Man and the Alan

Tinguian

A Tinguian was once walking along a trail in the wood when he heard a strange sound in a large tree near him, and looking up he was startled to see that it was the home of the Alan—­spirits who live in the wood.

He stopped and gazed for a moment at the horrible creatures, large as people, hanging from the limbs of the tree with their heads down like bats.  They had wings to fly, and their toes were at the back of their feet, while their long fingers, which pointed backward, were fastened at the wrist.

“Surely,” thought the man, “these terrible beings will eat me if they can catch me.  I will run away as fast as I can while they are asleep.”  He tried to run but he was too frightened, and after a few steps he fell face down on the ground.

At this the Alan began to wail loudly, for they saw him fall and believed him dead And they came down out of the tree with gold and beads which they laid on him.

After a while the man gathered courage and, jumping up, he cried as loudly as he could, “Go away!”

The Alan did not move, but they looked at him and said:  “Give us the one bead nagaba [a peculiar bead of double effect], and you may have the rest.”  When the man refused to do this, they were angry and turned away, crying, “Then we are going to burn your house, for you are a bad man.”

Thereupon the man went home as fast as he could go, but very soon after that his house burned, for the Alan kept their word.

Sogsogot

Tinguian

One day, a long time ago, some men went to the mountains to hunt deer and wild pig, and among them was one named Sogsogot.

They all went into the thick forest to look for game, but after a while Sogsogot called his dog and withdrew to an open spot near by, where he waited for the deer to come out.

While he stood there eagerly watching, a big bird [85] swooped down, caught him in its claws, and carried him away.  Far off over the mountains the bird soared, until finally it came to a big tree where it had its nest, and here it left the man and flew away.

Sogsogot’s first thought was to make his escape, but he found that the tree was so tall that he could not get down, and after a time he ceased his attempts to get away and began to look over his companions in the nest—­two young birds and three little pigs.

By and by he became hungry, so he cut up the three little pigs, and after he had eaten all he wished he fed the two birds.  When this meat was gone the mother bird brought more pigs and deer, and the man had all he could eat.  Then he fed the little birds, which grew very fast and soon were able to fly.  One day when they were standing on the edge of the nest Sogsogot caught hold of the birds’ legs, and they fluttered down and carried him safely to the ground.