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Aponībalagen went to put Aponībolinayen in Kabwa-an, where no one could see her. As soon as they arrived at the ocean they rode on the crocodiles to Kabwa-an. When they arrived there Aponībalagen used magic so that a big golden house stood in the middle of a wide plain. In the yard were many betel-nut trees and a spring below the trees. The gravel where the stream flowed was beads called pagatpat and kodla, and the leaves and grass used to rub the inside of the jars was a necklace of golden wire.
When the golden house, and betel-nuts, and spring had appeared, Aponībalagen left an old woman with Aponībolinayen and Alama-an, and Sinogyaman and Indiápan, and he went back home, and he said to them, “Do not be afraid to stay, for no one can see you here, where I have put you, and if anyone tries to come here the crocodiles will eat them. You have everything you need.” So he went home.
Ingiwan who lived in Kabilabīlan went to take a walk. As soon as he arrived at the ocean he wondered how he could get across. Not long after he put his headaxe on the water and he rode on it, for he used magic, and his headaxe floated and went to the other side of the ocean. As soon as he reached the other side he took a walk and he saw the big golden house in the middle of the wide plain. He was surprised, and he went to see it, and the crocodiles all slept while he crossed the ocean. When he reached the spring he said, “How pretty the well is. I think the girl who owns this well has magical power, and that she is pretty also.” So he went to the house and said, “Good afternoon.” Alama-an was cooking, and she said, “Good afternoon.” She looked at him from the window, and she saw that he was a fine looking man. She did not tell Aponībolinayen, but she had him go up the ladder. The old woman who took care of them asked why she did not tell her and Aponībolinayen. Alama-an said she did not know what she was doing when she had him go up. So the old woman went to ask him what he came for. He said, “I just took a walk and I did not know how to get home, for there was a very high bank in the way, so I came across the ocean to learn the other way back home. While I was still on the ocean I saw this big golden house. I came here, for I was very tired, for it is more than one month since I left Kabilabīlan.” “Ala, you Alama-an go and cook some food for this young man,” said the old woman, and Alama-an went truly, and when she finished cooking, the old woman called him to eat. The young man said he did not wish to eat unless one of the ladies who never went outdoors[110] ate with him. “Alama-an is the girl who never goes outdoors,” Page 85said the old woman, but he did not believe her, and so he did not go. When he would not eat she called Sinogyaman to go and eat, but the young man said, “I do not wish to eat with anyone except the pretty girl who never goes outdoors.” So the old woman called Indiápan. As soon as she went outdoors to the place where the young man was, “No, that is not the girl I want. There is one prettier still. I will not go to eat.” The old woman became angry and said, “If you are not hungry and do not wish to eat that is all right. I have offered three young girls to eat with you, but if you do not wish to eat with them I do not care.” When the old woman and the three girls had eaten they gave him a place to sleep, and they slept also.
While the others were talking to the young man, Aponībolinayen was looking through a crack of the house, and she liked him very much. She wished to go outdoors and talk to him, but she was afraid because the old woman had said there were only the three young girls whom she called. As soon as they had finished talking, they went to bed.
In the middle of the night Ingiwan said to himself, “I believe there are other young girls here prettier than the last one she showed me. I will use my power and will become a firefly, and I will fly to all parts of the house, and see if there is a prettier one there.” So he used his power and he became a firefly and he flew.[111] When he was in the room where the old woman was, he left, and went where Alama-an was, and he went on to Sinogyaman. When he did not like her he went to Indiápan. “This is the last girl she showed me and I like her, but I believe that there is another prettier.” So he went to the next room, but no one slept there, and so he went on to the ninth room. He heard the sound of the pan pipe in the ninth room, and he was very glad. He flew over the head of the woman who was playing, and she stopped playing and struck at him. “How did the firefly get in here? I do not think there are any cracks in here.” The firefly said, “Do not strike at me, for I fear you will hit my headaxe and be cut.” So he became a man and sat down beside her, and Aponībolinayen saw that it was the man who had talked with the old woman and the girls, and she loved him, but she said, “Go outdoors, do not come here. I am afraid that the old woman who cares for us will see us. If you want something wait until morning and we will talk with her.” Ingiwan did not get up and he would not go outdoors, and he said, “The best thing for us to do is to chew betel-nut, so we will know each other. Do not be afraid for I would not have come here if it was not my fortune to marry you, for I was taking a walk and intended to go back home, but I met a high bank in the way, and there was no Page 86place to go except the ocean, so I came across the ocean. As soon as I reached the field I saw your house and I was surprised to see the golden house in the middle of the field. I spoke to the young girl who was cooking and she asked me to come up, and the old woman hated her. They asked me to eat, but I would not unless a pretty girl ate with me. So the old woman called two other pretty girls, but I did not want them, for they are not so pretty as you. I thought there were others prettier than the last one she showed me, so I became a firefly. It is my fortune to marry you.” So he cut the betel-nut, but Aponībolinayen did not want to chew. When he talked to her so she could not sleep she took the betel-nut, and when they chewed they saw that they both had magical power and that it was good for them to marry. Ingiwan said, “You are the woman who lives here and you must tell your name first.” “No, it is not good for a woman to tell her name first. You tell your name.” Not long after, “My name is Ingiwan, the son of alan, of Kabilabīlan, who did not find a way to go home, but who found you.” “My name is Aponībolinayen, who is the sister of Aponībalagen of Natpangan, who put me here so no one might see me. It is bad that you have come.”
When the daylight came Alama-an went to cook and when she finished the old woman said to her, “Go and call the man and see if he wishes to eat with the girls. You call them, but do not call Aponībolinayen, for that is why we are here, so no one can see her. I do not know why the alligators did not see him.” Aponībolinayen and Ingiwan heard what she said and they laughed. So Alama-an went to call him, but he was not in the room. She went to tell the old woman that he was not there, and they were surprised, for they thought he had gone home, for all the other rooms were locked. “If he is not there you go and call Aponībolinayen and we will eat.” The three girls went to the room of Aponībolinayen, but Ingiwan disappeared and they only saw Aponībolinayen. So they all went to eat and Ingiwan was not hungry, for Aponībolinayen used magic, so that rice and meat went to where he was hiding.
When they had lived together a long time Aponībolinayen said to him, “You better go home now, for it is time for my brother to visit us. If you wish to marry me you must arrange with him and my father.” So Ingiwan went back home and the crocodiles only watched him, but did not try to eat him. He rode on his headaxe, and when he reached the other side of the ocean he saw that the high bank had disappeared and he found the way home.
Not long after Aponībalagen went to wash his hair, and he went to the place where Aponībolinayen and the other girls were living. The three girls and the old woman agreed not to tell that a man had been Page 87there. As soon as Aponībalagen arrived in Kabwa-an he asked the old woman if anyone had been there, and she replied, “No.” He called Alama-an and the other girls to the place where Aponībolinayen was, so all of them might louse him. While Aponībolinayen was lousing her brother the milk from her breasts dropped on his legs, and Aponībalagen was surprised, and he said, “What have you done, Aponībolinayen.” She tried to rub it off from his leg. “No, do not rub it off; what is that?” “I do not know, brother. I guess I am sweating, for I am hot.” “No, I do not believe you, I think someone has been here.” He called the old woman and asked her. “You, grandmother, did you see a man who came here? Do not tell a lie.” “Why?” asked the old woman. But she knew that Aponībolinayen had a little baby, for she had pricked her little finger and the baby had come out.[112] “When the girls were lousing me the milk from Aponībolinayen's breast dropped on my legs. I think you know the man who has been here.” “I do not believe anyone came here, for we are on this side of the ocean, and the crocodiles protect us.”
Aponībalagen called all the crocodiles to the side of the house, and he whipped all the crocodiles, and he asked them why they did not eat the man who went to Kabwa-an. As soon as he whipped them one of them said, “We did not see any man come here, but we were all very sleepy one day a long time ago. We would have eaten the man if we had seen him.” Aponībalagen whipped all of them again. “I put you here to prevent anyone from coming here, and you did not watch. Go away.” The crocodiles were afraid and they said, “If that is what you say we will go.” So they went. Aponībalagen went back to the house and whipped the girls. “We will go back now to Kaodanan. I thought it was good for you to be here, but you have done wrong.” So he took them back to Kaodanan and they made balaua in order to find out who was the father of the boy. The boy grew one span every time they bathed him,[113] for they used their power. In a few days they built their balaua and the liblibayan[114] got betel-nuts which were covered with gold, and they oiled them and sent them to invite the people in all parts of the world. So the betel-nuts went.
As soon as the betel-nuts arrived in Kabilabīlan, they said, “Good morning, Kagkagákag,”[115] to the man who was lying in his balaua covered with mud. “We came to invite you to the balaua of Aponībalagen.” “I do not wish to go, for I have no clothes and am ashamed. I do not know Page 88the man who is going to make balaua.” “If you do not go I will grow on your knee,” said one of the betel-nuts. “Do as you wish.” So the betel-nut grew on his knee. When it grew big he became tired and he said, “Get off from me now and I will go.” So they went. All the people from the other towns had arrived and Aponībalagen carried the baby, to see whom the baby would want to go to, but the baby did not want any of them. When the betel-nut and Kagkagákag appeared the baby was happy and wanted to go to him. So Aponībalagen gave the boy to him and all the people were surprised that Aponībolinayen had wanted him. Not long after they danced, and when they had finished Aponībalagen said to Aponībolinayen, “Take off all your things and go to Kagkagákag.” Aponībolinayen did not wish to go, for he was not the same man she was with before, but her brother made her go, and he said, “Kagkagákag, take her to your town.” So he took her to his town, and when they reached the gate Aponībolinayen was crying, but he said to her, “Do not feel bad, I am the man who came to Kabwa-an. That is why the boy wants me, for I am his father.” Aponībolinayen did not believe him, but when they arrived at the spring of Kabilabīlan she was surprised to see that the stones were of gold, and the fruits of the trees were of gold and were beads, and she said to Kagkagákag, “Why do we come here? It is shameful for us to be seen by the man who owns this.” Kagkagákag laughed at her. “If you do not believe that I am your husband, you watch.” And he went to take a bath, and the mud all washed off, and she saw that he was the man who was with her before in Kabwa-an. So they went up to the town, and the alan who cared for Ingiwan was glad to see them.
Not long after they made balaua, for they wished to call Aponībalagen so that he would not always feel badly about them. Not long after they sent the betel-nuts to summon their relatives. As soon as the betel-nut arrived in Kaodanan, “Good afternoon, Aponībolinayen and Kagkagákag want you to attend their Sayang.” Aponībalagen laughed and said, “Yes,” and he called all the people and told them to prepare to go to the balaua.
When they arrived at the spring everyone was astonished, for all the fruit of the trees was of gold, and all the places they walked were covered with plates. And Aponībalagen said, “I do not think this is the spring of Kagkagákag. I think someone else owns it. We will go up to the house where he lives.” When they reached the gate of the town they asked the young girl who was going to the spring where Aponībolinayen and Kagkagákag slept, and the woman said, “You follow these plates, for they go to the ladder of Kagkagákag's house.” So they went and they always walked on the plates. When they arrived they saw many people Page 89dancing in the yard and Aponībalagen shook their hands. “Kagkagákag, if you had come as you are now to my balaua I would not have been bad to my sister.” Kagkagákag laughed at them and they all chewed betel-nut.
While they were chewing Langa-an and Pagatipánan went to them and they said, “We came to chew betel-nut also to see if we are related to you.” Kagkagákag gave them betel-nut, and when they chewed they found out that they were relatives and they called Kagkagákag, Aponītolau, and he paid the marriage price for Aponībolinayen. Aponīgawanī said to him, “I thought I had no brother. I do not know what my father and mother did with you.” The alan who cared for Aponītolau said, “He was by the road where Langa-an had dropped him on her way to Nagbotobotán, so I picked him up, for I have no children.” As soon as Aponītolau paid the marriage price they danced again, and the alan gave all her things to Aponītolau, for Langa-an and Pagatipánan took them home. Not long after Aponībalagen married Aponīgawanī, and he paid the same as Aponītolau had paid for Aponībolinayen.
(Told by Madomar, a woman of Riang barrio Patok.)