He went to their village and called all their women and children to come forward. They agreed to become his servants, for he was the victor. He then appointed some of them to go in search of his son. Eventually they found the songbird in a tree and invited him to the victory feast that his father was preparing. Still, Dumalawi did not want to become a man again, not even when they told him that many lovely girls would be coming to the party.

On hearing this, Aponito used his magic so that all the girls felt hot. Early in the morning they all came to the river to bathe. There was one girl among them who was as beautiful as a bright flame among the betel blossoms. While she was washing her hair, the servants called to Dumalawi: “Please become a man and propose to this lovely girl.”

When he said he had no clothes, they brought clothes for him. So Dumalawi again became a man and he spoke to the girl, offering her betel nuts and introducing himself. She said: “I am Dapilisan, daughter of Bangan and Dalonagan.”

Dumalawi requested her hand in marriage. So they went to her parents, who agreed to the match after Aponito filled their shed with the best earthenware jars.

Bride to the sun god

A story similar to the legend of Aponito and Gaygayoma is told of a young woman who is also called Bolina. She went out into the forest with her brother-in-law. They were in search of siksiklat, a vine with strong stalks whose leaves make excellent vegetables. Bolina wandered off in her search, losing sight of her companion. Finally, she spotted the vine.

Bolina grasped its tendrils and started pulling, but the vine did not give. Instead the vine suddenly ensnared her and lifted her up. Higher and higher she went into the sky, floating way above the ground! There, far above the earth, was another forest, and here the vine put her down under a tree.

She heard water running and went in search of it. Soon she came upon a well surrounded by golden trees. She drank from the well and felt much refreshed by its delicious water. Then she climbed a betel nut tree to have a look around. She saw a lovely house nearby, so she descended from the tree and walked up to it. No one was at home.