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There was a man Awig and Aponībolinayen, and there was a girl named Linongan. “Ala, you make Linongan start for she goes to watch the mountain rice. You cook for her so that she goes to watch and I go to guide her,” said Awig. “Why do you dislike our daughter Linongan? Do not make her go to watch for she is a girl. If she were a boy it would be all right. You know that a girl is in danger. That is why you must not put her to watch the field.” “No you give her cooked rice and cooked meat and make her start, for I am ready to go now,” said Awig.
Not long after they went to the place where the mountain rice grew, and he went to station her in the high watch house. He commanded her to climb, and when she was in the middle of the ladder she was afraid, for she nearly fell down, it was so high. Not long after she reached the watch house. When she looked down it seemed as if her eyes fell down it was so high. “Ala, you my daughter Linongan live here and watch our rice, I will come to see you. Do not show yourself if anyone comes,” said Awig to her and he went home to Natpangan. “Ala, you are so happy now, Awig, for you cannot see our daughter Linongan,” said his wife Aponībolinayen, and Awig laid down in the balaua and Aponībolinayen laid down in the room.
As soon as Awig left Linongan in the field, the tattooed alzados went to the watch house, and Linongan laid down for she was afraid of them. When the tattooed alzados looked up toward the watch house it seemed as if the moon shone, “Ala, we will go up and see what that is.” They went up, and when they arrived in the place where the girl was they were surprised at her beauty. “We will not kill her,” said the young Page 155men to the bravest of them. “Yes,” said the bravest, “get away so I can see her, if she is very beautiful.” When the young men got away he cut her in two at her waist. They took her body and her head and went home. “Why did you kill her,” said the young men. “So that you do not get a bad omen, young men,” said the bravest of them.
Not long after they had killed Linongan, “Why does my breast flutter so, Awig?” said Aponībolinayen. “I feel sad also,” said Awig. “Ala, Aponībolinayen you cook food for me to take when I go and see our daughter,” said Awig. Aponībolinayen truly went to cook for him. When Aponībolinayen finished cooking, “Ala, give me my dark colored clout and my belt which has pretty colors, so that I go at once to the place where the tattooed alzados are. Perhaps they found our daughter. Look often at the lawed which I shall plant by the stove. If it wilts so that its leaves are drooped, you can say Awig is dead.”[200]
When Aponībolinayen thought he had arrived at the field she looked at the lawed and it was green and flourishing. Not long after Awig saw the blood below the watch house. “Perhaps this is the blood of my daughter. I am going to see if they have killed her.” He climbed up, and when he got up, the body and head were not there, so he went down. As soon as he got down he sat and he bent his head, “What can I do? Where am I going to go to find my daughter?” he said. Not long after he took a walk. When he reached the jungle he looked at the big high tree. [“We can see all over the world from the high trees.” This was a side remark by the story-teller.] “The best thing is for me to climb so that I watch and see where the alzados live, where my daughter is,” he said, and so he climbed. As soon as he climbed up he saw all over the world. He looked to the west, there were no people there who celebrated. “There is no one there,” he said. He looked toward the north. There were none there who celebrated. “There is no one there,” he said. He turned his face to the east, there was no one there. When he looked in the south he saw the alzados who were making a celebration; and they danced with the head of his daughter. “Perhaps that is my daughter,” he said. “How terrible if it is my daughter,” and his tears dropped. Not long after he went down. As soon as he got down, “If I follow the path I will spend much time. The best way is for me to go through the woods, to make the way short. I will go where they are,” he said, and he went.
When he had almost reached the place where the alzados were dancing he said, “What can I do to get the head of my daughter?” and he bent his head. Not long after he remembered to go and get the juice Page 156of the poison tree. As soon as he secured it he split some bamboo for his torch, as he went to the celebration of the alzados. As soon as he arrived there he said, “Good evening.” “Good evening,” they answered. He laid down the torch by the fire of the alzados, who thought him a companion. “Where did you come from? It has taken you so long to arrive we thought that you were dead. We did not meet you, but we found one lady who never goes out of the house, who is very beautiful, that is why we celebrate.” “I took long because I was in the middle of the wood, for I wanted to get a head. I was ashamed to go back home without a head, but I did not meet anyone, so I did not secure one, for I had a bad sign. That is why I did not reach the town where I wanted to go and fight,” he said. “Ala, make him sit down,” said the bravest. “Yes,” said alzados and they made him sit, and they danced again. “Ala, you give him a coconut shell filled with basi, then he must dance, when he finishes to drink,” said the bravest again. Awig stood up. “Ala, I ask that if it is possible I take the coconut shell, for I am the one who must give the people to drink, and when I have made all drink, then I will dance. I will make kanyau[201] so that next time I may be successful,” he said. “Ala, you give the golden cup to him, and let him serve us drink. As soon as he will make us drink we will make him dance.” “Yes,” they said. Not long after he took the cup and he used his power so that though he drank the basi the poison which he put in the big jar would not kill him, and he drank first. As soon as he drank he made the bravest drink. Not long after he made all of them drink, and the alzados all died, for he used magic so that when they had all drunk then they all died. He put a basket on his back, and he went to put the head of his daughter in the basket. He took the head into the middle of the circle, and he took all the valuable things which the alzados had put on her. As soon as he got all the things he went home.
When he was in the middle of the field he turned back his face and saw four young alzados who followed him through the cogon grass, and he used magic so that the flame of the fire was so hot that the alzados who followed could not reach him.[202] When the flame of the fire was over he turned his face again when he reached the middle of the next field. He used his magic again so that the flame was so high there that the alzados, who always followed, could not reach him. As soon as the flame was gone they followed again, and Awig shouted. The alzados were frightened and were afraid to follow him for they were then near to Page 157Kaodanan. “Ala, we will go back or the people of Kaodanan will inherit our heads,” and they went back home. Those were all who were left for Awig did not give them poison.
Not long after Awig arrived in Natpangan. He went back to get the rest of his daughter's body from the place where the mountain rice grew. When he arrived in their house he joined the body and the head. They looked at her and she was sweating. “Ala, Awig you go and command someone to get the old woman Alokotán. When she speaks to the cut on our daughter's body the body and head will join better,” said Aponībolinayen to Awig. Not long after, “Ala, you spirit helpers go to get old woman Alokotán of Nagbotobotán, so she will speak to the cut on Linongan,” said Awig. “Yes,” said the spirits and they went. Not long after they arrived at Nagbotobotán, “Good morning,” they said, “What are you coming for you spirits,” said old woman Alokotán. “‘What are you coming for you say?’ Awig sent us to call you and take you to Natpangan, for you to speak to the cut on their daughter, for the alzados killed her when they sent her to watch the mountain rice.” “That is why those people are bad, for when they have only one daughter they do not know how to take care of her.” “Ala, what can you do, that is their custom. Please come,” said the spirits. “Ala, you go first, and I follow. I ought not come for I want them to feel sorrowful for their only daughter, which they sent to the field, but I will come for I want Linongan to live. You go and I will follow,” she said. “Yes,” they said.
When the spirits arrived in Kaodanan the old woman Alokotán arrived also. As soon as she arrived she went at once where Linongan was lying. “Ala, you Aponībolinayen and Awig this is your pay, for although you have only one daughter you sent her to the mountain field,” said the old woman Alokotán to them. Awig and Aponībolinayen did not answer for they were ashamed. When the old woman had finished to talk to them she put saliva around the cut on Linongan and caused it to join. When she finished joining it, “I use my power so that when I snap my perfume[203] which is called dagimonau (‘to wake up’) she will wake up at once.” When she snapped her perfume Linongan woke up at once. “I use my power so that when I use my perfume alīkadakad (sound of walking or moving) she will at once make a movement.” When she snapped her perfume Linongan moved at once. “I use my power so when I snap my perfume banawᴇs she will blow out her breath!” When she snapped her perfume, she at once breathed a long breath. “Wes how terrible my sleep was,” said Page 158Linongan. “‘How terrible my sleep’ you say. The tattooed alzados nearly inherited you. I went to follow you because they took you to their town and they danced with your head,” said Awig.
Not long after Awig went to take four small branches of the tree and he used magic, “I use my power so that when the four sticks will stand they will become a balaua.” He used his power and truly the four sticks became a balaua and Aponībolinayen commanded someone to pound rice. Ten days later they made Lībon, on the tenth night. When it became morning Awig commanded someone to go and get the betel-nut which is covered with gold. As soon as they arrived they oiled the betel-nuts. “Ala, all you betel-nuts, you go to invite the people from the other towns who are relatives so that they will come to make balaua with us. You go to all the towns where our relatives live and invite them, and if they do not wish to come you grow on their knees.” So the betel-nuts went.
Not long after the people whom they invited came to the place where they made balaua and they all danced. The companion of Ilwīsan of Dagápan in dancing was Alama-an. When Ilwīsan stamped his feet the earth rumbled. When he looked up at Alama-an he said, “How terrible is the love of the ladies toward me; she thinks that I love her,” but he wished to dance with Linongan. When they finished dancing, Asigtanan and Dondonyán of Bagtalan danced next. When Dondonyán shook his foot the world smiled and it rained softly. When they finished dancing, Iwaginan and Linongan, who never goes outdoors, danced. When Iwaginan stamped his feet, all the coconuts in the trees fell, and when Linongan moved her toes in dancing all the tattooed fish came to breathe at her feet for the water covered the town when they danced. When they were still dancing the water flowed, only a little while, and it was only knee deep, “Ala, you Iwaginan and Linongan, stop dancing because we are deluged,” said Awig and the old woman Alokotán. They stopped dancing and the water went down again from the town. “How terrible are the people who are like Kabonīyan for they are so different from us,” said the other people who went to attend balaua with them.
Not long after, when all the people had finished dancing and the balaua was over, the people went home and Iwaginan was engaged to Linongan. Aponībolinayen said, “We do not wish that our daughter be married yet,” but Awig agreed. “Why do you agree, Awig, do you not like our only daughter?” said Aponībolinayen. “I like her, but it is better for her to be married. He seems to have power. Don't you know that a girl has many dangers? It is better for her to be married, because she is the only daughter we have,” said Awig. Not long after Page 159they made pakálon. “Ala, now, sister-in-law, how much will we pay?” said Dinowágan to Aponībolinayen. “The balaua three times full of jewels,” said Aponībolinayen. “Ala, yes, sister-in-law,” she replied. So she used her magic and the balaua was three times full of jewels, and Aponībolinayen raised her eyebrows and half of the things in the balaua disappeared, and Dinowágan used her power again and filled the balaua. “Ala, stop that is enough to pay for our daughter,” said Aponībolinayen. “I pay now.” “Yes,” they said. “Now that we have made the payment we will go home,” said Dinowágan. “If you do not let us take Linongan to Pindayan, Iwaginan will live here and I will come to visit them,” said Dinowágan to Awig and Aponībolinayen. As soon as Dinowágan and her companions went home. “Ala, my wife we go to Pindayan to see our mother Dinowágan,” said Iwaginan. “Yes, if that is what you say we will go,” said Linongan. Not long after they asked Awig and Aponībolinayen, “You go, but do not stay long,” they said. “Yes,” they answered.
When they arrived in Pindayan, Iwaginan and Linongan went to bathe in the river, and Iwaginan saw the place where the alzados had cut Linongan in her side, and he went to make a magical well in which a person can bathe and lose all scars and wounds; and it looked as if she had no cut and she was prettier, and they went home. When they arrived in the house Dinowágan was surprised, for she was more beautiful than before. “I made the magic pool and cured the cut in her side which I saw,” he said. Not long after when they had been two days in Pindayan, they went to Natpangan.