Filipino Popular Tales, by Dean S. Fansler

The Indolent Husband

Narrated by Gregorio Frondoso, a Bicol from Tigaon, Camarines, who

heard the story when he was a small boy. One of the servants told it

to him.

Many hundreds of years ago there lived in the isolated village of

Hignaroy a poor couple who had many children to care for. Barbara,

the wife, was an industrious but shrewish woman. She worked all

day in a factory to support her many children. The husband, Alejo,

on the other hand, idled away his time. He either ate, or drank,

or slept all the time his wife was away at work. In the course of

time Barbara naturally became disgusted with her husband's indolence;

and every time she came home, she would rail at him and assail him

with hot, insolent words, taxing him with not doing anything, and

with caring nothing about what was going on in the house: for, on her

return home in the evening, she would always find him asleep; while

the floor would always be strewn with chairs, benches, and pictures,

which the children had left in a disorderly way after playing.

Alejo seemed to take no heed of what she said; he became more sluggish,

and had no mind for anything but sleeping all day. What was worse,

was that he would eat such big meals, that he left but little food for

his wife and children. Barbara's anger and impatience grew so strong,

that she no longer used words as a means to reform her husband. She

would kick him as he lay lazily on his bed, and would even whip him

like a child. Finally the thought of leaving home came into his head;

he determined to travel to some distant land, partly with the purpose

of getting away from his wife, who was always interfering with his

ease, and partly with the purpose of seeking his fortune.

One day he set out on a long journey, wandering through woods, over

hills, and along the banks of rivers, where no human creature could

be seen. After roaming about a long time, he became tired, and lay

down to rest in the shade of a tree near the bank of a river. While

he was listening to the melodious sounds of the birds and the sweet

murmur of the water, and was meditating on his wretched condition,

an old humpback came upon him, and addressed him in this manner:

"What is the matter, my friend? Why do you look so sad?"

"I am in great trouble," said Alejo. "I will tell you all about it. I

am married, and have many children to support; but I am poor. I have

been idling away my time, and my wife has been kicking and whipping

me like a child for not doing anything all day. So I have finally

left home to seek my fortune."

"Don't be worried, my son!" said the old man. "Here, take this

purse! It has nothing in it; but, if you need money at any time,

just say these words,--'Sopot, ua-ua sopot!' --and it will give

you money."

Alejo was very glad to have found his fortune so quickly. He took

the purse from the old man, and, after thanking him for it, started

for his home with lively spirits. Soon he reached the village. Before

going home, however, he went to the house of his compadre and comadre,

and related to them what he had found. They entertained him well;

they drank and sang. While they all were feeling in good spirits,

Alejo took out his magic purse to test it before his friends.

"Friends," said Alejo, now somewhat drunk, "watch my purse!" at the

same time pronouncing the words "Sopot, ua-ua sopot!" Then showers of

silver coins dropped on the floor. When the couple saw this wonder,

they thought at once that their friend was a magician. They coveted the

purse. So they amused Alejo, gave him glass after glass of wine,--for

he was a great drinker,--until finally he was dead-drunk. At last

he was overcome by drowsiness, and the couple promptly provided him

with a bed. Just as he fell asleep, the wife stealthily untied the

purse from Alejo's waist, and put in its place one of their own.

After a good nap of an hour or two, Alejo awoke. He thanked his friends

for their kind reception and entertainment, and, after bidding them

good-by, went to his own home. There he found his wife busy sewing

by the fireside. He surprised her with his affectionate greeting. "My

dear, lovely wife, be cheerful! Here I have found something useful,--a

magic purse which will furnish us with money."

"O you rogue!" she replied, "don't bother me with your foolishness! How

could you ever get anything useful? You are lying to me."

"Believe me, my dear, I am telling the truth."

"All right; prove it to me at once."

"Call all out children, so that they may also see what I have

found." When all the children were called together, Alejo asked

the purse for money, just as the old man had showed him how to ask;

but no shower of coins dropped to the floor, for, as you know, it

was not the magic purse. Barbara was so enraged, that she stormed

at him with all the bitter words that can be imagined, and drove

him from the house. Alejo was a tender-hearted, if lazy, husband,

and it never occurred to him to beat his wife in turn. In fact,

he loved her and his children very much.

He wandered away again in the direction of the place where he had

met the old humpback. Here he found the old man, who said to him,

"Where are you going, Alejo?"

"Guiloy, your purse did not prove to be any good."

"Well, take this goat home with you. It will give you money if you ask

for it. Whenever you want any money, just say these words: 'Canding,

pag coroquinanding!'"

Alejo gladly accepted the goat, and set out for home again. Again he

passed by his friends' house. There he stopped, and they entertained

him as before: they drank, danced, and sang. Alejo told them about

the virtues of his magic goat when he was feeling in a jovial mood;

and when he fell asleep, they exchanged his beast for one of their

own. After his nap, Alejo started home, his goat flung over his

shoulder; but again, when he tried to demonstrate to his wife the

magic powers of the goat, the animal did nothing, but stood looking

as foolish as before Alejo spoke the words the old man had taught

him. Barbara was more angry than ever, and, after railing at her

husband, would have nothing more to do with him.

Alejo immediately left home to find the old man again. In a short

time he met him. "How now, Alejo? What's the matter?"

"Your magic goat would not obey my command," said Alejo. "Try this

table, then," said the old man. "It will provide you with all kinds

of delicious food and drink. Just say, 'Tende la mesa!' and all

kinds of foods will be served you."

Thanking the old man and bidding him good-by, Alejo shouldered the

magic table and left. He was invited into his friends' house as

before, and was entertained by the deceitful couple. Alejo imparted

to them the secret of his table. "Tende la mesa!" he said, and in

the wink of an eye every kind of food you could wish for appeared

on the table. They ate, and drank wine. Again Alejo drank so much,

that soon he was asleep, and again the false couple played a trick

on him: they exchanged his magic table for a common one of their

own. When Alejo woke up, he hastened to his own home, carrying the

table on his shoulder. He called his wife, and assured her that the

table would provide them with every variety of food. Now, this was

indeed good news to Barbara, so she called all their children about

them. When every one was seated about the table, Alejo exclaimed,

"Tende la mesa!"... You cannot imagine what blows, what pinches,

what whips, Alejo received from his wife's hands when not even a

single grain of rice appeared on the table!

Alejo now felt greatly ashamed before his wife. He wondered why it

was that when before his friends' eyes the purse, the goat, and the

table displayed their magic properties, they failed to display them

before his wife. However, he did not give up hope. He immediately

set out to seek the old man again. After a long wandering through

the same woods and hills and along river-banks, he came to the place

where he usually met him.

"Did the table prove good?" said the old man.

"No, Guiloy; so I have come here again."

"Well, Alejo," said the old man, "I pity you, indeed. Take this cane

as my last gift. Be very careful in using it, for I have no other

object to give you. The secret of this cane is this: if somebody has

done you wrong, say to the cane, 'Baston, pamordon!' and then

it will lash that person. There are no princes, kings, or emperors

that it will not punish."

Taking the cane and thanking the old man, Alejo hastily returned

home. This time, when he reached the village, he did not pass by his

friends' house, but went directly home. He told his wife to go call

in all their friends, relatives, and neighbors, for they were going

to have a sort of banquet. At first Barbara was unwilling to do so,

because she remembered how she had been deceived before; but at last

Alejo persuaded her to do as he wished.

When all their friends, relatives, and neighbors were gathered in his

house, Alejo shut all the doors and even the windows. Then he shouted

to his magic cane, "Baston, pamordon!" and it at once began to lash

all the people in the house, throwing them into great confusion. At

last Alejo's two friends, the deceitful couple, exclaimed almost in

one voice, "Compadre, please stop, and we will give you back your

magic purse, goat, and table." When Alejo heard them say this, he

was filled with joy, and commanded the cane to cease.

That very day the magic purse, goat, and table were returned to him by

his compadre and comadre, and now Barbara realized that her husband's

wanderings had been profitable. The husband and wife became rich,

and they lived many happy years together.