Two women gathered wild fruit from an alligator’s vine, warned not to discard rinds with teeth marks where the alligator might see. Ignoring the advice, one woman threw a rind into the river. Enraged, the alligator demanded justice but was tricked by villagers into swallowing a red-hot iron tool, which killed him, ending his threat.
Source
Philippine Folk Tales
compiled and annotated by
Mabel Cook Cole
A.C. McClurg & Co., Chicago, 1916
► Themes of the story
Cunning and Deception: The villagers employ a clever ruse, tricking the alligator into swallowing a red-hot iron tool to eliminate the threat.
Moral Lessons: The narrative imparts a lesson on respecting nature’s boundaries and the consequences of disregarding warnings.
Sacred Objects: The red-hot iron tool becomes a pivotal object in the story, symbolizing human ingenuity in overcoming danger.
► From the same Region or People
Learn more about Philippines peoples
Two women went to gather some wild fruit from a vine which belonged to the alligator. “You must be careful not to throw the rind with your teeth marks on it where the alligator can see it,” said one of the women to the other as they sat eating the fruit.
But the other woman paid no attention and threw the rind showing teeth marks into the river, where the alligator saw it. Thus he knew at once who had taken his fruit, and he was very angry. He went to the house of the woman and called to the people: “Bring out the woman that I may eat her, for she has eaten my fruit.”
► Continue reading…
“Very well,” answered the people. “But sit down and wait a little while.”
Then they put the iron soil-turner into the fire, and when it was red hot, they took it to the door and said to the alligator:
“Here, eat this first.”
He opened his mouth, and they pushed the red hot iron down his throat, and he died.
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