28<l REVIEWS. 



points of grammar and syntax. These phrases constitute very valuable 

 material for gaining an insiglit into that "language" which springs from 

 the mouth of the people as they work in their fields, attend to their 

 domestic affairs, go to war or chide, scorn, laugh among themselves, etc. 

 It is precisely because, from the intelligent use made by the author of 

 such phrases, we can form a judgment as to the considerable insight 

 gained by him into the spirit of the language, that we wish he had 

 given them in the coherent form of some animated conversation among 

 individuals of the tril^e. Could any other kind of "te.xt" reflect more 

 truly the live speech of the peoj)le, or disclose more clearly the tem- 

 perament of the speakers? By this remark I certainly do not wish to 

 detract in the least from the great merit of the collection of folk-lore 

 that forms the third part of Doctor Seidenadel's work and which also 

 contains examples of spirited conversation. 



These texts, eleven in number, are: 



1. LtaiAWlG, an extremely interesting and probably tlie most important story 

 of Bontok folk-lore, beginning with an account of how the (Bontok) world was 

 created and the Great Flood cau.sed by two brothers, sous of Luniawig; how the 

 latter bade the sole survivors, a brother and sister, located on top of Pokis 

 ilountain, to marry, ordering his dog and the deer to furnish them the fire, etc' 



2. Headhuxtees' return and ceremonies. 



3. The Igorot in the battle of Calo/ocan; a narration of the part taken 

 by a number of Bontok men in the action between the American and Filipino 

 forces at Caloocan, near Manila, on February 10, 1899. 



4. The rat and the two brothers; a graceful legend telling of the gratitude 

 of a rat, whose life had been spared by the j-ounger of two brothers. The rat 

 makes presents to them lioth and the younger of the two, by a cunning exchange 

 gets possession of a magic spoon and pestle which when put into a fiot will fill 

 it with meat and rice. 



5. The stars; a spicy little tale, illustrating the quick-witted inventiveness 

 and satirical vein of the people who explain in it the origin of the Iloko tax- 

 collectors of Spanish times. 



G. TiLiN; the metamorphosis of a girl into a rice-bird (tilin) as a warning to 

 parents who begrudge their children a liberal measure of food. 



7. KOLLING, and 



8. The monkey, two more metamorphoses of children, a4 a warning tp parents 

 who are too severe or neglectful. 



9. Palpalama and Palpalaking; another story pointing a, moral for greedy 

 people. 



10. Vaeia. 



11. Songs; containing many words and phrases belonging to a "Song Dialect"', 

 words "of the old folks", of forgotten or obscure meaning, which are of the greatest 

 interest to ethnologists and philologists. 



Doctor Seidenadel has the merit of having overcome unusual difficul- 

 ties to enrich our knowledge of Philippine languages by a work containing 

 comprehensive and exliaustive information on the hitherto unexplored, 



' Vaguely similar traditions exist in Ifugao folk-lore. 



