“I am ready now,” he said, “I am ready to be the princess’s husband.”

“Is this crazy fellow raving?” asked the soldiers.  “We are ordered to take you and submerge you in the sea.”

“But,” objected Tabloc-laui, “I am ready now to marry the chief’s daughter.”

He was carried to the sea and plunged into the water, in spite of his crying, “I am not Pusong!  I am Tabloc-laui!”

The next week the chief was in his boat, going from one fish-trap to another, to inspect them.  Pusong swam out to the boat.

The chief, on seeing him, wondered, for he believed that Pusong was dead.  “How is this?” he asked.  “Did you not drown last week?”

“By no means.  I sank to the bottom, but I found that there was no water there.  There is another world where the dead live again.  I saw your father and he charged me to bid you go to him, and afterwards you will be able to come back here, if you wish to do so.”  “Is that really true, Pusong?” asked the chief.  “Yes, it is really true,” was the reply.

“Well, I will go there.  I will have a cage made and go through the way you did.”

So the next morning the chief was submerged in the water, with the hope of coming back.  When a considerable time had elapsed without seeing his return, his servants searched for Pusong, in order to punish him, but he had escaped to the mountains.

V. The Enchanted Prince.  There was once a king who had three young and beautiful daughters named Isabel, Catalina, and Maria.

In the capital city of the kingdom lived a young man known by the name of Juan Pusong.  He had as friends an ape, named Amo-Mongo, and a wildcat, whose name was Singalong.  The three friends were passing one day in front of the palace, and, seeing the three young ladies, were greatly charmed by their beauty.

Pusong, who posed as a young aristocrat of considerable learning, determined to go before the king and declare his love for the Princess Isabel.  The king received him favorably, and offered him a seat; but Juan refused to sit down until he should know the result of his request.

The king was astonished at his manner, and asked him what he wanted.  Juan replied that he had presumptuously allowed himself to be charmed by the beauty of the Princess Isabel, and humbly requested the king’s consent to their marriage.  The king had the princess summoned before him, and in the presence of Pusong asked her if she would accept this man as her husband.  She dutifully expressed her willingness to do whatever her father wished, so the king granted the request of Pusong, who was immediately married to Isabel.

When Amo-Mongo saw how successful Pusong had been, he presented himself before the king, as his friend had done, and requested the hand of the Princess Catalina.  The king, somewhat unwillingly, gave his consent, and these two were also married.