The Lizard and Her Young One

There was once a lizard. She was a friend of the deer. The lizard said, Friend, take care of my child because I am going to catch fish. While I am away do not dance because you might step on my child. then she left.

She reached the river and started to fish. When she had been fishing for some time, she felt tired, for she did not catch any. Soon she heard a noise in the house. She returned home immediately because she became worried about her child. She found out later that her child was dead.

She said, What caused the death of my child? The deer said, I stepped on it because I danced, for I heard the mangawag bird yelling. The lizard said, Come with me and let us ask from ba.i’ why she yelled. Now they left.

When they reached the home of the mangawag, the lizard asked, Why did you yell? The mangawag said, I yelled because I heard the woodpecker drumming the tree. I was surprised why she was tapping the tree.

The lizard said, Come and let us go to her. Then they left. When they reached the place, immediately the lizard asked, Ba.i’, why did you tap the tree? The woodpecker said, I tapped the tree because I was surprised that the crocodile was drying up her limbutung under the sun. The lizard said, Come with me and let us go to the crocodile and ask her why she was drying up her limbutung. They started right away.

When they reached the crocodile said, Ba.i’, what news do you bring me? The lizard said, We are asking you why you were drying up your limbutung. The crocodile answered, I dried up my limbutung because I was surprised that the shrimp was carrying his gun downstream.

Then the lizard said, Come with me and we shall ask the shrimp why he was carrying his gun. They left at once, and went to the shrimp and when they reached there the lizard asked, Ba.i’, why did you carry your gun? The shrimp replied, I carried my gun because I was afraid of the lizard who was running after me.

The lizard was surprised too, she did not say any word because she saw the cause of the trouble. She was not able to say anything, so she lost her case.