Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1910-03-03
A Filipino
Fairy Tale

| It happened long time ago that
| there dwelt on the side of the noun
| tain Tongui man named Nantoneka.
| Now he was famous hunter, and the
| strongest man in those parts, so that
he was very well thought Of and much
| respected. He could scale cliffs such
as few others dared to attempt. But
| It was in the use of the bow that he far
surpassed all others whomsoever. His
| bow, which was named Ulumeet,
meaning the treetrunk, was the still
est ever known, and no other man
could make shift to bend it in the very
| least. But he drew it back till it look
| ed like the new moon, the mock OF the
arrow touching his ear, which he then
sent whistling away like the stems OF
tosue grass driven before the hurrl-
| cane.
Nantoneka had a daughter, Koko,
| named for koko, the wind-bell, Whlcn
grows on the mountain and blooms
when the rains come. She was the
most beautiful creature for leagues
around; more beautiful than tongue
can tell. Her hair was very long and
| fine. and her eyes like small suns. Her
| teeth were also beautiful, and she was
as graceful as the young reeds waving
| by the pool in the moonlight Or loV.
ers she of course had more than
| enough, since no young man could
| look upon her without stra1ghtway
| coming to love her past all reason. Old
| Nantoneka counted no less than three
score who had asked leave to pay
court to her, and he declared the
| thing had become great nuisance.
| So one day he went outside his
door with Ulumeet in his hand, and
an arrow with gold tip, and taxing
his stand he drew the mock of the ar
row to his ear. and then it whistled In
the wind across level field before
his house farther than any arrow had
ever been shot before. Finally 1t
came down and stuck up straight In
the ground, and Nantoneka said
There, the man who can stand
with his knee against that arrow and
land another within three PAGES of my
| door shall have Koko for his wife, and
none other shall" And his word went
forth and you may we'll believe that
the sixty lovers hung their heads like
| the windbels when the drought Is
upon them.
| But the mountain folk, as you know,
| are brave, and the lovers were not
slow to try the shot. and the most OF
them many times. But 1t was like
dining on the south wind. Their ar
rows fell far short and every night
the old wife of Nantoneka went out
and gathered up an armful of them
| for firewood.
Now 1t happened that each day one
arrow was shot far before the others,
though even this fell short. Koko did
| not fail to remark this arrow as her
mother brought them in every night,
and she readily knew 1t to be that OF
Nahsig, a tall, handsome youth who
dwelt down the valley way. Now
| the girl favored Nahsig of all her lov.
ers-in fact, she cared no more than
the stone that trips you for any of the
others. So one night as the old wom-
an came back Koko said to her father:
well, 1t seems that l shall never
have a husband at this rate" and she
tossed her head and pouted her red
lips.
Just so;" answered her father.
chuckling; "just So"
"That doesn't fit my notions at all"
she said.
But her father only chuckled again.
In truth, it fitted his notions all we'll
enough, since he wanted to keep Koko
to wait on him when the old woman
fell sick, as she did every now and
then.
"For my part l think that that ar
near enough-it can't be over ten
paces," went on Koko.
Twenty, twenty" answered the old
man, 81 measured 1t. The other side
Of the sail bush-never nearer"
mo doubt he could shoot it nearer
but he is afraid Of hitting you as you
hit here" said the girl
"Ho, no." cried the old man; I'D
like to see him do it"
"Well, twenty is near enough-1'm
willing to throw off the other seven
teen," answered the girl.
Her words aroused the old mans
suspicious. ut it Nahsig who shoots
that arrow to the bush?" he asked.
"How should know" answered the
girl Besides, what do l care? It's
my duty to take the husband that my
father chooses like good daughter"
Then you don't care for Nahsig?"
mot in the least"
"And he doesn't care for you?"
II suppose not"
"Then he can't be taking the trou-