Chapter 18

As soon as he married her all his concubines used their magic power so that while he was living with Asigowan she would cut her finger. Not long after she truly cut her finger and died. They put her in the _tabalang_ [288] which had a rooster on top of it. Then all the concubines of Asbinan were glad. Not long after they sent the _tabalang_ along the stream and the rooster on top of it crowed, and the old woman Alokotán went to see it. She stopped the _tabalang_ and took out the body of the dead person. Not long after she made her alive again. As soon as she made her alive again she put her in a well and she became a beautiful girl. Not long after she became a bird and she flew back to the place where Asbinan lived. The bird flew above him, and he tried to catch it. When he could not catch her, she went to the top of a tree, and Asbinan went into his house and he was sorrowful, because his wife was dead. Soon he fell asleep and the bird went near to him and Asbinan awoke and caught it. The bird became a girl again, the same as before, and Asbinan saw that it was his wife, so he was very happy and they made a big party. They invited all their relatives. Not long after all the people arrived and they all danced. The old woman Alokotán was there and Asigowan told Asbinan that she was the woman who gave her life again, so they treated her very good and the old woman Alokotán gave them all her property, and all the people who went to attend the party were very glad.

(Told by Masnal of Abang.)

27 [289]

"When I was a young fellow I went to all parts of the world, to every town where the tattooed Igorot live, who were all enemies.

"Mother Dinowágan put the rice in the pot which looks like the rooster's egg, [290] so that I eat rice, for I go to fight the tattooed Igorots," said Ibago wa Agimlang who was four months old. "Do not go my son Agimlang your feet are too young and your hands look like needles they are so small. You just came from my womb." "Oh, mother, Dinowágan, do not detain me for it will make me heavy for fighting," said Agimlang. As soon as he finished eating, "Mother Dinowágan and father Dagilagatan let me start, and give me the little headaxe and spear and also a shield, for I am going to walk on the mountain Daoláwan." Not long after he started. As soon as he arrived on top of the mountain Daoláwan he sat on a stone which looked like a bamboo bench under the Alangigan tree, and there were _alan_ [291] there who were young girls. "Oh, why are you here Ibago wa Agimlang who just came from your mother's womb?" said the _alan_. "'What, are you here?' you say young _alan_, whose toes on your feet are spread out. I am going to fight with the tattooed Igorot," said Ibago wa Agimlang to them, and they talked for nine months, in the place where the stone bench was. The _alan_ girls wanted to see him all the time. After that, "You young _alan_ girls, I am going to leave you." "Do not go," said the _alan_, "because you are a little baby, you just came from the place where your mother gave birth to you." "Do not detain me, young girls, for it is bad for me if you detain me, for I will be too heavy for fighting," said Ibago wa Agimlang. "If I return from war, I will invite you to attend my big party," he said to them, and so he went.

Not long after he arrived at the town where the tattooed Igorot lived, and they were so many they looked like locusts. He used his power, "You, my headaxe and my spear, go and fight with the tattooed Igorot, and kill all of them." As soon as the tattooed Igorot heard what he said, they said, "Why, do you brave baby come to fight with us for, you are very young? Now you cannot return to your town, for we inherit you," said the bravest of the _alzados_. [292] "If you had said that you intended to kill me I would have killed all of you, even though I am a baby just from my mother's womb," said Agimlang. So the bravest of the _alzados_ told his people that they should prepare to fight with the baby, and they began to throw their spears at him, but they could not hit him. As soon as all the spears and headaxes were gone, the baby fought with them, and his spear and headaxes killed all the people who lived in that town. As soon as he killed all of them he used magic so that the heads of the tattooed _alzados_ went to Pindayan. Not long after truly all the heads went to Pindayan and he followed them.

When he arrived at the spring of Lisnayan in the town of Ibowan he rested and he sat on the high stone and began to play the bamboo Jew's harp and Igowan saw him. "Adolan come and see this young fellow and hear him play the Jew's harp." The harp said, "Iwaginan Adolan, Inalangan come and see your brother, if he is your true brother." So Adolan went truly to see him and he found that it was a newborn baby who was just beginning to walk. "Where did you come from little baby?" said Adolan. "'Where did you come from?' you say. I come from fighting the tattooed Igorot." "How does it happen that you went to war, for you are only just from your mother's womb?" "'How does it happen?' you say. I heard my father saying that when he was young he went to all parts of the world in all the towns," said Ibago wa Agimlang to Adolan.

Not long after he gave him betel-nut and they chewed. As soon as they finished chewing they told their names, and Adolan told his name first and Ibago wa Agimlang was next to tell his. After that they laid down their quids and they saw that they were brothers. "Now, my brother, Adolan we will go to Pindayan, for I am going to make a big party, for I just return from fighting," said Ibago wa Agimlang. "Ala, you go first and I will go to see our brother," said Adolan.

Not long after Ibago wa Agimlang started to go and he lost his way, and he went through the mountain rice clearing of Kabangoweyan, who was the _Lakay_ [293] and he walked through many _lawed_ vines which were wide spreading and when anyone cut off a leaf they smiled. As soon as he arrived at the little house of the old man, "Oh, grandfather, tell me the way back home and I will not take your head," said Ibago wa Agimlang to the old man. "Where are you going?" he said. "I am going home to the town of Pindayan, for I am returning from fighting." "Stop while I cook, and you can eat first, and then you can go," said the old man. "No, I do not wish to eat. Tell me the way back home," said Ibago wa Agimlang. So he showed him the way to Pindayan, but missed the way and they went through the middle of the reeds, and the place where the _lawed_ vines grew, and he met the pretty girl who was his sister, who had been hiding between two leaves. "Now, pretty girl, I have found you among the _lawed_ vines, and I am going to take you," said Ibago wa Agimlang. So he took her and he put her inside of his belt.

Not long after he arrived in Pindayan and he made a big party. Adolan and Iwaginan and Igowan went to attend the party. Not long after he took Inalingan out of his belt, she was a pretty girl who looked like the newly opened flower of the betel-nut tree. "Where did you get her?" "'Where did you get her?' you say. I met her in the place where there are many _lawed_ vines, and when you cut their leaves they smile," said Ibago wa Agimlang.

"Now, brother, we are going to chew betel-nut, and see if we are truly relations," said Daliwagenan (Ibago wa Agimlang), and he called Adolan, Igowan, and all his brothers and sisters, and his father and mother. He gave them betel-nut to chew, and Dagilagatan and Dinowágan told their names first and Iwaginan was the next, and then Adolan and then Igowan, but he said that he was the son of the _alan_, and next was Agimlang and then the pretty girl. She said, "My name is Inaling who is the little girl who never goes out of the _lawed_ vines, which when somebody cuts they smile." After they finished chewing the betel-nut and telling their names, they laid down their quids, and the quids Igowan and Ginalingan (Inaling) went to the quids of Iwaginan and Adolan. "Oh, my son, Igowan and my daughter Ginalingan, I thought that I did not have any more my daughter and son and that the _alan_ had taken. We did not feed you rice," said the old woman Dinowágan. "Ala, my son, Agimlang, do not feel sorry, because you heard what your father Dagilagatan said to you, because you met your brothers and sister who are Igowan and Ginalingan," said the old woman Dinowágan. After that they danced for about nine months. After that Igowan and Adolan and Iwaginan went home and they did not let Ginalingan go back home.

As soon as Igowan arrived in his town he built _balaua_ and he invited all his relatives who lived in different towns and all the _alan_ in the world. Not long after the people whom he invited arrived in the town of Igowan, and all the _alan_ went to his _Sayang_, and the _alan_ were surprised that Dagilagatan and Dinowágan knew that Igowan and Ginalingan were their son and daughter, so they asked them. They said that Ibago wa Agimlang met them when he came from war and he took them to his party so they knew that they were their son and daughter for they chewed betel-nut. As soon as Igowan's _Sayang_ was over the _alan_ gave all their valuable things to him, and also those who had taken Ginalingan. As soon as they had given them all their things the _alan_ flew away and Dinowágan and her husband took their sons and daughters to Pindayan.

28 [294]

There was a man named Asbinan who was the son of Ayo, but the old woman Alokotán took care of him. "Ala, my grandmother Alokotán, go and engage me to Dawinisan who looks like the sunshine, for I want to marry her," said the young boy Asbinan. The old woman replied, "I do not think they will like you, for she is a young girl who never goes outdoors." [295] "Ala, grandmother, you go anyway, and if they do not like me I will see what I shall do," said Asbinan who was a handsome young man. Not long after the old woman went. As soon as she arrived at the stairs of the house of the mother and father of Dawinisan, they said, "Good morning," and the mother of Dawinisan said, "Good morning, what did you come here for, Ayo and Alokotán of Kadalayapan?" "'What did you come here for?' you say. Our son Asbinan wants to marry Dawinisan," said Ayo. She called them up into the house and they talked. "We will ask our daughter and hear what she says." When they asked Dawinisan if she wished to marry Asbinan, she said, "Oh, my mother, I am ashamed to marry yet, I do not know how to do anything; so I do not wish to be married now. Do not dislike me, but be patient with me." So her mother said, "Pretty Ayo, I think you heard what she said. Be patient."

Not long after Ayo and Alokotán went back to Kadalayapan. When they arrived there, Asbinan asked them the result of their mission. "Did they wish me to marry their daughter Dawinisan?" His mother replied, "They said that Dawin-isan does not wish to be married yet; so we came back home." When he knew that they did not wish him for a son-in-law, for they did not give any reason, he thought and he said, "My mother, hand me my golden cup, for I am going away." So his mother gave it to him. As soon as he arrived in the yard of Dawinisan, he said, "Good morning, Dawinisan, will you look out of the window at me?" Dawinisan said to the _alan_, who had spreading toes and who bent double when they walked, [296] "Look out of the window and see who it is." The _alan_ said to her, "He wants you to look at him." Dawinisan said, "I cannot go to the window to look at him, for the sunshine is hot. I do not wish the sun to shine in my face." When Asbinan could not get her to go to the window, he used magic and went inside of the golden cup, and he pretended that he was ill in his stomach. He said, "Ana, mother, I am going to die, for my stomach suffers greatly," and he said to the _alan_, "Ala, you _alan_, tell her that she must look out of the window to see me." The _alan_ said to Dawinisan, "Come and look at him; he wants you to see him. He says that his stomach is ill." But Dawinisan said to the _alan_, "Tell him that I cannot go and look at him, I am ashamed. You look at him and then you rub his stomach." The _alan_ told Asbinan that Dawinisan would not look at him, and he would not let the _alan_ rub his stomach. He said, "If Dawinisan does not want to look at me from the window, and if I die it is her fault, for I came here because of her."

The _alan_ who saw that Asbinan was a beautiful young boy, said, "If you will not go to look at him, we are going to leave you, for we fear that he is going to die because of you." Dawinisan did not wish the _alan_ to leave her, and she said, "Ala, bring him up on the porch and I will see him." The _alan_ took him up on the porch, and she went to look at him. When she saw that he was a handsome boy, she said, "I am ashamed, for I did not think he was a rich and handsome boy." When she saw that the boy appeared to be suffering greatly she went into the house; she changed her dress and went out on the porch, and she looked like the sunshine. When she reached the porch, she rubbed the boy's stomach, and directly Asbinan sat up. Dawinisan said to him, "Come into the house and we will tell our names and see if we are relatives." So they went into the house and she told him to set down on a golden seat which looked like a fawn. As soon as he sat down he said, "Pretty, young girl, when I see you I am blinded by your beauty. I came here because I wish to marry you." "Oh, Asbinan! I am ashamed, but I do not want to be married yet," said Dawinisan. "Dawinisan, even if you tell me to leave you, I will not do it until you promise to marry me. I will stay with you now," he said. Dawinisan replied, "Even though you should stay here one month, I do not care," Asbinan said. "Let us chew betel-nut and see if the quids turn to beads with no hole, and lie side by side; or if they lie parallel, then it is not good for us to marry; so we shall see."

Not long after they chewed betel-nut, and when they laid down their quids they were agate beads, and they laid side by side; so they saw it was good for them to marry. "Ala, now it is good for us to marry and we are related." Dawinisan replied, "Ala, go and tell your mother that if they have everything we want and will pay what we want, you can marry me." Asbinan said, "Yes," and he went to his grandmother Alokotán. "Ala, my grandmother Alokotán, what shall we do? Dawinisan said that if we have everything they want and will pay it for her, she will marry me." The old woman said, "Ala, do not worry about that, I will see."

Not long after they started and took Asbinan, and when they arrived at the house of Dawinisan they agreed on the marriage price. Her mother said, "If you can fill our _balaua_ nine times with gold shaped like deer, and jars which are _addeban_ and _ginlasan_, Asbinan can marry our daughter." Alokotán and the others replied, "Ala, if that is what you say it is all right, and we can pay more." So Alokotán used magic and the _balaua_ was filled nine times with the things they wished, and there were more golden deer than jars. The father and mother and relatives of the girl said, "Asbinan and our daughter Dawinisan can be married now." When the _pakálon_ was over, Alokotán used magic and she said, "I use my power so that they will not know that they are transferred to Kadalayapan," and all the houses went to Kadalayapan. Not long after the people who went to attend the _pakálon_ found that they were in Kadalayapan and they were surprised, and the people from the other towns went home when the _pakálon_ was finished.

29

"I am going to lie down on the stone which is like a seat below the _dumalotau_ tree," said Ayo, for she felt hot in the middle of the day. "What shall we call our son?" "We shall call him Asbinan, who looks like the spreading branch of the betel-nut tree which looks pretty in the afternoon," said Ligi, her husband.

"Ala! Agben, my loving son, go to eat," said Ayo. "Mother--pretty Ayo--I do not wish to eat when we have no fish roe." After that Ligi went to his friends who use the big fish net in the ocean. "Ala, my friends, search fish roe, for my son Asbinan wishes to eat." They went to examine the bellies of nine baskets of fish, but there was no roe. He went to his friends who fish in the river. "Ala, friends secure fish roe which my son wishes to eat." Soon after, "How much do I pay?" "You do not pay, for this is the first time you have come to buy," said those friends who fish in the river. "Agben, my child, come and eat." "Mother, pretty Ayo, I do not wish to eat the fish roe when there is no _dolang_, [297] and I do not like to drink out of the scraped cocoanut shell when there is no glass which comes from the place of the Chinese, and I do not like to eat from the bamboo dish when there is no dish from Baygan (Vigan)." After that Ligi went and got the cup and the dish from the Chinese store.

"Agben, my loving son, come and eat, for everything is here which you wish," said pretty Ayo. When they had finished eating, "Father Ligi give me your love charm [298] which you used when you were young, for I wish to go to the place where the maidens spin at night."

"Good evening, young girls," said Asbinan. "I do not like to light my tobacco unless the fire is taken from the light of your pipes." They were anxious to offer their pipes, but when Tiningbengan stubbed her toe she stopped and Sinobyaman, who was the prettiest, was the one on whom he blew his smoke (a part of the love charm). She vomited and her eyes were filled with tears, and after that they went home, all those who spun together.

"Ala! go and fetch Asbinan, for she (Sinobyaman) turns over and over and sways to and fro since he blew on her last night." They went to get Asbinan who was sleeping, and he stepped on their heels as they walked.

"Ala, aunt, I cannot cure her unless we are married." Then they decided on the day for _pakálon_, and the price was the lower part of the house filled nine times with jars, which are _malayo_ and _tadogan_. Then she made the cakes for the parents-in-law, and they carried the pig, and they received the marriage price which was the lower part of the house nine times filled.

30

"Ala! my wife Iwánen who loves me every afternoon, make cakes of rice which shall be my provisions when I go to the southern place San Fernando and Baknotan, which is a part of Pangasinan. [299] I am going to investigate the report concerning the beautiful women, who are like the rift in the clouds--the escaping place of the moon--; who are like the bright stems of good betel-nuts."

"Ala! my soldiers who are many, catch my horse which is a pinto, which paces, which walks fast, which goes, which gallops, which has sore sides." "It is here already, the horse which is a pinto, the saddle is already placed."

"Ala! now my wife Iwánen, I am going to leave you here. Keep your honor as a person of wealth. Perhaps some one will entice you and we two will be ashamed before the people of our town."

After that he went and started--Tolagan who went toward the south. He whipped the pinto, he ran, he walked.

When he was in the town of Kaodanan his body was thirsty. "I go to the place of betel-nuts, where I shall drink the water which is white like coconut oil." He arrived at the place of the betel-nuts. He met a maiden who was like the place of a large fire. There was no other such maiden.

"Good morning, maiden who takes water in the shady place of the leaves which grow, which are stripped off in the middle of the place of betel-nuts, which bear fruit which anyone gathers. I come to drink with you the water which looks like oil," said Tolagan. "If you are the old raider cut me only once so that I have less to heal," (she said). "No, I am not the old raider, for I live in Baliwanan and I go to the south to Pangasinan." "Do not continue the journey, for you have a bad sign. The birds skimmed past in front of you, also in the rear and the sides. [300] Go back to Baliwanan." "If that is what you say pretty one, I shall turn back because of this sign."

He arrived at Baliwanan, but his wife was not there, for she had run away with Kaboniyan [301] to the town of the sky.

There was not a place he did not search for her. He went to the head man. "Ala, _presidente_ of our town, I come to ask for companions while I search for my wife, who vanished last night." He gave (the searchers), but when they did not find her, he went to another town. He went to the place of Baingan in the town of the north. "Good morning, I came to ask companions to search for her who was absent last night." "If that is still your trouble" said Baingan, "you go and see my sister, who is Imbangonan, whom you shall take for wife, who cannot belt herself unless there are nine belts. She is in the middle of the place of the betel-nuts."

"Good morning, Imbangonan," said Tolagan. "I came to see you, for your brother told me we are to marry if you like me."

"If you like me, we will chew green betel-nut and see what is your fortune." When they finished chewing, the two quids went into a line. "Ala! we will marry if you agree to pay 100 _gumtang_ and 50 _ginalman_". [302]

31

There were two girls who went to take a walk and a rich man met them, and he asked, "Where are you going, you two girls?" "We are going to walk around the town." The rich man said, "Come and walk with me." When they reached their house he gave them some work to do and he treated them just the same as his daughters. The rich man was a king, and he put the girls in a room and the princesses Mary and Bintolada were in the other room. The king and the queen gave dresses to the girls but they did not give them any bracelets and rings.

Not long after the two girls went to the house of the jeweler and they ordered him to make rings and bracelets for them like those the princesses had. As soon as they went in the house of Indayo and Iwaginan in the town of Pindayan, they asked for water to drink. After that Iwaginan and Indayo gave them water to drink, and they thought that the two girls, who were dressed like men, were ladies, so they followed them when they left and they took _basi_ for them to drink.

As soon as the princesses arrived in the jeweler's house they commanded him to make rings and bracelets for them. As soon as the jeweler began to make the rings and bracelets for them Iwaginan and Indayo arrived with the _basi_. Soon it became night and they ate and drank in the night and they became drunk, and they all slept in one room. The people saw the beads on their arms and the jeweler awakened them and put them in another room so they did not sleep in the same room with the others and he said, "I thought you were princes, for you dress like princes, but when I saw your beads I woke up, for I think those two men are planning bad for you. Go and sleep in the other room." So they went into the other room to sleep.