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Traditions of the Tinguian

Note 137 — 13

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Soon the chief of the spiders went to him: “What are you feeling sorry about, Aponītolau?” “I feel sorry because I cannot climb up the bank and go into the town.” “Do not feel sorry. You wait for me while I go up and put some thread which you can hold,” said the chief of the spiders.137 So Aponītolau waited for him. Not long after the spider said, “Now you can climb;” so Aponītolau climbed on the thread. After he got inside of the town of Gawīgawen he went directly to the house of Gawīgawen. When he arrived there Gawīgawen was still asleep in his balaua. As soon as he woke up and saw Aponītolau sitting by his balaua he stood and ran to his house and got his headaxe and spear. Aponītolau said to him, “Good morning, Cousin Gawīgawen. Do not be angry with me. I came here to buy your oranges for my wife. Aponībolinayen wishes to eat one, for she always has a headache, because she has nothing she can eat.” Gawīgawen took him to his house, and he fed him one carabao. “If you cannot eat all of the carabao which I give you, you cannot have the oranges which your wife wishes to eat.” Aponītolau was sorrowful, for he thought he could not eat all of the carabao and he bent his head. Not long after the chiefs of the ants and flies went to him. “What makes you feel so badly, Aponītolau?” they said to him. “I am sorrowful, for I cannot get the oranges which Aponībolinayen wishes to eat until I eat this carabao which Gawīgawen feeds to me.” “Do not be sorrowful,” said the chiefs of the ants and flies. So they called all the ants and flies to go and eat all the meat and rice. Not long after the flies and ants finished eating the meat and rice, and Aponītolau was very glad and he went to Gawīgawen and said to him, “I have finished eating the food which you gave me.” Gawīgawen was surprised. “What did you do?” “I ate all of it.”

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