Philippine Folklore Stories | Page 3

grew the highest, and, after taking off the
husk and punching in one of the little eyes, whisper inside:
"Ongloc of the mountains! Ongloc! Ugly man! I'm a little cocoanut,
Catch me if you can!"
Then he was to cut the cocoanut in halves, quickly bury one piece in

one of the holes, and, running to the other tree, bury the remaining half
in the other hole. After that he might walk home safely, being sure not
to run, for the Ongloc has always to obey the call of the cocoanut, and
must hunt through the grove to find the one that called him. Should he
cross the line between the holes, the buried pieces would fly out of the
holes, snap together on him, and, flying up the tree from which they
came, would keep him prisoner for a hundred years.
Quicoy was happy to think that he could capture the Ongloc, and
resolved to go that very night. He wanted some of the boys to go with
him, but they said he must go alone or the charm would be broken.
They also told him to be careful himself and not cross the line between
the holes or he would be caught as easily as the Ongloc.
So Quicoy went home and kept very quiet all day. His mother was
sorry she had frightened him the night before, and was going to tell him
not to be afraid; but when she thought of the lubi lana spilled on the
ground, she resolved to punish him more by saying nothing to him.
Just at dark, when no one was looking, Quicoy took his father's bolo
and quietly slipped away to the grove down by the river. He was not
afraid of ladrones, but he needed the bolo because it is not easy to open
a cocoanut, and it takes some time, even with a bolo, to get the husk
chopped from the fruit.
Quicoy felt a little frightened when he saw all the big trees around him.
The wind made strange noises in the branches high above him, and all
the trees seemed to be leaning over and trying to speak to him. He felt
somewhat sorry that he had come, but when he thought of the Ongloc
he mustered up courage and went on until he found an open space
between two high trees.
He stopped here and dug a hole under each of the trees. Then he put his
feet in the notches and climbed one of the trees. It was hard work, for
the notches were far apart; but at last he reached the branches and
climbed to the top. The wind rocked the tree and made him dizzy, but
he reached the highest cocoanut, threw it to the ground, and then
'started down the tree. It was easy to come down, though he went too
fast and slipped and slid some distance, skinning his arms and legs. He
did not mind that, however, for he knew he had the cocoanut that
would capture the Ongloc. He picked it up, chopped off the husk,
punched in one of the little eyes, and whispered inside:

"Ongloc of the mountains! Ongloc! Ugly man! I'm a little cocoanut,
Catch me if you can!"
He then chopped it in halves and buried one piece, and, running to the
other tree, buried the remaining piece. Just as he finished he thought he
heard a noise in the grove, and, instead of walking, he started to run as
fast as he could.
It was very dark now, and the noise grew louder and made him run
faster and faster, until suddenly a dreadful scream sounded directly in
front of him, and a terrible black thing with fiery eyes came flying at
him. He turned in terror and ran back toward the trees. He knew it was
the Ongloc answering the call of the cocoanut, and he ran like mad, but
the monster had seen him and flew after him, screaming with rage.
Faster and faster he ran, but nearer and nearer sounded the frightful
screams until, just as he felt two huge claws close on his neck, there
was a bump, a loud snap, and he felt himself being carried high in the
air. When the shock was over he found that he was squeezed tightly
between two hard walls, and he could hear the Ongloc screaming and
tearing at the outside with his claws. Then he knew what had happened.
He had crossed the line between the buried pieces and they had
snapped on him and carried him up the tree from which they came. He
was badly squeezed but he felt safe from the Ongloc, who finally went
away in disappointment; for, although he likes cocoanuts, he cannot
take one from a