Philippine Folk Tales | Page 4

the place where the women set their jars when they
came to dip water was a large golden plate. As Aponibolinayen stood
admiring the beauties of this spring, she beheld a small house nearby,
and she was filled with fear lest the owner should find her there. She
looked about for some means of escape and finally climbed to the top
of a betel-nut tree and hid.
Now the owner of this house was Ini-init, [2] the Sun, but he was never
at home in the daylight, for it was his duty to shine in the sky and give
light to all the world. At the close of the day when the Big Star took his
place in the sky to shine through the night, Ini-init returned to his house,
but early the next morning he was always off again.
From her place in the top of the betel-nut tree, Aponibolinayen saw the
Sun when he came home at evening time, and again the next morning
she saw him leave. When she was sure that he was out of sight she
climbed down and entered his dwelling, for she was very hungry. She
cooked rice, and into a pot of boiling water she dropped a stick which
immediately became fish, [3] so that she had all she wished to eat.
When she was no longer hungry, she lay down on the bed to sleep.
Now late in the afternoon Ini-init returned from his work and went to
fish in the river near his house, and he caught a big fish. While he sat
on the bank cleaning his catch, he happened to look up toward his
house and was startled to see that it appeared to be on fire. [4] He
hurried home, but when he reached the house he saw that it was not
burning at all, and he entered. On his bed he beheld what looked like a
flame of fire, but upon going closer he found that it was a beautiful
woman fast asleep.
Ini-init stood for some time wondering what he should do, and then he
decided to cook some food and invite this lovely creature to eat with
him. He put rice over the fire to boil and cut into pieces the fish he had
caught. The noise of this awakened Aponibolinayen, and she slipped
out of the house and back to the top of the betel-nut tree. The Sun did

not see her leave, and when the food was prepared he called her, but the
bed was empty and he had to eat alone. That night Ini-init could not
sleep well, for all the time he wondered who the beautiful woman could
be. The next morning, however, he rose as usual and set forth to shine
in the sky, for that was his work.
That day Aponibolinayen stole again to the house of the Sun and
cooked food, and when she returned to the betel-nut tree she left rice
and fish ready for the Sun when he came home. Late in the afternoon
Ini-init went into his home, and when he found pots of hot rice and fish
over the fire he was greatly troubled. After he had eaten he walked a
long time in the fresh air. "Perhaps it is done by the lovely woman who
looks like a flame of fire," he said. "If she comes again I will try to
catch her."
The next day the Sun shone in the sky as before, and when the
afternoon grew late he called to the Big Star to hurry to take his place,
for he was impatient to reach home. As he drew near the house he saw
that it again looked as if it was on fire. He crept quietly up the ladder,
and when he had reached the top he sprang in and shut the door behind
him.
Aponibolinayen, who was cooking rice over the fire, was surprised and
angry that she had been caught; but the Sun gave her betel-nut [5]
which was covered with gold, and they chewed together and told each
other their names. Then Aponibolinayen took up the rice and fish, and
as they ate they talked together and became acquainted.
After some time Aponibolinayen and the Sun were married, and every
morning the Sun went to shine in the sky, and upon his return at night
he found his supper ready for him. He began to be troubled, however,
to know where the food came from, for though he brought home a fine
fish every night, Aponibolinayen always refused to cook it.
One night he watched her prepare their meal, and he saw that, instead
of using the nice fish he had brought, she only dropped a stick into the
pot of boiling water.

"Why do you try