
"A very good reason; you are free," said Sinukuan.
In the same way the firefly was brought to court the next day, and
when the judge asked him why he was playing with fire, he said in
a soft voice, "It was because I have no other means with which to
protect myself from the sharp-pointed dagger of the mosquito." This
seemed a reasonable answer, so the firefly was liberated too.
Finally the mosquito was tried; and, since he did not have any good
reason to give for carrying his dagger, Sinukuan sentenced him
to three days' imprisonment. The mosquito was obliged to submit;
and it was during this confinement of the mosquito that he lost his
voice. Ever since, the male mosquito has had no voice; and he has
been afraid to carry his dagger, for fear of greater punishment.
The Pugu's Case.
Narrated by Bienvenido Tan of Manila, who got the story from Pampanga.
"Why, horse," said the pugu (a small bird), "did you touch my eggs,
so that now they are broken?"
"Because," said the horse, "the cock crowed, and I was startled."
"Why, cock," said the pugu, "did you crow, so that the horse was
startled and broke my eggs?"
"Because," said the cock, "I saw the turtle carrying his house;
that made me crow."
"Why, turtle," said the pugu, "did you carry your house with you,
so that the cock crowed, and the horse was startled and broke my eggs?"
"Because," said the turtle, "the firefly was carrying fire, and I
was afraid that he would burn my house."
"Why, firefly," said the pugu, "did you bring fire, so that the turtle
was frightened and carried his house, and the cock crowed when he
saw him, and the horse was startled and broke my eggs?"
"Because," said the firefly, "the mosquito will sting me if I have
no light."
"Why, mosquito," said the pugu, "did you try to sting the firefly,
so that he had to carry fire, so that the turtle was frightened and
carried his house, so that the cock laughed at the turtle, so that
the horse was startled and broke my eggs?"
"Because," said the mosquito, "Juan put up his mosquito-net, and
there was nobody for me to sting except the firefly (alipatpat.)"
"Why, Juan," said the pugu, "did you put up your mosquito-net? The
mosquito could not sting you, and tried to harm the firefly; the
firefly brought fire; the turtle was frightened, and carried his
house with him; the cock crowed when he saw the turtle; the horse
was startled when he heard the cock, and broke my eggs."
"Because," said Juan, "I did not care to lose any blood."
Why Mosquitoes Hum and Try to get into the Holes of our Ears.
Narrated by Fermin Torralba, a Visayan from Tagbilaran, Bohol.
He heard the story from an old man of his province.
A long time ago, when the world was much quieter and younger than it
is now, people told and believed many strange stories about wonderful
things which none of us have ever seen. In those very early times,
in the province of Bohol, there lived a creature called Mangla;
[101] he was king of the crabs.
One night, as he was very tired and sleepy, Mangla ordered his old
sheriff, Cagang, [102] leader of the small land-crabs, to call his
followers, Bataktak, [103] before him. Although the sheriff was old,
yet he brought them all in in a very short time. Then Mangla said
to the Bataktak, "You must all watch my house while I am sleeping;
but do not make any noise that will waken me." The Bataktak said,
"We are always ready to obey you." So Mangla went to sleep.
While he was snoring, it began to rain so hard that the guards could
not help laughing. The king awoke very angry; but, as he was still
very tired and sleepy, he did not immediately ask the Bataktak why
they laughed. He waited till morning came. So, as soon as the sun
shone, he called the Bataktak, and said to them, "Why did you laugh
last night? Did I not tell you not to make any noise?"
The Bataktak answered softly, "We could not help laughing, because
last night we saw our old friend Hu-man [104] carrying his house
on his shoulder." On account of this reasonable reply, the king
pardoned the Bataktak. Then he called his sheriff, and told him to
summon Hu-man. In a short time he came. The king at once said to him,
"What did you do last night?"
"Sir," replied Hu-man humbly, "I was carrying my house, because
Aninipot [105] was bringing fire, and I was afraid that my only
dwelling would be burned." This answer seemed reasonable to the king,
so he pardoned Hu-man. Then he told his sheriff Cagang to summon
Aninipot. When Aninipot appeared, the king, with eyes flashing with
anger, said to the culprit, "Why were you carrying fire last night?"
Aninipot was very much frightened, but he did not lose his wits. In a
trembling voice he answered, "Sir, I was carrying fire, because Lamoc
[106] was always trying to bite me. To protect myself, I am going to
carry fire all the time." The king thought that Aninipot had a good
reason, so he pardoned him also.
The king now realized that there was a great deal of trouble brewing
in his kingdom, of which he would not have been aware if he had
not been awakened by the Bataktak. So he sent his sheriff to get
Lamoc. In a short time Cagang appeared with Lamoc. But Lamoc, before
he left his own house, had told all his companions to follow him,
for he expected trouble. Before Lamoc reached the palace, the king was
already shouting with rage, so Lamoc approached the king and bit his
face. Then Mangla cried out, "It is true, what I heard from Bataktak,
Hu-man, and Aninipot!" The king at once ordered his sheriff to kill
Lamoc; but, before Cagang could carry out the order, the companions
of Lamoc rushed at him. He killed Lamoc, however, and then ran to
his home, followed by Lamoc's friends, who were bent on avenging the
murder. As Cagang's house was very deep under the ground, Lamoc's
friends could not get in, so they remained and hummed around the door.
Even to-day we can see that at the doors of the houses of Cagang and
his followers there are many friends of Lamoc humming and trying to
go inside. It is said that the Lamoc mistake the holes of our ears
for the house of Cagang, and that that is the reason mosquitoes hum
about our ears now.
A Tyrant.
Narrated by Facundo Esquivel of Jaen, Nueva Ecija. This is a Tagalog
story.
Once there lived a tyrannical king. One of his laws prohibited the
people from talking loudly. Even when this law had been put in force,
he still was not satisfied: so he ordered the law to be enforced
among the animals.
One of his officers once heard a frog croak. The officer caught
the frog and carried it before the king. The king began the trial
by saying, "Don't you know that there is a law prohibiting men and
animals from making a noise?"
"Yes, your Majesty," said the frog, "but I could not help laughing
to see the snail carrying his house with him wherever he goes."
The king was satisfied with the frog's answer, so he dismissed him and
called the snail. "Why do you always carry your house with you?" asked
the king.
"Because," said the snail, "I am always afraid the firefly is going to
burn it." The king next ordered the firefly to appear before him. The
king then said to the firefly, "Why do you carry fire with you always?"
"Because the mosquitoes will bite me if I do not carry this fire,"
said the firefly. This answer seemed reasonable to the king, so he
summoned the mosquito. When the mosquito was asked why he was always
trying to bite some one, he said, "Why, sir, I cannot live without
biting somebody."
The king was tired of the long trial, so with the mosquito he
determined to end it. After hearing the answer of the mosquito,
he said, "From now on you must not bite anybody. You have no right
to do so." The mosquito tried to protest the sentence, but the king
seized his mallet and determined to crush the mosquito with it. When
the mosquito saw what the king was going to do, he alighted on the
forehead of the king. The king became very angry at this insult,
and hit the mosquito hard. He killed the mosquito, but he also put
an end to his own tyranny.
MORAL: It is foolish to carry matters to extremes.
Notes.
A fifth form (e) of this "clock" story is "The Bacuit's Case," narrated
by W. Vitug of Lubao, Pampanga. As I have this tale only in abstract,
I give it here in that form:--
The bacuit (small, light gray bird which haunts marshes and ponds)
went to the eagle-king and brought suit against the frog because the
latter croaked all night, thus keeping the bacuit awake. The frog said
he croaked for fear of the turtle, who always carried his house with
him. The turtle, being summoned, explained that he carried his house
with him for fear that the firefly would set it on fire. The firefly,
in turn, showed that it was necessary for him to carry his lamp in
order to find his food.
There is a striking agreement of incident in all these stories,
as may be seen from the following abstracts of the versions.
Version a (Pampango), "Trial among Animals."
Bird vs. frog; frog vs, turtle; turtle vs. firefly; firefly
vs. mosquito.
Version b (Pampango), "The Pugu's Case."
Pugu vs. horse; horse vs. cock; cock vs. turtle; turtle vs. firefly,
firefly vs. mosquito; mosquito vs. Juan.
Version c (Visayan), "Why Mosquitoes Hum."
Crab vs. frogs; frogs vs. snail; snail vs. firefly; firefly
vs. mosquito.
Version d (Tagalog) "A Tyrant".
King's officer vs. frog; frog vs. snail; snail vs. firefly; firefly
vs. mosquito.
Version e (Pampango), "The Bacuit's Case."
Bacuit vs. frog; frog vs. turtle; turtle vs. firefly.
With the exception of the substitution of snail for turtle, and crab
for bird, in the Tagalog and Visayan versions, four of these forms (a,
c, d, e) are practically identical. Pampango e lacks the fourth link
in the chain (firefly vs. mosquito). Pampango b adds one link (horse
vs. cock), and substitutes cock for frog; the method of narration
varies somewhat from the others, also. The punishment of the mosquito
differs in a, c, and d. "The Trial among Animals" develops into a
"just-so" story, and may be a connecting link between a Tinguian fable
(Cole, No. 84) and two Borneo sayings (Evans, 447). In the Tinguian,
a mosquito came to bite a man. The man said, "You are very little,
and can do nothing to me." The mosquito answered, "If you had no ears,
I would eat you." The Bajan (Borneo) saying is, "Mosquitoes do not
make their buzzing unless they are near men's ears; and then they say,
'If these were not your ears, I would swallow you.'" The Dusun version
(Borneo) is, "The mosquito says, 'If these were not your horns, I
would swallow you.'" The "killing fly on face" droll episode, which
terminates the Tagalog version (d), we have already met with twice,
Nos. 9 and 57 (q.v.). The link "firefly vs. mosquito" is found in
the Visayan story "The Ape and the Firefly" (JAFL 20 : 314).
There can be no question but that this cycle is native to the Islands,
and was not imported from the Occident. A Malayan story given by Skeat
(Fables and Folk-Tales from an Eastern Forest, 9-12), "Who Killed
the Otter's Babies?" is clearly related to our tales, at least in
idea and method:--
The mouse-deer (plandok) is charged with killing the otter's babies
by trampling them to death, but excuses himself by saying that he was
frightened because the woodpecker sounded his war-gong. In the trial
before King Solomon, the above facts come out, and the woodpecker is
asked why he sounded the war-gong.
WOODPECKER. Because the great lizard was wearing his sword.
GREAT LIZARD. Because the tortoise had donned his coat of mail.
TORTOISE. Because King Crab was trailing his three-edged pike.
KING CRAB. Because Crayfish was shouldering his lance.
CRAYFISH. Because Otter was coming down to devour my children.
Thus the cause of the death of the otter's children is traced to the
otter himself.
Another Far-Eastern story from Laos (French Indo-China), entitled
"Right and Might" (Fleeson, 27), is worth notice:--
A deer, frightened by the noise of an owl and a cricket, flees through
the forest and into a stream, where it crushes a small fish almost to
death. The fish complains to the court; and the deer, owl, cricket,
and fish have a lawsuit. In the trial comes out this evidence: As the
deer fled, he ran into some dry grass, and the seed fell into the eye
of a wild chicken, and the pain caused by the seed made the chicken
fly up against a nest of red ants. Alarmed, the red ants flew out to
do battle, and in their haste bit a mongoose. The mongoose ran into
a vine of wild fruit, and shook several pieces of it on the head of
a hermit, who sat thinking under a tree. The hermit then asked the
fruit why it fell, and the fruit blamed the mongoose; mongoose blamed
ants; ants blamed chicken; chicken blamed seed; seed blamed deer;
deer blamed owl. "O Owl!" asked the hermit, "why didst thou frighten
the deer?" The owl replied, "I called but as I am accustomed to call;
the cricket, too, called." Having heard the evidence, the judge says,
"The cricket must replace the crushed parts of the fish and make it
well," as he, the cricket, called and frightened the deer. Since the
cricket is smaller and weaker than the owl or the deer, he had to
bear the penalty.
TALE 61
THE GREEDY CROW.
Narrated by Agapito O. Gaa, from Taal, Batangas. He heard the story
from an old Tagalog man who is now dead.
One day a crow found a piece of meat on the ground. He picked it
up and flew to the top of a tree. While he was sitting there eating
his meat, a kasaykasay (a small bird) passed by. She was carrying a
dead rat, and was flying very fast. The crow called to her, and said,
"Kasaykasay, where did you get that dead rat that you have?" But the
small bird did not answer: she flew on her way. When the crow saw
that she paid no attention to him, he was very angry; and he called
out, "Kasaykasay, Kasaykasay, stop and give me a piece of that rat,
or I will follow you and take the whole thing for myself!" Still the
small bird paid no attention to him. At last, full of greed and rage,
the crow determined to have the rat by any means. He left the meat he
was eating, and flew after the small creature. Although she was only
a little bird, the Kasaykasay could fly faster than the crow--so he
could not catch her.
While the crow was chasing the Kasaykasay, a hawk happened to pass
by the tree where the crow had left his meat. The hawk saw the meat,
and at once seized it in his claws and flew away.
Although the crow pursued the Kasaykasay a long time, he could not
overtake her: so at last he gave up his attempt, and flew back to
the tree where he had left his meat. But when he came to the spot,
and found that the meat was gone, he was almost ready to die of
disappointment and hunger. By and by the hawk which had taken the
meat passed the tree again. He called to the crow, and said to him,
"Mr. Crow, do you know that I am the one who took your meat? If not,
I will tell you now, and I am very sorry for you."
The crow did not answer the hawk, for he was so tired and weak that
he could hardly breathe.
The moral of this story is this: Do not be greedy. Be contented with
what you have, and do not wish for what you do not own.
Notes.
This fable appears to be distantly related to the European fable
of "The Dog and his Shadow." More closely connected, however,
is an apologue incorporated in a Buddhistic birth-story, the
"Culladhanuggaha-jataka," No. 374. In this Indian story,--
An unfaithful wife eloping with her lover arrives at the bank of a
stream. There the lover persuades her to strip herself, so that he
may carry her clothes across the stream, which he proceeds to do,
but never returns. Indra, seeing her plight, changes himself into
a jackal bearing a piece of meat, and goes down to the bank of the
stream. In its waters fish are disporting; and the Indra-jackal, laying
aside his meat, plunges in after one of them. A vulture hovering
near seizes hold of the meat and bears it aloft; and the jackal,
returning unsuccessful from his fishing, is taunted by the woman,
who had observed all this, in the first gatha:--
"O jackal so brown! most stupid are you;
No skill have you got, not knowledge, nor wit;
Your fish you have lost, your meat is all gone,
And now you sit grieving all poor and forlorn."
To which the Indra-jackal repeats the second gatha:--
"The faults of others are easy to see,
But hard indeed our own are to behold;
Thy husband thou hast lost, and lover eke,
And now, I ween, thou grievest o'er thy loss."
The same story is found in the "Pancatantra" (V, viii; see Benfey,
I : 468), whence it made its way into the "Tuti-nameh." It does not
appear to be known in the Occident in this form (it is lacking in the
"Kalilah and Dimnah").
Although the details of our story differ from those of the Indian
fable of "The Jackal and the Faithless Wife," the general outlines
of the two are near enough to justify us in supposing a rather close
connection between them. I know of no European analogues nearly so
close, and am inclined to consider "The Greedy Crow" a native Tagalog
tale. From the testimony of the narrator, it appears that the fable
is not a recent importation.
TALE 62
THE HUMMING-BIRD AND THE CARABAO.
Narrated by Eusebio Lopez, a Tagalog from the province of Cavite.
One hot April morning a carabao (water-buffalo) was resting under the
shade of a quinine-tree which grew near the mouth of a large river,
when a humming-bird alighted on one of the small branches above him.
"How do you do, Friend Carabao?" said the humming-bird.
"I'm very well, little Hum. Do you also feel the heat of this April
morning?" replied the carabao.
"Indeed, I do, Friend Carabao! and I am so thirsty, that I have come
down to drink."
"I wonder how much you can drink!" said the carabao jestingly. "You
are so small, that a drop ought to be more than enough to satisfy you."
"Yes, Friend Carabao?" answered little Hum as if surprised. "I bet
you that I can drink more than you can!"
"What, you drink more than I can, you little Hum!"
"Yes, let us try! You drink first, and we shall see."
So old carabao, ignorant of the trick that was being played on him,
walked to the bank of the river and began to drink. He drank and
drank and drank; but it so happened that the tide was rising, and,
no matter how much he swallowed, the water in the river kept getting
higher and higher. At last he could drink no more, and the humming-bird
began to tease him.
"Why, Friend Carabao, you have not drunk anything. It seems to me
that you have added more water to the river instead."
"You fool!" answered the carabao angrily, "can't you see that my
stomach is almost bursting?"
"Well, I don't know. I only know that you have added more water than
there was before. But it is now my turn to drink."
But the humming-bird only pretended to drink. He knew that the tide
would soon be going out, so he just put his bill in the water, and
waited until the tide did begin to ebb. The water of the river began to
fall also. The carabao noticed the change, but he could not comprehend
it. He was surprised, and agreed that he had been beaten. Little Hum
flew away, leaving poor old Carabao stupefied and hardly able to move,
because of the great quantity of water he had drunk.
Notes.
That this story was not imported from the Occident is pretty clearly
established by the existence in North Borneo of a tale almost identical
with it. The Borneo fable, which is told as a "just-so" story, and
is entitled "The Kandowei [rice-bird] and the Kerbau [carabao],"
may be found in Evans (pp. 423-424). It runs about as follows:--
The bird said to the buffalo, "If I were to drink the water of a
stream, I could drink it all."--"I also," said the buffalo, "could
finish it; for I am very big, while you are very small."--"Very well,"
said the bird, "tomorrow we will drink." In the morning, when the water
was coming down in flood, the bird told the buffalo to drink first. The
buffalo drank and drank; but the water only came down the faster,
and at length he was forced to stop. So the buffalo said to the bird,
"You can take my place and try, for I cannot finish." Now, the bird
waited till the flood had gone down; and when it had done so, he put
his beak into the water and pretended to drink. Then he waited till
all the water had run away out of the stream, and said to the buffalo,
"See, I have finished it!" And since the bird outwitted the buffalo
in this manner, the buffalo has become his slave, and the bird rides
on his back.
I know of no other Philippine versions, but I dare say that many
exist between Luzon and Mindanao.
TALE 63
THE CAMANCHILE AND THE PASSION.
Narrated by Fernando M. Maramag of Ilagan, Isabella province. He says
that this is an Ilocano story.
Once upon a time there grew in a forest a large camanchile-tree [107]
with spreading branches. Near this tree grew many other trees with
beautiful fragrant flowers that attracted travellers. The camanchile
had no fragrant flowers; but still its crown was beautifully shaped,
for the leaves received as much light as the leaves of the other
trees. But the beauty of the crown proved of no attraction to
travellers, and they passed the tree by.
One day Camanchile exclaimed aloud, "Oh, what a dreary life I lead! I
would that I had flowers like the others, so that travellers would
visit me often!" A vine by the name of Passion, which grew near by,
heard Camanchile's exclamation. Now, this vine grew fairly close
to the ground, and consequently received "only a small amount of
light. Thinking that this was its opportunity to improve its condition,
it said, "Camanchile, why is your life dreary?"
"Ah, Passion!" replied Camanchile, "just imagine that you were
unappreciated, as I am! Travellers never visit me, for I have no
flowers."
"Oh, that's easy!" said Passion. "Just let me climb on you, and I'll
display on your crown my beautiful flowers. Then many persons will
come to see you." Camanchile consented, and let Passion climb up on
him. After a few days Passion reached the top of the tree, and soon
covered the crown.
A few months later Camanchile realized that he was being smothered: he
could not get light, so he asked Passion to leave him. "O Passion! what
pain I am in! I can't get light. Your beauty is of no value. I am
being smothered: so leave me, I beg of you!"
Passion would not leave Camanchile, however, and so Camanchile died.
MORAL: Be yourself.
Note.
With this story compare the "Palasa-jataka," No. 370, which tells how a
Judas-tree was destroyed by the parasitic growth of a banyan-shoot. The
general idea is the same in both stories, though I hardly suspect that
ours is descended from the Indian. The situation of a tree choked to
death by a parasite is such a commonplace in everyday experience, that
a moral story based on it might arise spontaneously almost anywhere.
TALE 64
AUAC AND LAMIRAN.
Narrated by Anastacia Villegas of Arayat, Pampanga. She heard the story
from her father, and says that it is well known among the Pampangans.
Once Auac, a hawk, stole a salted fish which was hanging in the
sun to dry. He flew with it to a branch of a camanchile-tree,
where he sat down and began to eat. As he was eating, Lamiran,
a squirrel who had his house in a hole at the foot of the tree,
saw Auac. Lamiran looked up, and said, "What beautiful shiny black
feathers you have, Auac!" When he heard this praise, the hawk looked
very dignified. Nevertheless he was much pleased. He fluttered
his wings. "You are especially beautiful, Auac, when you walk; for
you are very graceful," continued the squirrel. Auac, who did not
understand the trick that was being played on him, hopped along the
branch with the air of a king. "I heard some one say yesterday that
your voice is so soft and sweet, that every one who listens to your
song is charmed. Please let me hear some of your notes, you handsome
Auac!" said the cunning Lamiran. Auac, feeling more proud and dignified
than ever, opened his mouth and sang, "Uac-uac-uac-uac!" As he uttered
his notes, the fish in his beak fell to the ground, and Lamiran got it.
A heron which was standing on the back of a water-buffalo near by saw
the affair. He said, "Auac, let me give you a piece of advice. Do
not always believe what others tell you, but think for yourself;
and remember that 'ill-gotten gains never prosper.'"
Notes.
This is the old story of the "Fox and Crow [and cheese]," the
bibliography for which is given by Jacobs (2 : 236). Jacobs sees a
connection between this fable and two Buddhistic apologues:--
(1) The "Jambu-khadaka-jataka," No. 294, in which we find a fox
(jackal) and a crow flattering each other. The crow is eating jambus,
when he is addressed thus by the jackal:--
"Who may this be, whose rich and pleasant notes
Proclaim him best of all the singing birds,
Warbling so sweetly on the jambu-branch,
Where like a peacock he sits firm and grand!"
The crow replies,--
"'Tis a well-bred young gentleman who knows
To speak of gentlemen in terms polite!
Good sir,--whose shape and glossy coat reveal
The tiger's offspring,--eat of these, I pray!"
Buddha, in the form of the genius of the jambu-tree, comments thus
on their conversation:--
"Too long, forsooth, I've borne the sight
Of these poor chatterers of lies,--
The refuse-eater and the offal-eater
Belauding each other."
(2) The "Anta-jataka," No. 295, in which the rôles are reversed, the
crow wheedling flesh from the jackal; here, too, the Buddha comments
as above.
Our Pampangan story is of particular interest because of the moralizing
of the heron at the end, making the form close to that of the two
Jatakas. Possibly our story goes back to some old Buddhistic fable
like these. The squirrel (or "wild-cat," as Bergafio's "Vocabulario,"
dated 1732, defines lamiran) is not a very happy substitution for the
original ground-animal, whatever that was; for the squirrel could reach
a fish hanging to dry almost as easily as a bird could. Besides,
squirrels are not carnivorous. Doubtless the older meaning of
"wild-cat" should be adopted for lamiran.
PART III
"JUST-SO" STORIES.
TALE 65
WHY THE ANT IS NOT SO VENOMOUS AS THE SNAKE.
Narrated by Francisco M. Africa of Lipa, Batangas. This is a Tagalog
story.
God first created the earth. Then he took a rock from the earth
and threw it on the terrestrial surface. When the rock was broken
into many small pieces, he breathed into them the breath of life,
and they became living creatures. At first these creatures, though
differing in shapes and sizes, were not given different powers.
Among these creatures of God's were the snake and the ant. One day
the snake went to God to ask for power. It said, "I come to thee,
O God! to ask for thy favor. The world thou hast just created is wild
with confusion. I have come to ask thee to give me the special power
to kill all those that are rebellious and troublesome."
"Go back to your fellow-creatures!" answered God. "Hereafter you are
endowed with the power to store in your teeth this poison. When you
bite the vile and contemptible, inject into the wound some of this
poison, and they will be killed; but first of all, observe their
actions, and be conscientious and thoughtful." Then God gave the
snake the poison. The snake returned to the earth in great joy.
When the ant heard that the snake was endowed with such power, it at
once went to God to ask that the same privilege be granted it. The ant
found God on his heavenly throne, instructing his host of angels. The
ant approached God, and addressed him thus: "O thou almighty God! my
brother the snake has been granted a great privilege by thee. Why
art thou so unkind to me? Give me the same power, and I will be of
great aid to the snake in destroying sinners." God, thinking that
the snake might need an assistant, gave the ant the same privilege
that he had given the snake.
The ant was so greatly overjoyed, that it ran as fast as it could
to the earth. When God saw it running, he called to the ant, but it
paid no attention to him. Then God, being very much enraged, took away
some of the ant's power, lest the ant might use it unreasonably. And
so to-day the ant's bite is not so poisonous as the snake's.
Notes.
Another form of this story, recorded by Andrea Silva, also of Lipa,
Batangas, runs as follows:--
In the olden times, when this great universe was still young, the
inhabitants of this Archipelago had a sacred belief in a superior
god whom they called Bathala. He was the creator of all things.
One day Bathala called the animals one by one, and bestowed upon each a
gift, or the power of doing something. To the bird he gave the power to
fly. Next Bathala called the ant, likewise intending to bestow on it
more power than on any other animals, because it was so very small;
but the ant was the most stupid and lazy of all creatures. It did
not pay any attention to the summons of the god, but pretended to
be deaf. Whereupon Bathala became so angry that he called the snake
and gave to it the wonderful power that he had intended to give the
ant. "You, Sir Snake, shall seldom be caught by any person, for you
shall have the power of being very nimble. Besides, every one shall
be afraid of you."
When finally the ant appeared before the god, asking him for the
gift he had promised, Bathala said, "O you poor, tiny, imprudent
creature! Since you disobeyed your god, from now on you and your
tribe shall meet with death very often, for you shall be pinched by
those whom you bite."
And so it is to-day that we pinch to death the ants whenever they
bite us.
The narrator testified that she heard the story from an old woman in
her town of Lipa. So far as I know, this "just-so" fable of "The Ant
and the Snake and God" has not been recorded outside of Lipa, Batangas;
and I am inclined to believe that it represents old local tradition.
TALE 66
WHY LOCUSTS ARE HARMFUL.
Narrated by Francisco M. Africa.
During the dawn of humanity, some angels headed by Satanas revolted
against God. They wanted to establish a kingdom for themselves. In
a battle against the army of God, in which God himself was present,
Satanas threw a handful of sand into God's face; but the heavenly
monarch just laughed, and said, "I turn the sand back to thee. The
particles shall become the scourge of all ages to thee and to thy
followers, O Satanas!"
No sooner had God uttered these words than the particles of sand
became a mighty swarm of locusts, that flew in all directions. Such
was the beginning of the pest.
Notes.
A tribal Bicol-story narrated by Maximina Navarro of Albay runs thus:--
The Origin of Locusts.
Many years ago there lived a head man whose home was situated in a
very fertile valley, all the inhabitants of which he governed. He was
not a good ruler, however; for he was so greedy, that he wanted to
hoard up all the rice produced by his people. Every year, therefore,
he squeezed from his subjects as much rice as he could get, so that
at the end of four years his granaries were full to bursting. It
happened that in the fifth year the crop failed, and the people knew
that they should starve unless their ruler would let them have rice
from his barns. At first they were afraid to go petition the head man,
for they feared that he would refuse them; but, when nearly one-half
of the children had died from starvation, they agreed to send some
representatives to beg for rice.
Seven men were chosen to be the ambassadors. When they reached
the house of the datu, for so they called their ruler, they asked
for admittance, crying that they wanted rice for their wives and
children. When the datu heard their cry, he went to the door and
made a motion as if he would knock the petitioners off the ladder
leading to the house. He lost his balance and fell, striking his
head sharply on the bottom of the ladder. Thinking that he was dead,
the seven men made no attempt to help him, but went home, proclaiming
that soon there would be rice enough for all.
But the datu was not dead, only badly stunned. The next morning, as he
was walking around his granaries, they exploded with a loud noise; and
all the rice flew away in the form of insects, and vanished from his
sight. This kind of insect which originated from the rice we call doron
(from the Spanish word duro), on account of the toughness of its skin.
A more intelligible version of this story is the following related
by Felix de la Llana, who was told it by an old farmer of Candelaria,
Zambales. It appears to represent old Pagan tradition modified somewhat
by Christianity.
The Origin of Locusts.
When all the surface of the earth was yet a wilderness and the people
were very few, there lived a farmer who wished to become rich all at
once. So he told his wife to pray to Kayamanan, the goddess of riches,
to give them fortune.
One night the goddess with arms extended appeared to them in a dream,
and advised the ambitious farmer to build six large barns. Then
she went to the goddess of plenty, Kainomayan, and asked her to
give this farmer abundant crops. When the farmer harvested his rice
the next season, he was astounded to find that the crop more than
filled his six barns. So delighted was he, and so greedy, that he
and his wife thought no more of the source of their good fortune,
and they neglected to celebrate a feast in honor of God and his
goddesses. He felt like a powerful monarch, and did not wish to work
any more. However, his riches did not last long, as we shall see.
One day the goddess Kayamanan disguised herself, and in the form of a
beggar came to the house of the rich farmer. She begged him to let her
rest for a little while under his roof, for she had been travelling in
many countries, she said. When she asked for some remnants of rice to
eat, the ungrateful farmer said to her, "Get off my grounds! don't come
here to bother me! If you don't leave at once, I shall let this dog
loose, and you will be its food." The poor beggar went away without
a word, but she begged almighty God to give her the power to change
anything to any form or creature she wished. As she was God's favorite,
her request was granted. So she assumed her own form, and went again
to the farmer's house. To him she said, "You who became rich by my aid,
and have denied food and shelter to a beggar, shall be punished. Since
you have neglected your duty both to the poor and to me, I therefore,
with the consent of the almighty God, punish you thus: your rice
shall turn to a swarm of locusts, which will destroy all the crops
of the farmers of your own race and those of other countries."
The punishment was carried out, and the farmer was left destitute.
This story is also known in the Tagalog province of Batangas.
In a Rumanian saga (Dähnhardt, 3 : 250) a swarm of locusts is sent
by God to punish an emperor who would not invite any priests or nuns
to his wedding-banquet. When the guests were about to eat the feast
prepared, the insects appeared and devoured everything. Since that
time locusts have appeared whenever mankind has forgotten God.
TALE 67
HOW LANSONES BECAME EDIBLE.
Narrated by Francisco M. Africa.
Once upon a time the fruit of the lansone-tree was very poisonous. Its
very juice could make a man sick with leprosy. One day a very
religious old man was passing through a forest to attend the fiesta
of the neighboring town. When he reached the middle of the thick
wood, he became very hungry and tired, and he felt that he could go
no farther. No matter where he looked, he could see nothing but the
poisonous lansone-trees. So he lay down on the soft grass. Hardly a
moment had passed, when a winged being from heaven approached him, and
said, "My good Christian pilgrim, take some of these lansone-fruits,
eat them, and you will be much relieved." At first the old man would
not do it, but the angel picked some of the fruits and handed them
to the pilgrim. He then ate, and soon his hunger was removed. After
thanking Heaven, he continued on his journey. Ever since this time,
lansones have been good to eat. All the fruits still bear the marks
of the angel's fingers.
Notes.
The lanson (Lansium domesticum) is a small tree of Malaysia,
extensively cultivated for its fruit, which resembles a yellow plum
(from E. Ind. lansa). It is not native to the Philippines, and was
probably introduced into the Islands by the Malays in prehistoric
times. Our story, which I think we must consider not imported, is
based on a fancied etymological connection between lanson and lason
(Tag. for "poison"), and does not appear to be known except to the
Tagalogs of La Laguna province, although in Pampango also the word
lason means "poison." Lason itself is derived from the Malay rachun,
perhaps through the Sulu lachun.
Two other Tagalog versions, both from Laguna province, also show the
influence of Christianity, but vary enough from our story to be worthy
of record here. One, related by Manuel Gallego of San Antonio, Nueva
Ecija, is entitled "The Adam and Eve of the Tagalogs." Mr. Gallego
heard the story from a farmer living in Lubang, La Laguna. It runs
as follows:--
Many hundreds of years ago, when Luzon was still uninhabited, Bathala,
our supreme god, was envious of Laon, the god of the Visayans,
because Laon had many subjects, while Bathala's kingdom was a barren
desert. It was within the power of Bathala to create human beings,
but not food for them; and so he asked for advice from Diwata, the
supreme god of the universe.
Diwata told Bathala that the next day he would send an angel to
earth with seeds to be planted. The promise was fulfilled, and
Bathala scattered the seeds all over Luzon. Within a short time the
island was covered with trees and shrubs, and was then ready for human
habitation. Accordingly Bathala created Adam and Eve, the ancestors of
the Tagalogs. In spite of the fact that they were forbidden to eat the
green fruit of a certain plant, they disobeyed and ate it; so, as a
punishment, they were poisoned and made very sick. They did not die,
however. As a result of their experience, they gave the name lason
("poison") to this plant. Conscious of their fault, Adam and Eve
implored forgiveness of Diwata. By order of Diwata, Bathala forgave
the criminals; but the lason still remained poisonous. In order to
rid it of its dangerous properties, an angel was sent to earth. He
put the marks of his finger-nails on the surface of the pulp of each
lason-seed, and these marks may be seen to this day. Afterwards the
name of the plant was changed from lason to lanzon, the name by which
it has been known ever since.
In the other Tagalog version, narrated by Eulogio Benitez of
Pagsanjan, La Laguna, the incident of the finger-prints is told as
a local saint-legend of Paete. The story is entitled "How Lanzones
became Edible."
The little town of Paete, on the southern and western shore of
Laguna de Bay, produces more lanzones than any other town in the
province. Steamers call daily at her wharves for the fruits which
have made her famous. In the church of this town may still be seen
the image of the mother of God, the Virgin Mary, leading her child.
One evening a long time ago it was discovered that the beautiful
image was missing from its accustomed place in the church. The news
spread like wildfire, and all the people were in great amazement and
consternation. While all was confusion in the town, a heavenly sight
was being presented in a little place outside the municipality. A
beautiful woman dressed in white was walking over the grass with a
child in her arms. They were going towards a lanzon-tree on the other
side of the meadow. The boy, who was evidently tired of being carried,
asked to be put down. When the child saw the fruits scattered all over
the ground, he felt very thirsty, and, picking up one of the tempting
fruits, began to open it. The mother told her son that the fruit was
poisonous; but the child said that he was very thirsty, and could
go no farther if he did not have a drink. Then the mother took the
fruit from his hands, and with her delicate white fingers pinched
the pulp gently. Turning to her son, she said, "Now you may take
this and eat it. You will find it the most delicious and refreshing
of all fruits." The child obeyed, and the fruit was indeed sweet.
This is the way by which the lanzones were transformed from a
poisonous, dangerous fruit to a sweet, delicate food. If any one
discredits this story, all he needs to do to prove its truth is
to open up any lanzon he finds, and he will see without fall the
finger-prints of the Virgin.
TALE 68
WHY COCKS FIGHT ONE ANOTHER.
Narrated by Francisco M. Africa.
Once upon a time in an unknown country there lived a royal couple
endowed with almost all the blessings of God. Their palace was
decorated with all kinds of precious stones, diamonds, sapphires,
and emeralds. They were often honored with visits from the celestial
beings. There was hardly an hour of the day when some sort of
jubilation or festival was not being held in the royal home. But,
in spite of all his riches, there was a melancholy in the mind of the
king,--a brooding, a cankering thought, that would not give him an hour
of rest or contentment. In spite of all the favors lavished on him by
God, he felt miserable and uneasy. He had a happy and wealthy kingdom,
but--he had no heir. There was nobody to manage the government after
his death. Whenever the thought of death came to his mind, he fell
on his knees and implored the Almighty to give him a son: "Have mercy
on me, O God! Give me a son to manage my kingdom after I am gone!"
One evening an angel from Paradise came to visit him, and, on finding
the king at his prayers, said, "Dry thy tears, O king! Thy royal
prayer is heard in heaven. Thou shalt be given more than a son, but
not in the same shape as thou art. Thy sons shall see the light of
day crowned with their own flesh." The king was so greatly overjoyed,
that he could not speak a single word of gratitude in reply.
Not long afterward the queen gave birth to a cock that crowed on
seeing the light of day. The couple were very glad: night and day
they caressed the royal babe, and they would have made for him a
cage of gold had not God forbidden them to do so. Every year a cock
was born into the royal family, until the feathered sons numbered
thirteen. But these sons were jealous of one another: each thought
that the others had no right to wear crowns.
At last the old king and queen died, and no one was left to manage
the royal demesne but the dumb sons. Thereafter the feathered orphans
began fighting one another, each one trying to wrest the crown from
the others.
Note.
I know of no variant of this story.
TALE 69
WHY BATS FLY AT NIGHT.
Narrator, Francisco M. Africa.
Many years ago the earth was inhabited by only one man. His body was
composed of minute organisms that were incessantly warring against
one another. One day this man became so weak that he could not obtain
food for his support. He laid himself down on some soft moss by the
bank of a river, and there he remained till night.
The organisms that lived in his body began to fight against one another
most fiercely. Each ate his fellow until he became very big. At last
the man died, and only one organism remained alive. This organism then
flew away, and became the ancestor of the bats. The light of day so
dazzled his eyes, that he could not fly very far, so he decided to
fly only at night. And ever since, his descendants, too, have hidden
themselves in the day-time, and come out only when it is dark.
Note.
This somewhat unsatisfactory pourquoi story appears to represent at
bottom a very ancient tradition. I know of no parallels; but tales
explaining why the bat flies at night are found among many peoples
(e.g., Dähnhardt, 3 : 94, 267, 270; Dayrell, Nos. VII, XII).
TALE 70
WHY THE SUN SHINES MORE BRIGHTLY THAN THE MOON.
A Tagalog story narrated by Francisco M. Africa.
Long, long ago there lived a fairy with two very beautiful
daughters. Araw, the elder daughter, was very amiable, and had a
kindly disposition; but Buwan, unlike her sister, was disobedient,
cruel, and harsh. She was always finding fault with Araw. One night,
when the fairy came home from her nocturnal rambles and saw Buwan
badly mistreating her elder sister, she asked God for help against
her unruly daughter.
Before this time God had prepared very valuable gifts for the two
sisters. These gifts were two enormous diamonds that could light the
whole universe. When God heard the prayer of the fairy, he descended to
earth disguised as a beggar. On learning for himself how bad-tempered
Buwan was, and how sweet and kind-hearted Araw, God gave the older
sister her diamond as a reward. Buwan was greatly angered by this
favoritism on the part of the Almighty, so she went to the heavenly
kingdom and stole one of God's diamonds. Then she returned to earth
with the precious stone, but there she found that her jewel was not
so brilliant as Araw's.
When God went back to heaven and learned what Buwan had done, he sent
two angels to punish her. But the angels abused their commission:
they seized both sisters and hurled them into the sea. Then they threw
the two stones upward into the sky, and there they stuck. But Araw's
diamond was bigger and brighter than the one Buwan stole. Thereafter
the bigger jewel was called Araw ("day" or "sun"); and the smaller one,
Buwan ("moon").
Notes.
A Pangasinan myth, narrated by Emilio Bulatao of San Carlos,
Pangasinan, tells how the light from the sun and the moon proceeds
from two fiery palaces. The story follows:--
The Sun, the Moon, and the Stars.
There was once a powerful god called Ama ["father"], the father and
ruler of all others, and the creator of man. He had a wonderful aerial
abode, from which he could see everything. Of all his sons, Agueo
["sun, day"] and Bulan ["moon"] were his two favorites, and to these
he gave each a fiery palace. In accordance with the wish of their
father, Agueo and Bulan daily passed across the earth side by side,
and together they furnished light to mankind. Now, Agueo was of a
morose and taciturn disposition, but he was always very obedient to
his father; Bulan, on the other hand, was merry and full of mischief.
Once, when they were near the end of their day's labor, they saw
thieves on the earth below, wishing that it were night so that they
might proceed with their unlawful business. Bulan, who was one of their
kind, urged Agueo to be quick, so that the earth might soon be left in
darkness. As Agueo obstinately refused to be hurried, a quarrel ensued
between the two brothers. Their father, who had been watching the two
boys and had heard all that passed between them, became very angry
with the mischievous Bulan; and, in his wrath, he seized an enormous
rock and hurled it whistling through the air. The rock struck the
palace of Bulan, and was broken into thousands of pieces, which got
perpetual light from contact with the fiery palace. These may still
be seen in the heavens, and they are called Bituen ["stars"]. Bulan
was forbidden to travel with Agueo any more, but was commanded to
light the ways of thieves henceforth with his much-dimmed fiery palace.
A somewhat similar Pampango myth may also be given here, as it has
never before been printed. It was narrated by Leopoldo Layug of Guagua,
Pampanga, and is entitled "The Sun and the Moon."
Long ago the earth was created and ruled by Bathala. He had two
children, Apolaqui and Mayari. From the eyes of these two children
the earth received its first light. The people, the birds of the air,
the animals of the mountains, and even the fishes of the sea, were
glad because they had light, and so they were great friends of the
two children.
Bathala loved his children tenderly, and never wanted them to be
separated from him. So, no matter how tired he was, he always followed
them in their daily walks. But as time went on, and Bathala became
old and feeble and could no longer keep up with his active son and
daughter, he asked them to stay with him at all times; but they were so
absorbed in their pleasures, that they paid no heed to their father's
wish. One day he became sick, and died suddenly, without leaving any
written will as to the disposition of his kingdom. Now Apolaqui wanted
to rule the earth without giving any power to his sister Mayari. She
refused to consent to her brother's plan, and a bitter conflict arose
between them. For a long time they fought with bamboo clubs. At last
Mayari had one of her eyes put out. When Apolaqui saw what he had
done to his sister, he felt very sorry for her, and said that they
should struggle no longer, but that they should exercise equal power
on the earth, only at different times. Since that time, Apolaqui, who
is now called the Sun, has ruled the earth during the day, and from
his eyes we receive bright light. Mayari, who is called the Moon,
rules the world at night. Her light, however, is fainter than her
brother's, for she has but one eye.
This same struggle between the two great luminaries is reflected in
two short cradle-songs that Pampangan mothers sing to their children
to still them. These verses were contributed by Lorenzo Licup of
Angeles:--
Ing bulan ilaning aldo
Mitatagalan la baho
Pangaras da quetang cuarto
Nipag sundang, mipagpusto.
"The Moon and the Sun chased each other above. When they came into
a room, they took their daggers from their sides and were ready to
fight each other."
Ing aldo ilaning bulan
Mitatagalan la lalan
Pangaras da quetang Pampang
Mipagpustu, 't, mitabacan.
"The Sun and the Moon chased each other below. When they came to
a bank, they first made preparation, and then began to fight each
other with bolos."
The two stories and the two stanzas just given appear to be genuine
old native tradition, unmodified by Christianity.
For Tinguian, Bukidnon, Mandaya, and Visayan myths of the sun, moon,
and stars, see M. C. Cole, 65, 124, 145, 201.
TALE 71
WHY THE CULING HAS A TONSURE.
Narrated by Francisco M. Africa.
In a certain field there lived two birds,--Pogô ("quail") and Culing
(a small black bird that has no feathers on the top of its head). One
day Pogô, while scratching the ground for food, met Culing. When
Culing saw Pogô, he said in a taunting tone, "Where are you going,
lazy one? Be more active. Don't be as lazy as a leech!"
Pogô became very angry. "You call me lazy!" he said. "You are much
lazier than I. Let us see which can fly higher into the sky!"
Thereupon Culing agreed, and he began to fly upward until he was lost
from sight. He flew so high, that his head touched the surface of the
sky. As the sky was hot, all the feathers on the top of his head were
burned off; and ever since, the culing has had a tonsure.
The Culeto and the Crow.
Narrated by Leopoldo Uichanco, a Tagalog from Calamba, La Laguna. He
says, "This tradition is a favorite one among Tagalog children. I
have often heard the story told by old men while I was waiting my
turn at barber-shops in my province."
The culeto is a fine singer, but it is bald-headed. The natives often
capture it and train it to talk. Formerly this little black bird was
not so bald as it is to-day: its head, in fact, was covered with a
thick growth of feathers. And the crow, too: it was not black once,
but its feathers were as white as starch.
Once upon a time, shortly after the Deluge, the crow was merrily
crowing on the branch of a tree when the culeto came by. The voice of
the crow was so harsh, that the culeto made fun of it. "Good-morning,
Mr. Crow!" said the culeto, "I am very glad to hear you sing. Your
voice is so fine, that I cannot help closing my ears."
"Pray, think first of yourself!" answered the crow. "What do I care
for a good voice, so long as I have a strong body? Why don't you
laugh at yourself? See how weak and tiny you are!"
"Weak!" said the culeto. "Do you call me weak? I would fly a race
even with an eagle."
"Ha, ha, ha!" laughed the crow. "The idea of racing the eagle when
you do not even dare race me!"
"Race with you! Why, you would only disgrace yourself," retorted
the culeto.
"Wait!" answered the crow. "Eat some more rice, drink some more water,
fill your body with more air! And wait till you grow bigger before
you venture to race with me!"
"The strength of a person," said the culeto, nettled, "is not to be
judged by his size. Don't you know that it is the smallest pepper
that is the hottest?"
"Well, then," replied the crow, "if you wish to race me now at your
own risk, let us begin!"
"One, two, three!" counted the culeto, and up they flew. During their
flight the two birds became separated from each other by a dense
cloud. The culeto flew at full speed so high upward, that he knocked
his head very hard against the door of the sky,--so hard, in fact, that
a large piece of skin was scraped from his scalp. The crow, having lost
his way, flew so near the sun, that his feathers were burned black.
It is on account of this bet between the culeto and the crow that
all the descendants of the former have been bald-headed, while all
the descendants of the crow have black feathers to-day.
The Hawk and the Coling.
Narrated by Agapito Gaa of Taal, Batangas. He says that this Tagalog
story is well known in every town in Batangas province. He heard the
story from his grandfather.
Early one morning a hawk sallied forth from his nest to find something
to eat. He flew so high that he could hardly be seen from the earth. He
looked down; but as he could not see anything, he flew lower and
lower, until he came to the top of a tree. On one of the branches
he saw sitting quietly a coling. The hawk despised the little bird,
and at once made up his mind to challenge him to a flight upward.
So the hawk said to the coling, "Do you wish to fly up into the sky
with me to see which of us can fly the faster and the higher?"
The coling did not answer at once, but he thought of the matter for
a while. Then he said to the hawk, "When do you want to have the race?"
"That is for you to decide," said the hawk. "If you wish to have it
now, well and good."
"Well," said the coling, "let us have it to-morrow morning before
sunrise!"
"All right," said the hawk.
"But," said the coling, "each of us is to carry a load with him to
make the flight a little more difficult."
"Well, what do you want to take with you?" said the hawk.
"I will take some salt," said the coling.
"Then I will take some cotton," replied the hawk. "Let us meet here
in this tree early to-morrow!" This agreed upon, the two birds
separated. The hawk went to the cotton-field and got his load of
cotton, while the coling went to the sea and got some salt.
The next morning they met in the tree, each having the object he would
carry with him in his flight. They asked the crow, who was present,
to be the judge of the contest. The crow accepted the commission, and
said that he would give a caw as a signal for them to start. He did so,
and the two contestants were off. At first the hawk flew faster and
higher than the coling; but very soon it began to rain. The cotton on
the hawk's back became soaked with water, and soon was very heavy;
but the salt on the coling's back was soon dissolved, and then he
had no load at all. Under these conditions, the coling soon overtook
the bigger bird. For a time they flew side by side; but after a few
minutes the coling had the best of the race, and in a little while
longer the hawk could no longer see his rival. But the coling flew
so high, that at last his head touched the sun, and all the feathers
on the top were burned off. The hawk now flew down to the crow, and
said that he had won the race, for the coling had fallen to the ground
dead. But by and by the coling himself came. He showed them the top
of his head as a proof that he had won the race. The crow gave his
decision in favor of the coling, and the hawk flew off disgraced.
From that time all colings have had the tops of their heads bald to
show that they are the descendants of the victorious bird.
Notes.
These three forms of the "flight-contest" incident are all from
southern Luzon,--the provinces of La Laguna and Batangas. The tale
seems to be definitely localized there. I know of its occurrence
nowhere else in the Islands. Nor have I found any Malayan variants.
For other pourquoi stories of why certain birds are bald, see
Dähnhardt, 3 : 11-14. Dähnhardt (ibid., 142) cites a Ceylon tale of
the crow and the drongo, who had a bet as to which could fly the higher
carrying a load. Crow selected tree-cotton for his burden; but Drongo,
noticing the black rain-clouds overhead, carried salt, and thus won;
for his load became constantly lighter, while Crow's became heavier.
With the explanation given in the second tale of this group of why the
crow is black, compare a Pawnee story (JAFL 6 : 126), in which a crow,
which is sent to the sun to get fire, has all his feathers singed.
TALE 72
WHY THE COW'S SKIN IS LOOSE ON THE NECK.
Narrated by Francisco M. Africa.
There was once a poor farmer who possessed a cow and a carabao. These
two animals were his only wealth. Every day he led them to the field
to plough. He worked his animals so hard, that they often complained to
him; but the cruel master would not even listen to their words. One day
the cow, who had grown tired of this kind of life, said to the carabao,
"Let us run away from this evil man! Though we are very dirty, he is
not willing for us even to take a bath. If we remain here with him,
we shall be as ugly and as filthy as pigs. If we run away from him,
however, he will have to do his own work, and then we shall be
revenged. Hurry up! Let us go!"
The spirit of the carabao was aroused: he jumped with a loud roar,
and said, "I too have long been meditating escape, but I hesitated
because I was afraid you might not be willing to join me in flight. We
are so ill-treated by our cruel master, that God will have pity on
us. Come on! Let us go!"
The two animals at once set out, running as fast as they could,
always trying to avoid any human beings. When they came to a river,
the cow said, "We are very dirty. Let us take a bath before we go
on! The water of this river is so clean and clear, that we shall soon
be as clean as we were before our contemptible master got hold of us."
The carabao answered, "We would better run a little farther, for
perhaps our master is already in pursuit of us. Besides, we are very
tired now, and I have been told that to take a bath when one is tired
injures the health."
"Don't believe that!" returned the cow. "Our bodies are so big,
that we do not need to fear sickness."
At last the carabao was persuaded by the arguments of the cow; and
he said, "All right! Let us take off our clothes before we go into
the water!"
The two animals then stripped themselves of all their clothes, then
they plunged into the deep, cool river. They had been in the water
less than an hour, however, when they saw their master coming after
them with a big stick in his hand. They ran up to where their clothes
were; but in their haste the carabao put on the cow's clothes, and the
cow got the carabao's. As soon as they were dressed, they continued
their mad flight; and as their master was very tired, he had to give
up the chase and return home disappointed.
Since the carabao was larger than the cow, the skin on the cow's neck
has been loose ever since, because the two friends were separated
and could never exchange clothes again. And likewise the skin on the
carabao's neck has been tight ever since these two animals made their
mistake in dressing.
The First Loose-Skinned Cow and the First Tight-Skinned Carabao.
Narrated by Amanda Morente, a Tagalog from Pinamalayan, Mindoro. She
heard the story from an old woman of her town.
Many years ago, when the people of the world were still few in number
and the animals took the place of servants, an old man bought a cow
and a carabao from his neighbor. With these animals he travelled until
he reached the top of a mountain. There they saw a cave, and the
old man told his servants to enter and see if there was any danger
inside. With slow and cautious steps the carabao and the cow went
in, examining every corner. All at once the cow perceived something
moving. In his fright he jumped back, and hid behind his companion;
but the slow-going carabao did not see the figure, and suddenly he
felt his hind leg seized in a strong grasp. The god of the cave had
caught him. Then the god of the cave spoke. His voice was terrifying,
but his words were kind. He told them how for many days he had been
hungry, and he asked for meat. The cow, whose courage had by this
time been somewhat restored, gladly offered him some of her master's
provisions, which she was carrying. In return for this kindness,
the god gave each of the animals a dress: to the carabao he gave one
of gold; and to the cow, one of bronze. He also invited the two to
remain with him and be his servants.
Some time after the two friends had been installed in their new home,
the god of the cave sent them one day to gather fruits. The carabao and
the cow were delighted at this prospect of a change, and they jumped
with joy. They rushed out into the woods; and when they came to a pond,
they took off their new clothes and plunged into the soft mud. While
they were enjoying their bath, they saw their master coming. He was
carrying a big stick. They knew very well that he would beat them,
for they had been away the whole morning. In their haste to get
their clothes back on, they made a mistake: the carabao got into the
cow's dress, and the cow into the carabao's. After that they never
exchanged their clothes, which finally became their outer skin. So
to-day the carabao has a tight bronze-colored skin; and the cow,
a loose golden-colored one.
Note.
Like the preceding, this story appears to be a native Tagalog tale. I
know of no other variants.
TALE 73
WHY THE MONKEY IS WISE.
Narrated by Francisco M. Africa.
Once upon a time there lived a poor man who had seven sons. These
young men, all except the youngest, helped their aged father with
the work; but the family became poorer and poorer. One day, when they
had exhausted all their means of support, the father called his sons
before him. To every son he assigned a certain kind of work, so that
there might be cooperation, and hence efficiency, in the labors of the
humble family. To the youngest son was assigned the task of gathering
sticks in the forest for fuel.
Not long afterwards a pestilence broke out in the little town where the
old man lived, and all his sons but the youngest died. The father was
left to starve on his bed, for his only living son was so ungrateful
as not to give any help to his father in his last years. When the old
man was about to breathe his last, he called his son to give him his
final benediction; but the ungrateful boy, instead of going to his
dying father, ran away into the woods, and the old man passed away
without anybody to care for him.
But God punished the unfilial son; he cursed him; and the boy lost
his power of speech, and was condemned to live in the forests ever
after as a monkey. Thus, although monkeys cannot talk, they are wise
because they are descended from a human being.
Notes.
I know of no analogues of this story, but will cite two other Filipino
myths accounting for the origin of monkeys. The first was narrated
by Antonio Maceda, a Tagalog from Pagsanjan, who heard it from his
grandfather. The story follows.
Origin of the Monkey.
A long time ago the world, which was divided into earth and heaven,
was very lonesome, for Bathala was the only living being in it. He
lived in heaven. One day Bathala felt so lonely, that the thought of
creating some living beings for his companions came into his mind. He
had never thought of this before, although with his infinite power he
could do anything he pleased. So he came down to earth to get some
clay; but he found the ground very dry, for there was no such thing
as rain on the earth. Immediately he said, "Let there be rain!" and
the rain fell down. Then, with a large load of slippery clay, Bathala
returned to heaven and began the work of creation. He created men,
birds, plants, mountains, and rivers (sic!). While he was in the act
of creating men, however, an accident occurred. As he was moulding
a piece of clay into the shape of a man, the mould slipped from his
left hand. Bathala was quick enough to grasp the back of this lifeless
mass of clay; but the clay was so soft that it stretched out into a
long rope, and the mould fell into a tree. In his anger, Bathala said,
"I curse thee! Thou shalt have life, but thou shalt inhabit trees. The
part of thy body that has been stretched out into a rope shall become
thy tail."
The lifeless mould was at once changed into a monkey, the
great-grandfather of all the monkeys.
The following story was written down by Sotero Albano, an Ilocano
from Dingras, Ilocos Norte:--
The First Monkey.
Long years ago there lived in a thick forest a young girl under the
care of the goddess of weaving. Here she lived happily and without
care, for everything that she wanted to eat was provided for her by
her patroness.
One day the goddess said to the girl, "Take this cotton, clean it,
and make out of it a dress for yourself." Now, the girl knew nothing
about making cloth and weaving it: so she said to the goddess,
"When the cotton is cleaned, is it ready for use?"
"No," answered her guardian; "after it is cleaned, it must be
beaten." "Well, after it is beaten, is it ready for use?" said the
lazy girl.
The goddess said that before it could be used, it would have to
be spun.
"Well, after it is spun," persisted the saucy maiden, "is it ready
for use?"
"No; it must next be woven into cloth, cut, and sewed," answered the
patient goddess.
"Oh!" said the girl, "it will take a long time and much hard work to
make clothes that way. This leather hide, which you have given me to
beat the cotton on, will make me better clothing, because it will
wear longer." So she covered herself with the leather. The goddess
was so angry at the girl for her laziness, that she determined that
the leather should not only be her dress, but also become her very
skin. Then the goddess took the stick for beating the cotton, and,
thrusting it between the maiden's buttocks, said to her, "This
stick will become a part of your body, and you will use it for
climbing-purposes. As a penalty for your laziness, henceforth you
shall live in trees in the forest, and there you will find your food."
Thus originated the first monkey with a coat of leather and a tail.
Obviously connected with this Ilocano story are three Tinguian myths
recorded by Cole, who abstracts them thus:--
(No. 65.) A lazy man, who is planting corn, constantly leans on his
planting-stick. It becomes a tail, and he turns into a monkey.
(No. 66.) A boy is too lazy to strip sugarcane for himself. His mother,
in anger, tells him to stick it up his anus. He does so, and becomes
a monkey.
(No. 67.) A lazy girl pretends she does not know how to spin. Her
companions, in disgust, tell her to stick the spinning-stick up her
anus. She does so, and at once changes into a monkey.
Compare also a Bagobo story collected by Miss Benedict (JAFL 26 :
21), where a ladle becomes a monkey's tail; also an African saga in
Dähnhardt (3 : 488).
The Filipinos have other explanatory myths which credit Lucifer with
the creation of monkeys and snakes.
TALE 74
THE LOST NECKLACE.
Narrated by Facundo Esquivel, a Tagalog, who heard the story from a
friend from Cebu. The story is Visayan.
Once a crow bought a fine necklace from a merchant. He was very proud
of his purchase, which he immediately put around his neck, so that
everybody could see it. Then he flew away, and came to a beautiful
little garden, where he met his old friend the hen strutting about,
with her chicks following her. The hen said to him, "Oh, what a fine
necklace you have! May I borrow it? I will return it to you to-morrow
without fail."
Now, the crow liked the hen: so he willingly lent her the necklace
for a day. The next morning, when the crow returned for his property,
he found the hen and her chicks scratching the ground near an old
wall. "Where is my necklace?" said the crow.
"It is lost," said the hen. "My chicks took it yesterday while I was
asleep, and now they do not remember where they put it. We have been
looking for it all day, and yet we have not been able to find it."
"You must pay for it at once," said the crow, "or else I shall go to
the king and tell him that you stole my necklace."
The hen was frightened at this reply, and she began to wonder how she
could raise the necessary money. The crow, who was on his way to a
fiesta, at last said impatiently, "I will take one of your chicks every
day in payment of what you owe me. As soon as you find the necklace,
give it to me, and then I will stop eating your chicks." The hen had
to be satisfied with this arrangement, for she feared that the crow
would go to the king if she refused.
Unto this day, then, you can find hens and chicks together looking for
the lost necklace by scratching the ground; and the crows are still
exacting payment for the lost jewel by eating chicks. It is said that
the hens and chickens will never cease scratching the ground until
the lost necklace is found.
The Cock and the Sparrow-Hawk.
Narrated by Dolores Asuncion of Manila. She heard the story from an
old Tagalog.
Long ago the sparrow-hawk and the cock were very good friends. Once,
when the cocks were going to hold a great fiesta in the neighboring
village, a proud young rooster, who wished to get the reputation for
being rich and consequently win him a wife, went to the sparrow-hawk,
and said, "My friend, please lend me your bracelet! I am going to
our fiesta; and I wish to make some young hens there believe that I
am rich, in order that they may love me."
The sparrow-hawk answered, "With much pleasure, my friend."
So the cock went to the fiesta wearing the borrowed bracelet. While he
was dancing, however, he lost the jewel, and could find it nowhere. At
last he went back to the sparrow-hawk, and said, "I am very sorry,
my friend, but I lost your bracelet while I was dancing, and I can
find it nowhere. What do you wish me to give you in payment for it?"
The sparrow-hawk answered, "Since that bracelet was an heirloom, I
valued it very highly. You must go back to the place where you think
you lost it, and there look for it until you find it. In the mean
time I reserve the right to take from your flock a chicken whenever
I please."
So, ever since that time sparrow-hawks are often seen carrying off
young chickens, while the cocks have been busy scratching the ground
to find the lost bracelet. Hens also scratch the soil, for they hate
to lose their chicks, and they want to find the bracelet as soon as
possible. They look up into the sky to see if the sparrow-hawk is near;
then they scratch the soll vigorously, and cry, "Tac-ta-laoc!" which
means, "Come and help me!"
Note.
Another Visayan variant of these two stories may be found in the
"Journal of American Folk-Lore" (20 : 100), whence it has been
reprinted by M. C. Cole (p. 212), "The Hawk and the Hen." An African
analogue may be found in Dayrell (No. xv, p. 62).
TALE 75
THE STORY OF OUR FINGERS.
Narrated by Leopoldo Uichanco, a Tagalog from Calamba, La Laguna.
"Why," said Antonio to his grandfather one day, "does our thumb stand
separate from the other fingers?"
"That is only so in our days," replied old Julian. "In the days of
long ago the fingers of our ancestors stood together in the same
position. One day one of these fingers, the one we call the little
finger, became very hungry, and he asked the finger next to him to
give him some food.
"'O brother!' said the Ring-Finger in reply, 'I am hungry also;
but where shall we get food?'
"'Heaven is merciful,' put in the Middle-Finger, trying to comfort
his two brothers; 'Heaven will give us some.'
"'But, Brother Middle-Finger,' protested the Forefinger, 'what if
Heaven gives us no food?'
"'Well, then,' interposed the Thumb, 'let us steal!'
"'Steal!' echoed the Forefinger, not at all pleased by the advice that
had just been given. 'Mr. Thumb knows better than to do that, I hope!'
"'That is bad policy, Mr. Thumb,' concluded the other three
unanimously. 'Your idea is against morality, against God, against
yourself, against everybody. Our conscience will not permit us
to steal.'
"'Oh, no, no!' returned Thumb angrily, 'you are greatly mistaken,
my friends! Haven't you sense enough even to know how foolish you
are to oppose my plan? Do you call my scheme bad policy,--to save
your lives and mine?'
"'Ay, if that be your plan,' said the other four fingers, 'you
can go your own way. As for us, we would rather starve and die than
steal.' Then the four virtuous brothers drove Thumb in shame out of
their community, and would have nothing more to do with him.
"So that is why," concluded old Julian, "we see our thumbs separated
from the other four fingers. He was a thief; and the other four,
who were honest, did not care to live with him. And it is because
Little-Finger did not have enough to eat, that we see him lean and
weak these days."
Note.
I know of no other Filipino accounts of why the thumb is separated
from the rest of the fingers. As an interesting curiosity, however,
I might cite a Bicol children's jingle of five lines which characterize
briefly the five fingers (the thumb is the last described) :--
Maya-mayang saday
Magayon na singsignan
Daculang mangmang
Atrevido
Hababang tao
"Pretty little sparrow,
Beautiful for a ring,
Long but lazy fellow,
Froward, insolent thing,
Dumpy, dwarfish one."
TALE 76
WHY SNAILS CLIMB UP GRASS.
Narrated by José E. Tomeldan of Binalonan, Pangasinan.
Long ago, when the various kinds of animals dwelt together in a kind
of community, a dalag (a kind of mud-fish), a dragonfly, a wasp, and
a snail agreed to live together in a common house. They furthermore
agreed to divide up the different household duties according to
their power and skill. Accordingly, Dalag, since he was the biggest
and strongest of all, was made the head of the house. He was also
to provide food for his little companions. Dragon-Fly was made the
messenger, because he was the swiftest of them all, but was too weak
for any other kind of work. Wasp was made the house-guard because
of his poisonous sting. Besides being guard, he was also to keep
the house in repair, because he could carry bits of earth and other
building-materials. Snail was made the cook, because he was too slow
for any other duty except tending the house.
Early one day Dalag went out to look for food. He swam slowly here and
there among the water-plants, when suddenly he saw something moving
on the surface of the water. When he approached nearer, he saw that
it was a big frog swimming helplessly among the duck-weeds. "This
is a big piece of sweet food for us," thought Dalag, and without
hesitation he seized the frog. When he had assured himself that it
could not get away from him, he started to swim home. But, alas! he
never reached his companions; for a sharp hook was inside the frog,
and poor Dalag was caught fast. He tried hard to free himself, but
in rain. Soon a fisherman came, and, putting Dalag in his basket,
took him home and ate him.
In the mean time Dalag's three companions were anxiously waiting for
him. When they realized that he was lost, Dragon-Fly was sent out to
look for him. Before he went, Dragon-Fly spent a long time arranging
his neck-tie. Then he flew away, turning his head in all directions to
look for Dalag. At last he met Bolasi (a kind of fish whose lips always
move in and out on the surface of the water), and he became very angry
because he thought that Bolasi was laughing at his neck-tie. Dragon-Fly
thought that his tie must be too loose, so he tightened it. Still
Bolasi laughed every time he saw Dragon-Fly. Dragon-Fly kept drawing
his tie tighter and tighter, until at last he cut his own head off,
and that was the end of him.
Two days had now passed; still Dalag and Dragon-Fly were missing from
home. By this time Wasp and Snail were very hungry. But Snail had the
advantage over Wasp; for Snail could eat mud to pass away the time,
while Wasp could not eat mud, but could only draw in his belt a little
tighter. At last Wasp could no longer endure his hunger. His abdomen
by this time had become very slender: so he flew forth in search of
either Dalag or Dragon-Fly. While he was flying about, his hunger
oppressed him so much, that he tightened his belt again and again,
until he finally broke in two; and that was the end of Wasp.
Now only Snail was left. He set out from his home, and wandered
everywhere in search of his three companions, weeping as he went. His
food consisted mostly of mud. Whenever he could find a stalk of grass
or the stem of a water-plant, Snail would climb up to look around
and to see if any of his old friends were in sight. Even to-day the
snails still weep; and whenever they see a stalk of grass projecting
above the surface of the water, they climb up and look around, trying
to discover their old friends.
TALE 77
WHY THE CUTTLE-FISH AND SQUIDS PRODUCE A BLACK LIQUID.
Narrated by Victoria Ciudadano of Batangas. She says she heard the
story from an old woman. It is known by both the Tagalogs and the
Visayans.
A long time ago, after Bathala [108] had created the fishes, he
assigned a certain day for all of them to meet in the Dark Sea. The
object of this convention was to appoint some officers. Early in the
morning of the day designated, the fishes were to be seen hurrying to
the meeting. When they reached the assembly hall, they found Bathala
sitting on a beautiful stone, waiting for them. He called the roll
when it seemed that all of the fishes were present. It was found
that the cuttle-fish and squid were absent, so they waited for them
a half-hour; but still they did not come. At last Bathala arose,
and said, "The meeting will come to order." After the fishes had
taken their proper positions, Bathala continued, "The object of this
meeting is to appoint some officers and to issue their appointments."
At once all the fishes became very quiet and respectful, for all
were anxious to know what offices each was going to hold. Bathala
appointed the sting-ray sergeant-at-arms: hence all sting-rays now have
whip-like tails. The crocodile was appointed cadaver-carrier: so now
all its children have a coffin-like skin on their backs. The crab was
made a soldier: so to-day all its descendants have large and strong
fore-legs. Bathala had not finished giving out his appointments when
the two missing members came. They at once interrupted the meeting
by asking what it was all about. Bathala became very angry at the
interruption, so he scolded the sting-ray and the squid severely. The
rebuke humiliated them so, that they agreed between themselves to
go get mud and throw it on the official appointments. When they
had gotten the mud, they came back and asked Bathala to give them
something to do; but, instead of appointing them to some work, he only
scolded them for being late. Angered, they now threw mud on all the
appointments that had already been drawn up. This insulting act of
the cuttle-fish and the squid so enraged Bathala, that he stood up,
and said in thundering tones, "Now I shall punish you. From this time
on, you and your descendants shall carry pouches of mud with you all
the time. Besides, you shall be very slow in moving because of your
heavy loads." The squid tried to make excuses, but Bathala became
angrier than ever, and said, "You are the naughtiest creature I ever
had. As a punishment, you and your children shall remain the same size
as you are now." And all of Bathala's words have turned out to be true.
TALE 78
WHY COCKS HAVE COMBS ON THEIR HEADS.
Narrated by Rosita Nieva, a Tagalog from Boac, Marinduque. She heard
the story from her grandmother.
Once upon a time there was a magician named Pablo, who had a son
called Juan. Pablo was very industrious, but Juan was lazy and
disobedient. Juan cared for nothing but fine clothes and his own
appearance; he would not help his father. One day Pablo went into his
son's room to find out what he was doing. There he was, standing before
a mirror, and combing his hair. Pablo was so angry at his son, that he
immediately snatched the comb from his hand. Then he angrily struck
the boy's head with the comb, and spoke these harsh words: "Since
you always want to use the comb, let it be on your head forever! I
prefer to have no son at all. I would rather see you changed into a
bird than to remain such a disobedient, worthless boy." The father
struck his son's head so hard, that the comb stuck deep into the
skull. By Pablo's magic power, Juan was immediately changed into a
cock, and the comb on his head was changed into flesh. We can see it
to-day on the heads of all the descendants of Juan.
Note.
I know of no variants of stories Nos. 76-78.
TALE 79
HOW THE CROW BECAME BLACK.
Narrated by Vicente L. Neri, a Visayan from Cagayan, Misamis. He was
told the story by his grandmother.
A long time ago, when Bathala, the god of the land, was peacefully
ruling his dominions, he had many pets. Among these, his two favorites
were the dove and the crow. The crow was noted for its bright,
pretty plumage.
One day Bathala had a quarrel with Dumagat, the god of the
sea. Bathala's subjects had been stealing fish, which were the subjects
of Dumagat. When Dumagat learned of this, and could get no satisfaction
from Bathala, he retaliated. He opened the big pipe through which
the water of the world passes, and flooded the dominions of Bathala,
until nearly all the people were drowned. When the water had abated
somewhat, Bathala sent the crow, his favorite messenger, to find out
whether all his subjects had been killed. The crow flew out from the
palace where the god lived, and soon saw the corpses of many persons
floating about. He descended, alighted on one, and began to eat the
decaying cadaver. When Bathala saw that it was late and that the crow
had not returned, he sent the dove on the same errand, telling the bird
also to find out what had become of the first messenger. The dove flew
away, looking for any signs of life. At last he saw the crow eating
some of the decaying bodies. Immediately he told the crow that the
king had sent for him, and together they flew back to Bathala's palace.
When the two birds arrived at the king's court, the dove told Bathala
that the crow had been eating some dead bodies, and consequently
had not done what he had been sent to do. Bathala was very angry at
this disobedience. Without saying a word, he seized his big inkstand
filled with black ink and threw it at the crow, which was immediately
covered. Bathala then turned to the dove, and said, "You, my dove,
because of your faithfulness, shall be my favorite pet, and no longer
shall you be a messenger." Then he turned to the crow, and said,
"You, foul bird, shall forever remain black; you shall forever be a
scavenger, and every one shall hate you."
So that is why to-day the dove is loved by the people, and the crow
hated. The crows to-day are all black, because they are descendants
of the bird punished by Bathala.
Why the Crow is Black.
Narrated by Ricardo Ortega, an Ilocano living in Tarlac. The story,
however, is Pampangan.
The first crow that lived on the earth was a beautiful bird with a
sweet voice. The universe was ruled over by the god Sinukuan, and
all his subjects were either plants or animals. No human beings were
yet in existence. Sinukuan lived in a beautiful palace surrounded with
gardens of gold. In these gardens lived two crows who sang sweet songs,
and did nothing but fly about among the flowers and trees. Their golden
plumage was beautiful to see, and Sinukuan took great delight in them.
Once a terrible pestilence visited the earth, and a great many of
Sinukuan's animals began to die. In his distress and sorrow, Sinukuan
at once set out and made a tour of his kingdom to give what relief
he could to his suffering subjects. After being away three days,
he returned to his palace, his mind weighted down by all the death
and sickness he had seen. When he reached his garden, he called to
his two birds to come sing for him and relieve his mental anguish;
but neither of the birds came. Sinukuan went through his gardens, but
he called in rain. "O birds! where are you?" he cried. Thinking that
perhaps they had flown away and had been attacked by the pestilence, he
determined to make another trip through his kingdom and look for them.
He had not walked a mile, when, approaching a number of dead animals,
he saw the pair feasting on the decaying flesh. When they saw their
master, they bowed their heads in shame. Had not Sinukuan restrained
himself, he might have killed them that very moment; but he thought
of a better way to punish them. "Now," he said, as he cursed them,
"from this time on, you shall be very ugly black birds; you shall
lose your beautiful voice, and shall be able to make only a harsh cry."
From that time on, those birds were black, and their offspring are
the crows of to-day.
The Dove and the Crow.
Narrated by Restituto D. Carpio, a Zambal from Cabangan, Zambales.
A few days after the inundation of the world, God sent a crow down
to earth to see how deep the water was on the land. When the crow
flew down to earth, he was surprised to see so many dead animals
everywhere. It came to his mind that perhaps they would taste good,
so he alighted on one of them and began to eat. He was so very much
pleased with the abundance of food about him, that he forgot all
about the command God had given him, and he remained on the earth.
On the third day, since the crow had not returned, God sent a dove
down to earth to find out the depth of the water, and to make other
observations of the things that had taken place on the earth. As
the dove was a faithful creature, she did not forget what God told
her. When she reached the earth, she did not alight on any dead animal,
but alighted directly in the water. Now, the water was red from the
blood of so many creatures that had been slain. When the dove stood
in the bloody water, she found that it was only an inch deep. She at
once flew back to heaven, where, in the presence of God, she related
what she had seen on earth, while the crimson color on her feet was
evidence of the depth of the water.
After a short time the crow returned. He came before God, who spoke
to him thus: "What made you so long? Why did you not return sooner
from the earth?" As the crow had no good reason to give for his delay,
he said nothing: he simply bent his head.
God punished the crow by putting a chain on his legs. So that to-day
the crow cannot walk: all he can do is to hop from place to place. The
dove, which was faithful to God, is now the favorite pet bird the
world over. The red color on her feet may be seen to-day as evidence
that she performed her duty.
Notes.
None of our stories presents the exact sequence of events found in
other folk-tales of the sending-out of the raven and the dove after
the Deluge to measure the depth of the water; but there can be no
doubt that the Zambal story (c) derives immediately from one of
these. The Visayan account mentions a flood, but not the Deluge. In
the fact that the cause of the great inundation is a quarrel between
two chief Pagan deities, there seems to be preserved an old native
tradition. In the Pampangan story not only is the curse of the crow
attributed to a Pagan deity, Sinukuan, but the occasion of the bird's
downfall is a pestilence. There is no mention whatever of a flood,
nor is the dove alluded to.
Dähnhardt (1 : 283-287) has discussed a number of folk-tales and
traditions of the punishment of the raven and the rewarding of the
dove. These are for the most part associated with popular accounts
of events immediately after the Deluge. Two that seem to be nearly
related to our versions may be reproduced here in English:--
(Polish story of the dove.) When Noah had despatched a dove from the
Ark, the bird alighted on an oak, but soiled its feet in the water of
the Flood, which was all red from the blood of the multitudes that
had been drowned. Since then, doves have all had red feet. (This
detail appears in part word for word in our Zambal story.)
(Arabian tradition recorded by the ninth-century historian
Tabarî.) Noah said to the raven, "Go and set foot on the earth and
see how deep the water is now." The raven flew forth. But on the
way it found a corpse; it began to eat of it, and did not return to
Noah. Noah, troubled, cursed the raven: "May God make you despised of
mankind, and may your food always be corpses!" Then Noah sent the dove
forth. The dove flew away, and without alighting dipped its feet in the
water. But the water of the Flood was salty and stinging; it burned
the dove's feet so that the feathers did not grow in again, and the
skin dropped off. Those doves that have red feet without feathers are
the descendants of the dove that Noah sent forth. Then Noah said, "May
God make you welcome among mankind!" For this reason the dove is even
to-day beloved of mankind. (This version is of especial interest in
connection with the Visayan story, which comes from Mindanao, the home
of Mohammedanism in the Philippines. Note the close correspondences.)
While it appears to me more than likely that our Filipino stories
derive ultimately from Arabian sources through the Moros of the
southern islands rather than through the Spaniards, nevertheless to
settle the question absolutely more variants are needed for comparison.
Attention might be called to incidents peculiar to the Philippine
accounts and not found in any of the versions cited by Dähnhardt:--
(1) A deity, not Noah, sends out the birds.
(2) The crows of Sinukuan (b), in addition to becoming black, are
condemned forever afterward to have raucous, unpleasant voices.
(3) In the Visayan story Bathala makes the crow black by hurling an
inkstand at it. This undignified detail may have been taken over from
one of the popular metrical romances ("Baldovinos" or "Doce Pares")
in which Charlemagne loses his temper and throws an inkwell at Roland
(see JAFL 29 : 208, 214, 215). Or it is just barely possible that
this popular bit of machinery became attached to our story of the
crow on the analogy of an Annamite tale (Landes, Contes annamites,
p. 210 f., cited by Dähnhardt, 3 : 65):--
The raven and the coq de pagode were once men in the service of the
saint (Confucius), who transformed them into birds as a punishment for
disobedience. In order to undo the punishment and to make the saint
laugh, the raven smeared itself all over with ink. The coq de pagode
wished to do the same to itself, but had only enough black ink for
half its body; for the rest it was obliged to use red. Therefore the
raven is black, and the coq de pagode is half red, half black.
(4) In the Zambal story the crow is punished, not by being made black,
but by having a chain put on its legs; so that the crows to-day cannot
walk, but must hop from place to place.
In conclusion I will cite merely for completeness an American Indian
version not found in Dähnhardt. It is referred to by Sir J. G. Frazer
(Folk-Lore in the Old Testament [1918], 1 : 297), who writes as
follows:--
"The same missionary [i.e., Mgr. Faraud, in Annales de la Propagation
de la Foi, xxxvi (1864), 388 et seq.] reports a deluge legend current
among the Crees, another tribe of the Algonquin stock in Canada;
but this Cree story bears clear traces of Christian influence, for
in it the man is said to have sent forth from the canoe, first a
raven, and second a wood-pigeon. The raven did not return, and as a
punishment for his disobedience the bird was changed from white to
black; the pigeon returned with his claws full of mud, from which
the man inferred that the earth was dried up; so he landed."
For other folk explanations of the black color of the crow or raven,
see Dähnhardt, 3 : 59, 65-66, 71, 369. An entirely different account
of how the crow's feathers, which were originally as white as starch,
became black, is given in out No. 71 (b).
TALE 80
WHY THE OCEAN IS SALTY.
Narrated by José M. Paredes of Bangued, Ilocos Sur. He heard the
story from a farmer.
A few years after the creation of the world there lived a tall giant by
the name of Ang-ngalo, the only son of the god of building. Ang-ngalo
was a wanderer, and a lover of work. He lived in the mountains, where
he dug many caves. These caves he protected from the continual anger
of Angin, the goddess of the wind, by precipices and sturdy trees.
One bright morning, while Ang-ngalo was climbing to his loftiest
cave, he spied across the ocean--the ocean at the time was pure,
its water being the accumulated tears of disappointed goddesses--a
beautiful maid. She beckoned to him, and waved her black handkerchief:
so Ang-ngalo waded across to her through the water. The deep caverns
in the ocean are his footprints.
This beautiful maid was Sipgnet, the goddess of the dark. She said to
Ang-ngalo, "I am tired of my dark palace in heaven. You are a great
builder. What I want you to do for me is to erect a great mansion on
this spot. This mansion must be built of bricks as white as snow."
Ang-ngalo could not find any bricks as white as snow: the only white
thing there was then was salt. So he went for help to Asin, the ruler
of the kingdom of Salt. Asin gave him pure bricks of salt, as white
as snow. Then Ang-ngalo built hundreds of bamboo bridges across the
ocean. Millions of men were employed day and night transporting the
white bricks from one side of the ocean to the other. At last the
patience of Ocean came to an end: she could not bear to have her deep
and quiet slumber disturbed. One day, while the men were busy carrying
the salt bricks across the bridges, she sent forth big waves and
destroyed them. The brick-carriers and their burden were buried in her
deep bosom. In time the salt dissolved, and today the ocean is salty.
Note.
I know of no close analogues to this etiological myth.
The hero of the tale, Ang-ngalo, is the same as the Aolo (Angalo)
mentioned in the notes to No. 3 (p. 27, footnote). Blumentritt
(s.v.) writes, "Angangalo is the name of the Adam of the Ilocanos. He
was a giant who created the world at the order of the supreme God."
TALE 81
WHY THE SKY IS CURVED.
Narrated by Aurelia Malvar, a Tagalog from Santo Tomas, Batangas. Her
father told her the story.
Many, many years ago, when people were innocent, as soon as they died,
their souls went directly to heaven. In a short time heaven was crowded
with souls, because nearly every one went there. One day, while God
was sitting on his throne, he felt it moved by some one. On looking
up, he saw that the souls were pushing towards him, because the sky
was about to fall. At once he summoned five angels, and said to them,
"Go at once to the earth, and hold up the sky with your heads until
I can have it repaired." Then God called together all his carpenters,
and said to them, "Repair the heavens as soon as possible."
The work was done; but it happened that the tallest angel was standing
in the centre of the group; and so, ever since, the sky has been
curved.
Why the Sky is High.
Narrated by Deogracias Lutero of Janiuay, Iloilo. He says that the
story is often heard in his barrio.
In olden days the sky was low,--so low that it could be reached by
a stick of ordinary length. The people in those days said that God
had created the sky in such a way that he could hear his people when
they called to him. In turn, God could send his blessings to earth
as soon as men needed them. Because of this close connection between
God and his subjects, the people were well-provided for, and they did
not need to work. Whenever they wanted to eat, they would simply call
God. Before their request was made, almost, the food would be on the
table; but after the expulsion of Adam and Eve, God made men work
for their own living. With this change in their condition came the
custom of holding feasts, when the men would rest from their labors.
One day one of the chiefs, Abing by name, held a feast. Many people
came to enjoy it. A sayao, or native war-dance, was given in honor of
the men belonging to the chief, and it was acted by men brandishing
spears. While acting, one of the actors, who was drunk, tried to show
his skill, but he forgot that the sky was so low. When he darted
his spear, he happened to pierce the sky, and one of the gods was
wounded. This angered God the Father: so he raised the sky as we have
it to-day, far from the earth.
Notes.
I have come across no variants of the Tagalog story of why the sky
is curved.
Our second story, however, "Why the Sky is High," is without doubt
a Malayan tradition, as analogues from the Bagobos and the Pagan
tribes of Borneo attest. Miss Benedict (JAFL 26 : 16-17) furnishes
two Bagobo myths on "Why the Sky Went Up:"--
(a) "In the beginning the sky lay low over the earth--so low that when
the Mona wanted to pound their rice, they had to kneel down on the
ground to get a play for the arm. Then the poor woman called Tuglibung
said to the sky, 'Go up higher! Don't you see that I cannot pound my
rice well?' So the sky began to move upwards. When it had gone up
about five fathoms, the woman said again, 'Go up still more!' This
made the sun angry at the woman, and he rushed up very high."
(b) "In the beginning the sky hung so low over the earth that the
people could not stand upright, could not do their work. For this
reason the man in the sky said to the sky, 'Come up!' Then the sky
went up to its present place."
With Miss Benedict's first version, compare Hose and McDougall
(2 : 142):--
"According to an old man of the Long Kiputs of Borneo, the stars are
holes in the sky made by the roots of trees in the world above the sky
projecting through the floor of that world. At one time, he explained,
the sky was close to the earth, but one day Usai, a giant, when working
sago with a wooden mallet, accidentally struck his mallet against the
sky; since which time the sky has been far up out of the reach of man."
A different explanation of why the sky went up is current in British
North Borneo. It is embodied in the story of "The Horned Owl and the
Moon" (Evans, JRAI 43 : 433):--
"The moon is male and the Pwak (horned owl) is female.
"Long ago, when the sky was very low down, only a man's height from
the ground, the moon and the Pwak fell in love and married. At that
time there was a man whose wife was with child. The woman came down
from the house, and as the heat of the sun struck her on the stomach,
she became ill, for the sky was very low. Then the man was very angry
because his wife was ill, and he made seven blow-pipe arrows. Early
the next morning he took his blow-pipe with him and went to the place
where the sun rises, and waited. Now at that time there were seven
suns. When they rose, he shot six of them and left one remaining;
then he went home. At the time the man shot the suns the Pwak was
sitting on the house-top in the sky combing her hair. The comb fell
from the sky to the ground, and the Pwak flew down to get it; but when
she found it, she could no longer fly back to the sky; for, while she
had been looking for the comb, the sky had risen to its present place;
since, when the man had shot the six suns, the remaining sun, being
frightened, ran away up into the air and took the sky with it. And so
on the present day, whenever the moon comes out, the Pwak cries to it;
but the moon says to it, 'What can I do, for you are down there below,
while I am up here in the sky?'"
TALE 82
AN UNEQUAL MATCH; OR, WHY THE CARABAO'S HOOF IS SPLIT.
Narrated by Godofredo Rivera, a Tagalog from Pagsanjan, La Laguna.
Once a carabao and a turtle met on a road. They walked in the woods,
and had a fine talk together. The turtle was a sort of humorist, and
was constantly giving exhibitions of his dexterity in getting food by
trickery. But he was especially anxious to win the friendship of the
carabao; for he thought that, if they were friendly, this big fellow
would help him whenever he got into trouble. So he said to the carabao,
"Let us live together and hunt out food together! thus we shall break
the monotony of our solitary lives."
But the carabao snorted when he heard this proposal; and he replied,
"You slow thing! you ought to live with the drones, not with a swift
and powerful person like me."
The turtle was very much offended, and to get even he challenged
the carabao to a race. At first the carabao refused to accept the
challenge, for he thought it would be a disgrace for him to run
against a turtle. The turtle said to the carabao, "If you will not
race with me, I will go to all the forests, woods, and mountains,
and tell all your companions and all my friends and all the animal
kingdom that you are a coward."
Now the carabao was persuaded; and he said, "All right, only give me
three days to get ready for the race." The turtle was only too glad
to have the contest put off for three days, for then he too would
have a chance to prepare his plans. The agreement between the turtle
and the carabao was that the race should extend over seven hills.
The turtle at once set out to visit seven of his friends; and, by
telling them that if he could win this race it would be to the glory
of the turtle kingdom, he got them to promise to help him. So the
next day he stationed a turtle on the top of each hill, after giving
them all instructions.
The third day came. Early the next morning the turtle and the carabao
met at the appointed hill. At a given signal the race began, and
soon the runners lost sight of each other. When the carabao reached
the second hill, he was astonished to see the turtle ahead of him,
shouting, "Here I am!" After giving this yell, the turtle at once
disappeared. And at every hill the carabao found his enemy ahead
of him. When the carabao was convinced at the seventh hill that he
had been defeated, he became so angry that he kicked the turtle. On
account of the hardness of its shell, the turtle was uninjured; but
the hoof of the carabao was split in two, because of the force of
the blow. And even to-day, the carabaos still bear the mark which an
unjust action on the part of their ancestor against one whom he knew
was far inferior to him in strength produced on himself.
Notes.
A Pampangan story furnished by Wenceslao Vitug of Lubao, Pampanga,
runs thus in abstract:--
The Deer and the Snail.
Snail challenges deer to race, and stations his friends at intervals
along the way. Every time deer stops and calls out to see where
his antagonist is, a snail answers from a spot a few yards ahead of
deer. At the end of the course the defeated deer falls fainting. His
gall is sucked out by the snails near him. To this day snails taste
bitter, and the deer has no gall.
For a similar Visayan tale see "The Snail and the Deer" (JAFL 20 :
315). A Tinguian version may be found in Cole (No. 82, p. 198).
This very widespread story is comprehensively discussed by Dähnhardt
(4 : 46-97), who gives a large number of variants from all parts of the
world. The Philippine forms of it may reasonably be adjudged native,
I believe; at any rate, they need not have been derived from Europe.
A Borneo version (Evans, 475-476) not given in Dähnhardt may be
mentioned here in conclusion. In it the plandok (mouse-deer), which
has deceived and brought about the deaths of all the larger animals,
agrees to tun a race with the omong (hermit-crab). The crab stations
three companions at corners of the square race-course, and wins. The
mouse-deer runs itself to death.
APPENDIX.
[Additional notes, chiefly in the nature of American Indian, Negro,
and Sinhalese (Ceylon) variants.]
Supplementary Bibliography.
BOLTE (JOHANNES) UND POLÍVKA (GEORG). Anmerkungen zu den Kinder-
und Hausmärchen der Brüder Grimm. Vol. 3 (Nos. 121-225). Leipzig, 1918.
Journal of American Folk-Lore. (Cited JAFL.)
--Boas, F. Notes on Mexican Folk-Lore (JAFL 25 : 204-260). 1912.
--Bolduc (E.), Tremblay (M.), and Barbeau (C.-M.). Contes populaires
canadiens (troisième série) (JAFL 32 : 90-167). 1919.
--Bundy, R.C. Folk-Tales from Liberia (JAFL 32 : 406-427). 1919.
--Espinosa, A.M. Comparative Notes on New-Mexican and Mexican Spanish
Folk-Tales (JAFL 27 : 211-231). 1914.
----New-Mexican Spanish Folk-Lore (JAFL 27 : 105-147). 1914.
----New-Mexican Spanish Folk-Lore: Folk-Tales (JAFL 24 :
397-444). 1911.
--Folk-Tales from Alabama (JAFL 32 : 397-401). 1919.
--Folk-Tales from Georgia (JAFL 32 : 402-405). 1919.
--Mason, J.A. Folk-Tales of the Tepecanos (JAFL 27 : 148-210). 1914.
--Mechling, W. H. Stories and Songs from the Southern Atlantic
Coastal Region of Mexico (JAFL 29 : 547-558). 1916.
--Stories from Tuxtepec, Oaxaca (JAFL 25 : 199-203). 1912.
Parsons, E. C. Pueblo-Indian Folk-Tales, probably of Spanish
Provenience (JAFL 31 : 216-255). 1918.
--Tales from Guilford County, North Carolina (JAFL 30 :
168-200). 1917.
--Recinos, Adrián. Cuentos populares de Guatemala (JAFL 31 :
472-487). 1918.
--Skinner, Alanson. European Tales from the Plains Ojibwa
(JAFL 29 : 330-340). 1916.
----Plains Ojibwa Tales (JAFL 32 : 280-305). 1919.
--Speck, F.G. Malecite Tales (JAFL 30 : 479-485). 1917.
--Stewart, Sadie E. Seven Folk-Tales from the Sea Islands, South
Carolina (JAFL 32 : 394-396). 1919.
--Teit, James. European Tales from the Upper Thompson Indians (JAFL
29 : 301-329). 1916.
LAIDLAW, GEORGE E. Ojibwa Myths and Tales (reprinted from the
Archæological Report, 1918).
PARKER, H. Village Folk-Tales of Ceylon. London: Vol. 1, 1910; Vol. 2,
1914; Vol. 3, 1914.
PARSONS, ELSIE CLEWS. Folk-Tales of Andros Island, Bahamas (Memoirs
of the American Folk-Lore Society, Vol. 13). New York, 1918. (Cited
MAFLS 13.) See also under Journal of American Folk-Lore.
RADIN-ESPINOSA. El Folklore de Oaxaca, recogido por Paul Radin y
publicado por Aurelio M. Espinosa (Anales de la Escuela Internacional
de Arqueología y Etnología Americanas). New York, 1917.
SAUNIÈRE, S. DE. Cuentos populares araucanos y chilenos (Revista de
folklore chileno, Vol. 7). Santiago de Chile, 1918.
THOMPSON, STITH. European Tales among the North American Indians
(Colorado College Publication). Colorado Springs, 1919.
Supplementary Notes.
1. [109]
Dr. Boas gives the bibliography of "Dr. Know-All" in America in JAFL
25 : 151.
A Sinhalese variant may be found in Parker, 1 : 179-185 (No. 23).
2.
Page 11 (footnote). Dr. Boas informs me that petate is a
Mexican-Spanish word borrowed from the Nahuatl.
Full bibliography of Grimm, No. 122 ("Donkey Cabbages") is given in
Bolte-Polívka, 3 : 3-9.
In JAFL 28 : 56 is a Penobscot story containing the loss of three magic
objects, transportation to a distant place, escape of princess by means
of transportation-cap, discovery by hero of magic apples, punishment
of princess, and the recovery of the magic objects (see Thompson, 401).
3.
Page 25 (A). For a list of Hindoo stories in which the hero is only
a span high, see Parker, 2 : 256.
Page 25-26 (B1-5). In a Biloxi tale not belonging in other respects
to our group, the hero's uncle puts the hero to some hard tests,
hoping to make away with him (see Thompson, 376).
Page 26 (B2). The attempts to kill the hero in a well by throwing
huge rocks on him are found in some of the American variants of the
"Strong John" cycle. (See Thompson, 435-436, for French-Canadian and
Maliseet versions.)
Page 26 (D.) In a Maliseet tale (Thompson, 340) the strong hero
sets out on his travels with a giant cane that will hold fifty
salted cattle.
Page 27 (E). In ten of the American Indian versions of "John the Bear"
are found the extraordinary companions (see Thompson, 336-344).
Page 29. With Kakarangkang's adventure inside the crocodile, compare
an Araucano story (Saunière, No. 3), in which the heroine with a
knife is swallowed by the big king of fishes. She cuts her way out,
saving her brother and others imprisoned.
4.
Interrupted-cooking episode. For a Negro version from Bahamas,
see MAFLS 13, No. 93; also bibliography on p. 142 (footnote). In
his analysis of "John the Bear" stories among the American Indians,
Thompson (336-342) notes this episode in Assiniboin, Tehuano, Shoshone,
Thompson River, Maliseet, Loucheux, and Micmac versions.
Bee-hive hoax. Three Mexican variants on this idea may be noted. In one
(JAFL 25 : 237), rabbit pretends that the bee-hive is a school, which
he permits coyote to keep. In another (ibid., 206) rabbit pretends
that a wasp-nest is a cradle, and gets coyote to rock it. The third
is a Cora story given in abstract by Dr. Boas (ibid., 260), which
is nearest the form of the incident as found in our tales. Opossum
pretends that the bee-hive is a bell which coyote is to ring when
he hears the sky-rockets. In a New-Mexican Spanish story (JAFL 27 :
134-135) fox tells coyote that the bee-hive is his school humming.
5.
Parker's Sinhalese story "The Elephant-Fool" (3 : 100-111, No. 203)
tells of a man who borrowed another's elephant; but the beast died
before it could be returned. The borrower offers payment or another
animal, but the owner will accept nothing but his own elephant
alive. Through the cleverness of his wife, the borrower is able to
make the obdurate man break a water-pot, and in turn demands his
very water-pot back unbroken. Unable to do anything else, the owner
of the elephant says that the two debts cancel each other, and goes
away. Parker notes that in another Sinhalese form of this story both
persons institute law-suits. He also cites a Chinese variant (p. 111).
6.
Page 51, line 41. For bibliography of Grimm, No. 183, see
Bolte-Polívka, 3 : 333-335.
Parker (2 : 247-268, No. 137) gives a Sinhalese story, with three
variants, which is definitely connected with our tales, and confirms my
belief that the "False-Proofs" cycle is native to southern India. In
Parker's main story the false proofs are five,--ass (voice), two
winnowing-trays (ears), two bundles of creepers (testicles?), a tom-tom
(eye), and two elephant tusks (teeth). In variant b the false proofs
are drum (roar), deer-hide rope (hair), pair of elephant tusks (teeth).
For another Sinhalese story of how a man and his wife "bluffed"
a terrible Yaka hiding under the bed to kill him, see Parker, 1 :
148-149 (No. 17).
7.
Page 62. Analogous to the task cited from Jataka, No. 546, is one
of the problems in the Liberian story "Impossible vs. Impossible"
(JAFL 32 : 413). Problem: Make a mat from rice-grains. Solution:
Old rice-mat demanded as pattern.--For making rope out of husks,
and analogous tasks, see Bolte-Polívka, 2 : 513.
Page 62 (3). In Parker, No. 79, a king requires a man to put a hundred
gourd-fruits in a hundred small-mouthed vessels. His clever daughter
grows them there. Parker cites a story from Swynnerton's Indian Night's
Entertainment, in which a clever girl sends melons in jars to a prince
and requires him to remove the melons without injuring them or the
jars. This problem is identical with one on our p. 58 (16-17).
In still another Sinhalese story a foolish king requires a Panditaya,
under penalty of death, to teach the royal white horse to speak. The
wise man's daughter saves her father's life by telling him what to
reply to the king (Parker, 1 : 199-200, No. 27).--In Parker, 3 :
112-113 (No. 204), a country-girl meets a prince, to whose questions
she gives enigmatical replies. He is clever enough to interpret
them correctly.
Page 63 (4). In Parker, 2 : 7-9 (No. 78), a king requires milk from
oxen. The clever village girl's answer is of a kind with Marcela's
(our collection, p. 55): she sets out for the washerman's with a
bundle of cloths, is met by the king, and tells him her father has
come of age in the same manner as women (i.e., he has menstruated).
8.
For stealing eggs from under bird, see Bolte-Polívka, 3 :
57-58. Bolte-Polívka's notes on Grimm, No. 192, include a discussion
of both the "Master Thief" cycle (3 : 379-395) and the Rhampsinitus
"Treasure-House" saga (3 : 395-406). Two Sinhalese variants of the
latter cycle, lacking in Bolte-Polívka's bibliography, are Parker's
No. 189 and variant (3 : 41-46). Here the thieves are father and son;
son cuts off father's head to prevent identification. The stories end
with the exposure of the body and the escape of the son, who falls
from a tree when his mother bursts into laments at the sight of her
husband's corpse.
Four American Indian versions of the "Master Thief" are analyzed by
Thompson (427-429),--Maliseet, Dakota, Thompson River, Wyandot.
A Oaxaca version of the "Master Thief" is given in Radin-Espinosa,
226-227 (No. 116): it preserves a number of features of the
Rhampsinitus story. Likewise a New-Mexican Spanish tale (JAFL 24 :
423-424), in which, after preliminary skill-tests, the two thieves
rob the king. The Mexican thief is caught; the Spanish thief cuts off
his head. The corpse, by order of the king, is carried through town,
and the house of the mourner is marked with blood. The Spanish thief
escapes by marking all the houses with blood. (For the bibliography
of marking all the house-doors with chalk to prevent discovery,
see Bolte-Polívka, 3 : 145, note.)
9.
Page 78. Not counting self. This incident occurs in a Sinhalese story
(Parker, 1 : 258, No. 44). (See ibid., 259, for three variants from
India and one from China.) Comparative bibliography of this motif is
given in Bolte-Polívka, 3 : 149 (note 1).
Page 78. Killing fly on face. Sinhalese (Parker, 1 : 319-321, No. 58):
The stupid hero strikes with a rice-pestle at a fly on his mother's
head, and kills her. Wyandot (Thompson, 423): The numskull hero hits
the head of a sleeping child to kill mosquito, and kills child. Ojibwa
(Laidlaw, 63): Flies on baby's head "killed" with rubber boot.
10.
Page 87. Add to the bibliography of the "Magic Ring" cycle three
American forms of the story,--French-Canadian, Micmac, and Maliseet
(analyzed by Thompson, 398-399).
An interesting Sinhalese version is Parker's No. 208 (3 :
127-131). Here a lazy prince buys a cobra, parrot, and cat. From the
snake-king he receives a ring by means of which he can create anything
he wants. He creates a palace and a princess. The princess and ring
are stolen by an old woman acting as agent for a king who came to know
of the beautiful princess (hair floating down-stream). Through the
aid of his faithful animals, especially the cat, which coerces the
king of the rats, the hero recovers his wife and magic object. (See
also Parker's extensive notes [131-135] for other Oriental versions.)
11.
Page 114. See Bolte-Polívka, 3 : 483-486, for notes on Grimm's fragment
"The Louse." Bolte and Polívka (3 : 84-85) give brief notes on Grimm,
No. 134, mostly in the nature of addenda to their notes on Grimm,
No. 71, with which this story is closely related.
Three American Indian variants of Grimm, No. 71, are analyzed by
Thompson (346-347).
For a Negro version from the Bahamas, see MAFLS 13, No. 20.
12.
Page 125, line 21. For "Diego and Juan" read "Diego and Pedro."
Page 128, note 3. Dr. Farnham presents a fuller and more recent study
of the cycle of the "Contending Lovers" in Publications of the Modern
Language Association, 28 (1920): 247-323.
Page 128. Full bibliographical treatment of our Type I, the "Creation
of Woman," may be found in Bolte-Polívka, 3 : 53-57.
Page 133. Bibliography of Grimm, No. 124, will be found in
Bolte-Polívka, 3 : 10-12; of Grimm, No. 129, ibid., 45-58. Bolte
and Polívka are of the opinion that Grimm, Nos. 71, 124, and 129,
are all related (3 : 45).
A New-Mexican Spanish variant of Grimm, No. 129 (JAFL 24 : 411-414),
tells of three brothers sent out to learn trades. One becomes a
carpenter; another, a silversmith; and the third, a thief. They are
tested by the king, who is satisfied that they have learned their
trades well. A Negro version from the Bahamas (MAFLS 13 : 43-44,
No. 23) tells of four brothers who went out and became skilled
(tailor, robber, thief, archer). Skill-test with egg (stealing from
nest, shooting it into four parts, stitching egg together, replacing
under bird). Rescue of princess stolen by dragon (stitching planks
of shattered ship together).
Very close to the Bahamas tale, except in the dénouement, is a
Sinhalese story (Parker, 2 : 33 ff., No. 82). Four princes set out to
learn sciences: the first learns sooth; the second, theft; the third,
archery; the fourth, carpentry. They are tested by their father the
king (stealing egg from crow, cutting it with arrow, repairing it, and
restoring it to nest). They then search for and bring back the queen,
who had been stolen by a Rakshasa. They then quarrel as to who should
have the sovereignty. In variant a (ibid., 36-39) a nobleman's five
sons learn sciences (soothsayer, marksman, thief, runner, physician)
and jointly restore a dead princess to life. In variant b (39-42) seven
princes become skilled. In variant c four Brahmans learn sciences to
win the hand of a princess, and afterwards restore her to life. As
they cannot settle their quarrel, they all give her up. (For other
versions, see Parker, 2 : 43-45, 157-159 [No. 109]).
Page 136, line 31. For "Tagic" read "Jagic."
13.
In a Oaxaca story (Radin-Espinosa, 249-250, No. 137) a rich compadre
tries with no success to advance the fortunes of his poor compadre,
and comes to the conclusion that he who is born to be poor will always
be poor.
14 b.
A Oaxaca version of "The Thief and his Master," with the
transformation-combat detail, is given in Radin-Espinosa, 240
(No. 131). An analogous story has also been recorded by F. Boas
at Zuñi.
Three Sinhalese versions of "The Magician and his Pupil" may be found
in Parker, 3 : 400-407 (No. 266). Many other Oriental variants are
given in abstract in the notes to these stories (ibid., 408-410).
15.
In JAFL 31 : 480-481 is given a Guatemala droll which is clearly
derived from the Arabian Nights form of our story.
For additional bibliography of the tricky thief who pretends he
had been transformed into the ass which he has just stolen from the
simple peasant, see Bolte-Polívka, 3 : 9. Related to this motif are
two Oriental tales given in abstract by Parker (3 : 205-206).
17.
Page 161. Identical with our first task is one found in a Oaxaca
version (Radin-Espinosa, 223, No. 112). No. 109 in this same
collection is a variant of "John the Bear." An excellent New-Mexican
Spanish version of "John the Bear" is given by Espinosa (JAFL 24 :
437-444). (For American Indian versions of this cycle, see Thompson,
336-344.)
Page 165. For comparative bibliography of the "Forgotten Betrothed"
cycle, see Bolte-Polívka, 2 : 516-527 (on Grimm, No. 113) ; for
American versions of the tasks and magic flight, MAFLS 13 : 54 n2;
and for American Indian versions of this cycle as a whole. Thompson,
370-381. In only four of the twenty Indian stories analyzed, however,
does the incident of the forgetting of his fiancée by the hero occur.
The first part of the "Forgotten Betrothed" cycle is found in an
Araucano story (Saunière, No. 9), in which the hero takes service
with a supernatural being, falls in love with his daughter, performs
two difficult tasks and answers three questions, and flees with her
in a transformation-flight that ends with the death of the pursuer.
In a Negro story from Bahamas (MAFLS 13 : No. 27) are found the tasks,
magic-flight, and forgotten-betrothed elements.
18.
Our story is closely related to Grimm, No. 82 a (see Bolte-Polívka,
2 : 190-196, for text), a story derived from Musäus. Grimm, No. 197
(Bolte-Polívka, 3 : 424-443), is also related. Thompson (410) cites
a Micmac version that agrees with ours in its main outlines,--a
version which he believes goes back to a French original. A very
brief Kutenai version is given in Boas, "Kutenai Tales" (Bulletin 59,
Bureau of American Ethnology), p. 34.
19.
See Bolte-Polívka's notes on Grimm, No. 108 (2 : 234 ff.).
20.
Page 196. The following American Indian variants of motifs found in
our stories are analyzed by Thompson (419-426):--
Fatal imitation (G1): Maliseet (wife), Ojibwa, Dakota, Zuñi.
Substitute for execution (H): Maliseet, Ojibwa, Wyandot, Thompson
River, Dakota, Tepecano, Creek, Yuchi, Jicarilla Apache, Pochulta,
Chalina, Aztec, Tuxtepec.
Marine cattle (J): Micmac, Maliseet, Ojibwa, Thompson River, Dakota,
Tepecano.
Frightening robbers under tree (F5): Micmac, Maliseet, Wyandot, Ojibwa
(for Ojibwa see also Laidlaw, 196).
For a Negro (Bahamas) variant of G1, see MAFLS 13, No. 41; of F5,
ibid., No. 46. In a Oaxaca story, "Los Dos Compadres" (Radin-Espinosa,
198-199, No. 101), one compadre frightens a band of robbers unwittingly
and acquires treasure (sale-of-ashes incident). Then follows the
incident of the borrowed measure returned with coins adhering,
whereupon the rich compadre tries to "sell ashes," and is killed by
the robbers. For bibliography of the motif coins sticking to borrowed
measure, see Bolte-Polívka, 1 : 520; 2 : 6; 3 : 143 n.
The incident of frightening robbers under tree appears to be
characteristic of the Pedro di Urdemales group (see JAFL 27 : 119-134,
especially 125, 133). For the sack-by-sea episode in the same story,
see ibid., 134.
To Bolte-Polívka's bibliography of Grimm, No. 61, should be added a
Sinhalese version (Parker, 2 : 116-119, No. 101), which contains the
rejuvenating-cudgel, sack-by-sea, and marine-cattle motifs.
21.
Page 206. In a Oaxaca story (Radin-Espinosa, 246, No. 134) closely
related to our No. 21, a king sentences a gentleman to death for
having said, "El que tiene dinero hace lo que quiere." This sentiment
is almost identical with that found in the Sicilian story by Pitrè. In
both, too, the device by means of which the hero discovers the hidden
princess is a golden eagle which gives forth beautiful music.
In a New-Mexican Spanish version (JAFL 27 : 135-137) the hero gains
access to the princess by means of a bronze eagle.
23.
Page 213. In a New-Mexican Spanish story (JAFL 27 : 128) one of the
adventures of Pedro di Urdemales is to make a pact with the Devil in
return for much money. In hell he wins his freedom by sticking the
demons to their chairs with varnish and then frightening them with a
cross. This version seems nearly related to our story. In a Tepecano
tale of the same hero (ibid., 171) Pedro frightens and beats devils
with a holy palm-leaf.
24.
Page 221. Add to Benfey's Oriental versions a Sinhalese story by Parker
(2 : 288-291, No. 141). Parker analyzes three other Hindoo variants
which should be noted.
Page 222. Parker, No. 252 (3 : 339-341), "How Maraya was put in
the Bottle," is a close variant of Grimm, No. 44. Death is finally
outwitted by the hero, who persuades him to creep into a bottle to
demonstrate that he had been able to enter a closed room through a
keyhole. Thereafter all the hero has to do to cure a sick person is
to place the bottle at his head! This detail of enclosing a demon in
a bottle is found in Caballero's story.
In another Sinhalese story (Parker, 3 : 185-186, No. 222) a
water-snake, pleased by a beggar's actions, promises to make him rich
by creeping up the trunk of the king's tusk elephant and making the
animal mad. The beggar "cures" the elephant when he tells the snake
to leave, and becomes wealthy.
27.
Thompson (413-414) cites two American Indian stories, Penobscot and
Maliseet, which open with the obtaining of a gold-dropping horse
from an old man because of kindness, the loss of it at an inn at the
bands of a rascally landlord, and the recovery of the animal through
the generous use of a magic cudgel. The remainder of the two stories
is connected with the last part of the "Golden Goose" cycle (Grimm,
No. 64).
Page 237. To the East Indian variants of this story add Parker,
No. 97 (2 : 101-104), in which an indigent man who frightens a Yaka
obtains from the demon a magic self-filling plate, a ring which when
sold will always return to its owner, and a gold-dropping cow. These
are stolen from him on successive days by a Hettiyä, and worthless
imitations substituted. Then the Yaka gives the hero a magic cudgel,
with which he regains his magic articles. (See Parker, ibid., 104-105,
for other Oriental versions.)
29.
Page 247. A Sinhalese story, "The Mouse Maiden" (Parker, 1 : 308 f.,
No. 54), tells of a princess in the form of a mouse who was married
to a prince. Her permanent disenchantment is brought about by the
burning of her mouse-jacket. Similarly in No. 223 (Parker, 3 : 187-188)
the youngest of seven princes is married to a female hare, which is
permanently disenchanted when her husband burns her hare-skin. This
story and another cited by Parker, in which the youngest of seven
princes married a female monkey who in the end proved to be a fairy
and took off her monkey-skin (Chilli: Folk Tales of Hindustan, 54),
appear to be related to the Indian Märchen cited by Benfey (1 : 251).
For other tales of animal-marriages with transformation, see Parker,
Nos. 151, 207 (turtle), No. 163 (snake), No. 164 (lizard), No. 165
(frog); without transformation, No. 158 (bear), No. 159 (leopard).
30.
A Sinhalese variant of the "Chastity-Wager" story is Parker, No. 149
(2 : 334-336).
33.
In a French-Canadian version (JAFL 32 : 161-163), while a jealous
hunchback is away from home, three other hunchbacks (unrelated to
the husband) apply to the wife for food. While they are eating, she
sees her husband returning. She hides her three guests in a chest,
where they are smothered. The remainder of the story is regular.
35.
Page 278. Our story appears to be related to some of the variants of
Grimm, No. 22, though there is little resemblance between it and the
German story itself. Compare, however, an Ojibwa tale (JAFL 29 : 337),
in which a princess is offered in marriage to whoever can propose a
riddle she cannot solve (in our story it is the hero who must give
the answer to the princess's riddle). On his way to court, the hero
receives magic objects. He successfully outriddles his opponent,
but is put in prison. He wins release and the princess's hand by
means of the magic objects. (See Thompson, 415-416.)
36.
Page 283. A New-Mexican Spanish variant of "Juan Tiñoso" (JAFL 24 :
403-408) combines features from "John the Bear."
Page 284. The "Iron Hans" cycle (Grimm, No. 136) Bolte and Polívka
(3 : 97) outline as follows:--
(A1) A prince sets free a wild man, Iron Hans, whom his father has
captured; (A2) the prince flees from the machinations of his hostile
or wanton step-mother; (A3) the wild man bestows on a childless couple
a son, who, however, after a definite term, must be surrendered to him.
(B) While with Iron Hans, whose orders he disobeys, the boy acquires
golden halt, and (B1) is either forgiven and restored to favor, or
(B2) escapes on a talking horse.
(C) After covering his gold hair with a hat or cloth, he takes service
as a gardener at a king's palace, where the princess falls in love
with him.
(D) At a tournament he appears three times on a magnificent horse
that Iron Hans has furnished him with, and he gains the hand of the
king's daughter.
(E) He manifests his nobility as victor in a combat, as a
dragon-killer, as a bringer of a cure for the sick king (cf. No. 97),
or on a hunt, where he disgraces his mocking brothers-in-law.
(F) Iron Hans or the helpful horse is disenchanted.
For American Indian variants of the "Iron Hans" cycle, see Thompson,
350-357.
Page 284, line 3. For throwing of apples to intended husbands, see
Bolte-Polívka, 2 : 381; 3 : 111.
Line 16. For the branding of the brothers-in-law, see Grimm, Nos. 59,
91, 97; also Bolte-Polívka, 3 : 114 (note 1).
Juan Tiñoso means John the Scabby. Two French versions have exactly the
same title, "Jean le Teignous" and "Jean le Tigneux" (Bolte-Polívka,
3 : 99). A somewhat distant Sinhalese relative of "Juan Tiñoso,"
in which the hero is a turtle, is Parker, No. 151 (2 : 345-352).
In an Osage Indian story occurs the release of an imprisoned monster
by a boy (Thompson, 331).
38.
Page 288. For bibliography of the question "How much is the king
worth?" see Bolte-Polívka, 3 : 232. The Negrito's counter-demand to
the king's third task (i.e., drink all the fresh water) is identical
with the counter-demand to the task of counting the drops in the sea
(ibid., 3 : 231).
Page 291. Bolte and Polívka (3 : 214) emphasize the fact of the mutual
borrowing of incidents by this cycle and the "Clever Lass" cycle.
Two Sinhalese stories not unlike our No. 38 are given by Parker,--"The
Three Questions" (1 : 150-152), "The Four Difficult Questions"
(153-154).
40.
Page 299, "Pitong." In a Oaxaca story (Radin-Espinosa, 204, No. 104)
occur the abandoned-children opening, corn-trail, fruit-trail, ogre's
house, advice of rat, ogre pushed in oven. A Chile version of "Le
Petit Poucet" is "Piñoncito" (Saunière, 262). The following American
Indian versions are noticed by Thompson (361-365): Thompson River (3),
Shuswap (2), Ojibwa, Maliseet, Ponka, Bellacoola, Mewan, Uintah Ute.
45.
For a Negro (Bahamas) version of "Cinderella," see MAFLS 13, No. 17;
for American Indian versions, Thompson, 384-385.
47.
Compare a Negro story from the Bahamas (MAFLS 13, No. 14); also a
Sinhalese tale, "The Roll of Cotton" (Parker, 1 : 364-366, No. 69),
in which the two women are sisters.
48.
Two Hindoo (Sinhalese) versions of the "Puss-in-Boots" cycle are
Parker, No. 49 (1 : 278-283) and No. 235 (3 : 243-248). These are
of extreme importance in trying to establish the provenience of our
stories: for in both the helpful animal is a monkey; both contain
the incident of the borrowed measure, the incident of the killing
of the demon by the monkey (obscure but unmistakable in No. 49) and
the claiming of the monster's palace as his master's; in both the
monkey marries his master to a king's daughter. These two stories
differ from ours in the conclusion: the master proves ungrateful,
and the faithful monkey runs off into the forest. Again, too, in the
opening, these two Sinhalese stories differ from ours: the monkey's
gratitude is not motivated; the animal is not a thieving animal,
hence there is no tar-baby device.
Page 336, Tar-Baby. For the distribution of the "Tar-Baby" story
among the American Indians, see Boas (JAFL 25 : 249), supplemented
by Thompson (444-446). For Negro versions, see MAFLS 13 : Nos. 10,
11, 12; JAFL 30 : 171, 222; Thompson, 440. Other American versions
are Mexico (JAFL 29 : 549); Guatemala (JAFL 31 : 472 f.); Oaxaca
(Radin-Espinosa, 120-121, 183, 197; JAFL 25 : 200, 201, 235-236).
49.
In a Sinhalese noodle-story the foolish hero joins a band of thieves
and tries to steal a millstone, wakening the owner of the house and
asking him for assistance (Parker, 2 : 70-75, No. 90). In another tale
in the same collection, No. 57 (1 : 317-318), a gang of robbers steal
a devil-dancer's box. While they are sleeping, one of their number,
a fool, puts on the costume. They awake, think he is the Devil, and
flee, the fool pursuing and calling, "Stay there! stay there!" This
story is like our "Juan and the Robbers" (348-349). Compare also the
story cited by Parker on p. 318.
50.
Since writing the notes to No. 50, I have found a Sinhalese version of
the "Hat-pays-landlord" story which is essentially the same as ours,
only a three-cornered hat, not a painted one, is the hoax. The motive
of the hero's trick is his desire for revenge on three sharpers who
have cozened him out of a bull which they pretend is a goat (Parker,
3 : 200-205, No. 226). For this last situation, compare our No. 15
and notes.
53.
In the Sinhalese "Story of the Bitch" (Parker, 3 : 102-104, No. 201)
a bitch gives birth to two princesses, who marry princes. Later the
elder daughter drives her dog-mother away when it seeks to visit her,
but the younger treats it kindly. The elder daughter is killed by
a cobra-bite because of her avariciousness. This version is nearly
related to Miss Frere's old Deccan story.
54.
In the latter part of a long Sinhalese story (Parker, No. 145)
a king conceives a passion for the hero's wife, and resorts to the
same ruse as the wicked datu in our story,--underground tunnel, and
letter to parents in the underworld. The hero escapes by means of a
cross-tunnel, returns with marvellous raiment (provided by heroine)
and news that the king's father and mother are happy. The avaricious
king makes the same trip, and is destroyed. Parker, No. 146 (2 :
313-314), contains almost the identical situation.
55.
Page 371 (E). Probably the earliest literary version of the
drowning-turtle motif (undoubtedly the prototype of the brier-patch
punishment) is Buddhistic: Jataka, No. 543. This motif occurs in a
Sinhalese story otherwise wholly unrelated to the cycle of which
this punishment is usually a part (Parker, No. 150, 2 : 339-340;
see also 343-344).
For additional bibliography of the brier-patch punishment, in many
of the American Indian versions of which the turtle or tortoise is
substituted for the rabbit, see Thompson, 446-447; JAFL 31 : 229
(note). Thompson (440) also lists some American Negro variants.
Page 372. With Jataka, No. 273, compare a Negro story from the
Bahamas (MAFLS 13 : 92, No. 45, II). Skinner (JAFL 32 : 295-297)
gives an Ojibwa story in which occurs the "drowning" of the turtle
and the biting-off of otter's testicles by the turtle. This second
detail appears reminiscent of the turtle's revenge discussed on our
pp. 372-373.
56.
Page 379. Some American versions of the house-answering-owner episode
are the following: Oaxaca (Radin-Espinosa, 184-185; 194, rabbit and
coyote; JAFL 25 : 208, rabbit and crocodile); Chile (JAFL 26 : 248,
a curious modification of the motif); Mexico (JAFL 29 : 552). In
another Mexican story we find the episode of the rabbit crossing the
river on the crocodile's back (JAFL 29 : 551-552).
In a Sinhalese story of "The Crocodile and the Jackal" (Parker,
1 : 380-381, No. 75), the crocodile shams dead. Jackal says, "In
our country dead crocodiles wag their tails." (This appears to me a
variant of the house-answering-owner motif.) Later follows the incident
of the seizure of the foot of the jackal, who pretends crocodile has
hold of a root. (See also Parker, No. 36 [1 : 235 f.] for deceptions
turtle practises on jackal.)
57.
Page 381. A Oaxaca story (Radin-Espinosa, 190, No. 94) combines
an account of a war between the animals and the winged creatures
(animals defeated) with a race between the lion and the cricket.
59.
American versions of the let-me-take-your-place motif are numerous:
Oaxaca (Radin-Espinosa, 121, 153, 183, 185, 197; JAFL 25 : 201, 236);
Mexico (JAFL 29 : 550); Tepecano (JAFL 27 : 162); Negro (JAFL 32 :
400, 402; MAFLS 13 : Nos. 12, 33, 39).
60.
The following American forms of the accumulative story may be noted:
Guatemala (JAFL 31 : 482-483); Mexico (JAFL 25 : 219 f.); Oaxaca
(Radin-Espinosa, 195, No. 99); New-Mexican Spanish (JAFL 27 : 138);
Tepecano (JAFL 27 : 175). See also Thompson, 453-454. The stories
resemble ours only in general method, not at all in detail. For
discussion and abstracts of some South American variants that are
closer to our form than are those of Central and North America,
see Boas (JAFL 25 : 352-353 and notes).
A curious Sinhalese accumulative story, No. 251 in Parker's collection
(3 : 336-338), tells how, when some robbers were apprehended for
digging into the king's palace and were sentenced, they replied that
the mason who made the walls was at fault, not they. The mason accused
his lime-mixer; the lime-mixer, a beautiful woman for having distracted
his attention; the woman, a goldsmith. The goldsmith is condemned, but
by a ruse succeeds in getting a wholly innocent fat-bellied Mohammedan
trader executed in his place. Parker abstracts a similar story from
southern India (p. 338). (See also his No. 28 [1 : 201-205] for another
kind of "clock-story" nearer the type of "The Old Woman and her Pig.")
61.
Page 392. Parker's No. 107 (2 : 146-149) is an elaboration of Jataka,
No. 374. (For other Oriental variants of this theme, see ibid.,
149-150.)
71.
For a Negro version of a flight-contest (not etiological) between a
crow and a pigeon, see MAFLS 13 : No. 53.
79.
The Upper Thompson Indians have a story of how the raven and the crow
were sent out after the Flood to find land. They did not return,
but fed on the corpses of the drowned people. For this reason they
were transformed into birds of black color, where formerly they were
white-skinned (JAFL 29 : 329).
82.
For bibliography of the relay-race motif among the American Indians
see Boas (JAFL 25 : 249; Thompson, 448-449). Thompson cites fourteen
American Indian versions, in all but two of which the winner is
the turtle. In one, the clever animal is a gopher; in the other, a
frog. For American Negro variants, see Thompson, 441; JAFL 31 : 221
(note 2); JAFL 32 : 394. In a Negro version from Bahamas (MAFLS 13 :
No. 54), horse and conch race; horse is defeated, and kicks the little
conches to death (cf. the ending of our No. 82). For a Mexican version
(rabbit and toad) see JAFL 25 : 214-215; for Oaxaca (toad and deer),
Radin-Espinosa, 193.
In an Araucano story (Saunière, No. XI) the race between the fox and
the crawfish does not assume the relay form.
NOTES
[1] I am greatly indebted to Professor E. Arsenio Manuel, Department
of Anthropology, University of the Philippines, for biographical and
other data with regard to Dean S. Fansler. Mr. E. D. Hester kindly
furnished additional details.
[2] A common nickname for "Juan," equivalent to the English "Jack."
[3] Datu, old native name for "village chieftain."
[4] Casco, a commodious wooden cargo-boat commonly used in rivers
and propelled by poling.
[5] Carabao, a gray water-buffalo used throughout the Archipelago as
a draught-animal.
[6] The usual means of getting into a native grass house is a bamboo
ladder.
[7] This is a common Tagalog expression, and means, "I consider that
you are all inferior to me in every respect."
[8] Petate (Sp.-Mexican), a sleeping-mat made of woven straw.
[9] Cavan, a dry measure used in the Philippines, equal to about
75 quarts.
[10] Bolo, a cutlass-like knife used by the natives either for
agricultural or war purposes.
[11] The usual Filipino salute of respect for parents or grandparents.
[12] This name literally means, "only one palasan [a large plant of
llana]." The hero was so called because he was the strongest man in
his town.
[13] So called because he used as a cane (Tag. tungkod) the large
cylindrical piece of iron used for crushing sugarcane (Tag. bola).
[14] Literally, "one who can overturn a mountain."
[15] For the "Fee-fi-fo-fum" phrase in folk-tales, see Bolte-Polívka,
1 : 289-292.
[16] Literally, "without fear, fearless."
[17] Paridis may possibly be identified with Paderes, the strong man
whom Rodrigo de Villas (the Cid) meets in the woods, who uproots
a huge tree with which to fight the hero, but who is finally
overcome. Paderes and Rodrigo become fast friends. This character
occupies a prominent place in the metrical romance entitled "Rodrigo
de Villas," which has been printed in the Pampango, Ilocano, Tagalog,
and Bicol dialects. Aolo may be a corruption of Afigalo, represented
in Ilocano saga as a great fisherman. Many legends told to-day by
the Ilocanos in connection with the Abra River, in northern Luzon,
centre about the heroic Afigalo.
[18] Aba! a very common exclamation of surprise. It sometimes
expresses disgust.
[19] We seem here to have a myth element explaining why the Negrito's
hair is kinky. See notes for definition of pugut.
[20] The root pugut is found in many of the dialects, and has
two distinct meanings: (1) "a Negro or Negrito of the mountains;"
(2) "decapitated, or with the hands or feet cut off." Among the
Tagalogs, Bicols, and Visayans, the word is not used to designate a
night-appearing demon or monster. Tag. cafre, which is equivalent to
Iloc. pugut, is Spanish for Kaffir. Blumentritt defines cafre thus:
"Nombre árabe (kafir), importado por los Españoles ó Portugueses;
lo dan los campesinos Tagalos de la provincia de Tayabas á un duende
antropófago, al que no gusta la sal. En las provincias Ilocanas
denominan asi los Españoles al Pugot."
Speaking of the demons and spirits of northern India, W. Crooke writes
(1 : 138) that "some of the Bhût [= pugut ?], like the Kâfari
[= cafre ?], the ghost of a murdered Negro, are black, and are
particularly dreaded."
[21] For full translation, see Jataka, ed. by E. B. Cowell (Cambridge
University Press, 1895), 2 : 207-215; and FLJ 3 : 337 f. See also
C. H. Tawney's discussion of the story in the Journal of Philology,
12 : 112-119.
[22] Camisa china, a thin native coat-shirt worn outside the trousers.
[23] Patianac, mischievous birth-spirits that live in the woods and
fields, and lead travellers astray at night.
[24] Pagui, the sting-ray, or skate-fish. Its tail is very efficacious
against evil spirits and witches, according to native belief.
[25] Tuba. a wine distilled from the coco and other palm trees.
[26] Typhoon (Ar. tufan), a wind of cyclonic force and extraordinary
violence.
[27] Literally, "Give us here in the ceiling some good food."
[28] Manglalabas, literally, "the one who appears;" i.e., apparition.
[29] Barrio, a small collection of houses forming a kind of suburb
to a town.
[30] Mangkukulam, an old woman endowed with the powers of a witch.
[31] Paragos, a kind of rude, low sledge drawn by carabaos and used
by farmers.
[32] Pipit, a tiny bird.
[33] Why peso, I cannot say. A hole the size of a peso would
accommodate a rope, but hardly a man or a large tub. The story is
clearly imperfect in many respects.
[34] Mankukulam, see note 1, p. 53.
[35] As Mr. Gardner notes, a chap-book form of "Aladdin" exists in
Tagalog. The full title of my copy runs thus (in translation): "The
Wonderful story of Aladin, who got possession of the Marvelous Lamp,
and of his Marriage with the Princess of China the Great. Manila,
1901. (Pp. 127.)" W. Retana, in his "Aparato Bibliográfico" (Madrid,
1906), cites an edition before 1898 (see item No. 4161). The story
has also been printed in the Pampango, Ilocano, Bicol, and Visayan
dialects.
[36] From the Spanish corredor ("runner").
[37] From the Spanish mirador ("seer, gazer").
[38] A Tagalog boys' game played in the streets, with lines marked
off by water (tubig).
[39] From the Spanish puntador ("gunner").
[40] From the Spanish cargador ("carrier").
[41] From the Spanish soplador ("ventilator, blower").
[42] From the Spanish oidor ("hearer"). These six proper names are
given here exactly as they appear in the original narrative. Strictly
speaking, they are not derivatives from the Spanish: they merely
suggest the Spanish words from which they have been coined as
patronymics.
[43] Tuma, Tagalog, Pampangan, and Malayan for "louse."
[44] Perhaps from the Spanish conocer ("to know, understand"). For
the names of the other companions, see footnotes to the preceding tale.
[45] In Spanish this word means "witch, sorceress."
[46] Whether or not these powers reside in the men themselves,
who have acquired them through practice, or in magic objects which
they find or are presented with. Benfey (loc. cit., p. 969) makes
two distinct cycles on an entirely different basis from mine, both
derived from India: the one telling of the extraordinary endowments
of men; the other, of extraordinary properties of objects (i.e.,
magic objects). It seems to me a mistake, however, to make a cycle
of this second group, for magic articles are only machinery in a
story. A family of folk-tales cannot turn merely on things; the magic
objects are only latently powerful until guided and controlled by
the human hero.
[47] For example, "The Grateful Dead," "John the Bear," "The Child
and the Hand," "The Ransomed Woman," etc.
[48] The most recent investigation of this cycle that I know of is that
of W. E. Farnham in connection with the sources of Chaucer's "Parlement
of Foules" (in Publications of the Modem Language Association, 32 :
502-513 [1917]). Dr. Farnham has named the cycle "The Contending
Lovers," the stories of which, he says, fall into six clearly marked
types. My discussion of the cycle may require some modification in
the light of his study; but I have printed it here as I wrote it,
some two years before Dr. Farnham's article came to my notice.
[49] For practically this identical judgment, see the Dsanglun
(St. Petersburg, 1843), p. 94 (cited by Benfey, 1 : 396, note 2).
[50] Tag. for "rich."
[51] Tag. for "poor."
[52] A native dug-out or canoe.
[53] A Spanish word meaning "a woman who keeps a little shop or store
[tienda]."
[54] Cañamo, ordinarily a kind of coarse cloth made from hemp. Here
the word probably means the thread from which hempen ropes are made.
[55] Darak, "bran, shorts, chaff."
[56] Mungo. a small legume about the size and shape of a lentil. Same
as mongo.
[57] Carreton, a heavy two-wheeled springless cart drawn by a carabao.
[58] Hacienda, a ranch of considerable extent. The fact of Pedro's
living at some distance from the doctor might account for the success
of the ruse.
[59] Chupa, a measure, equal roughly to about four handfuls of
raw rice.
[60] Camotes, sweet potatoes.
[61] Mongo, a variety of legume slightly smaller than the lentil
(same as mungo).
[62] This episode is found in a Tagalog folk-tale collected by Gardner
(JAFL 20 : 304). This folk-tale, it might be noted, is based directly
on a corrido, The Story of the Life of Doña Maria of Murcia, Manila,
1909. The romance has been printed in Pampango and Tagalog. Retana
(No. 4166) mentions an edition between 1860 and 1898, and one dated
1901 (No. 4307).
[63] I have the text and a complete English paraphrase of a Tagalog
metrical romance which combines incidents from this story with
incidents from "The Adarna Bird" (supra). The romance is entitled
"The Story of the Life of King Don Luis, his Three Sons, and Queen
Mora. Manila 1906." Retana (Nos. 4190, 4362) cites editions 1860-98
and 1902. This story contains the quest for the water of healing, the
two hermits, the flight on the eagle's back, the sleeping enchanted
queen, the stolen favor and the theft of the slipper, the ransoming
of the two older brothers, their treachery, the hero disguised as
servant in his father's palace, the invasion by the magic queen and her
recovery of her lover the hero. This story is closely related to Groome
No. 55. Compare also Groome's summary of Vernaleken's Austrian story
of the "Accursed Garden" (p. 232), which in some respects resembles
this Filipino romance more closely than does the Gypsy tale.
[64] These were the leaves of a plant which the Tagalogs call Colis
(see note 2, p. 285).
[65] Tulisanes, highway robbers or bandits.
[66] Salop, a dry measure of about fifteen centimetres cube.
[67] Carreton, a heavy two-wheeled springless cart.
[68] Sirena, a beautiful enchantress, half woman and half fish,
who was supposed to dwell in certain rivers. This belief is fairly
common in La Laguna province, especially in the town of Pagsanjan.
[69] One of the most common Tagalog proverbs.
[70] Novena, a devotion consisting of prayers held for nine consecutive
days and asking for some special favor.
[71] Novenario, the act of performing or holding a novena.
[72] There seems to be an inconsistency here,--Clara was the mother
of Idó,--or, if not an inconsistency (there might be two Claras),
at least a useless and confusing repetition of names.
[73] Cintas, a holy belt worn by women.
[74] See note 1 on pagui ("sting-ray"), p. 43.
[75] Guachinango, defined by the narrator as "vagabond." The word is
used in Cuba as a nickname for the natives of Mexico.
[76] While the term duende is Spanish, the other three spirits
mentioned--tigbalang, iki, mananangal--are good old native demons.
[77] See footnote 1, p. 217.
[78] Same as the Cuban isabelina.
[79] The episode of a mutual cure being effected by a blind man and a
lame man, we have already met with in two of the versions of our No. 6.
[80] It may be noted, in passing, that among certain of the Tagalogs
the pestilence (cholera particularly) is personified as an old woman
dressed in black, who goes about the town at night knocking for
admittance. If any one pays attention to her summons, the result is
fatal to him. This evil spirit is known as salut.
[81] That is, "Purse, spit money from your throat!"
[82] Compadre and comadre, the godfather and godmother of one's child.
[83] That is, "Goat, leap about!"
[84] That is, "Table, spread yourself!"
[85] That is, "Cane, whip!"
[86] (Spanish) "At him, cudgel!"
[87] Capitan. In the Philippines this word is used as a title of
address to a justice of the peace (gobernadorcillo). It is also used
to designate the office itself.
[88] "Golden," in this story, does not mean merely "of the color of
gold," but also "made of gold."
[89] Banca, a native dug-out.
[90] Boroka, apparently a corruption of the Spanish bruja ("witch").
[91] Coles,--Memecylon edule Roxb. (Melastomata taceæ), a common and
widely distributed shrub in the forests, with small purple flowers
and small black or purple berries. It is found in the Indo-Malayan
region generally.
[92] For this very old symbol of beauty and noble lineage, see Prato,
Zeitschrift für Volkskunde, 5 : 376; 6 : 28.
[93] Mangrove tree.
[94] The Filipinos have many mocking children's rhymes making fun of
personal deformities, such as pock-marks, cross-eyes, very black skin,
etc. They always raise a laugh when recited.
[95] The Arabian story, I believe, is well worth study in connection
with the theory of the Buddhistic origin of this cycle. The rôle
of the ape; the conflict between the good and bad jinn, the ape
belonging with the latter group; and the narrator's statement,
"All this I have received from the bounty of God, whose name be
exalted!"--suggest at the base of this version the struggle between
Buddhism and Mohammedanism; with Mohammedanism triumphant, of course.
[96] Bayluhan (from the Spanish baile), "a dancing-party." Katapusan
(Tag.; from tapus, "end, finish"), a fiesta given nine days after
the death of an adult, or three days after the death of a child.
[97] Silong, the ground floor of a Filipino house. Usually it has
only a dirt floor, and is not finished off.
[98] The narrator has probably made the original episode a little
more delicate here. There are inconsistencies in the present form
of the story: a lizard would feel cold, not hot; besides, it would
hardly remain clinging to Juan's coat as he rushed through the
forest. Clearly, something other than a lizard fell on Juan.
[99] Tuntung is the earthen cover of an earthen pot. The verb derived
from it, tuntungan, has two meanings: one is "to cover something,"
the other is: to step on or over something." Hence Juan's mistake.
[100] Unfortunately this work is inaccessible at present, and I
am unable to indicate definitely its episodes. It contains nothing
unique, however.
[101] Mangla, big land-crabs.
[102] Cagang, small land-crabs.
[103] Bataktak, non-edible frogs.
[104] Hu-man, land-snails.
[105] Aninipot, fireflies.
[106] Lamoc, mosquitoes.
[107] Camanchile, Pithecolobium dulce Benth. (Leguminosæ), a native
of tropical America; introduced into the Philippines by the Spaniards
probably in the first century of Spanish occupation; now thoroughly
naturalized and widely distributed in the Archipelago.
[108] Bathala, the Supreme Being of the ancient Tagalogs.
[109] This and the serial numbers following refer to corresponding
numbers of tales.
*** End of this LibraryBlog Digital Book "Filipino Popular Tales" ***
Copyright 2023 LibraryBlog. All rights reserved.