Chapter III

The bringing of fire to the Earth World.--On the third day, Kabigát
requested leave to return, but Muntálog answered: "Wait one day
more, until I in my turn go to my father Mumbónang." Muntálog
found his father and mother seated facing each other; and, upon
his arrival, his mother, Mumboniag, came forward and asked him:
"What news do you bring from those lower regions, and why do you
come?" The father also became aware of the presence of his son,
through the questioning of the mother, and inquired likewise as to
the reason of his coming. Muntálog answered: "I have come, father,
to ask thee for fire for some Ifugaos who remain in the house of
Ambúmabbákal." "My son," the father replied, "those Ifugaos of
yours could not arrive at (or, come to) Mumbónang without danger of
being burned to cinders." Then he continued: "It is well! Approach
me!" [41] Muntálog accordingly approached Mumbónang, who said to
him: "Seize hold of one of those bristles that stand out from my
hair," and so Muntálog did, noticing that the said point faced
the north, and he placed it in his hand. Then Mumbónang said
to him again: "Come nigh! Take this white part, or extremity,
of the eye that looks toward the northeast, toward the place
called Gonhádan." And he took it and placed it in his hand. And
Mumbónang said to him once more: "Come near again, and take the
part black as coal, the dirt of my ear which is as the foulness
of my ear." And so he did. Then Mumbónang said to Muntálog: "Take
these things and bring them to thy son Ambúmabbákal and to Ngílîn,
in order that the latter may give them to the Ifugaos." And he
said again to Muntálog: "Take this white of my eye (flint), this
wax from my ear (tinder), and this bristle or point like steel
for striking fire, in order that thou mayst have the wherewith to
attain what thou seekest (that is, fire), and to give gradually
from hand to hand to the Ifugao; and tell him not to return to
live in Kai-áng, but to live in Otbóbon, and cut down the trees
and make a clearing there, and then to get together dry grass;
and that they make use of the steel for striking fire, holding
it together in this manner, and burying it in the grass. And
on making the clearing if they see that snakes, owls, or other
things of evil omen approach, it is a sign that they are going
to die or to have misfortunes. But if they do not approach them,
it is a sign that it will go well with them in that place; that
the soil will be productive, and that they will be happy."