“Don’t make such a noise!” chided the old Monkey, “and do not take the tual, for the Bakaka will be angry, and he is a great bird.”

But the bird flew down into the house, and gave one tual to the old Monkey.

“That is good,” said the old Monkey, tasting it.  “Tell me where you got it.”  But the bird would not tell.  Then the old monkey stood up, and kissed him, and begged to be taken to the tual-tree.

At last the Bakaka said to all the monkeys, “Three days from now you may all go to the tual-tree.  I want you all to go, the blind monkey too.  Go to the meadow where the grass grows high, and there, in the centre of the meadow, is the tual-tree.  If you see the sky and the air black, do not speak a word; for if you speak, you will get sick.”

At the set time, all the monkeys started for the meadow, except one female monkey that was expecting a baby.  The deer and all the other animals went along, except a few of the females who could not go.  They all reached the meadow-grass; and the monkeys climbed up the tual-tree that stood in the centre of the field, until all the branches were full of monkeys.  The birds and the jungle-fowl flew up in the tree; but the deer and the other animals waited clown on the ground.

Then the sky grew black, for the Bakaka and the Tortoise were going around the meadow with lighted sticks of balekayo, [146] and setting fire to the grass.  The air was full of smoke, and the little monkeys were crying; but the old Monkey bit them, and said, “Keep still, for the Bakaka told us not to speak.”

But the meadow-grass was all ablaze, and the flames crept nearer and nearer to the tual-tree.  Then all the monkeys saw the fire, and cried, “Oh! what will become of us?”

Some of the birds and most of the chickens flew away; but some died in the flames.  A few of the pigs ran away, but most of them died.  The other animals were burned to death.  Not a single monkey escaped, save only the female monkey who staid at home.  When her baby was born, it was a boy-monkey.  The mother made it her husband, and from this pair came many monkeys.

It was the same with the deer.  All were burned, except one doe who staid at home.  When her little fawn was born, it was a male.  She made it her husband, and from this one pair came many deer.

The Crow and the Golden Trees

The liver of the crow is “medicine” for many pains and for sickness.  On this account the Bagobo kills the crow so that he may get his liver for “medicine.”  The liver is good to eat, either cooked or raw.  If you see a crow dead, you can get its liver and eat some of it, and it will be “medicine” for your body.