Pedro spoke first. “I have come,” he said, “to accuse Suan to you. He has one of my posts, and he won’t return it to me.”
On being asked if the accusation was true, Suan responded with a nod, and said in addition, “But Pedro ate a part of my rice and fish on the way here.”
“My decision, then,” said the king, “is that Suan shall give Pedro his post, and that Pedro shall give Suan his rice and fish.”
Isidro was the next to speak. “I have come here to accuse Suan. While my father was bathing in the river, Suan jumped on him and killed him.”
“Suan, then, must bathe in the river,” said the king, “and you may jump on him.”
When Barbekin was asked why he had come, he replied, “I wish to accuse Suan. He pulled my carabao by the tail, and it was broken off short.”
“Give Suan your carabao, then,” said the king. “He shall not return it to you until he has made its tail grow to its full length.”
The accused and the accusers now took their leave of the king.
“Give me the carabao now,” said Suan to Barbekin when they had gone some distance from the palace.
The carabao was young and strong, and Barbekin hated to give it up. So he said, “Don’t take the carabao, and I will give you fifty pesos.”