The Old Man Went Hunting

The Old Man Went Hunting

As for the old man who went hunting, when he was walking in the forest he saw smoke (coming out) from a cave. When he went to the cave, he peeked-inside and he saw a giant cooking ubi (yam) which he has stolen from someone else's kaingin. He heard the voice of a giant which said, "Hi, Hi, Hi the yam which I broiled smells good."

The old man who went hunting upon hearing this said, "Oh he has a yam which he is cooking? I'm going to steal it when it is cooked." The old man stayed at the back (of the giant) waiting for the yam while the giant slept for a while saying, "I will turn it (the yam) side by and by." He woke up again and said, "I will turn it over and then it will be cooked. I will go first and sleep and get after it is cook."

When it was cooked the old man went and replaced it with a big stone as big as the yam and then he got the yam and he placed the stone. He ran to a very big tree. And he climbed (the tree) then he ate the yam.

When the giant woke up, he said, "Hi! Hi! Hi! The yam that I broiled is cooked." When he got it and he was about to eat he said, "This is not what I broiled?" It is a stone." He went and look for the man, smelling the path where the man passed by.

He found the tree with his shadow by the creek. He looked on the water and he saw the (reflection of the) man who climbed up the tree. But he saw only his shadow on the water.

He kept on diving for the man in the water. Finally he was tired diving because his eyes became swollen. He said, "Let me look up at this tree." When he looks up he saw a man eating. The giant said, "Just wait and I will bite the tree." He bit the tree and only a little portion was holding on.

And finally the old man called his dog. A small dog arrived and when he was about to chase the giant, the giant threw the dog and then the dog was dead.

The old man again called for his dog which is very big and the dog went and killed the giant and then the old man came down from the tree.

And the giant said, "I will become a leach so that I will gauge out all the eyes of your dog if you will come again hunting."

And the old man went home.

 

 

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