29

“I am going to lie down on the stone which is like a seat below the dumalotau tree,” said Ayo, for she felt hot in the middle of the day.  “What shall we call our son?” “We shall call him Asbinan, who looks like the spreading branch of the betel-nut tree which looks pretty in the afternoon,” said Ligi, her husband.

“Ala!  Agben, my loving son, go to eat,” said Ayo.  “Mother—­pretty Ayo—­I do not wish to eat when we have no fish roe.”  After that Ligi went to his friends who use the big fish net in the ocean.  “Ala, my friends, search fish roe, for my son Asbinan wishes to eat.”  They went to examine the bellies of nine baskets of fish, but there was no roe.  He went to his friends who fish in the river.  “Ala, friends secure fish roe which my son wishes to eat.”  Soon after, “How much do I pay?” “You do not pay, for this is the first time you have come to buy,” said those friends who fish in the river.  “Agben, my child, come and eat.”  “Mother, pretty Ayo, I do not wish to eat the fish roe when there is no dolang, [297] and I do not like to drink out of the scraped cocoanut shell when there is no glass which comes from the place of the Chinese, and I do not like to eat from the bamboo dish when there is no dish from Baygan (Vigan).”  After that Ligi went and got the cup and the dish from the Chinese store.

“Agben, my loving son, come and eat, for everything is here which you wish,” said pretty Ayo.  When they had finished eating, “Father Ligi give me your love charm [298] which you used when you were young, for I wish to go to the place where the maidens spin at night.”

“Good evening, young girls,” said Asbinan.  “I do not like to light my tobacco unless the fire is taken from the light of your pipes.”  They were anxious to offer their pipes, but when Tiningbengan stubbed her toe she stopped and Sinobyaman, who was the prettiest, was the one on whom he blew his smoke (a part of the love charm).  She vomited and her eyes were filled with tears, and after that they went home, all those who spun together.

“Ala! go and fetch Asbinan, for she (Sinobyaman) turns over and over and sways to and fro since he blew on her last night.”  They went to get Asbinan who was sleeping, and he stepped on their heels as they walked.

“Ala, aunt, I cannot cure her unless we are married.”  Then they decided on the day for pakalon, and the price was the lower part of the house filled nine times with jars, which are malayo and tadogan.  Then she made the cakes for the parents-in-law, and they carried the pig, and they received the marriage price which was the lower part of the house nine times filled.

30

“Ala! my wife Iwanen who loves me every afternoon, make cakes of rice which shall be my provisions when I go to the southern place San Fernando and Baknotan, which is a part of Pangasinan. [299] I am going to investigate the report concerning the beautiful women, who are like the rift in the clouds—­the escaping place of the moon—­; who are like the bright stems of good betel-nuts.”