_Ilocano_
A monkey, looking very sad and dejected, was walking along the bank
of the river one day when he met a turtle.
"How are you?" asked the turtle, noticing that he looked sad.
The monkey replied, "Oh, my friend, I am very hungry. The squash of
Mr. Farmer were all taken by the other monkeys, and now I am about
to die from want of food."
"Do not be discouraged," said the turtle; "take a bolo and follow me
and we will steal some banana plants."
So they walked along together until they found some nice plants which
they dug up, and then they looked for a place to set them. Finally
the monkey climbed a tree and planted his in it, but as the turtle
could not climb he dug a hole in the ground and set his there.
When their work was finished they went away, planning what they should
do with their crop. The monkey said:
"When my tree bears fruit, I shall sell it and have a great deal
of money."
And the turtle said: "When my tree bears fruit, I shall sell it and
buy three varas of cloth to wear in place of this cracked shell."
A few weeks later they went back to the place to see their plants and
found that that of the monkey was dead, for its roots had had no soil
in the tree, but that of the turtle was tall and bearing fruit.
"I will climb to the top so that we can get the fruit," said the
monkey. And he sprang up the tree, leaving the poor turtle on the
ground alone.
"Please give me some to eat," called the turtle, but the monkey threw
him only a green one and ate all the ripe ones himself.
When he had eaten all the good bananas, the monkey stretched his arms
around the tree and went to sleep. The turtle, seeing this, was very
angry and considered how he might punish the thief. Having decided
on a scheme, he gathered some sharp bamboo which he stuck all around
under the tree, and then he exclaimed:
"Crocodile is coming! Crocodile is coming!"
The monkey was so startled at the cry that he fell upon the sharp
bamboo and was killed.
Then the turtle cut the dead monkey into pieces, put salt on it, and
dried it in the sun. The next day, he went to the mountains and sold
his meat to other monkeys who gladly gave him squash in return. As
he was leaving them he called back:
"Lazy fellows, you are now eating your own body; you are now eating
your own body."
Then the monkeys ran and caught him and carried him to their own home.
"Let us take a hatchet," said one old monkey, "and cut him into very
small pieces."
But the turtle laughed and said: "That is just what I like, I have
been struck with a hatchet many times. Do you not see the black scars
on my shell?"