ted to sail without anybody to manage it. When she reached a
large town she stopped in the river, near where the pretty daughters
of some rich men of the town were taking a walk. They were accustomed
to take any boat they might find and use it when they wished to cross
the river, returning in the same way.
As Camanla's boat was there and looked very fine, the young ladies
decided to cross the river in it. The youngest was the first to jump
into the boat. When the little boat felt that some one had come on
board, she ran away, carrying the lady.
When Camanla saw his boat coming, he began to praise it, saying:
"My boat, la, is coming, la, to bring me, la, my pretty lady, to marry
me, la." Very soon the boat anchored, and he went down to receive the
lady, whom he soon married. Then was Camanla happy, but one day he
had no food to give his wife, so he made a little taon, or fish trap,
and said to it: "My pretty taon, la, you may go, la, to the river,
la, to get me some fish, la." The taon then walked toward the river,
and soon came back, full of fish. Camanla was an object of envy to
all the world.
His happiness was soon heard of by his friend Parotpot, who became
very envious. At last he went to Camanla's house. When he met his
friend, he said to him: "You are very happy, my friend, and I envy
you." Camanla replied: "Yes, I am very fortunate. I have my little
boat that sails every day to get my food, and a little taon that goes
to the river and brings me fine fish."
Parotpot returned sadly home. He concluded to build a boat like his
friend's, but Parotpot, when he talked, ended every third or fourth
word with "pot," (pronounced po) the ending of his name: This word
has a scornful meaning. When the boat was finished, he began to talk
to it as follows: "My boat, pot, you may go, pot, to find me a wife,
pot, prettier than my friend's wife, pot." The boat sailed away,
and reached a large river, just as some men were looking for a boat
to take across the body of their grandmother, in order to bury it in
the cemetery of the town. When they saw the boat they were glad to
get across the river so easily, so they lifted the body and placed
it in the boat. When the boat felt that something was on board, she
sailed swiftly towards home, leaving the men behind. Parotpot was
watching, and when he saw the boat coming, he began to talk thus:
"My boat, pot, is coming, pot, to bring me, pot, a pretty lady, pot,
to marry me, pot." B
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