and taking
your daughter for his wife."

The king, in great rage, summoned Mabait, and punished him severely by
beating his palms with a piece of leather. Then he ordered his servants
to find the duende and kill it. The duende hid in a small jar. Masama
saw it, and covered the mouth of the jar with a saint's dress. The
duende was afraid of the dress, and dared not come out. "Open the jar,
and I will give you ten isabels," said the little man.

"Give me the money first."

After Masama received the money, he went away to the cockpit without
opening the jar. On his way there he lost his money. He went back to
the duende, and said, "Friend, give me ten isabels more, and I will
open the jar."

"I know that you will cheat me," answered the duende. "Just let me
come out of the jar, and I promise that you shall have the princess
here for your wife."

"What! Will the princess be my wife?"

"Yes."

"How can you make her love me?"

"I will enter the princess's abdomen. I will talk, laugh, and do
everything to make her afraid. I will not leave her for anybody
but you."

"Good, good!" Masama opened the jar, and the duende, flew a way to
the princess's tower.

Only a few weeks after that time a proclamation of the king was read in
public. It was as follows: "The princess, my daughter, has something
in her abdomen. It speaks and laughs. No one knows what it is, and no
one can force it to come out. Whoever can cure my daughter shall be my
heir and son-in-law; but he who tries and fails shall lose his head."

When Masama heard this, he said to Mabait, "Why don't you cure the
princess? You are the only one who can cure her."

"Don't flatter me!" answered Mabait.

"I'm not flattering you. It is the duende, your friend, who is in her
abdomen, and no one can persuade it to come out but you. So go now,
for fortune is waiting for you."

Mabait was at last persuaded, and so he departed. Before going to the
king, he first went to a church, and there he prayed Bathala that
he might be successful in his undertakings. When Mabait was gone,
Masama said to himself, "It is not fortune, but it is death, that is
waiting for him. When he is dead, I shall not have anybody to envy."

After sitting for about a half-hour, Masama also set out for the
princess's tower, but he reached the palace before Mabait. There he
told the king that he could cure his daughter. He was conducted into
the princess's room. He touched her abdomen, and said