orrowed bracelet. While he
was dancing, however, he lost the jewel, and could find it nowhere. At
last he went back to the sparrow-hawk, and said, "I am very sorry,
my friend, but I lost your bracelet while I was dancing, and I can
find it nowhere. What do you wish me to give you in payment for it?"

The sparrow-hawk answered, "Since that bracelet was an heirloom, I
valued it very highly. You must go back to the place where you think
you lost it, and there look for it until you find it. In the mean
time I reserve the right to take from your flock a chicken whenever
I please."

So, ever since that time sparrow-hawks are often seen carrying off
young chickens, while the cocks have been busy scratching the ground
to find the lost bracelet. Hens also scratch the soil, for they hate
to lose their chicks, and they want to find the bracelet as soon as
possible. They look up into the sky to see if the sparrow-hawk is near;
then they scratch the soll vigorously, and cry, "Tac-ta-laoc!" which
means, "Come and help me!"

Note.

Another Visayan variant of these two stories may be found in the
"Journal of American Folk-Lore" (20 : 100), whence it has been
reprinted by M. C. Cole (p. 212), "The Hawk and the Hen." An African
analogue may be found in Dayrell (No. xv, p. 62).

TALE 75

THE STORY OF OUR FINGERS.

Narrated by Leopoldo Uichanco, a Tagalog from Calamba, La Laguna.

"Why," said Antonio to his grandfather one day, "does our thumb stand
separate from the other fingers?"

"That is only so in our days," replied old Julian. "In the days of
long ago the fingers of our ancestors stood together in the same
position. One day one of these fingers, the one we call the little
finger, became very hungry, and he asked the finger next to him to
give him some food.

"'O brother!' said the Ring-Finger in reply, 'I am hungry also;
but where shall we get food?'

"'Heaven is merciful,' put in the Middle-Finger, trying to comfort
his two brothers; 'Heaven will give us some.'

"'But, Brother Middle-Finger,' protested the Forefinger, 'what if
Heaven gives us no food?'

"'Well, then,' interposed the Thumb, 'let us steal!'

"'Steal!' echoed the Forefinger, not at all pleased by the advice that
had just been given. 'Mr. Thumb knows better than to do that, I hope!'

"'That is bad policy, Mr. Thumb,' concluded the other three
unanimously. 'Your idea is against morality, against God, against
yourself, against everybody. O