Note 183 — 31
Reading edition
Not long after they went and they met the doldoli183 in the way. “Where are you going, rich young men?” it said to them. “Where are you going,' you say, and we are going to get the perfume of Baliwán, for though we are far from it still we can smell it now.” “Ala, young men, you cannot go there, for when anyone goes there, only his name goes back to his town.” But the boys replied, “We are going anyway. That is the reason we are already far from home, and it is the thing the pretty girl wants.” “If you say that you are going anyway, you will repent when you reach there.” “It is the thing which will make the girls love us.” So they left the jar and walked on. When they reached the middle of the jungle they met a big frog, and it said, “Where are you going, young men?” “‘Where are we going,’ you say, and we are going to get the perfume of Baliwán, for that is what Asimbáyan of Ilang desires.” “No, do not go there, for everyone who has gone there has died.” “We will go on anyway, for we are already far from our town and we cannot return without the perfume.” So they left the frog and walked on. Not long after they approached the place where the perfume was, and while they were still a long way off they could smell its odor. “What a fine odor it has. That is why the young girl who never goes outdoors desires it so much.” They walked on and in a short time they reached the place below the perfume. When they were there Dagoláyan said to Kanag, “Take some from the lower branches.” “No, it is better for me to climb and get some from the top, for I think they are better above than below.” So Kanag climbed and as soon as he broke off the stem which held the perfume his legs became like part of a snake. Dagoláyan looked up and he saw that the legs of his companion had changed to part of a snake. He said, “Now, my Cousin Kanag, I am going to leave you, for you are no longer a man, but you are a serpent.” “Do not leave me even if I do become a serpent. I will not injure you. Do not be afraid.” In a short time all his body had become a real serpent, and Dagoláyan ran and went home, and the big serpent followed him.