Philippine Folk Tales Part 6

So one pleasant morning a banca sailed from Sinaragan, going southward. Somacuel did not intend to go to any definite place, but drifted at the mercy of wind and current. He amused himself by singing during the voyage.

One day the crew descried land at a distance. "Sir," they said, "that land is Cagayan. Let us go there to get oysters and crane's eggs." To this their master agreed, and upon anchoring off the coast he prepared to visit the place.

Oh, what astonishment he felt, as he saw, peeping out of the window of a house, a woman whose appearance resembled in great measure that of Capinangan! He would have run to embrace her, had he not remembered that Capinangan was dead. He was informed that the woman was named Aloyan. He began to pay court to her, and in a few weeks she became his wife.

Somacuel was happy, for his wife was very affectionate. Aloyan, on her part, did not doubt that her husband loved her sincerely, so she said to him:--

"My dear Somacuel, I will no longer deceive you. I am the very woman whom you caused to be thrown into the sea. I am Capinangan. I clung to a log in the water and was carried to this place, where I have lived ever since."

"Oh," said Somacuel, "pardon me for the harshness with which I meant to punish you."

"Let us forget what is pa.s.sed," said Capinangan. "I deserved it, after all."

So they returned to Sinaragan, where they lived together happily for many years.

CHAPTER 12

Magboloto.

There was once a man named Magboloto who lived in the depths of the mountains. One day on going down to a brook he saw three G.o.ddesses bathing in the water. They had left their wings on the bank, and Magboloto managed to slip down and steal one pair of them. When the G.o.ddesses had finished bathing and looked for their wings, they could not find those belonging to the youngest, Macaya. At last the two G.o.ddesses put on their wings and flew up to heaven, leaving behind them Macaya, who wept bitterly, since without her wings she could not go home. Then Magboloto, feigning to have come from a distance, met her and asked: "Why do you weep, lady?"

"Why do you ask, if you will not help me in my trouble?" answered Macaya.

"I will do my best to help you," said Magboloto, "if you will tell me about it."

So Macaya told him that she had lost her wings, and therefore could not return to her home in heaven.

"I am sorry not to be able to help you out of your trouble," said Magboloto, "but we terrestrial people do not use wings, nor know where to get them. The only thing I can do for you is to offer you a home with me." Macaya was obliged to accept his offer, since there was nothing else for her to do.

About a year after Macaya became Magboloto's wife they had a child. One day, as Magboloto was making rice soup on the hearth, Macaya was swinging the child in a hammock. Accidentally, she noticed a bundle stuck into one of the bamboo posts in the part.i.tion. She withdrew the bundle, and upon unrolling it found, oh, joy! her long-lost wings, which Magboloto had hidden in the hollow bamboo. She at once put them on, and leaving her husband and child, flew up to join her celestial family.

Magboloto, on missing his wife, began calling loudly for her. As he could not find her, he looked for the wings, and seeing that they were gone, knew at once what had happened. He began to weep bitterly, especially as he did not know how to take care of the child. So leaving it in the care of a relative, he set out to find the way to heaven. He had walked a great distance when he met North Wind. "Magboloto, Magboloto, why are you weeping?" asked North Wind.

"Ask me nothing, if you cannot help me in any way," answered Magboloto.

"Tell me your trouble and I will help you," said North Wind. "Well,"

replied Magboloto, "I have a wife who came from heaven. But now she has flown away, leaving a little child for me to take care of, and I am in great sorrow. Please show me the way that leads to her home."

"Magboloto," said North Wind, "I do not know the way, but my brother, East Wind, can tell you. Good-by."

Magboloto went on his way, and after a while he met East Wind. "Magboloto, Magboloto, why are you weeping?" asked East Wind.

"Ask me nothing, if you cannot help me in any way," said Magboloto.

"Tell me all your trouble and I will help you," answered East Wind.

Then Magboloto related all his sorrow, just as he had done to North Wind.

"Well," said East Wind, "I do not know the way, but my brother, South Wind, may be able to show it to you. Good-by."

Magboloto went on, and at last met South Wind.

"Magboloto, Magboloto, why are you weeping?" asked South Wind.

"Ask me nothing, if you cannot help me in any way," said Magboloto.

"Tell me your trouble and I will help you," answered South Wind.

Then Magboloto told him his story, just as he had done to North Wind and East Wind.

"Well," said South Wind, "I do not know the way to heaven, but my brother, West Wind, can tell you the course to be taken to get there. Good-by."

Magboloto went on and on, and at last met West Wind. "Magboloto, Magboloto, why are you weeping?" asked West Wind.

"Ask me nothing, if you cannot help me in any way," answered Magboloto.

"Tell me your trouble and I will help you," answered West Wind, and Magboloto did as he was bidden.

"Magboloto," said West Wind, "I don't know the way to heaven, but my friend, Mr. Eagle, does. Good-by."

Magboloto went on until he met Mr. Eagle.

"Magboloto, Magboloto, why are you weeping?" asked Mr. Eagle.

"Ask me nothing, if you cannot help me in any way," answered Magboloto.

"Tell me your trouble and I will help you," replied Mr. Eagle. Then Magboloto told Mr. Eagle his trouble.

"Magboloto," said Mr. Eagle, "get upon my back and I will carry you to your wife's home."

Magboloto climbed upon Mr. Eagle's back and they flew up until they reached Macaya's house. Then Magboloto requested Macaya's grandmother, with whom she lived, to let her granddaughter return to earth with him.

"By no means," said the grandmother, "unless you will spread ten jars of lunga (a certain very small grain) out to dry and gather them again in the evening."

So Magboloto spread the jars of lunga on the sand, and at noon began to gather them up; but sunset had come before he had gathered more than five handfuls, so he sat down and began to cry like a little boy.

The king of the ants heard him, and wishing to help him, asked:--"Magboloto, Magboloto, why are you weeping?"

"Ask me nothing, if you cannot help me."

"Tell me about it and I will help you."

So Magboloto told the king of the ants all his history, and the condition imposed by the grandmother before he could have his wife, and how impossible it was to fulfil it.

"Well, Magboloto, you shall be helped," said the king of the ants. Then he blew his horn, and in a little while all his subjects came, and began picking up the grain and putting it into the jars. In a few moments all the grain was in the jars.

The next morning Magboloto went to get his wife, but the grandmother stopped him, saying:--