in the Indian tales; viz., duck for louse, gun or horn for voice,
tail of sting-ray (pagui) for hair. The suggestion for this last
comparison may have come from the belief among the Filipinos that the
tail of the sting-ray is a very efficacious charm against demons and
witches. It is a "specific" against the mangkukulam. [30] On the other
hand, there are certain details of the Indian versions lacking in the
Filipino,--the donkey, the palmyra-tree, the wash-tub. Nevertheless
the close agreement, not only of motifs, but of motifs in the same
sequence, makes it certain beyond all reasonable doubt that the story
as we find it in the Islands (most fully represented by the Bicol
"Juan the Blind Man") goes back directly to southern India, possibly
to the parent story of Miss Frere's old Deccan narrative.

TALE 7

SAGACIOUS MARCELA.

Narrated by Lorenzo Licup, a Pampangan.

Long, long before the Spaniards came, there lived a man who had a
beautiful, virtuous, and, above all, clever daughter. He was a servant
of the king. Marcela, the daughter, loved her father devotedly, and
always helped him with his work. From childhood she had manifested a
keen wit and undaunted spirit. She would even refuse to obey unjust
orders from the king. No question was too hard for her to answer,
and the king was constantly being surprised at her sagacity.

One day the king conceived a plan by which he might test the ingenious
Marcela. He bade his servants procure a tiny bird and carry it to her
house. "Tell her," said the king, "to make twelve dishes out of that
one bird."

The servants found Marcela sewing. They told her of the order of the
king. After thinking for five minutes, she took one of her pins, and
said to the servants, "If the king can make twelve spoons out of this
pin, I can also make twelve dishes out of that bird." On receiving
the answer, the king realized that the wise Marcela had gotten the
better of him; and he began to think of another plan to puzzle her.

Again he bade his servants carry a sheep to Marcela's house. "Tell
her," he said, "to sell the sheep for six reales, and with the money
this very same sheep must come back to me alive."

At first Marcela could not make out what the king meant for her to
do. Then she thought of selling the wool only, and not the whole
sheep. So she cut off the wool and sold it for six reales, and sent
the money with the live sheep back to the king. Thus she was again
relieved