A Study in Tinguian Folk-Lore Part 7

A man named Tagapen, of Ilocos Norte, with his wife and child goes up the Abra river on a raft. They stop at various towns and Tagapen goes up to each while his wife comforts the child. They finally reached Patok where they go to live in the balaua. They remain there teaching the people many songs.

III

77

A turtle and a monkey go to plant bananas. The turtle places his in the ground, but the monkey hangs his in a tree. Soon the tree of the turtle has ripe fruit, but the monkey has none. Turtle asks monkey to climb and secure the fruit. Monkey eats all but one banana, then sleeps in the tree. Turtle plants sharp sh.e.l.ls around the tree and then frightens monkey which falls and is killed. Turtle sells his flesh to other monkey and then chides them because they eat their kind. Monkeys catch turtle and threaten first to cut and then to burn him. He deceives them by showing them marks on his body. They tie weight to him and throw him into the water. He reappears with a fish. Monkeys try to imitate him and are drowned.

78

A turtle and lizard go to steal ginger. The lizard talks so loudly 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 coconut sh.e.l.l. When the man sits on the sh.e.l.l the turtle calls. He cannot discover source of noise and thinks it comes from his t.e.s.t.i.c.l.es. 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.

79

A little bird calls many times for a boy to catch it. He snares it and places it in a jar. Lad's grandmother eats the bird. He discovers the theft, leaves home and gets a big stone to swallow him. The grandmother gets horses to kick the stone, carabao to hook it, and chickens to peck it, but without result. When thunder and her friends also fail, she goes home without her grandson.

80

A frog, which is attached to a hook, lures a fish so that it is caught.

81

The five fingers are brothers. The thumb goes to get bamboo. He tries to kiss the bamboo and his nose sticks. One by one the others go in search of the missing but are captured in the same manner. The little finger, which alone remains free, releases the others.

82

A carabao and a sh.e.l.l agree to race along the river. The carabao runs swiftly, then pauses to call "sh.e.l.l." Another sh.e.l.l replies and the carabao continues running. This is repeated many times until at last the carabao falls dead.

83

A crab and a sh.e.l.l go to get wood. The crab pulls the rope on his load so tightly that he breaks his big legs and dies. The sh.e.l.l finds his friend dead and cries until he belches his own body out of the sh.e.l.l and he dies.

84

A mosquito tells a man he would eat him were it not for his ears.

85

A messenger goes to negotiate a marriage. When he arrives he sees the people nodding their heads as they suck meat out of sh.e.l.ls. He returns home without stating his mission, but reports an acceptance. Girl's people are surprised when people come for pakalon.

86

A man sees people eating bamboo shoots, and is told they are eating pagaldanen. He understands them to say aldan--"ladder," so he goes home and cooks his bamboo ladder. Is ridiculed by his friends.

87

A man with heavily laden horse asks the length of a certain trip. Boy replies, "If you go slowly, very soon; if you go fast, all day." The man hurries so that coconuts keep falling off the load and have to be replaced. It is dark when he arrives.

88

A woman eats the fruit belonging to crocodile and throws away the rind. Crocodile sees her tooth marks and recognizes the offender. He demands that she be given him to eat. Her people agree, but first feed him a hot iron. He swallows it and dies.

89

A lazy man goes to cut bamboo, and a cat steals his cooked rice. He catches the cat in a trap and takes it home. It becomes a fighting c.o.c.k. The man starts for a c.o.c.k fight, and on the way is joined by a crocodile, a deer, a mound of earth and a monkey. The rooster kills all the other birds at the fight, then the crocodile wins a diving contest, the deer a race, the mound of earth a wrestling match, and the monkey excels all in climbing. The man wins much money in wagers and buys a good house.

90

A spirit lets a man take his poncho which makes him invisible. He goes to his wife who recognizes his voice and thinks him dead. He takes off poncho and appears before her.

91

A fisherman is seized by a big bird which carries him to its nest. The small birds try to eat him, but he seizes one in each hand and jumps from the tree. He reaches the ground unhurt and returns home.

VITA

Fay-Cooper Cole

Born Plainwell, Michigan, August 8, 1881. Educated at University of Southern California, Northwestern University, Chicago University, Berlin University, Columbia University. B.S. Northwestern University, 1903.

Publications:

The Tinguian. Philippine Journal of Science, Vol. III, No. 4. 1908.