The Flood Story

In a time when the world was flat and without mountains, two brothers, sons of Lumawig, the Great Spirit, flooded the earth to raise mountains. This act drowned all but one brother and sister in Pokis. Lumawig saved them by bringing fire to warm them, evaporating the floodwaters. The siblings married, repopulating the earth, now adorned with mountains.

Source
Philippine Folk Tales
compiled and annotated by
Mabel Cook Cole
A.C. McClurg & Co., Chicago, 1916

► Themes of the story

Creation: The narrative describes the transformation of a flat world into one with mountains, explaining the origin of the earth’s topography.

Loss and Renewal: The flood leads to the destruction of the existing world, followed by the renewal of life through the siblings who repopulate the earth.

Rebirth: The world undergoes a rebirth from a flat, lifeless expanse to a vibrant, mountainous terrain inhabited by a new generation of people.

► From the same Region or People

Southeast Asia
- Philippines
  - Igorot Lore

Learn more about Philippines peoples

Once upon a time, when the world was flat and there were no mountains, there lived two brothers, sons of Lumawig, the Great Spirit. The brothers were fond of hunting, and since no mountains had formed there was no good place to catch wild pig and deer, and the older brother said: “Let us cause water to flow over all the world and cover it, and then mountains will rise up.” So they caused water to flow over all the earth, and when it was covered they took the head-basket of the town and set it for a trap. The brothers were very much pleased when they went to look at their trap, for they had caught not only many wild pigs and deer but also many people.

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Now Lumawig looked down from his place in the sky and saw that his sons had flooded the earth and that in all the world there was just one spot which was not covered. And he saw that all the people in the world had been drowned except one brother and sister who lived in Pokis.

Then Lumawig descended, and he called to the boy and girl, saying:

“Oh, you are still alive.”

“Yes,” answered the boy, “we are still alive, but we are very cold.”

So Lumawig commanded his dog and deer to get fire for the boy and girl. The dog and the deer swam quickly away, but though Lumawig waited a long time they did not return, and all the time the boy and girl were growing colder.

Finally Lumawig himself went after the dog and the deer, and when he reached them he said:

“Why are you so long in bringing the fire to Pokis? Get ready and come quickly while I watch you, for the boy and girl are very cold.”

Then the dog and the deer took the fire and started to swim through the flood, but when they had gone only a little way the fire was put out.

Lumawig commanded them to get more fire and they did so, but they swam only a little way again when that of the deer went out, and that of the dog would have been extinguished also had not Lumawig gone quickly to him and taken it.

As soon as Lumawig reached Pokis he built a big fire which warmed the brother and sister; and the water evaporated so that the world was as it was before, except that now there were mountains. The brother and sister married and had children, and thus there came to be many people on the earth.

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The Creation

In the beginning, Lumawig, the Great Spirit, created humanity by transforming reeds into couples with unique languages. He taught them to marry, leading to the growth of diverse populations. Lumawig provided essential resources like salt and pottery, designating their guardians based on obedience and skill. By distributing tasks and knowledge, he ensured the people thrived and learned to cooperate through trade and craftsmanship.

Source
Philippine Folk Tales
compiled and annotated by
Mabel Cook Cole
A.C. McClurg & Co., Chicago, 1916

► Themes of the story

Creation: The tale explains the origin of humanity and various cultural practices.

Origin of Things: It describes the beginnings of essential resources like salt and pottery.

Cultural Heroes: Lumawig acts as a foundational figure shaping society by teaching essential skills and assigning roles.

► From the same Region or People

Southeast Asia
- Philippines
  - Igorot Lore

Learn more about Philippines peoples

In the beginning there were no people on the earth. Lumawig, the Great Spirit, came down from the sky and cut many reeds. He divided these into pairs which he placed in different parts of the world, and then he said to them, “You must speak.” Immediately the reeds became people, and in each place was a man and a woman who could talk, but the language of each couple differed from that of the others. Then Lumawig commanded each man and woman to marry, which they did. By and by there were many children, all speaking the same language as their parents. These, in turn, married and had many children. In this way there came to be many people on the earth.

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Now Lumawig saw that there were several things which the people on the earth needed to use, so he set to work to supply them. He created salt, and told the inhabitants of one place to boil it down and sell it to their neighbors. But these people could not understand the directions of the Great Spirit, and the next time he visited them, they had not touched the salt.

Then he took it away from them and gave it to the people of a place called Mayinit. These did as he directed, and because of this he told them that they should always be owners of the salt, and that the other peoples must buy of them.

Then Lumawig went to the people of Bontoc and told them to get clay and make pots. They got the clay, but they did not understand the moulding, and the jars were not well shaped. Because of their failure, Lumawig told them that they would always have to buy their jars, and he removed the pottery to Samoki. When he told the people there what to do, they did just as he said, and their jars were well shaped and beautiful. Then the Great Spirit saw that they were fit owners of the pottery, and he told them that they should always make many jars to sell.

In this way Lumawig taught the people and brought to them all the things which they now have.

Dogedog

Dogedog, a lazy man living in poverty, ventures into the forest to improve his home but repeatedly loses his food to a cat. After catching the cat and sparing its life, it magically transforms into a cock. Accompanied by an alligator, deer, ant mound, and monkey, Dogedog wins contests at a cockfight, earning wealth. He buys a mansion and lives in comfort, avoiding work forever.

Source
Philippine Folk Tales
compiled and annotated by
Mabel Cook Cole
A.C. McClurg & Co., Chicago, 1916

► Themes of the story

Magic and Enchantment: The cat’s magical transformation introduces an element of the supernatural, highlighting the role of magic in the narrative.

Cunning and Deception: Dogedog’s cleverness in capturing the cat and later using the cock to win contests demonstrates the use of wit to achieve goals.

Quest: Dogedog’s journey to the cockfight at Magsingal represents a pursuit of fortune and a better life.

► From the same Region or People

Southeast Asia
- Philippines
  - Tinguian Lore

Learn more about Philippines peoples

Dogedog had always been very lazy, and now that his father and mother were dead and he had no one to care for him, he lived very poorly. He had little to eat. His house was old and small and so poor that it had not even a floor. Still he would rather sit all day and idle away his time than to work and have more things.

One day, however, when the rainy season was near at hand, Dogedog began thinking how cold he would be when the storms came, and he felt so sorry for himself that he decided to make a floor in his house.

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Wrapping some rice in a banana leaf for his dinner, he took his long knife and went to the forest to cut some bamboo. He hung the bundle of rice in a tree until he should need it; but while he was working a cat came and ate it. When the hungry man came for his dinner, there was none left. Dogedog went back to his miserable little house which looked forlorn to him even, now that he had decided to have a floor.

The next day he went again to the forest and hung his rice in the tree as he did before, but again the cat came and ate it. So the man had to go home without any dinner.

The third day he took the rice, but this time he fixed a trap in the tree, and when the cat came it was caught.

“Now I have you!” cried the man when he found the cat; “and I shall kill you for stealing my rice.”

“Oh, do not kill me,” pleaded the cat, “and I will be of some use to you.”

So Dogedog decided to spare the cat’s life, and he took it home and tied it near the door to guard the house.

Some time later when he went to look at it, he was very much surprised to find that it had become a cock.

“Now I can go to the cock-fight at Magsingal,” cried the man. And he was very happy, for he had much rather do that than work.

Thinking no more of getting wood for his floor, he started out at once for Magsingal with the cock under his arm. As he was crossing a river he met an alligator which called out to him:

“Where are you going, Dogedog?”

“To the cock-fight at Magsingal,” replied the man as he fondly stroked the rooster.

“Wait, and I will go with you,” said the alligator; and he drew himself out of the water.

The two walking along together soon entered a forest where they met a deer and it asked:

“Where are you going, Dogedog?”

“To the cock-fight at Magsingal,” said the man.

“Wait and I will go with you,” said the deer; and he also joined them.

By and by they met a mound of earth that had been raised by the ants, and they would have passed without noticing it had it not inquired:

“Where are you going, Dogedog?”

“To the cock-fight at Magsingal,” said the man once more; and the mound of earth joined them.

The company then hurried on, and just as they were leaving the forest, they passed a big tree in which was a monkey.

“Where are you going, Dogedog?” shrieked the monkey. And without waiting for an answer he scrambled down the tree and followed them.

As the party walked along they talked together, and the alligator said to Dogedog:

“If any man wants to dive into the water, I can stay under longer than he.”

Then the deer, not to be outdone, said:

“If any man wants to run, I can run faster.”

The mound of earth, anxious to show its strength, said:

“If any man wants to wrestle, I can beat him.”

And the monkey said:

“If any man wants to climb, I can go higher.”

They reached Magsingal in good time and the people were ready for the fight to begin. When Dogedog put his rooster, which had been a cat, into the pit, it killed the other cock at once, for it used its claws like a cat.

The people brought more roosters and wagered much money, but Dogedog’s cock killed all the others until there was not one left in Magsingal, and Dogedog won much money. Then they went outside the town and brought all the cocks they could find, but not one could win over that of Dogedog.

When the cocks were all dead, the people wanted some other sport, so they brought a man who could stay under water for a long time, and Dogedog made him compete with the alligator. But after a while the man had to come up first Then they brought a swift runner and he raced with the deer, but the man was left far behind. Next they looked around until they found a very large man who was willing to contend with the mound of earth, but after a hard struggle the man was thrown.

Finally they brought a man who could climb higher than anyone else, but the monkey went far above him, and he had to give up.

All these contests had brought much money to Dogedog, and now he had to buy two horses to carry his sacks of silver. As soon as he reached home, he bought the house of a very rich man and went to live in it. And he was very happy, for he did not have to work any more.

The Alligator’s Fruit

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

Southeast Asia
- Philippines
  - Tinguian Lore

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.”

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“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.

The Carabao and the Shell

A carabao mocked a shell for being slow, prompting the shell to challenge him to a race. Unbeknownst to the carabao, other shells positioned themselves along the route, responding when he called out. Believing the same shell was keeping pace, the carabao ran relentlessly, determined to win, until he collapsed and died from exhaustion. The tale highlights cleverness triumphing over brute force.

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 shell employs a clever ruse, using its fellow shells to deceive the carabao into believing it is keeping pace, highlighting the use of wit over strength.

Moral Lessons: The tale imparts a lesson on the dangers of arrogance and underestimating others, emphasizing that intelligence can triumph over brute force.

Transformation through Love: Although not directly about romantic love, the story reflects a transformation in understanding and respect, as the carabao’s experience serves as a cautionary tale about humility and recognizing the value of others.

► From the same Region or People

Southeast Asia
- Philippines
  - Tinguian Lore

Learn more about Philippines peoples

One very hot day, when a carabao went into the river to bathe, he met a shell and they began talking together.

“You are very slow,” said the carabao to the shell.

“Oh, no,” replied the shell. “I can beat you in a race.”

“Then let us try and see,” said the carabao.

So they went out on the bank and started to run.

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After the carabao had gone a long distance he stopped and called, “Shell!”

And another shell lying by the river answered, “Here I am!”

Then the carabao, thinking that it was the same shell with which he was racing, ran on.

By and by he stopped again and called, “Shell!”

Again another shell answered, “Here I am!”

The carabao was surprised that the shell could keep up with him. But he ran on and on, and every time he stopped to call, another shell answered him. But he was determined that the shell should not beat him, so he ran until he dropped dead.

The Man with the Cocoanuts

A man overloaded his horse with coconuts and asked a boy how long it would take to reach home. The boy advised going slowly for a quicker arrival, but the man hurried instead. His haste caused the coconuts to repeatedly fall off, delaying him further. Despite his efforts to save time, he arrived home late at night, learning the value of patience.

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 man’s initial disregard for the boy’s advice reflects a form of self-deception, believing that speed would ensure a quicker journey despite evidence to the contrary.

Trials and Tribulations: The repeated falling of the coconuts represents the challenges faced due to impatience, highlighting the importance of perseverance and learning from one’s mistakes.

Conflict with Nature: The man’s struggle to keep the coconuts on the horse depicts a battle against natural forces, underscoring the need to work harmoniously with nature rather than against it.

► From the same Region or People

Southeast Asia
- Philippines
  - Tinguian Lore

Learn more about Philippines peoples

One day a man who had been to gather his cocoanuts loaded his horse heavily with the fruit. On the way home he met a boy whom he asked how long it would take to reach the house. “If you go slowly,” said the boy, looking at the load on the horse, “you will arrive very soon; but if you go fast, it will take you all day.” The man could not believe this strange speech, so he hurried his horse. But the cocoanuts fell off and he had to stop to pick them up. Then he hurried his horse all the more to make up for lost time, but the cocoanuts fell off again. Many times he did this, and it was night when he reached home.

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The Turtle and the Lizard

A turtle and a lizard steal ginger from Gotgotapa’s field, but the lizard’s loud boasting attracts the owner. The turtle evades capture by hiding, while the lizard flees. Later, the lizard’s greed for honey angers bees, and his haste to grab a “silver wire” traps him in a snare, leading to his demise. The cautious turtle survives through patience and cleverness, continuing his journey alone.

Source
Philippine Folk Tales
compiled and annotated by
Mabel Cook Cole
A.C. McClurg & Co., Chicago, 1916

► Themes of the story

Trickster: The turtle embodies the trickster archetype, outsmarting both the man and the lizard through ingenuity.

Conflict with Authority: The animals’ theft from Gotgotapa’s field and the subsequent consequences reflect a challenge to human authority.

Trials and Tribulations: Both creatures face various challenges—evading capture, dealing with bees, and encountering a snare—testing their survival skills.

► From the same Region or People

Southeast Asia
- Philippines
  - Tinguian Lore

Learn more about Philippines peoples

A turtle and a big lizard once went to the field of Gotgotapa to steal ginger, When they reached the place the turtle said to the lizard: “We must be very still or the man will hear us and come out.”

But as soon as the lizard tasted the ginger he was so pleased that he said: “The ginger of Gotgotapa is very good.”

“Be still,” said the turtle; but the lizard paid no attention to the warning, and called louder than ever: “The ginger of Gotgotapa is very good.”

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Again and again he cried out, until finally the man heard him and came out of the house to catch the robbers.

The turtle could not run fast, so he lay very still, and the man did not see him. But the lizard ran and the man chased him. When they were out of sight, the turtle went into the house and hid under a cocoanut shell upon which the man used to sit.

The man ran after the lizard for a long distance, but he could not catch him. After a while he came back to the house and sat down on the shell.

By and by, the turtle called, “Kook.” The man jumped up and looked all around. Unable to tell where the noise came from, he sat down again,

A second time the turtle called, and this time the man looked everywhere in the house except under the shell, but could not find the turtle. Again and again the turtle called, and finally the man, realizing that all his attempts were unsuccessful, grew so excited that he died.

Then the turtle ran out of the house, and he had not gone far before he met the lizard again. They walked along together until they saw some honey in a tree, and the turtle said:

“I will go first and get some of the honey.”

The lizard would not wait, but ran ahead, and when he seized the honey, the bees came out and stung him. So he ran back to the turtle for help.

After a while they came to a bird snare, and the turtle said:

“That is the silver wire that my grandfather wore about his neck.”

Then the lizard ran fast to get it first, but he was caught in the snare and was held until the man came and killed him. Then the wise turtle went on alone.

The Boy who Became a Stone

Elonen, a boy crafting a bird snare, captures a taunting bird but leaves it home while swimming. His hungry grandmother eats the bird, leaving Elonen heartbroken. Wandering into the forest, he asks a stone to swallow him, which it does. Despite various creatures’ attempts to rescue him, including horses, carabaos, and thunder, the stone remains unyielding, leaving his grandmother grief-stricken.

Source
Philippine Folk Tales
compiled and annotated by
Mabel Cook Cole
A.C. McClurg & Co., Chicago, 1916

► Themes of the story

Transformation: Elonen’s metamorphosis into a stone signifies a profound change in his state of being.

Family Dynamics: The relationship between Elonen and his grandmother, including her actions and his subsequent reaction, highlights complex familial interactions.

Loss and Renewal: Elonen’s loss of his bird and his transformation can be interpreted as a cycle of loss leading to a new state of existence.

► From the same Region or People

Southeast Asia
- Philippines
  - Tinguian Lore

Learn more about Philippines peoples

One day a little boy named Elonen sat out in the yard making a bird snare, and as he worked, a little bird called to him: “Tik-tik-lo-den” (come and catch me).

“I am making a snare for you,” said the boy; but the bird continued to call until the snare was finished.

Then Elonen ran and threw the snare over the bird and caught it, and he put it in a jar in his house while he went with the other boys to swim.

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While he was away, his grandmother grew hungry, so she ate the bird, and when Elonen returned and found that his bird was gone, he was so sad that he wished he might go away and never come back. He went out into the forest and walked a long distance, until finally he came to a big stone and said: “Stone, open your mouth and eat me.” And the stone opened its mouth and swallowed the boy.

When his grandmother missed the boy, she went out and looked everywhere, hoping to find him. Finally she passed near the stone and it cried out, “Here he is.” Then the old woman tried to open the stone but she could not, so she called the horses to come and help her. They came and kicked it, but it would not break. Then she called the carabao and they hooked it, but they only broke their horns. She called the chickens, which pecked it, and the thunder, which shook it, but nothing could open it, and she had to go home without the boy.

The Mistaken Gifts

When Siagon was eight, his parents sought a bride for him and selected a distant maiden. A messenger visited her family and mistook their nodding while eating periwinkles as approval. Relieved, Siagon’s family prepared lavish gifts for the wedding. However, when they arrived, the girl’s family was shocked, as they were unaware of the marriage plans.

Source
Philippine Folk Tales
compiled and annotated by
Mabel Cook Cole
A.C. McClurg & Co., Chicago, 1916

► Themes of the story

Family Dynamics: The narrative centers on Siagon’s parents arranging a marriage for their young son, highlighting familial roles and expectations.

Cunning and Deception: The misunderstanding arises from the messenger’s misinterpretation of the family’s nodding, leading to unintended consequences.

Moral Lessons: The tale imparts a lesson on the importance of clear communication and the potential pitfalls of assumptions.

► From the same Region or People

Southeast Asia
- Philippines
  - Tinguian Lore

Learn more about Philippines peoples

When Siagon was about eight years old his parents began looking for a girl who would make a suitable wife. At last when they had decided on a beautiful maiden, who lived some distance from them, they sent a man to her parents to ask if they would like Siagon for a son-in-law. Now when the man arrived at the girl’s house the people were all sitting on the floor eating periwinkle, and as they sucked the meat out of the shell, they nodded their heads. The man, looking in at the door, saw them nod, and he thought they were nodding at him. So he did not tell them his errand, but returned quickly to the boy’s parents and told them that all the people at the girl’s house were favorable to the union.

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Siagon’s parents were very much pleased that their proposal had been so kindly received, and immediately prepared to go to the girl’s house to arrange for the wedding.

Finally all was ready and they started for her house, carrying with them as presents for her parents two carabao, two horses, two cows, four iron kettles, sixteen jars of basi, two blankets, and two little pigs.

The surprise of the girl’s people knew no bounds when they saw all this coming to their house, for they had not even thought of Siagon marrying their daughter.

Sogsogot

Sogsogot, a hunter, was abducted by a giant bird and left in its nest with young birds and pigs. He survived by feeding on prey brought by the bird and eventually escaped using the birds to glide down. Later, he encountered his wife’s spirit, who guided him to a spirit town but warned of dangers. After two weeks, he returned home, realizing his wife had passed.

Source
Philippine Folk Tales
compiled and annotated by
Mabel Cook Cole
A.C. McClurg & Co., Chicago, 1916

► Themes of the story

Supernatural Beings: Sogsogot encounters the spirit of his deceased wife, highlighting interactions between mortals and spirits.

Underworld Journey: His journey to the spirit town, a realm beyond the living, reflects this theme.

Resurrection: His return from the spirit world to the land of the living symbolizes a form of resurrection.

► From the same Region or People

Southeast Asia
- Philippines
  - Tinguian Lore

Learn more about Philippines peoples

One day, a long time ago, some men went to the mountains to hunt deer and wild pig, and among them was one named Sogsogot. They all went into the thick forest to look for game, but after a while Sogsogot called his dog and withdrew to an open spot near by, where he waited for the deer to come out.

While he stood there eagerly watching, a big bird swooped down, caught him in its claws, and carried him away. Far off over the mountains the bird soared, until finally it came to a big tree where it had its nest, and here it left the man and flew away.

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Sogsogot’s first thought was to make his escape, but he found that the tree was so tall that he could not get down, and after a time he ceased his attempts to get away and began to look over his companions in the nest–two young birds and three little pigs.

By and by he became hungry, so he cut up the three little pigs, and after he had eaten all he wished he fed the two birds. When this meat was gone the mother bird brought more pigs and deer, and the man had all he could eat. Then he fed the little birds, which grew very fast and soon were able to fly. One day when they were standing on the edge of the nest Sogsogot caught hold of the birds’ legs, and they fluttered down and carried him safely to the ground.

He hastened home as fast as he could go and told the people of his wonderful trip. They made a ceremony for the spirits, and all the people rejoiced that the lost man had returned.

Some time after this Sogsogot went to a hostile town to fight, and while he was gone his wife died. On the way back to his town he met the spirit of his wife driving a cow and two pigs, and not knowing that she was a spirit he asked her where she was going.

“I am not a person any more,” she answered him; “I am dead.” And when he wanted to touch her hand, she gave him only her shortest finger. He begged to go with her so she said, “Go first to our home and get a white chicken; then follow the footmarks of the cow and pigs.”

He did as she commanded him, and after a while he came to a place where she was bathing in the river. She said to him:

“Now you may come with me to our spirit town. I shall hide you in the rice-bin and shall bring food to you every day. But at night the people in the town will want to eat you, and when they come to the bin you must take some of the feathers of the white chicken and throw at them.”

The man went with her, and when they arrived at the spirit town she hid him in the rice-bin. At night the people came to eat him, as she had said they would; but when he threw the chicken feathers at them they were frightened away.

For two weeks Sogsogot lived in this place, but when the feathers were nearly gone he was afraid to stay any longer, for every night the spirits came to eat him. He begged his wife to allow him to go, and finally she showed him the way home, giving him rice to eat on his journey.

As soon as the man arrived home and inquired for his wife, the people told him that she had died and they had buried her under the house. Then he knew that it was her spirit that had taken him to the strange town.