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 shells 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 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.
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 shell agree to race along the river. The carabao runs
swiftly, then pauses to call "shell." Another shell replies and the
carabao continues running. This is repeated many times until at last
the carabao falls dead.
83
A crab and a shell go to get wood. The crab pulls the rope on his load
so tightly that he breaks his big legs and dies. The shell finds his
friend dead and cries until he belches his own body out of the shell
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 shells. He returns
home without stating his mission, but reports an acceptance. Girl's
people are surprised when people come for _pakálon_.
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
cock. The man starts for a cock 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.