How the Tinguian Learned to Plant

 In the very old times the Tinguian did not know how to plant and harvest as they now do. For food they had only the things that grew in the forests and fish from the streams. Neither did they know how to cure people who became ill or were injured by evil¹ spirits, and many died who might otherwise have lived.75

 

Then Kadaklan, the Great Spirit who lives in the sky, saw that the people often were hungry and sick, and he sent one of his servants, Kaboniyan, to the earth to teach them many things. And it happened this way:

 

Dayapan, a woman who lived in Caalang, had been sick for seven years. One day when she went to the spring to bathe, there entered her body a spirit who had rice and sugar-cane² with him, and he said to her:

 

“Dayapan, take these to your home and plant them in the ground, and after a while they will grow large enough to reap³. Then when they are ripe, build a granary to put the rice in until you shall need it, and a sugar-press to crush⁴ the cane. And when these are finished, make the ceremony Sayung, and you will be well.” [67]

 

Dayapan was filled with wonder at these strange things, but she took the rice and the sugar-cane and went home as she was commanded. While she was trying to plant them in the ground the Spirit again entered her body and showed her just what to do. Since then the Tinguian have planted crops every year, and because they do as Kaboniyan76 taught the woman they have plenty to eat.

 

When Dayapan had reaped⁵ the first rice and cane, she began to make the ceremony Sayung, and the Spirit came again and directed her. And when it was finished and she was cured, he told her to take a dog and a cock⁶ and go to bathe in the river as a sign that the ceremony was finished. So she went to the river and tied the dog and the cock near the water, but while she was bathing the dog ate the cock.

 

Dayapan wept bitterly at this and waited a long time for Kaboniyan, and when at last he came, he said:

 

“If the dog had not killed the cock, no person would die when you make this ceremony; but this is a sign, and now some will die and some will get well.”

 

Dayapan called all the people together, and told them the things that the spirit had taught her; and they could see that she had been made well. After that, when people became ill they called Dayapan to treat them. And it was as the Spirit had said; some died and others were made well.

1 evil   

n.邪恶，不幸，罪恶；adj.邪恶的，不幸的，有害的，诽谤的

参考例句：

• We pray to God to deliver us from evil.我们祈求上帝把我们从罪恶中拯救出来。
• Love of money is the root of all evil.爱钱是邪恶的根源。

2 cane   

n.手杖，细长的茎，藤条；v.以杖击，以藤编制的

参考例句：

• This sugar cane is quite a sweet and juicy.这甘蔗既甜又多汁。
• English schoolmasters used to cane the boys as a punishment.英国小学老师过去常用教鞭打男学生作为惩罚。

3 reap   

v.得到，获得（报酬、成果等），收割，收获

参考例句：

• It is not easy to reap the harvest of my hard work.获得自己辛勤工作的成果是不容易的。
• As a man sows,so he shall reap.种瓜得瓜，种豆得豆。

4 crush   

v.压垮，压倒，压服，镇压；压碎，碾碎

参考例句：

• This machine is made to crush the rock into powder.这台机器是用来把石头压成碎末的。
• You can't crush so many people into the classroom.不能让这么多人挤进教室。

5 reaped   

收割庄稼，收获( reap的过去式和过去分词 )； （因自己或他人所为）获得（某事物）

参考例句：

• The harvest must be reaped in good time. 农作物必须及早收割。
• The peasants reaped their rice. 农民们收割了水稻。

6 cock   

n.公鸡，雄鸟；旋塞，开关

参考例句：

• The cock is crowing.这只公鸡正在啼鸣。
• The cloud was in the shape of a cock.那云成公鸡形。