The next morning he rose very early and went down to the spring where
the boys get the water to put in the bamboo poles and carry home. Some
boys were already there, and he told them what had taken place the
night before. They were all sorry that his mother had called the
Ongloc, but they told him not to be afraid for they would tell him
how he could be forever safe from that terrible man.

It was very easy. All he had to do was to go at dusk to the cocoanut
grove by the river and dig holes under two trees. Then he was to climb
a tree, get the cocoanut that grew the highest, and, after taking
off the husk and punching in one of the little eyes, whisper inside:


"Ongloc of the mountains!
Ongloc! Ugly man!
I'm a little cocoanut,
Catch me if you can!"


Then he was to cut the cocoanut in halves, quickly bury one piece in
one of the holes, and, running to the other tree, bury the remaining
half in the other hole. After that he might walk home safely, being
sure not to run, for the Ongloc has always to obey the call of the
cocoanut, and must hunt through the grove to find the one that called
him. Should he cross the line between the holes, the buried pieces
would fly out of the holes, snap together on him, and, flying up the
tree from which they came, would keep him prisoner for a hundred years.

Quicoy was happy to think that he could capture the Ongloc, and
resolved to go that very night. He wanted some of the boys to go with