do not kill me and I will give you
a magic net which you may cast even on dry ground or into a tree-top
and it will return full of fish," and the tree did even so.

Again he met the friend, again he drank tuba [13] until he was dead
drunk, and again a worthless thing was substituted, and on reaching
home he was beaten and scolded.

Once more Juan went to the magic tree, and this time he received a
magic pot, always full of rice; and spoons always full of whatever
ulam might be wished, and these went the way of the other gifts,
to the false friend.

The fourth time he asked of the tree he was given a magic stick
that would without hands beat and kill anything that the owner
wished. "Only say to it 'Boombye, boomba,' and it will obey your word,"
said the tree.

When Juan met the false friend again, the false friend asked him what
gift he had this time. "It is only a stick that if I say, 'Boombye,
boomba,' will beat you to death," said Juan, and with that the stick
leaped from his hand and began to belabor the wicked man. "Lintic na
cahoy ito ay! [14] Stop it and I will give you everything I stole from
you." Juan ordered the stick to stop, but made the man, bruised and
sore, carry the net, the pot, and the spoons, and lead the goat to
Juan's home. There the goat shook silver from his beard till Juan's
three brothers and his mother had all they could carry, and they dined
from the pot and the magic spoons until they were full to their mouths.

"Now," said Juan, "you have beaten me and called me a fool all my life,
but you are not ashamed to take good things when I get them. I will
show you something else. Boombye, boomba!" and the stick began to
beat them all. Quickly they agreed that Juan was head of the house,
and he ordered the beating to stop.

Juan now became rich and respected, but he never trusted himself
far from his stick day or night. One night a hundred robbers came
to break into the house, to take all his goods, and kill him, but
he said to the stick, "Boombye, boomba!" and with the swiftness of
lightning the stick flew around, and all those struck fell dead till
there was not one left. Juan was never troubled again by robbers,
and in the end married a princess and lived happily ever after.

CHAPTER 7

The Aderna Bird.

There was once a king who greatly desired to obtain an aderna bird,
which is possessed of magical powers, has a wonderful song, and talks
like men. This king had a beautiful daughte