The next morning they reached the woods near Pilar, where there also was a great holiday, and the sexton was ringing the bells to call the people to mass.  As soon as the old man and woman heard the bells they thought the people there had been notified of their escape, and that they, too, were trying to catch them.  So they turned and started home again.

As they reached their house, the three sons came home with their one horse and tied it to the trunk of the caramay tree.  Presently the bells began to ring again, for it was twelve o’clock at noon.  Not thinking what time of day it was, the old man and woman ran out of doors in terror, and seeing the horse jumped on its back with the intention of riding to the next town before anyone could catch them.  When they had mounted they began to whip the horse.  In their haste, they had forgotten to untie the rope which was around the trunk of the caramay tree.  As the horse pulled at the rope fruit fell from the tree upon the old man and woman.  Believing they were shot, they were so frightened that they died. [150]

The Presidente who had Horns

Ilocano

Once there was a presidente [151] who was very unjust to his people, and one day he became so angry that he wished he had horns so that he might frighten them.  No sooner had he made this rash wish, than horns began to grow on his head.

He sent for a barber who came to his house to cut his hair, and as he worked the presidente asked: 

“What do you see on my head?”

“I see nothing,” answered the barber; for although he could see the horns plainly, he was afraid to say so.

Soon, however, the presidente put up his hands and felt the horns, and then when he inquired again the barber told him that he had two horns.

“If you tell anyone what you have seen, you shall be hanged,” said the presidente as the barber started away, and he was greatly frightened.

When he reached home, the barber did not intend to tell anyone, for he was afraid; but as he thought of his secret more and more, the desire to tell someone became so strong that he knew he could not keep it.  Finally he went to the field and dug a hole under some bamboo, and when the hole was large enough he crawled in and whispered that the presidente had horns.  He then climbed out, filled up the hole, and went home.

By and by some people came along the road on their way to market, and as they passed the bamboo they stopped in amazement, for surely a voice came from the trees, and it said that the presidente had horns.  These people hastened to market and told what they had heard, and the people there went to the bamboo to listen to the strange voice.  They informed others, and soon the news had spread all over the town.  The councilmen were told, and they, too, went to the bamboo.  When they had heard the voice, they ran to the house of the presidente.  But his wife said that he was ill and they could not see him.