btained in our own class rooms, from native teachers
and pupils. Mr. Maxfield was stationed at Iloilo, and Mr. Millington
at Mandurriao, places five miles apart. We daily came in contact with
about one thousand pupils. The tales were gathered in both places,
and were found to be substantially alike, the differences being
only in petty details. After collecting one version, we endeavored
to ascertain whether the same narrative was current among natives
in other localities of the island. We were surprised to discover
that they seemed to be known wherever we became acquainted with the
people and had obtained their confidence sufficiently to induce them
to talk freely. There were often variations, but the framework was
always the same. If any stories were obtained from native teachers
who knew Spanish, we have always verified them by getting children
or natives from other places, who knew no Spanish, to relate them,
in order to assure ourselves that the narrative could not be a mere
translation of a Spanish tale.

We who have collected these stories can claim little credit for any
more than the mere arrangement of them, as, so far as possible, even
the wording of the original manuscripts has been retained. Doubtless,
much of the interest we have felt in the work is due to our personal
acquaintance with the writers who put on paper for us these simple
tales, yet we hope that they will not be wholly unattractive to those
for whose sake they have been collected.

February, 1906.

B. L. M.

W. H. M.

CHAPTER 1

How Jackyo Became Rich.

A long time ago there was a young man whose name was Jackyo. He was
very poor, and by his daily labor could earn barely enough for his
food and nothing at all for his clothes. He had a little farm at some
distance from the village in which he lived, and on it raised a few
poor crops.

One pleasant afternoon Jackyo started off to visit his farm. It was
late when he reached it, and after he had finished inspecting his
crops, he turned back homewards. But the bright day had gone and the
sun had set. Night came on quickly, and the way was dark and lonely.

At last he could no longer see the road. Not a star was to be seen,
and the only sounds he heard were the sad twitterings of the birds
and soft rustling of the leaves as they were moved by the wind.

At last he entered a thick forest where the trees were very big. "What
if I should meet some wild beast," thought Jackyo; but he added