The Cycle of Life 



277 



<5>C 



This is played with the large disk-shaped seeds of the tipl plant 

 (Ilocano tlpai). Each player puts two disks- in line, then all go to a 

 distance and shoot toward them. The shooter is held between the 

 thumb and first finger of the left hand, and is propelled forward by 

 the index finger of the right. The one whose seed goes the farthest 

 gets first shot, and the others follow in order. All seeds knocked down 

 belong to the player, and if any are still in line after each has had his 

 turn, the leader shoots again. When each boy has had two shots, or 

 when all the disks are down, a new line is made; and he whose seed 

 lies at the greatest distance shoots first. 



Another common game is patpatinglad, which has certain resem- 

 blances to cricket. A small cylinder-shaped missel, called papa-amk 

 ("little duck"), about four inches long, is set in a shallow groove, so 

 that one end stands free; it is then struck and batted with a bamboo 

 stock — papa-ina ("mother duck"). The lad who has driven his missel 

 the farthest is the winner, and hence has the privilege of batting 

 away the papa-anak of the other players, so that they will have to 

 chase them. If he likes, he may take hold of the feet of a looser and 

 compel him to walk on his hands to secure this missel. A loser is 

 sometimes taken by the head and feet, and is swung in a circle. 



A game frequently seen in 

 the lowland valleys is also com- 

 mon to the Ilocano children, who 

 call it San Pedro. Lines are 

 drawn on the ground to enclose 

 a space about thirty feet square 

 (see diagram Fig. 2). The boys 

 at d try to run between the lines, 

 and at the same time evade the 

 guards a, b, and c. Guard a 

 can run along line 1, or 4 as far 

 as 2. Guard b must stay on line 

 2 ; and c must keep on 3. When 

 the runners are captured, they 

 become the guards. 



From the preceding para- 

 graphs it may be surmized 

 that the youth is quite un- 

 trained and untaught. It is true 

 that he spends no time in 

 a class-room ; he passes through no initiation at the time of puberty, 

 neither are there ceremonies or observances of any kind which reveal 

 to him the secret knowledge of the tribe, yet he quickly learns his place 



• d 



Fig. 2. 

 Diagram of a Game. 



