Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-27

shaking himself Ike a puppy, runs gayly
toward his father and mother
In a short while" says the father
proudly, thou wilt be able to right thy
self with anything except thy tongue-thy
est lose thy paddle"
The boys eyes brighten wonderfully at
the words of great praise. Two days later
they are even brighter, as lie paddles away
with his father to the hunting grounds of
the seal far out on the Gour sea.
Life has now begun in earnest for him.
He Is little man in reality from now on
The Little Man of the Ilonsotes
He is an Ilongote, and fourteen. With ev-
idence of that deep fiIial devotion for which
the children of this strange tribe of Fill
ipinos is noted. revealed in the pose of his
little, 1.-the brown body, he stands before
his father, as scantily clad as his son.
oh father, am in love-" confesses the
boy.
1t is we'll, is the slow cultural answer
And l desire the youngest daughter of
thy sworn friend for my wife,
For moment the big man looks into the
eyes of the little man before him: then he
turns and disappears into the straw and
bamboo hut that he and his call home
Presently he is back again. with his IA
vorite and most deliberately decorated bolo
in his hands. Without a word he holds it
takes it. With a last worshipful look at his
parent, he glides noiselessly away; and as
long as he is in sight the father remains
watching every graceful movement of his
little man"
Early the next morning the boy finds HIM
self far from the village of his tribesmen,
in strange country. The trail on which
he stands has every appearance of being
frequently Travelled. Tall grass and dense
borders it luxuriantly on either side Care
fully he selects a spot where he can com
mand good view of the trail for a consd-
cradle distance in either direction. With
even greater care, so as not to break down
any grass he separates it, steps into the
opening, let's the grass fly back in place
and he is lost to sight of any one CHANGING
to pass that way.
Bloody Deed to Prove His Fitness.
For hours he waits, standing-tense, ex-
pectant every faculty alert, the cunning of
the prey-hunting animal written in his fiat
features. Finally his trained ears catch
strangely familiar noise. 1t is faint and
afar off. It is made neither by bird nor
beast nor reptile nor rasping vegetation
Nearer and nearer the sound approaches
with clock-like regularity. Now it comes
lightly from the last bend of the trail which
the listener turned. Now il is close at
hand, still delicate and regular Now it
has moved to the other side-the grass is
silently. swiftly parted. a 1.-THE arm swings
d
second in the sunlight and the next claims
the lone travellers head.
When the little man turns his face to-
ward his fathers home quarter of an hour
later he carries with him the head bit of
his victim S breast. his heart and a finger
or two. And when. the next day he holds
up his grewsome trophies to his fathers
gaze the man proudly and hastily poas
about among his friends proclaiming the
prowess and fitness of his son to take unto
himself wife, even though he is a shade
under the age at which Ilongote usually
marries.
Meantime. after a good meal. the bow
places the head on a stick in front of his
fathers house. Around it the men of the
tribe gather. They dance all that day and
far into the night. They dance the next day
and the following night, almost without
ceasing. The third day they are still dane
ing about the head. For nine days they
dance about 1t, in honor of the boys fitness
to take wife. And the father is the ner-
REST. maddest dancer of them ALL
The jewellers all but worn out, on the tenth
day they make their way to the home of the
bride the boy bearing his strange wedding
gifts, the father additional gifts of spears
knives and bolos. These they hand to the
girl. trusted friend tremendously buries
the head under the house. Over this spot
the little man receives the hand of his bride
also a child in years. and the next day the
two begin the building of their grass and
bamboo home.
The Boy Among the Brahmins.
Thou hast five sons, I have not one to
perform the obsequies after my DEATH" an
nounces a Brahmin husband to his brother
wilt thou let me adopt the youngest of
thy sons?"
The sonless one Is rich-the only rich
member of the family 1t would not be well
to offend him. Then. too, by permitting the
child desired to be adopted the wealth will
be kept in the family.
Though he Is the apple of mine eve thou
mayest adopt him" is the reply
On the suspicious day selected by astrol-
ogy for the performance of the ceremony of
adoption the two families and their friends
assemble in artificial bower erected in
the court of the real parents house. With
the little man. twice four years old "the
observed OF all observers" his prospective
parents break the little string about his
lons with which he was tremendously in
vested when he was three years old. In it's
place they tie new string. this being a
sign to all that the child is now descended
from his new parents. and the descent from
his natural parents Is forever broken.
Offerings made to the patron god of
the household. The priest producing the
the hollow of a hand and drinks with un-
conscious dignity Some of the water is
sprinkled about the house and the bower
and on all present
Nine Bra hmins make offerings to the nine
planets, which have been compelled to at
tend the ceremony. After Invoking the god
OF fire and making profound obeisance the
Brahmns retire.
Ceremony of Adoption.
The adopted father and mother seat them
selves on little stools placed under the
bower. The real mother receives. In this
case, 500 pieces of silver as her wages for
nursing the little man. Then she approaches
her brother-in-law
"Dost thou give me the child to be brought
up?" he asks OF her.
Il do deliver him up" Is her steady reply
that no one may know how her heart Is
bursting with woe at the parting soon tc.
come.
dish Is brought in. II = nllsd win