Dadoy and the fat dalag [short story]

Media

Part of The Young Citizen: The Magazine for Young People

Title: Dadoy and the fat dalag [short story]
Creator: Raneses, M.
Language: English
Source: The Young Citizen. 5 (5) May 1939
Year: 1939
Subject: Children’s stories; Folklore; Reading (Elementary); Early childhood education
Rights
Fulltext: 164 THE YOUNG ClTIZEN May, 1939 READING TIME FOR YOUNG FOLKS Dadoy and the Fat Dalag By lVI. RA&ESES DADOY was a lazy man. He sat . in his house all day long and did not go out to work. He depended upon his sons and daughters for food and clothing. One afternoon Dadoy was alone at his home. His children had been gone since early morning. Dadoy was hungry, so he was forced to go to a nearby brook to try to catch a fish for his food. When he arrived at the bank of the brook, he saw a fat dalag.* He said, "Da!ag, I am glad you are here. shall catch you for my supper." * Dal'lg, r:. Philippine fish used for food. "Friend Dadoy," said the dalag, "don't catch me, for near my house there is a large lobster. He is under a big stone in the brook and you can catch him easily. Go and catch that lobster for your supper, but don't catch me." Dadoy followed the advice of the fat dalag. He went to the large stone in the brook, and carefully felt under it with his hand. Sure enough, there was a sleeping lobster under the stone, and Dadoy caught him easily. Da::loy was happy. Here was an excellent supper. He took the lobster home, cooked it, and ate it. When his children arrived home, they saw the lobst~r shell, and they wondered how their lazy father had caught a lobster, which evidently was a big one, judging from the size of the shell. Dadoy told his story. He told about the fat dalag telling him to look under a stone in order to catch a lobster. From that time until now the Negritos catch a lobster by reaching for it under a stone. If you ask them who taught them how to catch· a lobster that way, they will say, "The fat dalag of the brook taught Dadoy, and we learned it from him."