|
|
Pilandok
and Sabandar
( Maranao ) |
|
|
|
| We all know how the
prankster called Pilandok tricked the prince Sumusong-sa-Alongan
into getting stung by bees until he almost died. Well,
Pilandok just got himself into another fix. A relative
of Sumusong-sa-Alongan, named Sabandar, went out searching
for the man who had done the prince harm. |
|
|
|
| Sabandar came upon
Pilandok as he was resting beneath a tree with a large
black python coiled, asleep, in the branches. Sabandar
asked if his name was Pilandok. |
|
|
|
| "I am Pilandok,"
the prankster answered truthfully. |
|
|
|
| Then Sabandar said
that he would kill Pilandok, because the man had almost
killed his relative Sumusong-sa-Alongan with a trick.
|
|
|
|
| "No,
wait," Pilandok said. "In this town where
I live, there are two Pilandoks. One is called Pilandok-from-Upstream,
and the other is Pilandok-from-Downstream. I am Pilandok-from-Downstream.
The other Pilandok is blind in one eye, and I am not."
|
|
|
|
| Sabandar was quieted.
Yes, Sumusong-sa-Alongan had told him that the prankster
he had encountered had one eye closed. This Pilandok-from-Downstream
must be an honest man. |
|
|
|
| "Tell me what
you are doing beneath this tree, Pilandok-from-Downstream." |
|
|
|
| "Ah! well,"
said Pilandok, "I am guarding the black belt of
a queen." |
|
|
|
| Sabandar thought that
the belt must be special indeed. |
|
|
|
| "Let me try the
belt on, Pilandok," Sabangan said. |
|
|
|
| "No, the queen
will be angry with me if I let just any man wear her
special belt," Pilandok answered. |
|
|
|
| "Look…I’ll
give you everything I have right now if only you will
let me try the belt on, Pilandok." |
|
|
|
| Pilandok pretended
to think. And after a while he said, "I’ll
take everything you have. But, mind you, don’t
wear the belt until I am far away, for the queen’s
guards might catch me lending her special belt to a
stranger." |
|
|
|
| Sabandar agreed to
this. Pilandok took everything Sabandar had (which was
a lot!) and ran away as fast as he could. |
|
|
|
| Sabandar took the
sleeping python and wound it around his waist. The python,
alarmed at being so rudely awakened, coiled itself tighter
and tighter about Sabandar’s waist until the man
died. And then it went up the tree again to sleep. |
|
|
|
| Pilandok lived happily
with all of Sabandar’s possessions. |
|
|
|
