ou will not be able to
guess it."

"I shall, mother, I shall, let it be whatever it may," answered
Juan. When it was time to go to school, Juan pretended to set out,
but instead he climbed a tree which stood near the kitchen, and hiding
himself among the leaves, watched through the window all that his
mother did.

His mother baked a bibingca, or cake made of rice and sweet potato,
and hid it in a jar. "I will bet anything," she said, "that my son will
not guess what it is." Juan laughed at his mother's self-conceit. When
it was time for school to close he got down, and with a book in his
hand, as though he had really come from school, appeared before his
mother and said: "Mother, I know what you are keeping for me."

"What is it?" asked his mother.

"The prophecy that I have just learned at school says that there is
a bibingca hidden in the olla." The mother became motionless with
surprise. "Is it possible?" she asked herself, "my son is indeed a
seer. I am going to spread it abroad. My son is a seer."

The news was spread far and wide and many people came to make trial
of Pusong's powers. In these he was always successful, thanks to his
ability to cheat.

II. One day a ship was anchored in the harbor. She had come from a
distant island. Her captain had heard of Pusong's power and wished
to try him. The trial consisted in foretelling how many seeds the
oranges with which his vessel was loaded contained. He promised to
give Juan a great quantity of money if he could do this.

Pusong asked for a day's time. That night he swam out to the vessel,
and, hidden in the water under the ship's stern, listened to the
conversation of the crew. Luckily they were talking about this very
matter of the oranges, and one of them inquired of the captain what
kind of oranges he had.

"My friend," said the captain, "these oranges are different from any
in this country, for each contains but one seed."

Pusong had learned all that he needed to know, so he swam back to the
shore, and the next morning announced that he was ready for the trial.

Many people had assembled to hear the great seer. Pusong continued to
read in his book, as though it was the source of his information. The
hour agreed upon struck, and the captain of the vessel handed an
orange to Juan and said: "Mr. Pusong, you may tell us how many seeds
this orange contains."

Pusong took the orange and smelled it. Then he opened his book and
after a while said: "T