“Let me take the magic ring,” said the dog as they were about to plunge into the water.

“Oh, no,” replied the cat, “the master gave it to me to carry.”

“But you cannot swim well,” argued the dog.  “I am strong and can take good care of it.”

But the cat refused to give up the ring until finally the dog threatened to kill her, and then she reluctantly gave it to him.

The river was wide and the water so swift that they grew very tired, and just before they reached the opposite bank the dog dropped the ring.  They searched carefully, but could not find it anywhere, and after a while they turned back to tell their master of the sad loss.  Just before reaching the house, however, the dog was so overcome with fear that he turned and ran away and never was seen again.

The cat went on alone, and when the master saw her coming he called out to know why she had returned so soon and what had become of her companion.  The poor cat was frightened, but as well as she could she explained how the ring had been lost and how the dog had run away.

On hearing her story the master was very angry, and commanded that all his people should search for the dog, and that it should be punished by having its tail cut off.

He also ordered that all the dogs in the world should join in the search, and ever since when one dog meets another he says:  “Are you the old dog that lost the magic ring?  If so, your tail must be cut off.”  Then immediately each shows his teeth and wags his tail to prove that he is not the guilty one.

Since then, too, cats have been afraid of water and will not swim across a river if they can avoid it.

The Hawk and the Hen

Visayan

A hawk flying about in the sky one day decided that he would like to marry a hen whom he often saw on earth.  He flew down and searched until he found her, and then asked her to become his wife.  She at once gave her consent on the condition that he would wait until she could grow wings like his, so that she might also fly high.  The hawk agreed to this and flew away, after giving her a ring as an engagement present and telling her to take good care of it.

The hen was very proud of the ring and placed it around her neck.  The next day, however, she met the cock who looked at her in astonishment and said: 

“Where did you get that ring?  Do you not know that you promised to be my wife?  You must not wear the ring of anyone else.  Throw it away.”

And the hen threw away the beautiful ring.

Not long after this the hawk came down bringing beautiful feathers to dress the hen.  When she saw him coming she was frightened and ran to hide behind the door, but the hawk called to her to come and see the beautiful dress he had brought her.

The hen came out, and the hawk at once saw that the ring was gone.