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There was a man named Wadagan, and his wife was Dolīmáman. They were sitting together in the middle of the day, and Dolīmáman commanded Wadagan to stick with a thorn the place between her fourth and little finger. So Wadagan stuck her finger with the thorn and as soon as he did so a little baby popped out. “What name shall we give to this boy?” said Wadagan. “You ask what name we shall give him, we are going to call him Kanag Kabagbagowan,” she replied. “Give him a bath every day.” “I use my power so that every time I give him a bath he will grow.”[198] She always said this when she bathed him and every time the baby grew. Not long after she said, “I use my power so that when I bathe him again he will be so big he will ask for his clout, belt, and top.” As soon as she said this and bathed him the boy became big and asked for his clout, belt and top. Not long after he dressed up and took his top and went to play with the other boys.
Not long after Dolīmáman said to Wadagan, “Take care of the boy Page 152while I go to the well,” and Wadagan said, “Yes.” As soon as Dolimáman arrived at the well Wadagan made a little raft and Kanag went to the place where he was working and asked, “What is that for father?” “‘What is that for,’ you say. I am going to make it for your toy.” Not long after he said, “My son go and change your clothes and as soon as you change your clothes I will see you.” When Kanag went to change his clothes his father was watching for him. He said, “My dear son, now we will follow your mother to the well.” So they went, but they did not go to the place where Dolimáman was. They went to the east of Dolimáman, and Wadagan said, “Ala, Kanag, go on the raft which I have just made, and I will drag it up stream with a rope.” Kanag did not want to, but his father lifted him and put him on the new raft. As soon as he put him on the raft he pushed it out into the current and then he went back home.
When he reached the yard Wadagan went into the balaua and laid down, and when Dolimáman returned she inquired for Kanag and she said, “Where is Kanag? Why can I not see him here?” Wadagan said, “I do not know. I think he is playing with the other boys in the east.” Not long after Dolimáman went to ask Agtanang and Gamayawan, and she said to them, “Did you see our son Kanag?” “No, we did not see him,” they replied. Not long after, while she was inquiring, they told her the truth, and they said, “He went to the well with his father and they carried a little raft which had just been made.” Not long after Dolimáman went to the west of the well and she saw the marks of the raft in the sand by the river and she sat there for along time and Agtanang and Gamayawan shaded her while she sat there by the river.
Not long after the old woman Alokotán went to the well for she felt hot. As she was taking a bath she saw the little raft which was just made and said, “You new little raft, if the son of Wadagan and Dolimáman is inside of you, come here.” So the little raft went to her where she was making a pool in which the dead or sick were put to restore them. As soon as she finished the pool she took him to her house and Kanag asked for something to eat. The old woman Alokotán said, “Go and eat, it is already prepared.” So Kanag went and ate and he said, “Mother, give me that nose flute so I can play.” So she gave it to him and he played. “Agdalīyan, you are feeling so happy while your mother is feeling unhappy, and is going to die by the river side,” said the flute as he played. So he stopped playing and he said, “What is the matter with this flute? It sounds bad. I am going to break you into pieces.” Not long after he asked the old woman Alokotán for the bunkaka[199] Page 153and she gave it to him. When he received it he played, and the bunkaka said the same as the flute. “What is the matter with this bunkaka that it talks bad? I am going to break you.” He put it down again and said to Alokotán, “Mother, I am going to play with the other boys.” “No, do not go,” said the old woman, but he went nevertheless to play with the boys.
Not long after he reached the balaua, and he met a little boy playing with līpī nuts, and they played together. “Will you come with me to the place where my mother is while I ask for my tobacco?” said Dagoláyan. “If that is what you say we will go,” said Kanag. So they went to the place where Dolimáman was and the milk from her breasts went to Kanag's mouth. “Here is my son now,” said Dolimáman who was lying down and she sat up. “What is the matter of this woman, she called me her son and she is not my mother,” said Kanag. “Where is your mother then?” said Dolimáman. “My mother is in Nagbotobotán and her name is Alokotán,” said the boy. “Ala, let us go. Where is Nagbotobotán? Guide me,” said Dolimáman. As soon as they arrived, she said, “Good morning, my Aunt.” “Good morning also,” said Alokotán. “My son is with you,” said Dolimáman. “Yes, your son is with me, because I met him by the river near the well.” “How much must I pay you, my Aunt, because you found him and he has staid with you,” said Dolimáman to the old woman. “I do not wish anything, for my reason for taking him was so that I might have someone to inherit my possessions, because I have no child.” “That is not my mother,” said Kanag to Alokotán, and she replied, “Yes, that is your mother, but your father put you on the river when you were a little boy, and I found you there and I took you, so I might have someone to inherit my things.” Not long after, “Ala, my Aunt, now we are not going home we will stay here, because my husband Wadagan does not like us.” So they used magic so that their house in Kadalayapan went to Nagbotobotán, and the people were surprised at the noise made by the house when it went to Nagbotobotán. They saw that it was a big house all made of gold, and they placed it near to the house of Alokotán. Not long after Wadagan made balaua, because he could not find his family in their golden house.
Wadagan got out of the balaua and said, “I am going to take a walk and see if I can meet Dolimáman and our house which is made of gold.” Not long after he went to walk, and he did not meet any of them. “I am going to go to Nagbotobotán and see if the new raft went there.” So Wadagan went and not long after, while he was walking, he reached the edge of the town of Nagbotobotán, and he saw the golden house, and he went to it directly, and he said, “Perhaps that was our house, for Page 154there was no other to compare with it.” When he arrived in the yard he said, “Good morning.” “Good morning also,” said the old woman Alokotán. “How are you, my Aunt?” She said, “We are well.” And he asked her if she had seen the little raft pass by and she said, “Yes, it passed by here and I took it.” So they made him go upstairs and when he got up there he saw Dolimáman and Kanag, and Kanag did not know his father. “You call me father, for you are my son,” said Wadagan to him. “No, you are not my father,” said Kanag, “If you do not wish to call me so, then I will go home, and we will leave you here. Let us go Dolimáman. If Kanag does not like me it is all right,” said Wadagan. “I don't like you, for you sent me away,” said Kanag. “Go back home, we are going to stay here,” said Dolimáman. So Wadagan went back home and he went everywhere and Dolimáman, Kanag and Dagoláyan staid in Nagbotobotán.
(Told by Madomar of Riang.)