198 Traditions of the Tinguian 



finger and it happened the same. Also the third, and he also became 

 fast. Then little finger went and when he saw the others, he said, 

 "You are very crazy," and he cut them loose. 



82 1 



Carabao met loson 2 in the river. "You are very slow," said the 

 carabao. "No, I can beat you in a race," said loson. "Let us try," 

 said the carabao. So they started to run. When the carabao reached 

 a long distance, he called, "Shell," and another shell lying by the river 

 answered, "Yes." He ran again and again, and every time he stopped 

 to call, another shell answered. At least the carabao ran until he 

 died. 



83 



A crab and kool 3 went to the forest to get wood for fuel. The crab 

 cut his wood and the shell went to cut his. "Tie very good your wood 

 which you get," said kool to the crab. The crab pulled the ropes so 

 tightly that he broke his big legs and died. When the shell went to see 

 where the crab was, he found him dead, and he begun to cry until he 

 belched; then his meat came out of his shell and he was dead also. 



A mosquito came to bite a man. The man said, "You are very 

 little and can do nothing to me." The mosquito answered, " If you had 

 no ears, I would eat you." 



85 



A boy's parents sent a man to carry gifts to the girl's house, and see 

 if they would agree to a marriage. When he got to the door of the 

 house, the people were all eating kool, and when they sucked the meat 

 out of the shell, they nodded their heads. The man saw them nod, so 

 did not state his errand, but returned and said that the people in the 

 house all desired the union. Then the boy's people got ready the 

 things for pakdlon 5 and went to the girl's house. The girl's parents 

 were very much surprised. 



86 



A man went to the other town. When he got there, the people were 

 eating labon. 6 He asked them what they ate, and they said pangaldanen 



1 For other versions of this tale see p. 29, note 3. 



2 A shell. 



3 A shell. 



4 See p. 29, note 4, for Borneo parallel. 

 6 See p. 11. 



6 Bamboo sprouts. 



