5
“Mother Dinawágan go and engage me to someone, for I want to be married. I like the sister of Aponībalagen of Natpangan” said Gawigawen of Adasin. “Yes,” said his mother. So she took her hat which looked like the moonbeam and she started to go and when she arrived in Natpangan she said, “Good morning, nephew Aponībalagen.” “What do you want here, Aunt?” he replied. “What do you want, you say, and I want to talk with you.” “Come up, Aunt, and we will hear what you have to say.” So he asked his mother Ebang to prepare food. As soon as Ebang had prepared the food and called them to eat, Aponībalagen went to get the basi and they drank before they ate. And Ebang broke up the fish stick and put it in the pot and it became fish.[65] Not long after they ate, and when they had finished Aponībalagen said to Dinawágan, “Come and see this.” “No, I better stay here.” When Aponībalagen urged her she came in and he opened the basī jar which was nine times inherited and as soon as they had drank Dinawágan said that she could not tarry for it was afternoon, “I have something to tell you, Aponībalagen.” “What is it?” said Aponībalagen. “My son Gawigawen of Adasin wants to marry your sister.” Aponībalagen agreed, so she gave a golden cup which looked like the moon as an engagement present, and they agreed on a day for pakálon.[66] Aponībalagen said, “Tomorrow will be the day for pakálon.”
Dinawágan went home. “Did they accept our golden cup which looks like the moon, mother?” asked Gawigawen. “Yes. Tomorrow will be the pakálon,” said the mother. Not long after she said, “All you people who live in the same town with us, prepare to go to the pakálon of Gawigawen in Natpangan tomorrow afternoon.” The people agreed and in the morning they truly started and they went. “You, my Page 59jar bilibili which always salutes the visitors, go first; and you my jar ginlasan follow, and you malayo and tadogan and you gumtan.”[67] So they went first to Natpangan, and Gawigawen and the people followed them, and also eighteen young girls who were Gawigawen's concubines went also.
Not long after they arrived in Natpangan and Iwaginan and the other people went to attend the pakálon, and also many people from the other towns. When all whom they had invited arrived they agreed how much Gawigawen should pay for his wife. Aponībalagen told them to fill the balaua[68] eighteen times with valuable things. So the balaua was filled. Not long after they ate and when they had finished they went to the yard and they played on gansas and danced. Iwaginan took the skirts and gave one to Nagten-ngaᴇyan of Kapanīkīyan and they danced.[69] When she danced she looked like the spindle. She did not go around, but always moving and the water from the river went up into the town and the striped fishes bit her heels. Not long after they stopped dancing and Gimbagonan was jealous and she said “Ala, give me the skirt and I will dance next.” “Do not say that Gimbagonan, for it is shameful for us,” he answered her. Not long after he gave the cloth to Dakandokan of Pakapsowan. She danced with Algaba of Dagala. Not long after they finished dancing and Iwaginan made Aponībolinayen and Balogaygayan dance. He often went to fight in the enemies towns. Not long after Aponībolinayen went down from the house and the sunshine vanished when she appeared. She danced with Balogaygayan and when she moved her feet the water from the river went up again into the town and the fish bit at her heels as they did before. After they stopped Iwagīnan made his wife Gimbagonan dance and she was happy when she danced with Aponībalagen. When they danced the big jars around Gimbagonan's neck made more noise than the gansas and the jars said “Kītol, kītol, kanītol, inka, inka, inkantol.”
As soon as they finished dancing the people said, “The best thing to do is to go home, for we have been here three months now.” “We will take Aponībolinayen” said Dinawágan to the people who lived in the same town with her and she spoke to Aponībalagen. So they prepared rice and coconut soaked together and wrapped in leaves, and a cake made of rice flour and coconut shaped like a tongue, a rice cake, which was fried for Aponībolinayen's provision on the road. “You who live in the other towns who were invited, do not go home yet for we are going Page 60to take Aponībolinayen to Adasin,” said Aponībalagen. Soon it became morning and they all went to Adasin and Gimbagonan carried two big baskets of cakes, and while they were walking she ate all the time and she ate half of them. When they arrived at the spring of Gawigawen of Adasin, they were surprised, for it was very beautiful and its sands were of beads, and the grass they used to clean pots with was also beads and the place where the jars sat was a big dish.[70]
“Go and tell Gawigawen that he must come here and bring an old man, for I am going to take his head and make a spring for Aponībolinayen,” said Aponībalagen. So someone went and told Gawigawen to bring the old man Taōdan with him to the spring. So Aponībalagen cut off his head and he made a spring and the water from it bubbled up and the body became a big tree called Alangīgan[71] which used to shade Aponībolinayen when she went to the spring to dip water, and the blood of the old man was changed to valuable beads. Not long after they went up to the town and the place where they walked—from the spring to the ladder of the house—was all big plates. Gimbagonan sat below the house ladder, because they were afraid the house could not hold her, for she was a big woman, and she hated them and she said to Iwaginan, “Why do you put me here?” “We put you there because we are afraid that you will break the house and give a bad sign to the boy and girl who are to be married.”[72]
Aponībolinayen covered her face all of the time and she sat down in the middle of the house, for Indiápan said that she must not uncover her face for her husband Gawigawen had three noses, and she was afraid to look at him.[73] But Gawigawen was a handsome man. Aponībolinayen believed what Indiápan had told her. Not long after Dinawágan spread the string of agate beads along the floor where Aponībolinayen sat.[74] After a month they were still there and the people from the other towns wished to go home, and Aponībalagen said to Aponībolinayen, “Ala, be good to your husband and uncover your face. We are going back home now.” But Aponībolinayen would not uncover her face. Not long after all the people went back to their towns and Aponībolinayen's mother-in-law commanded her to go and cook. She did not uncover her face, but always felt when she went about, and when she had cooked, she refused to eat, but Gawīgawen and his father Page 61and mother ate. When Gawigawen went to Aponībolinayen at night she changed to oil, and she did that every night, and they put the carabao hides under her mat so the oil would not drop to the ground. On the fifth night she used magic so that they could not see her go out and she dropped her beads under the house and then she became oil and dropped her body. So she went away and always walked and Gawigawen looked for her, for a long time. He went to Natpangan for he could not find her in any of the towns.
When Aponībolinayen was in the middle of the jungle she met a wild rooster which was crowing. “Where are you going Aponībolinayen?” it said to her. “Why are you walking in the middle of the jungle?” and Aponībolinayen said, “I came here for I am running away from my husband for I do not want to be married to him for he has three noses.” “No, Gawigawen is a handsome man. I often see him, for this is where he comes often to snare chickens. Do not believe what Indiápan said to you, for she is crazy,” said the rooster. Not long after she walked on and she reached the place of many big trees and the big monkey met her and said, “Where are you going, Aponībolinayen?” And she answered, “Where are you going, you say. I am running away because I do not want to marry Gawigawen.” “Why don't you wish to marry Gawigawen?” “Because Indiápan told me he has three noses.” The monkey laughed and said, “Do not believe that. Indiápan wants to marry Gawigawen herself. He is a handsome man.” Aponībolinayen walked on and soon she reached a wide field and she did not know where she was. She stopped in the middle of the field and she thought she would go on to the other side.
Not long after she reached the ocean and she sat down on a log and a carabao came along. It passed often where she sat. Aponībolinayen thought she would ride on the carabao, and she got on its back and it took her to the other side of the ocean. When they reached the other side Aponībolinayen saw a big orange tree with much fruit on it. The carabao said, “Wait here while I eat grass and I will return soon.” Aponībolinayen said, “Yes,” but the carabao went to the place of the man who owned him and said, “Come over here, for there is a good toy for you.” And Kadayadawan of Pintagayan said, “What is it?” “Come, hurry,” said the carabao. So he combed his hair and oiled it and put on his striped coat and his clout and belt, and he took his spear and he rode on the carabao's back. Not long after Kadayadawan saw the pretty girl in the orange tree and he said, “How pretty she is!” And the carabao said, “That is the toy I told you about.”
When they reached the orange tree Aponībolinayen heard him when he stuck his spear in the ground and she looked down and saw a handsome Page 62man. “Good morning, lady,” he said. “Good morning,” answered Aponībolinayen. Not long after they chewed betel-nut and they told their names. “My name is Kadayadawan of Pintagayan who is the son of an alan.”[75] “My name is Aponībolinayen of Natpangan, who is the daughter of Pagbokásan and Ebang, who is the sister of Aponībalagen.” Their betel-nut quids became agate beads and Kadayadawan said to her, “Ala, it is good for us to marry. I am going to take you home.” So he took her to his home and he was good to his carabao, because it had found him a pretty woman. When they reached the house he put her in a room, and the Ati[76] commanded the soldiers to call Kadayadawan. When they reached the yard of Kadayadawan's house they called “Good morning.” And he looked out of the window and said, “What do you want?” “We came, because the king wants you and we came to get you.” So they started and went. When they arrived where the king was, “Why Kadayadawan have you a pretty girl in your house? Every night I notice that your house appears as if it were burning.” “No, I have not,” answered Kadayadawan. “I think you have, for I notice the flames every night.” “No, I have not. Where would I find a pretty woman?”[77]
Not long after he went back home. When he reached home Aponībolinayen said to him, “It is best for us to make Sayang.”[78] And Kadayadawan asked, “How do we make Sayang by ourselves? Our neighbors are all soldiers.” “Do not worry about that, I will see,” said Aponībolinayen. Not long after Kadayadawan took the betel-nuts and they oiled them and they sent them to the towns of their relatives to invite them to their balaua. The betel-nuts went. Aponībolinayen told Kadayadawan to go and get molave sticks. When he arrived with them Aponībolinayen used magic and she said, “I use magic so that when I thrust the molave stick in the ground it will become a balaua.” Not long after the stick became a balaua.
The betel-nuts arrived in Natpangan and said to Aponībalagen, “We came to call you, for Kadayadawan of Pintagayan is making balaua.” Aponībalagen said, “How can we attend the balaua when we are searching for my sister?” “If you do not wish to come I will grow on your knee.” “Go on my pig.” So the betel-nut grew on the pig, and it was so high the pig could not carry it and it squealed very much. “Ala, get off from the pig and we will come.” So Page 63the betel-nut got off and they started. “All you people who live in the same town come with me to attend the balaua of Kadayadawan of Pintagayan.” So they went. They arrived at the same time as Gawigawen of Adasin and they met near to the river. Not long after Kadayadawan saw them by the river and he sent the betel-nuts to carry the people across the river. When they were in the middle of the river Kadayadawan used his power so that their old clothes, which they wore in mourning for Aponībolinayen were taken off from them, and they were surprised, for they did not know when their old clothes had been taken off.
When they reached the other side Aponībalagen said to the people who lived with Kadayadawan. “We are ashamed to come up into the town, for we have no clothes.” Then the betel-nuts told Kadayadawan and he said, “Ala, go and tell them that I will come and bring some clothes for them.” Not long after he arrived where they were and he gave them some clothes to use. “Ala, take these clothes and use them, and come up to the town.” But Aponībalagen and his companions were ashamed. Kadayadawan urged them until they accepted the clothes.
Soon they reached the town and they danced and Iwaginan and Nagten-ngᴇyan danced again and the water from the river went up into the town and the fish bit her feet. Not long after that they stopped dancing and Iwaginan made Gawigawen and Aponībolinayen dance. While they were dancing Gawigawen watched Aponībolinayen, and when they had danced around nine times Gawigawen seized her and put her in his belt.[79] “Why do you do that Gawigawen?” said Kadayadawan to him, and he threw his spear and Gawigawen fell down and Aponībolinayen escaped and Kadayadawan put her in a room. As soon as he put her in the room he went to bring Gawigawen back to life. Not long after he revived him, “Why did you do that, Gawigawen? I did not steal Aponībolinayen from you.” And Gawigawen said, “Even if you did steal Aponībolinayen from me, she was my wife and I could not find her until now. That is why I put her in my belt, and Aponībalagen knows that she is my wife.” And Kadayadawan said, “She is my wife now.”
Not long after the alan who took care of Kadayadawan told Langa-an “Kadayadawan is your son. I picked him up when he was only blood which fell from you.”[80] “Why do you say that you are not my mother?” said Kadayadawan to the alan. Langa-an said to the alan, “It is good if he is my son.” They were very happy and they said to Aponībalagen, “Now we will pay the marriage price and also the price which Gawigawen Page 64paid before, we will repay to him.” Aponībalagen agreed, “You fill my balaua nine times with valuable things.” Not long after they filled the balaua nine times with valuable things and they repaid Gawigawen what he had paid when he married Aponībolinayen. When they had paid they danced again. “Ala, now we must go home, for we have staid here a month,” said the people from the other towns. So they went home and they took Aponībolinayen's marriage price.
“Ala, now my cousin alan, we are going to take Aponītolau[81] home for you have said he is our son,” and the alan said, “Yes, take all of my things. I took him for I had no children to inherit my possessions.” So they took them to Kadalayapan. The alan went to the other part of the world, and Langa-an used magic so that the golden house which the alan gave to Aponītolau went to their town of Kadalayapan. Not long after the golden house arrived and the people were surprised when they woke up in the morning and saw the big golden house. Not long after Aponītolau and Aponībolinayen and their father arrived there.
(Told by Magwati of Lagangilang.)