82

A carabao and a shell agree to race along the river.  The carabao runs swiftly, then pauses to call “shell.”  Another shell replies and the carabao continues running.  This is repeated many times until at last the carabao falls dead.

83

A crab and a shell go to get wood.  The crab pulls the rope on his load so tightly that he breaks his big legs and dies.  The shell finds his friend dead and cries until he belches his own body out of the shell and he dies.

84

A mosquito tells a man he would eat him were it not for his ears.

85

A messenger goes to negotiate a marriage.  When he arrives he sees the people nodding their heads as they suck meat out of shells.  He returns home without stating his mission, but reports an acceptance.  Girl’s people are surprised when people come for pakalon.

86

A man sees people eating bamboo shoots, and is told they are eating pagaldanen.  He understands them to say aldan—­“ladder,” so he goes home and cooks his bamboo ladder.  Is ridiculed by his friends.

87

A man with heavily laden horse asks the length of a certain trip.  Boy replies, “If you go slowly, very soon; if you go fast, all day.”  The man hurries so that coconuts keep falling off the load and have to be replaced.  It is dark when he arrives.

88

A woman eats the fruit belonging to crocodile and throws away the rind.  Crocodile sees her tooth marks and recognizes the offender.  He demands that she be given him to eat.  Her people agree, but first feed him a hot iron.  He swallows it and dies.

89

A lazy man goes to cut bamboo, and a cat steals his cooked rice.  He catches the cat in a trap and takes it home.  It becomes a fighting cock.  The man starts for a cock fight, and on the way is joined by a crocodile, a deer, a mound of earth and a monkey.  The rooster kills all the other birds at the fight, then the crocodile wins a diving contest, the deer a race, the mound of earth a wrestling match, and the monkey excels all in climbing.  The man wins much money in wagers and buys a good house.

90

A spirit lets a man take his poncho which makes him invisible.  He goes to his wife who recognizes his voice and thinks him dead.  He takes off poncho and appears before her.

91

A fisherman is seized by a big bird which carries him to its nest.  The small birds try to eat him, but he seizes one in each hand and jumps from the tree.  He reaches the ground unhurt and returns home.

NOTES

[1] Men or women through whom the superior beings talk to mortals.  During ceremonies the spirits possess their bodies and govern their language and actions.  When not engaged in their calling, the mediums take part in the daily activities of the village.