gone a long distance from the hill, he saw the sky
full of birds flying around and looking for food. Again the horse told
Juan to ask for food from the handkerchief; so that they might feed the
birds, and not be killed by them and eaten. Juan did so, and gave the
birds all they wanted to eat. Then the king of the birds, the eagle,
flew up to Juan, and said, "To repay you for your kindness, I will
give you some feathers from my wings. Any time you want aid from us,
just burn some of the feathers, and let the ashes be carried by the
wind. Then we will come to you." Juan thanked the bird, and put the
feathers in his pocket where he kept the leg of the ant.

Then he continued his journey. When they came near the palace of
Dona Maria, the horse told Juan to hide, and said that he alone
would enter her garden; but before he should hide, Juan should ask
his handkerchief for a complete equipment of saddle and bridle, so
that the horse could be mounted by a lady. Juan did so, hid himself,
and the horse wandered into the garden of Dona Maria. When the princess
saw the horse, she became very angry, and said, "Who is the one who is
so bold as to let his horse enter my garden?" She looked all about,
but could see no one: so she said to herself, "I will mount this
horse and find out who its owner is." She mounted the horse, which
immediately ran to the place where Juan was hiding, and told him to
get up on its back. Then the horse carried them swiftly back to the
small house of Juan. When he reached home, Juan sent word to the king
that the princess Dona Maria was in his home. The king, accompanied
by all his retinue, went in great state to Juan's house, made over to
him one-half of his dominion, and took Dona Maria back to his palace.

Now, Dona Maria was very beautiful, and the king fell deeply in love
with her. When he was alone with her in the palace, he began to court
her. He asked her to be his wife; but Dona Maria said, "Only the one
who can do what I wish him to do shall be my husband. I will mix one
hundred cavans of husked rice with one hundred cavans of unhusked
rice (palay). He who in one night can separate the two kinds of rice,
and also bring my palace here to your kingdom, shall be married to
me." The king said that no one could accomplish those things; but
Dona Maria told him that there was one who could accomplish the tasks,
and that was Juan.

The king then sent for Juan, and said to him, "Juan, here are one
hund