Filipino Popular Tales Part 4

When the three arrived, they were very angry with Bugtongpalasan because no food had been prepared for them; but they untied him, and made him get the meal. Tunkodbola was the next one left behind as cook while the others went hunting, but he had the same experience as Bugtongpalasan. Then Macabuhalbundok; but the same thing happened to him too.

It was now the turn of Carancal to try his wit, strength, and luck. Before the three left, he had them shave his head. When the giant came and saw that Carancal's head was white, he laughed. "It is a very fine thing to have a white head," said the giant. "Make my head white, too."

"Your head must be shaved to be white," said Carancal, "and it is a very difficult thing to shave a head."

"Never mind that! I want to have my head shaved," said the giant impatiently.

Carancal then got some ropes and wax. He tied the giant tightly to a post, and then smeared his body with wax. He next took a match and set the giant's body on fire. Thus the giant was destroyed, and the four lived in the house as if it were their own.

Not long afterwards a rumor reached their ears. It was to this effect: that in a certain kingdom on the other side of the sea lived a king who wanted to have a huge stone removed from its place. This stone was so big that it covered much ground. The prize that would be given to the one who could remove it was the hand of the king's prettiest daughter.

The four set out to try their strength. At that time there were no boats for them to sail on, so they had to swim. After three weeks' swimming, they landed on an island-like place in the sea, to rest. It was smooth and slippery, which made them wonder what it could be. Carancal, accordingly, drew his bolo and thrust it into the island. How fast the island moved after the stroke! It was not really an island, but a very big fish. Fortunately the fish carried the travellers near the sh.o.r.es of the kingdom they were seeking.

When the four arrived, they immediately presented themselves to the king, and told him that they would try to move the stone. The king ordered one of his soldiers to show them the stone. There a big crowd of people collected to watch the four strong men.

The first to try was Bugtongpalasan. He could hardly budge it. Then Tunkodbola tried, but moved it only a few yards. When Macabuhalbundok's turn came, he moved the great stone half a mile; but the king said that it was not satisfactory. Carancal then took hold of the rope tied to the stone, and gave a swing. In a minute the great stone was out of sight.

The king was very much pleased, and asked Carancal to choose a princess for his wife. "I am not old enough to marry, my lord," said Carancal sadly (sic!). "I will marry one of my companions to your daughter, however, if you are willing." The king agreed, and Bugtongpalasan was made a prince.

The three unmarried men lived with Bugtongpalasan. By this time they were known not only throughout the whole kingdom where they were, but also in other countries. They had not enjoyed a year's hospitality in Bugtongpalasan's home when a letter addressed to the four men came. It was as follows:--

I have heard that you have superhuman strength, which I now greatly need. About a week ago a monster fish floated up to the sh.o.r.e of my town. It is decaying, and has a most offensive odor. My men in vain have tried to drag the fish out into the middle of the sea. I write to inform you that if you can rid us of it, I will let one of you marry my prettiest daughter.

King Walangtacut. [16]

After Carancal had read the letter, he instantly remembered the fish that had helped them in travelling. The three companions made themselves ready, bade Bugtongpalasan good-by, and set out for Walangtacut's kingdom. They travelled on foot, for the place was not very far away.

In every town they pa.s.sed through, the people cried, "Hurrah for the strong men!" The king received them with a banquet, and all the houses of the town were decorated with flags. In a word, every one welcomed them.

After the banquet was over, the three men marched with the king and all his counsellors, knights, dukes, and the common people to where the decaying fish lay. In this test, too, Carancal was the only successful one. Again he refused to marry; but as the princess was very anxious to have a strong man for her husband, Tunkodbola was chosen by Carancal, and he became her husband.

The fame of the strong men was now nearly universal. All the surrounding kings sent congratulations. The heroes received offers of marriage from many beautiful ladies of the neighboring kingdoms.

One day when Carancal and Macabuhalbundok were talking together, one of them suggested that they go on another journey. The other agreed, and both of them made preparations. But when they were about to start, a letter from another king came, addressed to Carancal. The king said in his letter that a great stone had fallen in his park. "It is so big that I thought it was the sky that fell," he wrote. "I am willing to marry you to my youngest daughter if you can remove it from its present place," said the king.

The two friends accepted the invitation, and immediately began their journey. They travelled by land and sea for many a day. At last they reached the place. There they found the same stone which they had removed before. As he knew that he could not move it far enough, Macabuhalbundok did not make any attempt: Carancal was again the one who did the work.

Once more Carancal refused to marry. "I am too young yet to marry,"

he said to the king. "In my place I will put my companion." So Macabuhalbundok was married.

Carancal remained a bachelor, for he did not wish to have a wife. The three princes considered him as their father, though he was younger than any of them. For a long time Carancal lived with each of them a year in rotation. Not long after the marriage of Macabuhalbundok, the father-in-law of Bugtongpalasan died, and so Bugtongpalasan became the king. Then the following year Tunkodbola's father-in-law died, and Tunkodbola became also a king. After many years the father-in-law of Macabuhalbundok died, and Macabuhalbundok succeeded to the throne. Thus Carancal was the benefactor of three kings.

One day Carancal thought of visiting his cruel parents and of living with them. So he set out, carrying with him plenty of money, which the three kings had given him. This time his parents did not drive him away, for he had much wealth. Carancal lived once more with his parents, and had three kings under him.

Notes.

Of this story I have eight variants, as follows:--

(a) "Pusong" (Visayan), narrated by Fermin Torralba.

(b) "Cabagboc" (Bicol), narrated by Pacifico Buenconsejo.

(c) "Sandapal" (Tagalog), narrated by Pilar Ejercito.

(d) "Sandangcal" (Pampangan), narrated by Anastacia Villegas.

(e) "Greedy Juan" (Pampangan), narrated by Wenceslao Vitug.

(f) "Juan Tapon" (Ilocano), narrated by C. Gironella.

(g) "Dangandangan" (Ilocano), narrated by Salvador Reyes.

(h) "Tangarangan" (Ibanag), narrated by Candido Morales.

The incidents of this cycle may be tabulated thus.

A The hero, when born, is only a span in length, and never grows taller than four feet. He early develops an enormous appet.i.te, and by the time he is twelve years old he has eaten his parents out of everything.

B Attempts of parents (or uncle) to get rid of the hero: (B1) by letting a tree fall on him, (B2) by throwing him into a deep well and then stoning him, (B3) by commanding him to dive into a river to repair a fis.h.i.+ng-net, (B4) by persuading him to enter wrestling-match with the king's champion, (B5) by pus.h.i.+ng him into the sea or by pus.h.i.+ng rocks on him at the seash.o.r.e.

C Hero's first exploits: (C1) carrying tree home on his shoulders, (C2) killing crocodile in river, or king of fishes in the sea, (C3) escape from the well, (C4) defeating champion.

D The hero now decides to leave home, (D1) taking with him a strong club, an enormous bolo, or an enormous top, sword, and sheath.

E On his travels he meets two (three) strong men, whom he surpa.s.ses in strength-tests; or (E1) three men, whom he hires. They all journey along together, seeking adventures.

F Tasks of the companions: (F1) killing of troublesome giant by the hero after the monster has worsted the two other strong men, (F2) removal of large stone from king's grounds, (F3) removal of enormous decaying fish, (F4) killing of two giants, (F5) killing seven-headed man, (F6) battering, blowing, and running contest with king's strong men.

G Hero marries off his companions, but remains single himself, and (G1) returns home to live with his parents, either for good or for only a short time.

These incidents are distributed among the different versions thus:--

No. 3 AB1B3C1C2DD1EF1F2F3GG1 Version a AB1B5D Version b C1DD1EF3F4F5GG1 Version c AB5B1B4C1C2C4 Version d AB1B2C1C3DE1F6 Version e AB1B3C1C2DG1 Version f AB4B1C1C4 Version g AB1B2C1C3DD1EF4G Version h AB1B2C1C3DD1

Up to the point where the hero leaves home, these various Filipino stories agree in the main: i.e., the hero is a dwarf of superhuman strength and extraordinary eating-capacity; his parents (or guardian) are driven by poverty to attempt to kill him (usually twice, sometimes thrice), but their efforts are vain; he finally determines to leave home, often taking with him some mighty weapon. From this point on, the narratives differ widely. All are alike in this respect, however: the hero never marries. Obviously this group of stories is connected with two well-known European cycles of folk-tales,--"Strong Hans"

and "John the Bear." The points of resemblance will be indicated below in an a.n.a.lysis of the incidents found in the members of our group. (Variants are referred to by italicized lower-case letters thus: a [Pusong], b [Cabagboc], etc. No. 3 refers to our complete story of "Carancal.")

A Hero is born as result of childless couple's unceasing pet.i.tions to Heaven (3, a, f, g), and is only a span in length when born (c, d, g). Three of the tales do not mention anything definite about the hero's birth (b, e, h). In all, however, his name is significant, indicating the fact that he is either a dwarf, or wonderfully strong, or a glutton (3 Carancal, from Tag. dangkal, "a palm;" [a] Pusong, from Vis. puso, "paunch, belly;" [b] Cabagboc, from Bicol, "strong;"

[c] Sandapal, from Tag. dapal, "a span;" [d] Sandangcal, from Pampangan dangkal = Tag.; [f] Tapon, Ilocano for "short;" [g] and [h] Tangarangan and Dangandangan, from Ilocano dangan, "a span"). a describes the hero as having "a big head and large stomach," but as being "very, very strong, he ate a sack of corn or rice every day." In b the hero "had great strength even when an infant." Sandangcal (d) required a carabao-liver every meal. In e the hero's voracious appet.i.te is mentioned. The hero in c "would eat everything in the house, leaving no food for his parents." Juan Tapon (f), when three years old, "used to eat daily half a ganta of rice and a pound of meat, besides fish and vegetables;" the quant.i.ty of food he required increased steadily until, when he was fourteen, his parents could no longer support him. However, he never grew taller than a six-year-old boy. Dangandangan (g) could walk and talk the day he was born. He could eat one cavan of rice and one carabao daily. The hero of h was so greedy that by the time he was a "young man" his father could no longer support him. He is described as a "dwarf" In c and d there is nothing to indicate that the hero was not always a Tom Thumb in size.

Nearly all these details may be found duplicated in Marchen of the "John the Bear" and "Strong Hans" types. For a.n.a.logues, see Friedrich Panzer's Beowulf, pp. 28-33, 47-48, 50-52. In Grimm's story of the "Young Giant" (No. 90) the hero, when born, was only as big as a thumb, and for several years did not grow one hair's breadth. But a giant got hold of him and suckled him for six years, during which time he grew tall and strong, after the manner of giants. It is interesting to note that none of the nine Filipino versions make any reference to an animal parentage or extraordinary source of nourishment of the hero.

B The poverty of the parents is the motive for their attempts on his life in a, c, d, e, f, h. In a the mother proposes the scheme; in h, the father; in g it is the boy's uncle, by whom he had been adopted when his parents died. This "unnatural parents" motif is lacking in the European variants.

B1-5 With the various attempts to destroy the hero may be discussed his escapes (C1-3). The "falling-tree" episode occurs in all the stories but one (b). The events of this incident are conducted in various ways. In a, c, h, the hero is told to "catch the tree when it falls,"

so that he can carry it home (in c the hero is pushed clear into the ground by the weight of the tree). In d the father directs his son to stand in a certain place, "so that the tree will not fall on him;" but when Sandangcal sees that he is about to be crushed, he nimbly jumps aside un.o.bserved by his father, who thinks him killed. In f the tree is made to fall on the body of the sleeping hero. In g Darangdarang is told to stand beside the tree being cut: it falls on him. In all the stories but d the hero performs the feat of carrying home a tree on his shoulders (C1). This episode is not uncommon in the European versions (see Panzer, op. cit., p. 35), but there the hero performs it while out at service. By the process of contamination these two incidents (B1C1) have worked their way into another Filipino story not of our cycle,--the Visayan story of "Juan the Student" (see JAFL 19 : 104).