Note 42 — 2

“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 salakasak43 for she saw that Aponītolau was sorrowful.