11
“I go to visit my cousin Gawigawen of Adasin,” said Aponītolau. He pushed his raft until he reached Pangasinan. At the spring he asked the women if his cousin Aponībolinayen was there. “She is not, because she went to celebrate Sayang.[116] Did you not get the invitation of Gawigawen of Adasin?” “No,” said Aponītolau.
Aponībolinayen went to have Lisnaya fix her upper arm beads and they sat in the shade of the pamlo-ongen tree, and Aponībolinayen dropped her switch.
“I wish to visit my relatives, but am ashamed because the invitation did not reach me,” said Aponītolau. So he went to rest in the shade of the pamlo-ongen tree, and he saw there the switch which was spread out, and there was none like it.
The women who had been at the spring said, “Why did you not invite Aponītolau? Whenever we have trouble, it is he and his cousin that we call.”
“Ala, we go down to the river to see.” They went to get Aponītolau and when they arrived at the spring he was there in the shade of the tree. “Ala, forgive us because the invitation did not reach you and come up to the Sayang” “Yes, but if the old enemy is there, when I go, the Page 90dance circle will be disturbed, if we fight.” They still requested him, and he went up to the place where they danced during the two months.
Dalinmanok of Dalinapōyan said, “Long ago, when my grandfather was young, the town of Kadalayapan became wooded.” (He meant that his grandfather had destroyed the town in which Aponītolau's ancestors lived.) “My grandfather Dagoláyen long ago said, ‘Dalinapóyan, Dagala, and also Dagopan became wooded.’” Then Dalinmanok became angry; he looked like a courting cock and seized Aponītolau by the hair. “It is as I predicted, Cousin Gawigawen; the circle is now broken.” They parted the fighters, but the hawk hastened to the town of Kadalayapan to tell Aponīgawanī.
“Cousin Dumalágan, Cousin Agyokan; the enemy—the old one—has killed my brother Aponītolau at the Sayang of Gawigawen of Adasin, so says the hawk.” After that they started and soon arrived in Adasin. They began at the south end of the town and killed so many it looked as though they were cutting down banana trees. “Look down, Aponītolau, and see if you know the men who are destroying the town.” Aponītolau truly looked. “Why, Cousin Dumalágan and Cousin Agyokan, do you destroy the town?” “Because the hawk reported to Aponīgawanī that you had been killed by the old enemy in the town of Adasin, and she has thrown away her upper arm beads[117] by the gate of Kadalayapan.”
“Ala! you stop. Ala! You who live, join their heads and their bodies; you join all,” he said. “I will spit once and they will appear as if they were not cut at all. I will whip my perfume which is banowᴇs, they quickly breathe. I whip my perfume which is alikadakad (clatter), and they quickly stand up. I whip my perfume which is dagimonau (monau—just awakened) and they quickly recover.”[118] “Oh, how long we have slept,” they said. “How long we have slept, you say, and you have been dead.” “Oh, how powerful are the people of Kadalayapan! Even if we die, we may hope to live again at once,” they said, and all went up to the house of Gawigawen.
“Now Dalinmanok of Dalinapōyan, Dumpoga of Dagala, Līgī of Madagītan and Līgī of Dagopan, expect me in two months' time, for I shall come to fight you.” After that they agreed and everybody went home. When they arrived at Kadalayapan there were no upper arm beads on Aponīgawanī, for she believed the hawk when it told her Aponītolau was dead. “No, I am not dead, but when two months have passed I shall go to fight Dalinmanok and his companions.” Page 91
“When you went to sail, did you not find the switch which belongs to Aponībolinayen? They are now making a ceremony to find it.” “It is here, that which I picked up in the shade of the pamlo-ongen tree, and I will take it back when I go to fight.”
Not long after that, according to the custom of the story, the second month came. “Old men who know the signs and very old women, come and see the liver and gall sack, because I go to fight.” After that they all gathered, they caught the pig and cut it in large pieces. “Ala, old men who know the signs and very old women, come and see the gall, for I go to fight.”[119] “This is better than your grandfather had when he consulted the gall. How fearful you will be to the town which you go to fight!” “Cousin Agyokan, go and tell all our cousins that we start when morning comes.” When early morning came—as goes in a story—they arrived. Aponītolau played his Jew's harp at the spring of the town, and it sounded like the song of a bird and the people smelt the odor of alangigan (Ilangilang) which is only possessed by the people of Kadalayapan. “Ala, it is Aponītolau,” said Dalinmanok. “Go and tell our companions that we go to fight him at the river, for we do not wish them to come on shore in our town.” When it was day, they met at the river and they fought until afternoon; and when Aponītolau was thirsty his headaxe turned slantwise and water blue as indigo flowed off it freely.
“Dumpoga of Dagala, Līgī of Madagītan, Līgī of Dagopan, Masilnag of Kaskasilnagan, I come to teach you because you do not know how to kill. When one tries to kill your left side, receive the blow with your right, and when they try to kill the right side, receive it with the left. Ala! you that are left alive, it is better that I spare you and that you marry the wives of your companions. I will spare you if you will all agree to give me one hundred jars which are ginlasan, summadag, and tadogan.” They agreed. They rolled the jars which they took down to the river and there were among them doldolī and ginaang,[120] and the jars were glad, for they had formerly belonged to Dagoláyen, the grandfather of Aponītolau, but had been stolen. After that Aponītolau said, “Give me your betel-nut with magic power. You jars and all you heads of dead persons which are cut off, go first to Kadalayapan.” After that they went and Aponītolau followed. After they arrived they danced with the heads and in a short time put them on the sagang.[121]
“Now, Aponīgawanī, bring me the switch of Aponībolinayen, for I Page 92go to take it to her.” He took the switch and used the power of the betel-nut, so that he went as quickly as a person can point to the place of many betel-nuts. In a short time, as the story goes, they arrived. “Good evening,” said Aponītolau, but Aponībolinayen thought him to be an enemy. “Does the old enemy bring greetings?” asked Aponītolau. Then they went up into the house and he leaned against the corner pole. Aponībolinayen looked at Aponītolau and his good looks seemed to climb the corner pole. “It is better for us to tell our names,” said Aponītolau, “for it is difficult to talk when we do not know each other's names.” After that he took out, from his little sack, nuts whose husks were of gold. He cut a nut and when he gave the half to Aponībolinayen their golden finger rings exchanged themselves. “Give back my ring,” she said. “Our relationship is the reason they change,” said Aponītolau. Then they chewed and laid the quids on the headaxe and they became agate beads which looked like honey, and laid in parallel lines. “We are relatives,” they said, and in a short time they told their names. When it became time to eat, Aponībolinayen said, “What do we eat?” He took the boiling stick and broke it into pieces, and it became a fish which they ate,[122] and Aponītolau took the bone out of the fish which Aponībolinayen ate. When they finished eating she spread the mat and the blanket which they kept in the box. “I do not like a blanket which is kept in a box, for it smells like kimi,”[123] said Aponītolau. “Why do you not like it? It is what we keep for company and is easy to use,” said Aponībolinayen. “The end of my clout is enough for my blanket,” said Aponītolau. Then Aponībolinayen used the power of the betel-nut and vanished. “Why is there no one here?” said Aponītolau. “I use your power betel-nut, so that I may become the insect which belongs to Kaodanan (i.e., the firefly).”
After that he flew and arrived in the ninth room and sailed back and forth near Aponībolinayen who was playing a pan-pipe. He touched her body and she struck him away. “You must not strike me away, for you hit my headaxe.” After that Aponītolau sat down. “How did you pass in here?” she asked. “I passed through the crack in the wall,” said Aponītolau; and after that they laid together. When it was early morning Aponībolinayen sent him away, for she feared her brother might come.
As Aponītolau went quickly to his raft, he was seen by Balau of Baboyan, a great bird. “How fine is Aponītolau, Ala! I shall take Page 93him to marry Gintᴇban.”[124] Then he was seized by Balau and was carried to Baboyan. “Now Aponītolau, you must marry Gintᴇban who lived in Baygan, for this place is surrounded with water blue as indigo and many crocodiles lie in that water.”
In a little while, as the story goes, Aponībolinayen gave birth to a child.
“Ala! grandmother, prick my little finger, for it itches.” She truly opened it and the baby popped out like popped rice.[125] After that they bathed it and called him Balokanag, for that is a name of the people of Kadalayapan. Soon the child was large and asked for a clout, then he asked the name of his father, but they told him falsely that it was Dumanagan. “Ala! get me a top so that I can play with the others,” he said. Then his mother gave him the top which was his father's when he was a little boy. After that he went to play with it. When it was late afternoon, the old woman Alokotán went to feed the pigs, but Kanag threw his top and it broke her jar. “Pa-ya,” said the old woman, “the son is brave; when you go to rescue your father who Balau captured, it will not be my pot toward which you act brave.” Kanag cried, “You said, mother, that Dumanagan is my father, but there is another who is my father—Aponītolau whom Balau stole.” Then Aponībolinayen cried, “How bad you are, old woman! We should have exchanged for your jar if you had not told him of his father.”
“You must make me sweets, for I go to get my father,” he said. “If he was seized, you who are little will be also,” said his mother, but he insisted. Then she used magic and secured for him the headaxe used by his father when he was a little boy, and she made him sweets. He started and went, and his mother planted a lawed vine by their hearth.[126] “Your power betel-nut, so that I go as quickly as pointing to Baboyan,” said Kanag. Soon he arrived there, and he saw the crocodiles lying in the water. “You power betel-nut that I may walk on the crocodiles. Make them all sleep so that they do not feel me.” He reached the home of Balau, where he saw great snakes hanging in the trees. He climbed the trees, he cut them so that they fell down, he cast them down—those big snakes—then he cut off the head of Balau, and the earth trembled. After that he went to find his father who was in the place of many betel-nuts.
“I am Balokanag whom Aponībolinayen desired, whom you left,” he said. “Now I take you home to Kadalayapan.” After that he Page 94truly took home Aponītolau, and Gintᴇban, who lived in Baygan. In a short time they arrived in Kadalayapan and Kanag's mother was there, because Aponīgawanī had taken her home. “Now we are married forever, Aponītolau,” said Gintᴇban who lived in Baygan. “No, for Aponībolinayen is his wife,” replied Aponīgawanī. “Ala! you chance it and the one who loses is not the one who is married. Put clay dishes in line, which you are to step on. The one who breaks them loses.” Aponībolinayen stepped first and there was nothing broken. Gintᴇban followed and all those clay dishes which she stepped on were broken. Then she went home to Baygan and after that Aponītolau and Aponībolinayen were married.