He saw that she took all the rice and fish out of
the pots, and there were only dishes for them.
“What is the matter with this woman that she
does not leave any fish for her husband?” he
said to himself. While they were eating Asibowan
told him that she did not have a husband and Aponitolau
smiled. When they finished eating, they cut betel-nut
for them to chew. “Now be patient for we
must chew betel-nut, for it is not good for us to
talk until we know each other’s names.”
Asibowan said, “How can we chew betel-nut, for
I do not chew for I am related to Kaboniyan?”
[136] “You must chew anyway for we cannot tell
our names unless we chew,” said Aponitolau.
When Aponitolau urged her a long time she took the
betel-nut and they chewed. “Since you are
the lady who lives here, it is best that you tell your
name first,” said Aponitolau. “No
it is not good for a woman to tell her name first,
so you must tell your name,” said Asibowan.
Not long after, “My name is Aponitolau of Kadalayapan
who is the son of Langa-an and Pagatipanan, who goes
to find a pretty girl who has power like me,”
said Aponitolau. “My name is Asibowan of
Gegenawan, who lives alone in the field, who has no
neighbors for this is my fortune,” said Asibowan.
So Aponitolau staid with her nine months and his father
and mother were searching for him. They had many
people searching for him and they killed many animals
to feed the people until all their animals were gone.
The bones which they threw away made a pile nine times
as large as the
balaua.
Asibowan became pregnant and not long after she gave
birth. “What shall we call our girl?”
said Aponitolau. “We will call her Binaklingan.”
When Asibowan bathed the baby it grew one span for
she used magical power. So the baby grew one span
every time. [137] Not long after she could walk, Aponitolau
saw the pile of bones which the searchers had thrown
away when they ate, and it was nine times larger than
the balaua. “The best thing for us
to do, Asibowan, is for us to go to Kadalayapan, for
my father and mother are still searching for me and
the people who are searching are eating all their
animals.” “The best thing for you
to do is to go home and find a woman whom you should
marry and then when you are married you make Sayang
[138] and I will come to Kadalayapan,” said Asibowan,
for it was not good for them to be married because
she had less magical power than Aponitolau. “If
you do not wish to go, I will take our daughter Binaklingan.”
“Wait awhile until we have commanded that a house
be built for her to live in.” Not long
after they commanded that a house be made for Binaklingan,
and it was all of gold. It was finished in the
middle of the night and she used magic so that the
golden house went to Kadalayapan.