Book: Filipino Popular Tales

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When night came, Rosa and Damiana went to the ball, and Juana retired
for the night as soon as her daughters were gone. When Maria saw that
her aunt was sleeping, she went into the garden and asked the tree
for what she wanted. The tree changed her clothes into very beautiful
ones, and furnished her with a fine coach drawn by four fine horses,
and a pair of golden slippers. Before she left, the tree said to her,
"You must be in your house before twelve o'clock. If you are not,
your clothes will be changed into ragged, dirty ones again, and your
coach will disappear."

After promising to remember the warning of the tree, Maria went to the
ball, where she was received by the prince very graciously. All the
ladies were astonished when they saw her: she was the most beautiful
of all. Then she sat between her two sisters, but neither Rosa nor
Damiana recognized her. The prince danced with her all the time. When
Maria saw that it was half-past eleven, she bade farewell to the prince
and all the ladies present, and went home. When she reached the garden,
the tree changed her beautiful clothes back into her old ones, and the
coach disappeared. Then she went to bed and to sleep. When her sisters
came home, they told her of everything that had happened at the ball.

The next night the prince gave another ball. After Rosa and Damiana
had dressed themselves in their best clothes and gone, Maria again
went to the garden to ask for beautiful clothes. This time she was
given a coach drawn by five (?) horses, and again the tree warned
her to return before twelve. The prince was delighted to see her,
and danced with her the whole evening. Maria was so enchanted that
she forgot to notice the time. While she was dancing, she heard the
clock striking twelve. She ran as fast as she could down stairs and
out the palace-door, but in her haste she dropped one of her golden
slippers. This night she had to walk home, and in her old ragged
clothes, too. One of her golden slippers she had with her; but the
other, which she had dropped at the door, was found by one of the
guards, who gave it to the prince. The guard said that the slipper
had been lost by the beautiful lady who ran out of the palace when
the clock was striking twelve. Then the prince said to all the people
present, "The lady whom this slipper fits is to be my wife."

The next morning the prince ordered one of his guards to carry
the slipper to every house in the city to see if its owner could
be found. The first house visited was the one in which Maria
lived. Rosa tried to put the slipper on her foot, but her foot was
much too big. Then Damiana put it on her foot, but her foot was too
small. The two sisters tried and tried again to make the slipper fit,
but in vain. Then Maria told them that she would try, and see if
the slipper would fit her foot; but her sisters said to her, "Your
feet are very dirty. This golden slipper will not go on your foot,
for your feet are larger than ours." And they laughed at her. But
the guard who had brought the slipper said, "Let her try. It is the
prince's order that all shall try." So he gave it to Maria. Then
Maria put it on, and it fitted her foot exactly. She then drew the
other slipper from underneath her dress, and put it on her other
foot. When the two sisters saw the two slippers on Maria's feet,
they almost fainted with astonishment.

So Maria became the wife of the prince, and from that time on she
was very dear to her sisters and aunt.


Abadeja.

This is a Visayan story from Leyte. Unfortunately I have no record
of the name of the narrator.

Once upon a time there lived in the town of Baybay a man whose name was
Abac. The name of his wife was Abadesa. They had a beautiful daughter
named Abadeja. The mother died when her daughter was about thirteen
years old; and in a year her father married again, a widow who had
three daughters. The second wife envied her step-daughter because
Abadeja was much more beautiful than her own children: consequently
she treated the poor girl very badly, and made her do all the hard
work. When Abadeja could not do the work, her step-mother punished
her severely.

One evening the step-mother said to Abadeja, "Take these two
handkerchiefs to the river and wash them. The white one must be black,
and the black one white, when you bring them back to me. If they are
not, I shall beat you." Abadeja went to the river, where she sat down
on a rock and began to cry. In a little while she heard a noise that
made her look up. There in front of her stood a beautiful woman. The
woman asked Abadeja why she was crying. Abadeja replied, "I am crying
because my step-mother has commanded me to do the impossible. She told
me that I must change this white handkerchief into black, and the black
one into white." The woman took the handkerchiefs, and in an instant
they were transformed. Then she gave them back to Abadeja, and invited
the girl to come see her any time she needed help. After she had spoken
thus, she disappeared. Abadeja went home and gave the handkerchiefs
to her cruel step-mother, who now had no excuse to punish her.

The next morning Abadeja was ordered to put some rice on a mat in the
sun to dry. While she was in the house doing other work, a pig came,
ate up the rice, and tore the mat to pieces. When the step-mother knew
what had happened, she whipped Abadeja severely for having lost the
rice, and told her that she would have to repair the mat so that it
was as good as new. Abadeja took the mat and went across the river,
crying. The beautiful woman met her again, and, taking her by the hand,
led her to her home among the high trees. Then she asked Abadeja what
she wanted. Abadeja told her friend that her step-mother had ordered
her to repair the mat so that it would be as good as new. The woman
took the mat from the girl and waved it in the air. Immediately it
became a whole mat again. Then she gave Abadeja a beautifully-colored
chicken. Abadeja thanked her for her help and her gift, and hurried
home, for she knew that her step-mother would be waiting to scold
her if she were late.

The next day when Abadeja was away from the house, her cruel
step-mother took the chicken, killed it, and cooked it. When the girl
returned, only the feet of her chicken were left. She cried over
her loss, and ran to the river to ask the beautiful woman what she
should do. The beautiful woman, when she heard what had happened,
told the girl to take the chicken's feet and plant them in the
forest. Abadeja went home, took the feet, and carried them with her
to the forest. There she made a little garden, in which she planted
the right foot toward the east, and the left foot toward the west.

A month later she visited her garden in the woods, and was astonished
to see that the feet had grown up into the air, and that they bore
pearls, diamonds, gold dresses, rings, bracelets, shoes, necklaces,
and ear-rings. She was delighted, but she did not tell her step-mother
about her garden.

One day the son of the richest man in Baybay came across this
little garden in the forest. He picked off a ring and put it on his
finger. When he reached home, his finger began to swell. His father
called in all the best physicians, but they could not remove the
ring. Then he called in all the girls of the town, and said that the
one who could take the ring from the finger of his son should be his
son's wife. All the girls of the town tried except Abadeja. She did
not try, because her mother would not allow her to go. At last some
one told the rich man that there was still a girl who had not tried,
and that it was Abadeja: so he sent for her. Now, her step-mother
did not dare refuse to let her go. Abadeja ran to her little garden,
put on one of the gold dresses, and went to the rich man's house. As
soon as she touched the ring, it slid off.

The next day Abadeja was married to the son of the rich man. The
beautiful woman attended the wedding unseen by every one except
Abadeja. The young couple lived happily for many years.


Notes.

In another variant (c), "The Wonderful Tree," which was collected by
Mr. Rusk, and of which I have only an abstract,--

Maria's mother was drowned by the cruel husband, a fisherman, who
desired to marry another woman. The daughter was now ill-treated
by her step-mother, and often went to the seashore to talk with the
spirit of her dead mother. When the mother could no longer continue
the meetings with Maria, she told her to plant in a certain place
all the fins of all the fish the family should eat on a certain
day. From these fins there grew up a magic tree of gold and precious
stones. One day a prince, hearing the music made by the wind in the
magic tree, approached the tree and found the beautiful Maria. Later
he married her.

For still other Philippine variants of the Cinderella story, see
JAFL 19 : 265-272, where Fletcher Gardner gives two oral Tagalog
versions. In the same journal (29 : 226 f.) I have given synopses of
two Tagalog metrical romances which open with the Cinderella setting.

The Cinderella story is perhaps the most widespread Märchen
in the world. See M. R. Cox's bibliographical study of it:
"Cinderella, 345 Variants of Cinderella, Catskin, and Cap o' Rushes,
abstracted and tabulated, with a discussion of medieval analogues,
and notes. London, 1893." Bolte-Polívka's notes to Grimm, No. 21,
examine Miss Cox's material from a somewhat new angle, and are very
useful for reference. It seems hardly necessary to attempt to add here
to those two exhaustive monographs. Attention may be called to the
fact, however, that our story of "Abadeja," which comes from Leyte,
presents a number of interesting items not found in the other Filipino
variants: e.g., (1) the task of washing a black handkerchief white,
and vice-versâ; (2) the magic tree growing up from the feet of a
wonderful chicken given the heroine by the mysterious woman; (3) the
unusual device for providing a rich husband for the heroine. There
are some slight resemblances between these last two details and
corresponding incidents in Mr. Rusk's variant "The Wonderful Tree."


TALE 46


Juan the Poor.

Narrated by Dolores Zafra, a Tagalog from Pagsanjan, who heard this
story from her grandfather.

Many years ago there lived a king who was always sad. He used to go to
a mountain and climb the highest tree that was growing there. One day
when he was in the top of the tree, he saw on another high mountain a
beautiful princess, Doña Maria. When he returned home to his palace,
he sent a proclamation all over his kingdom, saying that the one
who could take Doña Maria from her mountain and bring her before him
should have one-half of his kingdom.

Juan was a beggar; and it was his custom, whenever he saw a beggar
like himself, to share with that beggar the alms which had been given
him. One day he saw a wretched old woman, and out of pity for her he
gave her all the food he had begged that day. Then the old woman,
who knew of the proclamation of the king, said to Juan, "You must
tell the king, my boy, that you will fetch Doña Maria for him." Juan
did not want to, because he said that he did not know where and how he
might get Doña Maria; but the old woman at last persuaded Juan to go by
telling him that she would accompany him, and promising her help. After
Juan had visited the palace and told the king that he would bring the
princess Doña Maria to him, the poor boy and the old woman set out
on their journey to the distant mountain. When they reached the gates
of the city, the old woman said to Juan, "Juan, I am very tired, and
I cannot go any farther, but I will give you this handkerchief. When
you come to the first mountain, you must spread the handkerchief on the
ground, and many fat horses will approach you; but I advise you not to
choose any of them. You must choose the very last one, which will be
lean and weak-looking. That is the horse which can endure hardships,
and which will be able to carry you to the princess's palace."

Juan followed the advice of the old woman, when the time came, and
chose the thin horse. He mounted on its back, and rode on towards the
mountain of Doña Maria. When he had ridden very far, he saw before
him a hill full of ants. He was afraid to try to pass over this hill,
lest the ants should devour him and his animal. The horse said to
him, "You must ask the handkerchief for food, and we will feed the
ants." Juan spread out the handkerchief, and asked it to bring him
much food. After he had scattered it on the ground for the ants, the
leader of the ants approached Juan, and said, "Since you have been
very kind to us, I will give you one of my legs; and at any time you
want aid from us, you must burn the leg, and let the ashes be carried
by the wind. Then we will come to help you."

When Juan had again gone a long distance from the hill, he saw the sky
full of birds flying around and looking for food. Again the horse told
Juan to ask for food from the handkerchief; so that they might feed the
birds, and not be killed by them and eaten. Juan did so, and gave the
birds all they wanted to eat. Then the king of the birds, the eagle,
flew up to Juan, and said, "To repay you for your kindness, I will
give you some feathers from my wings. Any time you want aid from us,
just burn some of the feathers, and let the ashes be carried by the
wind. Then we will come to you." Juan thanked the bird, and put the
feathers in his pocket where he kept the leg of the ant.

Then he continued his journey. When they came near the palace of
Doña Maria, the horse told Juan to hide, and said that he alone
would enter her garden; but before he should hide, Juan should ask
his handkerchief for a complete equipment of saddle and bridle, so
that the horse could be mounted by a lady. Juan did so, hid himself,
and the horse wandered into the garden of Doña Maria. When the princess
saw the horse, she became very angry, and said, "Who is the one who is
so bold as to let his horse enter my garden?" She looked all about,
but could see no one: so she said to herself, "I will mount this
horse and find out who its owner is." She mounted the horse, which
immediately ran to the place where Juan was hiding, and told him to
get up on its back. Then the horse carried them swiftly back to the
small house of Juan. When he reached home, Juan sent word to the king
that the princess Doña Maria was in his home. The king, accompanied
by all his retinue, went in great state to Juan's house, made over to
him one-half of his dominion, and took Doña Maria back to his palace.

Now, Doña Maria was very beautiful, and the king fell deeply in love
with her. When he was alone with her in the palace, he began to court
her. He asked her to be his wife; but Doña Maria said, "Only the one
who can do what I wish him to do shall be my husband. I will mix one
hundred cavans of husked rice with one hundred cavans of unhusked
rice (palay). He who in one night can separate the two kinds of rice,
and also bring my palace here to your kingdom, shall be married to
me." The king said that no one could accomplish those things; but
Doña Maria told him that there was one who could accomplish the tasks,
and that was Juan.

The king then sent for Juan, and said to him, "Juan, here are one
hundred cavans of husked rice mixed with one hundred cavans of unhusked
rice. To-night you must separate the grain into two piles, and also
transport the palace of Doña Maria to my kingdom. If you have not
done both by to-morrow morning, you shall lose your head." Juan went
away very sad toward the mountain. As he was walking along, he met
the thin horse which had helped him before. The horse said to him,
"Why are you so sad, Juan?" Juan told the horse what the king had
ordered him to do. Then the horse said, "Don't be sad, Juan! you can
accomplish both those difficult tasks. Don't you remember the leg
of the ant and the feathers of the eagle which were given to you,
and the promise of the ant and eagle?" So Juan took the ant's leg
and the feathers from his pocket, burned them, and threw the ashes
into the air. In a short time thousands of birds and ants came to him
and asked him what he wanted. Then Juan said, "I want the palace of
Doña Maria brought here before daybreak, and the two hundred cavans
of mixed rice separated." When they heard Juan's order, the birds
flew to the mountain to get the palace, and the ants hastened to the
king's grounds to separate the unhusked from the husked rice.

By morning both tasks were completed: so Juan was married to Doña
Maria, for she would have no other husband.


Notes.

Although this story is clearly derived from the Tagalog romance of the
"Life of King Asuero," nevertheless it is also told as a folk-tale,
and for that reason I have included it in this collection. As has been
intimated already so many times, it is often hard to draw the line
between folk-tales and literary tales, especially when the latter are
widely told and read. Since our object in this collection is to present
to Occidental readers a comprehensive account of what is in Philippine
popular literature, it has seemed unwise to exclude this story.

The full title of the romance is "The Story and Life of King Asuero,
Doña Maria, and Juan the Poor, in the City of Jerusalem." My copy
is dated 1905; Retana (No. 4192) mentions an edition between the
years 1860 and 1898. In outline the folk-tale differs little from
the romance, hence it is unnecessary to give a detailed summary of
the printed version. The more important variations might be noted,
however. The romance opens thus:--

Once there lived an old man whose name was Asuero. He was the king
of Jerusalem. One night he dreamed that he should be dethroned,
and that a poor young countryman would take his place. He awoke and
became sad and thoughtful. Unable to go to sleep again, he climbed a
tower of his palace, and began to look around with a spy-glass. When
he directed his gaze toward a mountain-region beyond the Nile (!),
he saw an enchantress who was looking out of her window. She was
Doña Maria. He was charmed by her beauty, and became restless. At
length he resolved to relate to his council of chiefs what he had
seen, and to ask their advice. Many suggestions were made, and many
objections. Since the king could not be deterred from his purpose
of attempting to get possession of Doña Maria, his chief counsellor
proposed an assembly of all the people of the kingdom, where the king's
desire might be made known. At the assembly the king promised money
to any one who dared to undertake the adventure, and his appointment
as chief counsellor if he were successful.

The folk-tale and the romance are practically identical, except
that the romance is more detailed, up to the point where the horse
leaves Juan to go to entice Doña Maria from her palace and get her
in its power.

The horse told Juan that it would go with the golden bit and saddle
and get Doña Maria, while Juan should hide in a bush near by until they
should come back. The horse also told Juan that when it passed by the
bush, he should seize its tail and hold on tight. Then the horse left,
and after a time came to the garden of Doña Maria. When the maiden
saw the animal, she became angry at its owner for letting it into her
garden. After looking about for the rider in vain, she claimed the
horse, and was about to mount it when the animal spoke to her, and told
her to put on a better dress, one which would be more appropriate for
the golden saddle. When she returned, she had on a magnificent gown,
and wore a magic ring. The horse told her that it had been sent by
God to be her faithful steed, and then suggested that she visit the
abode of the eagles. She was very anxious to see this wonderful place,
and agreed to be taken there. Before they set out, the horse asked her
for her magic ring, saying that he would carry it safely for her in
his mouth. She surrendered the ring, and the horse carried her to the
place where Juan was concealed. Juan seized the tail of the horse, and
the animal flew into the air and alighted beyond the sea. Here, by the
magic power of the handkerchief, Juan produced food, a table, and two
chairs at the request of the horse. Six maids served them. The horse
now gave Juan the ring of Doña Maria; and as long as he kept this,
he was sure of keeping the maiden. After eating, Doña Maria asked Juan
why she had been brought there; but Juan, following the advice of the
horse, made no reply. She flattered him and tried to get him to sleep,
but he paid no attention to her. At length the horse told them that
they must resume their journey. The horse travelled rapidly, and soon
reached the royal palace; but the gates were closed, for it was then
about midnight. So the riders decided to spend the rest of the night
at Juan's house. There the old mother received them all gladly. When
the saddle and bit had been taken from the horse, the animal said
that it would return the following morning and carry Juan to the
palace. It further warned Juan not to sleep if he valued his life ....


The romance closes with the inevitable war with the Moors, and the
rescue of the kingdom from the hands of the Pagans by the invincible
Juan.

The exact source of this romance I am unable to point to; but without
question it is Occidental, I believe.


TALE 47


The Fate of an Envious Woman.

Narrated by Vicente M. Hilario, a Tagalog from Batangas, Batangas. He
was told the story by his gardener.

There lived once upon a time a young couple of the middle class. The
man was a reckless scapegrace and spendthrift; but the woman was a
pious, faithful, and virtuous housewife. Juan was the husband's name;
Maria, the wife's. One of the worst things about Juan was that he
spent on another woman the greater part of the money which Maria
could with difficulty scrape together. This other woman's name was
Flora. It is true that she surpassed Maria in personal charm, but in
real worth Flora was greatly Maria's inferior. Hence we should not
wonder at the fact that Maria soon grew distasteful to her husband,
and that after a year of married life he should seek to be entertained
by a more beautiful woman. He spent most of his time in listless
indolence by the side of Flora, returning home only to get his meals,
which Maria prepared with the greatest care. But her efforts were all
to no purpose. In vain did Maria array herself in her best clothes,
and scent herself with the most delicate perfumes: her face remained
pitted with small-pox scars, as before.

Years came and passed, and Juan became more and more harsh to his
wife. At last Maria sought the aid of St. Vicente Ferrer. She knelt
before the image, and asked the saint to rescue her husband from the
pit into which he had fallen. Her prayers were soon answered. The
image became animated. It touched her face several times, and in a few
seconds Maria was converted into an extraordinary beauty. Her once
rough skin was now smooth and velvety. She then went to the window
to await her husband's return. When he arrived an hour later, he was
at first unwilling to come up into the house, for he did not believe
that the beautiful woman was his wife; but at last she disclosed her
true self to him. A great change now came over Juan. The once despised
wife now began to enjoy the caresses of her husband, who pressed her
close to his heart.

Days elapsed, and Flora began to get uneasy at her home. She
wondered why Juan did not come to see her. At length she went to
his house. After asking Maria how she had acquired her beauty, Flora
decided to try her fortune also. She too knelt before the image of
St. Vicente Ferrer. But, alas! instead of becoming as white and as
beautiful as the women of a Turkish harem, she became as black and as
ugly as the mistress of a Kaffir household. Her once delicate lips
became thick and coarse, and her nose became as long as a monkey's
tail. Filled with shame at her appearance, and with a consciousness
of her own guilt, she went home, where she pined away and died.

The once homely Maria, whose home had rung with laughter by the taunt
and ridicule of those who made fun of her ugliness, [94] now graced her
house with sweet smiles and engaging features, which drew scores of
visitors to her home. Juan confessed his sins, and underwent penance
for his wickedness; and the two lived together in peace and happiness
the rest of their lives.


Notes.

A Visayan variant, "The Two Wives and the Witch," may be found in
JAFL 19 : 105. In the southern version "Juan puts away his first,
plain-looking wife, and takes another, handsomer one. The first
wife, weeping by a well, is transformed by a witch into a beautiful
woman. She wins her husband's affections back again. The second wife,
deserted in turn, weeps by the well, and is transformed by the witch
into such a hideous old hag, that, when she looks at herself in
the glass and sees her ugliness, she refuses to eat, and in a few
days dies."

In a broad way this story and ours belong to the "Toads and
Diamonds" group (see Grimm, No. 13 ["The Three Little Men in the
Wood"] and No. 24 ["Mother Holle"]; and Bolte-Polívka's notes to
the two stories). In these groups, however, the two young women
are sisters,--one bad, and the other good. About all there is in
common between the norm of the "Toads and Diamonds" cycle and our
tales is the situation of the plain-looking but faithful, unselfish,
good-hearted woman being granted by some supernatural creature wealth
and beauty; while the handsome but selfish and wicked woman, envious
of her rival's good luck, becomes loathsome and miserable when she
asks a boon from the same supernatural source.

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