When they arrived in Kadalayapan, Aponībalagen wanted to marry Aponīgawanī. He sent his mother to go and give the message. As soon as she arrived in Kadalayapan, “Good morning, nephew Aponītolau,” said Ebang. “Good morning, what are you here for?” said Aponītolau. “What are you coming for, you say. Aponībalagen sent me to talk to you, for he wishes to marry Aponīgawanī,” she said. “If you think it is good it will be all right,” said Aponītolau, so she took out the engagement gift and she put one earring inside of a little jar and it was filled with gold. Aponītolau lifted his eyebrows and half of the gold disappeared, so Ebang put another earring in the pot and it was full again. “Ala! when it becomes evening you come and bring Aponībalagen,” he said to Ebang. “Yes,” she said. So she went home. As soon as she arrived in their house in Kaodanan, Aponībalagen asked the result of her trip. “They agreed all right; we will go when it becomes evening,” said Ebang. When it became night they went to Kadalayapan and he lived with Aponīgawanī. When it became morning he took Aponīgawanī to Kaodanan and the father and mother of Aponīgawanī and the other people followed them. They went to get the marriage payment. It was the balaua filled nine times with jars. As soon as they gave all the payment, Aponītolau was the next to make his payment. It was also the balaua filled nine times. As soon as they made all the payment they went home.
(Told by Mano, a woman of Patok.)
3
“I am going to wash my hair. Give me the rice straw, which has been inherited nine times,” said Aponītolau to his mother Langa-an. Page 48So Langa-an gave him some and he went to the river to wash. As soon as he arrived at the well he saw the pretty girl who was washing her hair. He went and sat down on her skirt and the pretty girl told him not to cut her in many places so she would not need to doctor the wounds. “If I were an old enemy I would have killed you at the first. It is bad for us to talk when we do not know each other's names. Let us chew betel-nut,” said Aponītolau. “No, for it is not my custom,” said the girl. But Aponītolau compelled her to chew betel-nut with him. “You tell your name first,” he said to her. “No, it is not good for me to tell my name first, for I am a woman. You are a man. You tell your name first.” So Aponītolau said, “My name is Aponītolau of Kadalayapan who am the son of Langa-an and Pagatipánan, who came here to wash my hair. It is good fortune for me that I met you here washing your hair.” “My name is Gimbangonan of Natpangan, who am the daughter of It-tonagan, who is the sister of Aldasan.” As soon as she told her name she disappeared and went to hide among the betel nuts on the branch of a tree. So Aponītolau was very sorry and he went back home without washing his hair. As soon as he arrived where Langa-an was sitting he said to her “Mother, when I arrived at the well by the river I met a pretty girl whose name was Gimbangonan, the daughter of It-tonagan of Natpangan. We chewed betel-nuts and told our names, but as soon as she told her name she disappeared and I could not see her. She said that she lived in Natpangan. I want to marry her. Will you go and arrange the pakálon?”[42] So Langa-an went at once and got her hat which was as large as the salakasak[43] for she saw that Aponītolau was sorrowful.
When she took her hat it clucked.[44] “Why does my hat cluck when I take it down? I think they do not like you, Aponītolau,” said Langa-an. “No, you go and try.” So Langa-an went again to get her hat and again it clucked, but nevertheless she took it and went. When she was in the middle of the way the head of the hat which was like a bird swung and made Langa-an turn her head and it clucked again. Langa-an sat down by the trail and wondered what would happen. Not long after she went on again and she met Asindamáyan near the ford. She asked where the ford was and when Asindamáyan told her, she spread her belt on the water and it ferried her across. Not long after she reached the other side of the river, and she inquired for the house of Gimbangonan. Asindamáyan answered, “You look for the house where many people are putting props under the house. That is the house of Gimbangonan. Her porch has many holes in it.” Page 49
When Langa-an arrived at the house she said, “Good afternoon.” And It-tonagan and Gimbangonan answered, “Good afternoon.” They invited her to go up into the house and she went. “Why do you come here, Aunt?” said Gimbangonan. “I came to arrange for you to marry Aponītolau, for he wants to marry you and has sent me to talk about the pakálon.” Gimbangonan was very happy and said to her mother, “You tell him yes, for I wish to marry Aponītolau.” So It-tonagan agreed to the marriage and Langa-an asked how much the marriage price would be. “The regular custom of the people with magical power which is the balaua nine times full,” said Aldasan, because It-tonagan was always restless and was walking outside the house. So Langa-an left a little jar and agate bead, as a sign of the engagement, for Gimbangonan. Not long after she went back home to Kadalayapan. When she arrived where Aponītolau was lying down she said, “Wes” for she was tired and Aponītolau heard her and he went and inquired what was the matter. His mother answered that they had agreed on the marriage and the next day he could go and marry Gimbangonan.
As soon as the next day came they prepared jars of basi,[45] and pigs to be carried to Natpangan, and Aponītolau carried one large empty jar.[46] So they went. As soon as they arrived Aponītolau asked where Gimbangonan was, and the people said, “Look at the big woman.” He looked and saw that she was a very big woman and Aponītolau cried, for she was not the girl he had seen before, and he bent his head. While the old men were talking to each other Gimbangonan said to Aponītolau, “Come here, Aponītolau. Be very happy. Why do you bend your head?” Aponītolau did not listen, and he did not go. Not long after Langa-an and the others went back home and left Aponītolau to be joined to Gimbangonan. Aponītolau was afraid to go to Gimbangonan, for she was a very big woman. She called to him all the time, but he did not go to her. It-tonagan was restless and did not stay in the house even in the night, and they could not sleep.
After ten days Aponītolau said, “I am going to Kadalayapan for a little while. I will return soon.” “If you go to Kadalayapan I will go with you,” she said. “Do not go this time and I will take you next time,” he said, and he went. When he was near the gate of the town of Kadalayapan he hung his head until he reached his house. His mother asked why he hung his head. “I do not wish to marry Gimbangonan for she is not the woman I met by the river.” “Do not be angry with me for I did what you wished. I would not have engaged you to Gimbangonan Page 50if you had not sent me.” They sent their liblibayan[47] to go and get betel-nuts which were covered with gold, for they intended to make Sayang, so that they could find out who the woman was who had been by the river. Soon the liblibayan returned and they said, “We did not get the betel-nuts which you desired for we found a pretty toy among the branches of the tree.” Aponītolau took the branch of the tree which shone as if covered with fire and he put a blanket on it and many pillows around it. As soon as they had again commanded the liblibayan to get the betel-nuts they went and soon they arrived with the fruit. They oiled the betel-nuts and sent them to every place in the world and if anyone refused to come they were to grow on their knees. Not long after the betel-nuts went to the different towns and invited all the people.
When they arrived they danced and Aponītolau looked at them to see if the woman he met at the river was there, but she was not among them, and he wondered what had become of the woman, for the betel-nuts had gone to all parts of the world. Aponītolau went into the house for he was sorrowful, and he laid down near the blankets and he noticed that the blankets appeared as if on fire and he was frightened.[48] He got up and unwrapped the blankets and he saw a pretty girl. “I did not think you were here. I have been engaged. You said your name was Gimbangonan, and I sent my mother to engage me to you, but when I saw Gimbangonan she was a big woman so I left her and came here to make balaua so I might find you. You cannot escape from me now for I shall hold your hand. Let us chew betel-nut.” So they chewed and Aponītolau said, “My name is Aponītolau of Kadalayapan who is the son of Langa-an and Pagbokásan to whom you told a lie for you said you were Gimbangonan, and now I want to know your real name.” “My name is Aponībolinayen of Natpangan who is the daughter of Ebang and Pagatipánan.” When they had told their names they saw that they were related and that they both possessed magical power, so they were married.