276 The Tinguian 



A favorite game is played by a number of children. Part stand 

 on the edge of a bank, part below. Those above sing, "Jump down, 

 where the big stone is, the big stone which swallows people. Big stone, 

 which swallows people, where are you?" To this the children below 

 reply, "I am here. I am the big rock which swallows men. Come 

 down here." As those on the bank jump down, they are piled upon, 

 and a free-for-all tussel ensues. In the midst of this, one of the play- 

 ers suddenly sings out, "I am a deer in — , I am very fat." With 

 this he starts off on a run, and the rest of the party, now suddenly 

 transformed into dogs, take up the chase, yelping and barking. When 

 the deer becomes tired, he makes for the water, where he is con- 

 sidered safe; but if he is caught, he is rolled and bitten by the dogs. 



Another game played by both boys and girls is known as maysansa- 

 tii, and is much like hide-and-go-seek. One boy holds out an open 

 hand, and the others lay their fingers in his palm, while the leader 

 counts, maysansani, duan-nani, mataltali, 1 ocop." As ocop ("four" or 

 "ready") is pronounced, the boy quickly closes his hand in order to 

 catch a finger. If he succeeds, the prisoner puts his hands over his 

 eyes, and the leader holds him, while the others run and hide. When 

 all are ready, he is released, and then must find all the players ; or he 

 is beaten on the forearm with the first and second fingers of all the 

 participants, or they may pick him up by his head and feet, and whirl 

 him about. 



Like European children, they have a set of small sayings or acts 

 for use on appropriate occasions. A youngster may come up to an- 

 other who is eating a luscious mango; when requested for a bite, he 

 is apt to draw down the lower lid of his eye and coolly answer, "I 

 will make a sound like swallowing for you," and then go on with 

 the feast. He may even hold out the tempting fruit, as if to comply 

 with the request, then suddenly jerk it back and shout "kilat." 2 This 

 is often the signal for a scuffle. 



As the children grow older, .they begin more and more to take 

 their place in the village life. The little girl becomes the chief guard- 

 ian of a new arrival in the family; and with the little one strapped 

 on her back, she romps and plays, while the baby enjoys it all or 

 sleeps serenely (Plate XII). The boy also assists his father and 

 mother in the fields, but still he finds some time for games of a more 

 definite character than those just described. Probably the most popu- 

 lar of these is known as agbita or llpt. 



1 From maysa, one ; dua, two ; talo, three. 



2 This is also used as mockery. It has no exact English eqquivalent, but is 

 similar to our slang "rubber.*' 



