Then Benito made two light cups of bamboo which he fastened to the bird’s legs, and it flew away.  All day the boy waited in the forest, and just as night was coming on the bird returned with both cups full.  The one on his right foot, he told Benito, was from heaven, and that on his left was from the lower world.  The boy unfastened the cups, and then, as he was thanking the bird, he noticed that the journey had been too much for it and that it was dying.  Filled with sorrow for his winged friend, he waited and carefully buried it, and then he hastened to the palace with the precious water.

When the Princess saw that her wish had been fulfilled she asked the King to cut her in two and pour over her the water from heaven.  The King was not able to do this, so she cut herself, and then as he poured the water over her he beheld her grow into the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

Eager to become handsome himself, the King then begged her to pour over him the water from the other cup.  He cut himself, and she did as he requested, but immediately there arose a creature most ugly and horrible to look upon, which soon vanished out of sight.  Then the Princess called Benito and told him that because he had been so faithful to his master and so kind to her, she chose him for her husband.

They were married amid great festivities and became king and queen of that broad and fertile land.  During all the great rejoicing, however, Benito never forgot his parents.  One of the finest portions of his kingdom he gave to them, and from that time they all lived in great happiness. [156]

The Adventures of Juan

Tagalog

Juan was always getting into trouble.  He was a lazy boy, and more than that, he did not have good sense.  When he tried to do things, he made such dreadful mistakes that he might better not have tried.

His family grew very impatient with him, scolding and beating him whenever he did anything wrong.  One day his mother, who was almost discouraged with him, gave him a bolo [157] and sent him to the forest, for she thought he could at least cut firewood.  Juan walked leisurely along, contemplating some means of escape.  At last he came to a tree that seemed easy to cut, and then he drew his long knife and prepared to work.

Now it happened that this was a magic tree and it said to Juan: 

“If you do not cut me I will give you a goat that shakes silver from its whiskers.”

This pleased Juan wonderfully, both because he was curious to see the goat, and because he would not have to chop the wood.  He agreed at once to spare the tree, whereupon the bark separated and a goat stepped out.  Juan commanded it to shake its whiskers, and when the money began to drop he was so delighted that he took the animal and started home to show his treasure to his mother.