e jar and they tasted the wine, and it was
so pleasing to them that they drank three cocoanut shells full,
and Dumalawi became drunk. While his son lay asleep on the ground,
Aponitolau decided that this was a good time to destroy him, so he
used his magical power and there arose a great storm which picked up
Dumalawi in his sleep and carried him far away. And the father went
home alone.

Now when Dumalawi awoke, he was in the middle of a field so wide that
whichever way he looked, he could not see the end. There were neither
trees nor houses in the field and no living thing except himself. And
he felt a great loneliness.

By and by he used his magical power, and many betel-nuts grew in the
field, and when they bore fruit it was covered with gold,

"This is good," said Dumalawi, "for I will scatter these betel-nuts
and they shall become people, [50] who will be my neighbors."

So in the middle of the night he cut the gold-covered betel-nuts into
many small pieces which he scattered in all directions. And in the
early morning, when he awoke, he heard many people talking around
the house, and many roosters crowed. Then Dumalawi knew that he
had companions, and upon going out he walked about where the people
were warming themselves [51] by fires in their yards, and he visited
them all.

In one yard was a beautiful maiden, Dapilisan, and after Dumalawi
had talked with her and her parents, he went on to the other yards,
but she was ever in his thoughts. As soon as he had visited all the
people, he returned to the house of Dapilisan and asked her parents if
he might marry her. They were unwilling at first, for they feared that
the parents of Dumalawi might not like it; but after he had explained
that his father and mother did not want him, they gave their consent,
and Dapilisan became his bride.

Soon after the marriage they decided to perform a ceremony [52] for
the spirits. So Dapilisan sent for the betel-nuts which were covered
with gold, [53] and when they were brought to her, she said:

"You betel-nuts that are covered with gold, come here and oil
yourselves and go and invite all the people in the world to come to
our ceremony."

So the betel-nuts oiled themselves and went to invite the people in
the different towns.

Soon after this Aponibolinayen, the mother of Dumalawi, sat alone in
her house, still mourning the loss of her son, when suddenly she was
seized with a desire to chew betel-nut.

"What ails me?