23
Reading edition
“Tikgī, tikgī, Līgī, if you want us to cut rice for you, we will come to work with you,” said the tikgī birds, “Because we like to cut your rice amasī, which is mixed with alomáskī in the place of Domayásī.” Līgī said to them, “What are you going to do? I do not think you can cut rice, for you are birds and only know how to fly, you tikgī.” But they still asked until he let them cut his rice. “Ala, Līgī, even if we are tikgī we know how to cut rice.” “If you want to come and cut, you must come again, because the rice is not yet ripe. When you think it is ripe, you come,” he said. “If that is what you say Līgī that we shall come when the rice is ripe, we will go home and come again,” said the tikgī. Not long after they went home.
As soon as the birds went Līgī fell sick; he wanted always to see them, and he had a headache, so he went home to Kadalayapan. The tikgī used magic so that Līgī's rice was ripe in a few days.
Five days later, Līgī went back to his rice field and the tikgī went also, and they arrived at the same time. “Tikgī, tikgī, Līgī, Ala, now we have come to cut your rice amasī which is mixed with alomáskī in the place of Domayásī,” said the tikgī. “Come, tikgī, if you know how to cut rice,” said Līgī. Not long after the tikgī went. “We use magic so that you cut the rice. You rice cutters, you cut alone the rice. And you tying bands, you tie alone the rice which the rice cutters cut,” said the tikgī. So the rice cutters and bands worked alone and Līgī went home when he had shown them where to cut rice. He advised the tikgī to cut rice until afternoon, and they said, “Yes, Līgī, when it is afternoon you truly come back.” “Yes,” said Līgī.
When it became afternoon Līgī went. As soon as he arrived at the field the rice which they had cut was gathered—five hundred bundles. “Now, Līgī, come and see the rice which we have cut, for we want to go back home,” said the tikgī. Līgī was surprised. “What did you do, you tikgī? You have nearly finished cutting my rice alomáskī in the place of Domayásī,” he said. “‘What did you do’, you say, and we cut it with our rice cutters.” “Now you tikgī, I am ashamed to separate the payment for each of you. You take all you want,” said Līgī, so the tikgī took truly one head of rice for each one. “Now, Līgī, we have Page 150taken all we can carry,” said the tikgī. “All right if that is all you want, help yourself,” said Līgī, “and you come again.” After that the tikgī flew and took with them one head of rice each.
After the tikgī left Līgī had the headache again, so he did not put the rice in the carabao sled, but went home in a hurry. As soon as he arrived in his house Līgī used his power so that it again became morning. As soon as it became day the tikgī went and Līgī went also and they arrived at the same time. “Tikgī, tikgī, Līgī, can we cut your rice which is amasī mixed with alomáskī in the place of Domayásī?” “Are you here now, tikgī?” said Līgī. “Go and cut the rice and see if you can cut it very soon, and after that I will make Sayang, and you must come tikgī,” said Līgī. “Yes, we are going to cut and you do not need to stay here. You can go home if you wish,” said the tikgī. So Līgī went home.
As soon as he arrived in his house he went to make a rice granary. When it became afternoon they had finished cutting the rice and Līgī went to the fields to see them. As soon as he arrived there, “We have finished all the rice, Līgī,” they said. “Come and give us the payment and then you can go home and see the rice granary where you put the rice, and all the rice bundles will arrive there directly, for you cannot carry them home.” “I cannot take them home, for I always have a headache when you go. Since you came I began to have headaches,” said Līgī. “Why do you blame us, Līgī?” “Because since you came I have had headaches.” After that Līgī went home to see the rice granary.
As soon as Līgī left them they used magic so that all the rice went to the granary of Līgī in his town. As soon as Līgī arrived at the drying enclosure he saw the rice which the tikgī had sent and he was surprised. “I wonder how those tikgī sent all the rice? I think they are not real tikgī” said Līgī. As soon as the tikgī sent all the rice to the town they went home, and Līgī went to his house.
(Told by Madomar of Riang barrio of Patok.)