e
of chivalry, and is one form of the "Grateful Dead" type (see Gerould,
"The Grateful Dead," FLS 1907).

TALE 37

THE WOMAN AND HER COLES PLANT.

Narrated by Jose Hilario of Batangas, who says that the tale is common
among the Tagalogs, especially among the people living in the city
of Batangas.

One summer afternoon I saw several men talking to one another. They
seemed to be lively and enjoying themselves, for they had finished
their work for the day. I went towards them; and, upon coming within
earshot, I found out that they were telling tales to one another. The
following was one of the stories I heard that afternoon:--

Once there lived a very poor woman. She lived practically by begging,
but sometimes she got money with which to buy rice by selling small
vegetables in the market. She had a little garden, and one day planted
some seeds. Out of one of these seeds there grew up a plant which we
call coles. [91] This plant grew very fast, and in a few months it
reached the sky.

Out of curiosity, one day the woman began to climb the plant. When she
was assured that it was strong, she kept on climbing, and did not stop
until she reached the sky. There she called to St. Peter, and asked
him to give her a magic wand from which she could ask anything she
wished. St. Peter gave her what she asked for, but told her not to
disturb him again. Then she descended, and went down so quickly that
she almost hurt herself. When she reached her little hut, she at once
asked the wand for food. Immediately there appeared a table on which
was the best food in the world. When she had finished eating, she
commanded the table to disappear, and it disappeared instantly. Now
she became very proud on account of her wonderful possession. She
did not recognize her friends any more.

One day an archbishop arrived in the town in which she was living,
and all the bells were rung in his honor. She then became very angry,
and wondered why the bells were not rung for her whenever she passed
in front of the church. So she went to the tower where the bells were,
and commanded them to toll for her. They began to ring, but she was
struck on the head and was knocked senseless. When she recovered,
she hastened home, and began to climb the plant to ask St. Peter for
another gift; but, before she had covered one-half the distance to
the sky, the plant broke, and she was killed by her fall. Thus she
was punished for her vanity.

Notes.