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“We go to take greens, sister-in-law Dinay, perhaps the siksiklat[1] will taste good. I have heard that the siksiklat is good,” said Aponībolinayen. They went to get her siksiklat. When they arrived at the place of small trees, which they thought was the place of the siksiklat, they looked. Aponībolinayen was the first who looked. As soon as she began to break off the siksiklat which she saw she did not break any more, but the siksiklat encircled and carried her up. When they reached the sky (literally “the up”), the siksiklat placed her below the alosip[2] tree. She sat for a long time. Soon she heard the crowing of the rooster. She stood up and went to see the rooster which crowed. She saw a spring. She saw it was pretty because its sands were oday[3] and its gravel pagapat[4] and the top of the betel-nut tree was gold, and the place where the people step was a large Chinese plate which was gold. She was surprised, for she saw that the house was small. She was afraid and soon began to climb the betel-nut tree, and she hid herself.
The man who owned the house, which she saw near the well,[5] was Ini-init—the sun. But he was not in the place of his house, because he went out and went above to make the sun, because that was his work in the daytime. And the next day Aponībolinayen saw him, who went out of his house, because he went again to make the sun. And Aponībolinayen went after him to his house, because she saw the man, who owned the house, who left. When she arrived in the house, she quickly cooked, because she was very hungry.
When she finished cooking, she took the stick used in roasting fish and cooked it, and the fish-stick which she cooked became cut-up fish, because she used her magic power.[6] When she finished to cook the fish, she took out rice from the pot, and when she had finished to take out the rice from the pot, she took off the meat from the fish. When she finished taking the fish from the pot, she ate. When she finished eating, she washed. When she finished washing, she kept those things which she used to eat, the coconut shell cup and plate, and she laid down to sleep. Page 34
When afternoon came, Ini-init went home to his house after he finished fishing. He saw his house, which appeared as if it was burning, not slowly. He went home because it appeared as if his house was burning. When he arrived at his house, it was not burning, and he was surprised because it appeared as if there was a flame at the place of his bed. When he was in his house, he saw that which was like the flame of the fire, at the place of his bed, was a very pretty lady.
Soon he cooked, and when he had finished to cook he scaled the fish, and when he had finished scaling he cut it into many pieces, and he made a noise on the bamboo floor when he cut the fish. The woman awoke, who was asleep on his bed. She saw that the man who cut the fish was a handsome man, and that he dragged his hair.[7] The pot she had used to cook in looked like the egg of a rooster[8] and he was surprised because it looked like the egg of a rooster; and the rice which she cooked was one grain of broken rice.[9] Because of all this Ini-init was surprised, for the pot was very small with which she cooked. After Ini-init cooked, the woman vanished and she went to the leaves of the betel-nut, where she went to hide.
After Ini-init finished cooking the fish, he saw the bed, the place where the woman was sleeping, was empty. He was looking continually, but he did not find her. When he could not find her, he ate alone, and when he finished eating he washed, and when he finished washing the dishes he put away, and when he had finished putting away he went to the yard to get a fresh breath.
Not long afterwards he went to take a walk in the place of his betel-nuts. When he had finished to take a walk in the place of his betel-nuts, he went to sleep.
When it began to be early morning, he left his house, he who went up, because it was his business to make the sun. And Aponībolinayen went again into the house.
When it became afternoon, Ini-init went to his home, and Aponībolinayen had cooked, after which she went out to the betel-nut trees. When Ini-init arrived, he was surprised because his food was cooked, for there was no person in his house. As soon as he saw the cooked rice and cooked fish in the dish, he took the fish and the rice and began to eat. When he Page 35had finished eating, he went to his yard to take a fresh breath and he was troubled in his mind when he thought of what had happened. He said, “Perhaps the woman, which I saw, came to cook and has left the house. Sometime I shall try to hide and watch, so that I may catch her.” He went to sleep, and when it became early morning he went to cook his food. When he had finished eating, he went again to make the sun, and Aponībolinayen went again to his house.
When the sun had nearly sunk, he sent the big star who was next to follow him in the sky, and he went home to spy on the woman. When he had nearly reached his home, he saw the house appeared as if it was burning.[10] He walked softly when he went up the ladder. He slammed shut the door. He reached truly the woman who was cooking in the house. He went quickly and the woman said to him, “You cut me only once, so that I only cure one time, if you are the old enemy.” “If I were the old enemy, I should have cut before,” said Ini-init, and he sat near her who cooked. He took out the betel-nut, and he arranged it so that they began to chew the betel-nut, and he said, “Ala! young lady, we are going to chew, because it is bad for us to talk who do not know each other's names.” Aponībolinayen answered, “No, for if the rich man who practices magic is able to give to the rich woman who has magical power, soon there will be a sign.” Ini-init said, “No, hurry up even though we are related, for you come here if we are not related.”[11]
He begged her and he cut the betel-nut, which was to be chewed, which was covered with gold, and he gave it to the woman who had magical power, and they chewed. When she laid down the quid, it looked like the agate bead, which has no hole for the thread. And the quid of Ini-init looked like a square bead.
“My name is Ini-init, who often goes to travel over the world. I always stop in the afternoon. What can I do, it is my business,” he said. Aponībolinayen was next to tell her name. “My name is Aponībolinayen, who lives in Kaodanan, who am the sister of Awig,” she said, and when they had finished telling their names, both their quids looked like the agate bead which is pinoglan, which has no hole. Ini-init said, “We are relatives, and it is good for us to be married. Do not be afraid even though you did not come here of your own accord. I go to Kaodanan,” he said. Then they married, and the sun went to shine on the world, because it was his business, and the big star also had business when it became night. Aponībolinayen staid alone in the house, and in the Page 36afternoon the sun again went home, but first he went to fish in the river. He went home when he had caught the big fish for them to eat—both those married. And when he arrived in their house he found Aponībolinayen, who was cooking, and he saw that she still broke up the fish-stick, which she cooked. Ini-init asked her, “What are you doing with that stick which you are breaking, which you put in the jar?” and Aponībolinayen replied, “I cook for us both to eat,” and the sun laughed, because she cooked the stick. “You throw away that stick which you are cooking; this fish which I caught with the net is what you are to cook. It is not eatable that fish-stick which you cook,” he said. Aponībolinayen said, “You shall see by and by, when we eat, what it will become. You hang up the fish which you caught, which we shall eat to-morrow.” “Hurry up! You throw away that stick which you cook, it has no use. Even though you cook for one month, it will not become soft, and I do not think it will become good,” said Ini-init. Aponībolinayen said, “No, you hurry and hang that fish which you caught with the net, because it is nearly cooked—the rice and the fish.” Not long after she took out the rice from the jar, and she uncovered her cooked fish, which was a stick. When the sun saw that the fish came from the stick which she cooked, he was surprised and he asked her how she made the stick, which she cooked, turn to fish. Aponībolinayen said, “You hurry come and eat, for I have finished taking out the rice and fish.”[12]
Not long after that the sun went truly in front of her to the place of the rice and cooked fish, and they ate.
Not long after they finished and Aponībolinayen washed, and when she had finished washing she put away those things which they ate and Ini-init made trouble because of the stick which became a fish. He again asked Aponībolinayen how she made the stick into fish, and Aponībolinayen said, “Do not trouble yourself, perhaps you know about the rich woman who practices magic in Kaodanan,” and Ini-init said, “Yes, I know the rich woman who practices magic in Kaodanan, who sometimes has much power, who changes, who has no equal.” Aponībolinayen said, “Why do you still ask if you know?” “I ask because I want to be sure, even though I know you have much power,” said Ini-init. “If that is true, do not ask again,” she said. Not long after while they were talking, they went to sleep, and when it began to be early morning Ini-init went to make the sun on all the world; when they had finished to eat he went to shine. Aponībolinayen staid in the house. When it came afternoon, the sun went down and he went directly to fish in the river, for the fish which they ate—the two who were married. Not long Page 37after he caught again a big fish, and he went home. When he arrived, Aponībolinayen had finished cooking, and he asked where she got the fish which she had cooked, and she said, “Why do you ask again? You know it is the stick which I cook, which is fish, which we ate, before you arrived again with fish. Throw away the fish which you caught, for this stick is many fish which I cook.” After that Ini-init said, “Why do you order to throw away, that which serves the purpose to which we put it, even though you cook many sticks?” “If you value it, hang it on the hanger, and you come and eat.”
Not long after they ate, and when they had finished eating, they washed, and when they had finished washing those things which they used to eat on, they talked and they went to sleep.
When it became the middle of the night, Aponībolinayen woke up. “I go up with you when you go up in the early morning,” she said. Ini-init said to her, “Do not come, for it is very hot up above. You cannot endure the heat, and you will repent when we are there.” “No, if it is too hot, we shall take many blankets and pillows, which I shall go under,” she said again and again until it became early morning, then Ini-init agreed. They ate first and then they arranged those pillows and blankets which they took with them.
Not long after they went east, and when they arrived there the sun shone, and Aponībolinayen became oil because it was so hot, and Ini-init put her in a bottle, and he corked it and covered it with blankets and pillows, which sheltered her, and he dropped it down. She fell by the well in Kaodanan, and Indiápan, who was still dipping water, turned her face at the sound of the falling at her side. She saw many good blankets and pillows, and she unwrapped that which was wrapped, and when she had finished to unwrap she saw it was a pretty lady—none equal to her—and she was frightened. She went quickly to go up to the town, where they lived, and when she arrived there she said to the people, “We have been searching a long time for Aponībolinayen, and you killed and used many cows as food for the searchers, and you spent much for her. She is at the spring. I was frightened when she fell by me, who was dipping water from the well. I saw many pretty blankets and pillows, and I unwrapped that which was wrapped, and it was Aponībolinayen whom we are seeking,” said Indiápan. They went quickly—her father and mother—and the other men went to see her, and when they arrived at the place of the well they saw Aponībolinayen whom they sought. “Where did you come from, Aponībolinayen, for whom we have been seeking? We have invited many and have fed many to search for you. Among the towns there is not one we did not search for you, and now you are here,” said her father and mother. She said, “I came from Page 38Pindayan. I nearly did not come, because the alzados[13] closed the way, and I escaped while they slept.”
Not long after they went up to the town, and not long after they went to wash their hair and bathe in the river, and when they had finished washing their hair they went home.
Ebang said, “Ala! husband Pagatipánan, let us make balaua[14] and invite our relatives who are sorrowing for Aponībolinayen,” and Pagatipánan said, “We shall make balaua when next month comes, but now Aponībolinayen feels ill, perhaps she is tired.” Not long after that Aponībolinayen commanded them to prick her little finger which itched; and when her mother pricked it out popped a pretty baby.[15] Her mother asked, “Where did you get this baby, Aponībolinayen?” But Aponībolinayen did not tell. “I do not know where I got it, and I did not feel,” she said. When they could not compel her to tell where she secured the baby, “Ala, we make balaua to-morrow,” said the father and mother.
They made balaua, and not long after Ebang used magic, so that many people went to pound rice for them, and when they had finished to pound rice they built balaua, and they went to get the betel-nut which is covered with gold for chewing. When these arrived, Ebang oiled them when it began to get dark. “You betel-nuts go to all the people in the whole world and invite them. If any of them do not come, you grow on their knees,” said Ebang. And those betel-nuts went to invite all the people in the whole world. Every time they bathed the child they used magic, so that it grew as often as they washed it, until it walked. The betel-nuts arrived in the towns where they went to invite. The one that went to Nagbotobotán—the place where lived the old woman Alokotán—said, “Good morning, I do not tarry, the reason of my coming is that Ebang and Pagatipánan commanded me, because Aponībolinayen is there.” “Yes, you go first, I will come, I will follow you. I go first to wash my hair and bathe,” she said. The betel-nut which is covered with gold said, “I wait for you, for if you do not come, I shall grow on your knee.” The old woman Alokotán started when she finished washing her hair and bathing. The betel-nut, which was covered with gold, took her, and not long after they arrived, and they met those whom the other betel-nuts went to summon in the other towns. No one wanted the baby to go to them,[16] and when none wished it Page 39to approach, the old woman Alokotán summoned the spirits. (“What town did they not yet invite?” This question was added by the story-teller. Not part of tale.) The old woman Alokotán said, “You invited all the people except Ini-init, who is above. You did not send the prepared betel-nut covered with gold to summon him. Perhaps he made Aponībolinayen pregnant, because the siksiklat took her up when they went to gather greens—she and her sister-in-law, who is Dinay.”
They commanded the betel-nuts, and they oiled them, and sent them. Not long after the betel-nut, whom they sent, arrived above, who went to call Ini-init. And the betel-nut said, when he arrived, “Good morning, Sun, I do not tarry. The reason of my visit is that Ebang and Pagatipánan, who make balaua, send me. If you do not wish to come, I will grow on your head.” The sun said, “Grow on my head, I do not wish to go.” The betel-nut jumped up and went on his head, and it grew. Not long after the betel-nut became tall and the sun was not able to carry it, because it became big, and he was in pain. “You go to my pig, that is what you grow on,” he said. Not long after the betel-nut jumped on the head of his pig, and the pig began to squeal because it could not carry the betel-nut which began to grow on its head. And Ini-init said, “Ala! get off my big pig and I come.” The betel-nut got off the pig.
Not long after they went and Pagatipánan carried the baby near to the gate. When Ini-init and the betel-nut approached, the baby was happy and he went to be carried by Ini-init. When they arrived at the festival place, the people saw that he who carried the baby rolled because he was round, and they saw he was not a man but a stone, and Ebang and Pagatipánan said, “Ala! Aponībolinayen, you start and take off your arm beads and you dress in rags, you wrap your wrists with strings, in place of the arm beads, so that you can go with the stone when he takes you to his home, when our balaua is finished.” Not long after Aponībolinayen started. She took off her beads and her dresses and exchanged them for rags and strings. When she changed her dresses, she went down the ladder, and she saw that he who carried the baby was a stone, which was round. After that Pagatipánan said, “Ala! now our balaua is finished, you go home to the town of the stone.” Aponībolinayen said, “Yes, if that is what you say.” Those people who were invited bade them good-by, and when they went away, they went home also—those whom they invited.
Not long after they arrived at their home and the sun became a man, he who had been a stone before. “When next month comes we shall build balaua, Aponībolinayen, so that we can invite our relatives, and Page 40I will pay the marriage price, because I marry you,”[17] said Ini-init to her. Soon the month arrived in which they said they would build balaua, and they summoned the old woman Alokotán, to start the balaua. Not long after they sent to get bolo and lono[18] with which to make the dakīdak and talapītap.[19] When it became afternoon the old woman Alokotán began to sing da-eng[20] and the next night they sang da-eng again. Not long after they commanded to pound rice, and Aponībolinayen used magic so that many women went to pound with them.[21] And Ini-init practiced magic so that they had many neighbors, and many who went to pound rice with them.
Soon they commanded to get the timbers for the balaua, and they prepared everything which they needed. When it became morning they built balaua, and not long after they went to get the prepared betel-nut, which is covered with gold, which they sent to invite their relatives.[22]
When they arrived—those prepared betel-nuts which were covered with gold—they oiled them at the beginning of the night, and sent them to invite. Aponībolinayen said, “I will use magic, so that you, betel-nut, may reach the town of our relatives so that you invite all of them. When there is one who will not come, you grow on their knees, as long as they do not come.” Not long after they made Libon[23] in the beginning of the night.
Those betel-nuts, whom they sent to invite, arrived, those which they sent to invite their relatives. They did not wish to go to make balaua. The betel-nuts who went to invite them said, “If you do not wish to come, I will grow on your knee.” Pagatipánan said, “You grow,” and the betel-nut grew on his knee, and it became high and he was in pain. “Ala! you get off my knee, and you go on my pig,” he said, and the betel-nut went truly on his pig and it squealed. “You get off my pig, and we will come,” he said, and the betel-nut truly got off the pig. “Ala! you who live in the same town, you go and wash your hair and bathe, and wash your clothes so that we can go to make Sayang[24] with the stone and Aponībolinayen. Here is a betel-nut covered with gold which they send,” said Pagatipánan. And the people who lived in Page 41the same town washed their hair and bathed, and they went to wash their clothes. Not long after it became afternoon and Pagatipánan used magic so that cake and singed pig appeared which they were to take to those who make Sayang, which they exchanged with those who make Sayang.[25] Not long after they arrived at the place of the gathering, and Aponībolinayen and Ini-init went to make alawig,[26] and when they had finished, they brought them up to the town. Pagatipánan said, “I did not think that the stone which rolled could change when he came to make balaua with us.”
“Ala! now all you who have arrived, rich men, you divide the prepared betel-nut which is covered with gold,” said Ini-init. Not long after Pagatipánan cut the betel-nut and chewed, and the quid of Ini-init went to the quid of Pagbokásan, and the quid of Aponībolinayen went to the quid of Pagatipánan.[27]
“Ala! now that we have finished chewing, I will give the payment for Aponībolinayen, and now that you have found out that I am your son—father and mother—let us give the payment,”[28] said Ini-init.
His father and mother said, “If that is what you say, my child, we will give,” and they gave him the name of Aponītolau.[29] And Aponītolau said, “Ala! you play the gansa[30] so that we can dance.” When they played the gansa, Iwaginan took the alap and kinamayan[31] and he gave them to Aponībolinayen and Agyokan. When Aponībolinayen and Agyokan had finished dancing, they made Aponītolau and Asindamáyan dance. When Aponītolau and Asindamáyan finished dancing he made to dance Dinay of Kabisīlan, who was the daughter of Dalonágan, and also they made to dance Kanag,[32] who was the son of Aponībolinayen and Aponītolau. When they finished to dance, Datalan and Dalonágan of Kabisīlan danced, and when they finished to dance, Iwaginan made Dagapan and Indiápan dance. When they had finished dancing Gintᴇban and Agyokan were next. And the beads of Gintᴇban were jars, which struck together while they danced. Next were Iwaginan and Kindi-iñan who Page 42was the wife of Ilwīsan of Dagapan. And when they had all danced they stopped playing the gansa. Aponītolau gave the payment for Aponībolinayen and it was the balaua nine times filled with jars—malayo, tadogan, and ginlasan.[33] And when he had given all the payment they played again on the gansas for one month and they danced.
When one month passed, they went home—their relatives whom they had invited. They said, “Ala! now Aponītolau and Aponībolinayen, since the day has arrived on which we go home, do not detain us for we have been here for a month, we go home to our town.” Not long after they all went home. And the father and mother of Aponītolau took them home with them to Kadalayapan, and they took all their possessions from up above. When they arrived in Kadalayapan those who lived in the same town were surprised, for Aponītolau and Aponībolinayen were there. They went to see them and Balokánag (i.e., Kanag—their son) was large. It is said.
(Told by Magwati, a man of Lagangilang Abra.)