Traditions of the Tinguian: a Study in Philippine Folk-Lore eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 393 pages of information about Traditions of the Tinguian.

Traditions of the Tinguian: a Study in Philippine Folk-Lore eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 393 pages of information about Traditions of the Tinguian.

“What can I do for this baby?  I cannot work so well,” said Gamayawan.  “The best thing for you to do, so you can do much work, is for you to carry him to Kadalayapan and give him to his father,” said the alan.  “That is good, I think; we will go and take him to Kadalayapan tomorrow.”  When it became early morning she truly prepared cakes to use as food for the boy on the way.  When it became day they started.  As soon as they arrived at the spring of Kadalayapan she used her power so that all the people in the town and all who were dipping water at the well went to sleep; so all the people who were pounding rice and working slept truly.  Not long after they went up to the town.  When they were approaching the balaua of Ligi they saw him there asleep.  As soon as they reached the balaua they put the boy beside the man who was sleeping.  “Stay here and wait, do not fall down,” they said to him.  “Yes, mother,” said the boy.  They advised him not to tell who was his mother or where he came from, and they went home.  As soon as they reached the edge of the town, she used her power again and all the people who were asleep woke up.

Ligi was surprised when he saw the boy beside him when he woke up.  “Why here is a boy by me, with my balangat which I lost when I went to take a bath,” said Ligi, and he asked where the boy came from and the name of his mother and how he came.  “Who are you talking to,” said his mother Langa-an. “‘Who are you talking to,’ you say mother, here is a boy with my balangat,” said Ligi.  Langa-an was in a hurry and she went down from the house and she went down two rounds of the ladder at one step.  As soon as she got down she took the boy to their house, where she was cooking and they asked him many questions.  “My mother is an alan” said Galinginayen.  “What is your name then?” “My name is Galinginayen who is the son of an alan of Kabinbinlan,” [275] said the boy.  “No you are not the son of an alan,” they said.  When Langa-an finished cooking they tried to feed him, but he would not eat.  “If you eat my cake I will eat with you,” said the boy.  So they ate truly of the boy’s provisions and he ate also with them.

When it became afternoon Gamayawan went to get the boy.  As soon as she arrived at the edge of the town of Kadalayapan she used her power again and all the people who were working and dipping water slept.  She went to the town and Ligi slept again, and she took the boy.  As soon as she reached the edge of the town she used her power again and all the people who slept woke up.  As soon as Ligi woke up he saw that the boy was not by him.  “What has happened to the boy?  Perhaps his mother came to steal him while I was sleeping,” said Ligi.  Langa-an was surprised and sorry because the boy was gone.

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Traditions of the Tinguian: a Study in Philippine Folk-Lore from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.