Filipino Popular Tales

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Like the monkey and the turtle, the monkey and the crocodile have
been traditional enemies from time immemorial. In our present group
of stories, however, the roles are reversed: the monkey is clever;
the water-animal (crocodile), cruel and stupid. Two very early
forms of this tale are the "Vanarinda-jataka," No. 57, which tells
how the crocodile lay on a rock to catch the monkey, and how the
latter outwitted the crocodile; and the "Sumsumara-jataka," No. 208,
in which a crocodile wanted the heart of a monkey, and the monkey
pretended that it was hanging on a fig-tree. From the Buddhistic
writings the story made its way into the famous collection known
as the "Kalilah and Dimnah," of which it forms the ninth chapter
in De Sacy's edition, and the fifth section in the later Syriac
version (English translation by I. G. N. Keith-Falconer, Cambridge,
1885). In the "Pancatantra" this story forms the framework for the
fourth book. For a discussion of the variations this tale underwent
when it passed over into other collections and spread through Europe,
see Benfey, 1 : 421 ff. Apparently Benfey did not know of these two
Buddhistic birth-stories; but he has shown very ingeniously that most
of the fables in the "Pancatantra" go back to Buddhistic writings. Nor
can there be any doubt in this case, either, though it is not to be
supposed that the five hundred and forty-seven Jatakas were invented
by the Buddhistic scribes who wrote them down. Many of them are far
older than Buddhism.

Our Zambal form of the story does not represent the purest version. A
variant much closer to the Buddhistic and close to the Tagalog is a
tale collected by Wenceslao Vitug of Lubao, Pampanga. He says that
the story is very common throughout his province, and is well known
in the Visayas. His version follows in abstract form:--

A crocodile goes out to look for a monkey-liver for his wife, who is
confined at home. As the crocodile starts to cross a stream, a monkey
asks for passage on its back. The crocodile gladly complies, and,
on arriving in mid-stream, laughs at the credulous monkey, and tells
him that he must have a monkey-liver. The monkey says, "Why didn't you
tell me before? There's one on a tree near the bank we just left." The
simple crocodile went back to the bank, whereupon the monkey escaped
and scrambled up into a tree to laugh at the crocodile. The crocodile
then tried to "play dead," but he could not fool the monkey. Next
he decided to go to the monkey's house. The monkey, suspecting his
design, said aloud, "When no one is in my house, it answers when I
call." The crocodile inside was foolish enough to answer when the
monkey called to his house, and the monkey ran away laughing.

Our Zambal story has evidently been contaminated with the story of
"The Monkey and the Turtle;" for it lacks the characteristic incident
of the monkey-heart (or liver), and contains incident H from our
No. 55. However, it does preserve an allusion to the principal episode
of the cycle,--in the ride the monkey takes on the crocodile's back
across the stream. Other Oriental versions of the "heart on tree"
incident are the following: Chinese, S. Beal's "Romantic Legend
of Sakya Buddha" (London, 1875), pp. 231-234, where a dragon takes
the place of the crocodile; Swahili, Steere, p. i, where, instead
of a crocodile, we have a shark (so also Bateman, No. I); Japanese,
W. E. Griffis's "Japanese Fairy World," p. 144, where the sea-animal
is a jelly-fish. An interesting Russian variant, in which a fox takes
the place of the monkey, is printed in the Cambridge Jataka, 2 : 110.

Once upon a time the king of the fishes was wanting in wisdom. His
advisers told him that, once he could get the heart of a fox, he
would become wise. So he sent a deputation consisting of the great
magnates of the sea,--whales and others. "Our king wants your advice
on some state affairs." The fox, flattered, consented. A whale took
him on his back. On the way the waves beat upon him. At last he asked
what they really wanted. They said what their king really wanted
was to eat his heart, by which he hoped to become clever. He said,
"Why didn't you tell me that before? I would gladly sacrifice my life
for such a worthy object. But we foxes always leave our hearts at
home. Take me back, and I'll fetch it. Otherwise I'm sure your king
will be angry." So they took him back. As soon as he got near to the
shore, he leaped on land, and cried, "Ah, you fools! Have you ever
heard of an animal not carrying his heart with him?" and ran off. The
fish had to return empty.

A reminiscence of this incident is also found in Steel-Temple, No. XXI,
"The Jackal and the Partridge," where a partridge induces a crocodile
to carry her and the jackal across a river, and en route suggests
that he should upset the jackal, but at last dissuades him by saying
that the jackal had left his life behind him on the other shore.

Related to our Zambal story are two modern Indian folk-tales in
which a jackal is substituted for the monkey (this substitution is
analogous to the Indian substitution of the jackal for the Philippines
monkey in the "Puss-in-Boots" cycle). In the first of these--Frere,
No. XXIV, "The Alligator and the Jackal"--we have the incident of
the house answering when the owner calls. In Steel-Temple, No. XXXI,
"The Jackal and the Crocodile," the jackal makes love to the crocodile,
and induces her, under promise of marriage, to swim him across a stream
to some fruit he wants to eat. When she has brought him back, he says
that he thinks it may be a long time before he can make arrangements
for the wedding. The crocodile, in revenge, watches till he comes
to drink, and then seizes him by the leg. The jackal tells her
that she has got hold of a root instead of his leg: so she lets go,
and he escapes. Next she goes to his den to wait for him, and shams
dead. When the jackal sees her, he says that the dead always wag their
tails. The crocodile wags hers, and the jackal skips off. Closely
connected with this last is a story by Rouse, No. 20, "The Cunning
Jackal," only here the jackal's opponent is a turtle. The original,
unadapted story runs thus as given in the notes by Mr. Rouse:--

Jackal sees melons on the other side of the river. Sees a
tortoise. "How are you and your family?"--"I am well, but I have
no wife."-"Why did you not tell me? Some people on the other side
have asked me to find a match for their daughter."--"If you mean
it, I will take you across." Takes him across on his back. When
the melons are over (gone?), the jackal dresses up a jhan-tree as a
bride. "There is your bride, but she is too modest to speak till I am
gone." Tortoise carries him back. Calls to the stump. No answer,--Goes
up and touches it. Finds it a tree. Vows revenge. As jackal drinks,
catches his leg. "You fool! you have got hold of a stump by mistake;
see, here is my leg!" pointing to stump. Tortoise leaves hold, Jackal
escapes. Tortoise goes to jackal's den. Jackal returns, and sees
the footprints leading into the den. Piles dry leaves at the mouth,
and fires them. Tortoise expires.

Compare also a Borneo tale of a mouse-deer and a crocodile (Evans,
475). In a Santal story (Bompas, No. CXXIII, "The Jackal and the
Leopards") a jackal tricks some leopards. In the second half he
outwits a crocodile. Crocodile seizes jackal's leg. Jackal: "What a
fool of a crocodile to seize a tree instead of my leg!" Crocodile
lets go, and jackal escapes. Crocodile hides in a straw-stack to
wait for jackal. Jackal comes along wearing a sheep-bell it has
found. Crocodile says, "What a bother! Here comes a sheep, and I
am waiting for the jackal." Jackal hears the exclamation, bums the
straw-stack, and kills the crocodile.

The "Vanarinda-jataka," No. 57, contains what I believe is the
original of the "house-answering owner" droll episode in our Pampangan
variant. The monkey suspected the crocodile of lurking on the rock
to catch him: so he shouted, "Hi, rock!" three times, but received
no answer. Then he said, "How comes it, Friend Rock, that you won't
answer me to-day?" The crocodile, thinking that perhaps it was the
custom of the rock to return the greeting, answered for the rock;
whereupon the monkey knew of his presence, and escaped by a trick. The
"house-answering owner" episode is also found in a Zanzibar tale of
"The Hare and the Lion" (Bateman, No. 2, pp. 42-43). The hare here
suggests a Buddhistic source.

Of all the modern Oriental forms of the story, our Tagalog version and
Pampangan variant are closest to the Jatakas, and we may conclude
without hesitation that they mark a direct line of descent from
India. The fact that the story is popular in many parts of the Islands
makes it highly improbable that it was re-introduced to the Orient
through a Spanish translation of the "Kalilah and Dimnah."

For further bibliography and discussion of this cycle, see Daehnhardt,
4 : 1-26.

TALE 57

The Monkeys and the Dragon-Flies.

Narrated by Pedro D. L. Sorreta, a Bicol from Albay, who says that
the story is very common in the island of Catanduanes.

One day, when the sun was at the zenith and the air was very hot,
a poor dragon-fly, fatigued with her long journey, alighted to rest
on a branch of a tree in which a great many monkeys lived. While she
was fanning herself with her wings, a monkey approached her, and said,
"Aha! What are you doing here, wretched creature?"

"O sir! I wish you would permit me to rest on this branch while
the sun is so hot," said the dragon-fly softly. "I have been flying
all morning, and I am so hot and tired that I can go no farther,"
she added.

"Indeed!" exclaimed the monkey in a mocking tone. "We don't allow any
weak creature such as you are to stay under our shelter. Go away!" he
said angrily, and, taking a dry twig, he threw it at the poor creature.

The dragon-fly, being very quick, had flown away before the cruel
monkey could hit her. She hurried to her brother the king, and told
him what had happened. The king became very angry, and resolved to
make war on the monkeys. So he despatched three of his soldiers to
the king of the monkeys with this challenge:--

The King of the Monkeys.

"Sir,--As one of your subjects has treated my sister cruelly, I am
resolved to kill you and your subjects with all speed.

"DRAGON."

The monkey-king laughed at the challenge. He said to the messengers,
"Let your king and his soldiers come to the battle-field, and they
will see how well my troops fight."

"You don't mean what you say, cruel king," answered the
messengers. "You should not judge before the fight is over."

"What fools, what fools!" exclaimed the king of the monkeys. "Go
to your ruler and tell him my answer," and he drove the poor little
creatures away.

When the king of the dragon-flies received the reply, he immediately
ordered his soldiers to go to the battle-field, but without anything
to fight with. Meanwhile the monkeys came, each armed with a heavy
stick. Then the monkey-king shouted, "Strike the flying creatures
with your clubs!" When King Dragon heard this order, he commanded his
soldiers to alight on the foreheads of their enemies. Then the monkeys
began to strike at the dragon-flies, which were on the foreheads of
their companions. The dragon-flies were very quick, and were not hurt
at all: but the monkeys were all killed. Thus the light, quick-witted
dragon-flies won the victory over the strong but foolish monkeys.

Notes.

A Visayan variant, "The Ape and the Firefly" (JAFL 20 : 314) shows
the firefly making use of the same ruse the dragon-flies employ to
get the monkeys to slay one another. The first part of this variant
is connected with our No. 60. The "killing fly on head" incident we
have already met with in No. 9, in the notes to which I have pointed
out Buddhistic parallels. It also occurs in No. 60 (d). In a German
story (Grimm, No. 68, "The Dog and the Sparrow") the sparrow employs
the same trick to bring ruin and death on a heartless wagoner who
has cruelly run over the dog.

A closer analogue is the Celebes fable of "The Butterfly and the Ten
Monkeys," given in Bezemer, p. 292.

Our story belongs to the large cycle of tales in which is represented
a war between the winged creatures of the air and the four-footed
beasts. In these stories, as Grimm says in his notes to No. 102, "The
Willow-Wren and the Bear," "the leading idea is the cunning of the
small creatures triumphing over the large ones .... The willow-wren
is the ruler, for the saga accepts the least as king as readily as
the greatest." For the bibliography of the cycle and related cycles,
see Bolte-Polivka, 1 : 517-519, and 2 : 435-438, to which add the
"Latukika-jataka," No. 357, which tells how a quail brought about
the destruction of an elephant that had killed her young ones. I am
inclined to think that the Bicol and Visayan stories belonging to this
group are native--at least, have not been derived through the Spanish.

I have another Visayan story, however, relating a war between the
land and the air creatures, which may possibly have come from the
Occident. It was narrated by Jose R. Cuadra, and runs thus:--

The Battle between the Birds and the Beasts.

A great discussion once took place between the lion, king of the
land-animals, and the bat, king of the air-animals, over the relative
strength of each. The lion claimed to be more powerful than the bat,
while the bat claimed to be more powerful than the lion. The final
outcome was a declaration of war. The lion then called a general
meeting of all his subjects. Among them were tigers, leopards,
elephants, carabaos, wolves, and other fierce land-animals. The carabao
was appointed leader of the army. Each animal in turn made a speech to
the king, promising a sure victory for him. At the same time the bat
also called a general meeting of his subjects. There were present all
kinds of birds and insects. The leadership of the army was given to the
bees and the wasps. Early in the morning the two opposing armies were
assembled on the battle-field. At a given signal the battle began. The
land-animals tried to chase the air-animals, but in vain, for they
could not leave the ground. The bees and wasps were busy stinging
the eyes and bodies of their enemy. At last the land-animals retired
defeated, because they could not endure longer their severe punishment.

TALE 58

The Monkey, the Turtle, and the Crocodile.

Narrated by Vicente Hilario, a Tagalog from Batangas. He heard the
story from his father, who said that it is common among the country
people around Batangas town.

There was once a monkey who used to deceive everybody whom he met. As
is the case with most deceivers, he had many enemies who tried to
kill him.

One day, while he was walking in the streets of his native town, he
met in a by-lane a turtle and a crocodile. They were so tired that they
could hardly breathe. "I'll try to deceive these slow creatures of the
earth," said the monkey to himself. So said, so done. He approached
the crocodile and turtle, and said to them, "My dear sirs, you are
so tired that you can hardly move! Where did you come from?"

The two travellers were so much affected by the kind words of the
monkey, that they told him all about themselves with the greatest
candor imaginable. They said, "We are strangers who have just made
a long journey from our native town. We don't know where to get food
or where to spend this cold night."

"I'll conduct you to a place where you can spend the night and get
all you want to eat," said the monkey.

"All right," said the two travellers. "Lead on! for we are very hungry
and at the same time very tired."

"Follow me," said the crafty monkey.

The turtle and the crocodile followed the monkey, and soon he brought
them to a field full of ripe pumpkins. "Eat all the pumpkins you want,
and then rest here. Meanwhile I'll go home and take my sleep, too."

While the two hungry travellers were enjoying a hearty meal, the owner
of the plantation happened to pass by. When he saw the crocodile,
he called to his laborers, and told them to bring long poles and
their bolos. The turtle clung to the tail of the crocodile, and away
they went.

"Don't cling to my tail! Don't cling to my tail!" said the
crocodile. "I cannot run fast if you cling to my tail. Let go! for
the men will soon overtake us."

"I have to cling to your tail," said the turtle, "or else there will
be no one to push you."

But their attempt to escape was unsuccessful. The men overtook them
and killed them both. Such was the unhappy end of the turtle and
the crocodile.

MORAL: Never trust a new friend or an old enemy.

Notes.

I know of no exact parallels for this story, though the character
of the monkey as depicted here is similar to that in No. 55. Compare
with it the role of the deceitful jackal in some of the South African
stories (e.g., Metelerkamp, No. v; Honey, 22, 24, 45, 105, etc.). This
may be a sort of "compensation story," manufactured long ago, however,
in which the monkey gets even with his two traditional opponents,
the crocodile and the turtle.

TALE 59

The Iguana and the Turtle.

Narrated by Sixto Guico of Binalonan, Pangasinan, who says that the
story is fairly common among the Pangasinanes.

Once upon a time there lived two good friends,--an iguana and a
turtle. They always went fishing together. One day the turtle invited
the iguana to go catch fish in a certain pond that he knew of. After
they had been there about two hours, the old man who owned the pond
came along. The iguana escaped, but the turtle was caught. The old
man took the turtle home, tied a string around its neck, and fastened
it under the house.

Early in the morning the iguana went to look for his friend the
turtle. The iguana wandered everywhere looking for him, and finally
he found him under the old man's house, tied to a post.

"What are you doing here, my friend?" said the iguana.

"That old man wants me to marry his daughter, but I do not want to
marry her," said the turtle.

Now, the iguana very much wanted a wife, and he was delighted at this
chance. So he asked the turtle to be allowed to take his place. The
turtle consented. So the iguana released the turtle, and was tied up
in his place. Then the turtle made off as fast as he could.

When the old man woke up, he heard some one saying over and over again,
"I want to marry your daughter." He became angry, and went down under
the house to see who was talking. There he found the iguana saying,
"I want to marry your daughter." The old man picked up a big stick
to beat its head, but the iguana cut the string and ran away.

On his way he came across the turtle again, who was listening to
the sound produced by the rubbing of two bamboos when the wind
blew. "What! are you here again?" said the iguana.

"Be quiet!" said the turtle. "I am listening to the pipe of my
grandfather up there. Don't you hear it?"

The iguana wanted to see the turtle's grandfather, so he climbed
up the tree, and put his mouth between the two bamboos that were
rubbing together. His mouth was badly pinched, and he fell down to
the ground. The turtle meanwhile had disappeared.

MORAL: This teaches that the one who believes foolishly will be
injured.

Notes.

This story is doubtless native. A Tinguian tale related to ours is
given by Cole (No. 78), whose abstract runs thus:--

A turtle and lizard go to stem ginger. The lizard talks so loudly
that he attracts the attention of the owner. The turtle hides; but the
lizard runs, and is pursued by the man. The turtle enters the house,
and hides under a cocoanut-shell. When the man sits on the shell, the
turtle calls. He cannot discover source of noise, and thinks it comes
from his testicles. He strikes these with a stone, and dies. The turtle
and the lizard see a bees' nest. The lizard hastens to get it, and
is stung. They see a bird-snare, and turtle claims it as the necklace
of his father. Lizard runs to get it, but is caught and killed.

Some of the incidents found in the Tinguian story we have met with
in No. 55; e.g., episodes K, J, L, and "king's bell." Indeed, there
appears to be a close connection between the "Monkey and Turtle"
group and this story. A Borneo tale of the mouse-deer (plandok),
small turtle (kikura), long-tailed monkey (kra), and bear contains
the "king's necklace" incident, and many other situations worthy of
notice. A brief summary of the droll, which may be found in Roth,
1 : 342-346, is here given:--

The Kikura deceives the Plandok with the necklace sell (snare), and
the Plandok is caught. When the hunter comes up, the little animal
feigns death, and is thrown away. Immediately it jumps up, and is
off to revenge itself on the turtle. It entices the turtle into
a covered pit by pretending to give it a good place to sleep. Man
examining pitfall discovers turtle, and fastens it with a forked
stick. Monkey comes along, exchanges places with the turtle, but
escapes with his life by feigning dead, as did the Plandok. Monkey,
turtle, and Plandok go fishing. Monkey steals ride across stream on
back of good-natured fish, which he later treacherously kills. The
three friends prepare the fish, and Bruin comes along. Fearing the
size of the bear's appetite, they send him to wash the pan; and when
he returns, fish, monkey, turtle, and mouse-deer have disappeared.

The escape of snared animals and birds by shamming dead, and then
making off when the bunter or fowler throws them aside as worthless,
is commonly met with in Buddhistic fables.

TALE 60

The Trial among the Animals.

Narrated by Domingo Pineda of Pampanga.

In ancient times Sinukuan, the judge of the animals, lived in one of
the caves of Mount Arayat. He had formerly lived in a neighboring town;
but, since he was so brave and strong, the people began to envy him,
then to hate him. At last they made so many plots against his life,
that he gave up all his property and friends in the town, and went
to live in Mount Arayat, where he devoted all his time to gaining
the friendship of the animals there.

Now, it was not hard for Sinukuan to win the love of the animals, for
he had the power of changing himself into whatever form he pleased;
and he always took the form of those animals who came to him. It
was not long before all the animals realized the power, wisdom,
and justice of their good companion, so they made him their judge.

One day a bird came to Sinukuan's court, and asked Sinukuan to
punish the frog for being so noisy during the night, while it was
trying to sleep. Sinukuan summoned the troublesome frog, and asked
him the reason for his misbehavior. The frog answered respectfully,
"Sir, I was only crying for help, because the turtle was carrying
his house on his back, and I feared that I might be buried under it."

"That is good enough reason," said Sinukuan; "you are free."

The turtle was the next to be summoned to Sinukuan's court. On his
arrival, he humbly replied to the question of the judge, "Honorable
Judge, I carried my house with me, because the firefly was playing
with fire, and I was afraid he might set fire to my home. Is it not
right to protect one's house from fire?"

"A very good reason; you are free," said Sinukuan.

In the same way the firefly was brought to court the next day, and
when the judge asked him why he was playing with fire, he said in
a soft voice, "It was because I have no other means with which to
protect myself from the sharp-pointed dagger of the mosquito." This
seemed a reasonable answer, so the firefly was liberated too.

Finally the mosquito was tried; and, since he did not have any good
reason to give for carrying his dagger, Sinukuan sentenced him
to three days' imprisonment. The mosquito was obliged to submit;
and it was during this confinement of the mosquito that he lost his
voice. Ever since, the male mosquito has had no voice; and he has
been afraid to carry his dagger, for fear of greater punishment.

The Pugu's Case.

Narrated by Bienvenido Tan of Manila, who got the story from Pampanga.

"Why, horse," said the pugu (a small bird), "did you touch my eggs,
so that now they are broken?"

"Because," said the horse, "the cock crowed, and I was startled."

"Why, cock," said the pugu, "did you crow, so that the horse was
startled and broke my eggs?"

"Because," said the cock, "I saw the turtle carrying his house;
that made me crow."

"Why, turtle," said the pugu, "did you carry your house with you,
so that the cock crowed, and the horse was startled and broke my eggs?"

"Because," said the turtle, "the firefly was carrying fire, and I
was afraid that he would burn my house."

"Why, firefly," said the pugu, "did you bring fire, so that the turtle
was frightened and carried his house, and the cock crowed when he
saw him, and the horse was startled and broke my eggs?"

"Because," said the firefly, "the mosquito will sting me if I have
no light."

"Why, mosquito," said the pugu, "did you try to sting the firefly,
so that he had to carry fire, so that the turtle was frightened and
carried his house, so that the cock laughed at the turtle, so that
the horse was startled and broke my eggs?"