THE IGNORANT POOR MAN AND THE PRIEST

A BIKOL FOLKTALE

Once there was a man who went to church on Sunday. For the first time in his life, he heard the priest
say: “Brethren, pray earnestly, and in your prayers ask Him anything you want. If you ask him in earnest.
He will give you what you ask.”

The man committed whist sentence to memory, and since he was very poor, he made up his mind to ask
God for some money. He went to church every day and prayed devoutly. His player was a follows.

“Oh, God! I ask Three to give me one hundred pesos. If you should give me less than that amount even a
centavo less, I will not get it, for I need one hundred pesos. You have said that anyone who asks Thee
earnestly will receive what he asks for. My God, hear my prayer. “The man repeated the above prayer
many times while kneeling, and when he got tired he retired. Some months elapsed, and the man went
to church daily. The priest began to take an interest in him.

One day the priest woke up early and hid himself near the place where the man was wont to kneel. He
was surprised to hear the prayer of the man. He then decided to see whether the man was true to his
word or not. The next day, he put ninety pesos near the place where the man used to kneel, and
watched whether or not the man would get the money since it was ten pesos less then what he asked
for.

When the man arrived, he took up the money, and began to count the silver pieces. When he had
finished he said. “Oh, good God. I thank thee for hearing my prayers. But I asked you for one hundred
pesos. I also said that I would not get any amount less than that sum. But since I am in need, I will get
this with a happy heart, and remember, O God, that you still owe me ten pesos more.” As this man was
accustomed to saying his prayer very loud, when he uttered the last sentence of his prayer the priest
burst into laughter, where upon the man pocketed the money and went home.

Source Eugenio, Damiana L. Philippine folk Literature:

The folk tales, Quezon City: UP Folklorists, 1989