The origin of rice and small streams, an Ibaloy tale

TALE number 19 of “Nabaloi Tales” by Claude Russell Moss is entitled “Origin of Rice and Small Streams.” The story is among 117 tales published by the University of California Press in 1924 as Volume 17 of the University of California Publications in American Archaeology and Ethnology. It is now in the public domain. Here it goes:

There were, it is said, two blind women who had no food. They begged at the houses of their neighbors, but they were driven away.

When they had no food for a long time, they decided to run away from their homes, because they were afraid that their bodies might be mutilated when they were dead. They started off, and walked a long distance. One day they arrived at a large rock, where they fell down.

They tried to stand again, but could not. Then in a moment the rock opened, and a young woman came out of it who took them with her; she took them where there was an old woman. She made them eat. When they had finished, she asked one what she needed. She answered, “I am hungry. I need food.”

She gave her a sack of rice and said, “Take this, because you can be kept alive by it as long as you live.” Then she asked the other one what she wished; and she answered, “I wish for water because I am thirsty.” She gave that one a bottle of water, and said, “Take this because you can be kept alive by it as long you live.”

When they had taken them in their hands, they went home and were never again hungry or thirsty. Then after a long time, they thought that it was probably bad for them to to keep for themselves what had been given them by the old woman. They decided it would probably be well to give a part to their neighbors.

The one who had taken the rice took a handful and sowed it; and when it was harvested, she gave it to the people. After that they also planted it, and there was much rice. The one who took the bottle of water poured it out, and it became the origin of small streams.

The 1924 Ibaloy text has been updated in spelling. The schwa sound is prevalent and it is represented by Ëë. The soft K sound is also represented by KH.

Guwara kuno chuwën ëkhurab ja bii ja ënchiy kënën cha. Ira kamankëkkëkchaw chi balëy ni inaskhang cha, nëm cha ira pan-ëbula.

Idi ënchiy cha kakëna ni ëbayag, ninëmnëm cha jëy taynan cha’y balëy cha tëp ëntahot ira jëy amangan nëm ang-angjaën cha’y bangkay cha nëm mëtëy ira. Imëtan ira ingkhëd inakad chay aragwi. Sahëy ja akhëw mimutok ira chi kadnan ni ëbadëg ja bato, jët inaysukbab ira.

Kuwan cha ëy ëndayat ira mowan nëm ëg mabëdin. Idi ëkhay ngimmata suta bato, jët bimu-day ali i sahëy ja marikit ja to ira inudop, jët in-ilaw to ira chi kadnan ni sahëy ja ababakol. Impangan to ira. Idi nakchëng ira, imbagan to suta sahëy no ngantoy mësëpol to. Simbat to ëy, “Nak kaman-ëkhang. Mësëpol ko i kënën ko.”

In-ahan toy inaykostal ja bëkhas, jët inkuwan to jëy, “Alam iyay ta mëbëdin mo’n panbiyag ingkhëd biyag mo.” Inbag-an to mowan suta sahëy nëm ngarantoy piyan to, jët sinbat to ëy, “Piyan ko i chanum ta nak kama-khëw.” In-ahan to i sahëy botiljën chanum, jët inkuwan to, “Alam iyay ta mëbëdin mo’n panbiyag ingkhëd biyag mo.”

Idi inëgwat cha, imahad ira, jët ëg ira naagaagang ono na-khëw. Idi ëbayag ninëmnëm cha jëy ngaaw ëmo nëm mos-an cha sutan na inahan nunta ëba-kol. Kuwan chay sigëd ëmo nëm iaknan cha suta inaskhang cha.

Suta ëngala ni bëkhas ëngahop, jët inbulak to nodta ili, jët idi naani in-aknan to iray tuo. Manipod nuntan, nan-ësëk ira ngo, jët chimahël i bëkhas. Suta inaybotiljën chanum ëngisu-jat, si-khatoy khafuan ni kapapa-dok.”