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El Fili Chapter 3: Legends

Padre Florentino sees the guests laughing above deck. The friars are complaining about the
increasing social awareness of the Filipinos and about the investigation on the finances of the
church. Simoun arrives and is told how unfortunate he is to have missed seeing the places the
ship had passed. Simoun replies that places are worthless, unless there are legends associated
with them. The Kapitan of the ship then relates the Legend of the Wide Rock, a place considered
sacred by the natives of long ago; the abode of some spirits. During the time of bandits, the fear
of spirits disappeared, and criminals inhabited the place.

The Kapitan also talks about the Legend of Doña Geronima. Padre Florentino is asked to give
the details: Doña Geronima had a lover in Spain, who later became an archbishop in Manila. The
woman goes to see him to ask that he fulfill his promise of marrying her. Instead, he sends the
woman to live in a cave near the Pasig river.

Ben Zayb liked the legend. Doña Victorina grew envious because she also wanted to live in a
cave. Simoun asks Padre Florentino if it wouldn’t have been better if the woman were placed in a
monastery such as Sta. Clara. Padre Salvi explained that he cannot judge the actions of an
archbishop. To change the topic, he narrates the legend of St. Nicholas (San Nicolas) who
rescued a Chinese from a crocodile. Legend has it that the crocodile turned to stone when the
Chinese prayed to the saint.

When the group reached the lake, Ben Zayb asked the Kapitan where in the lake a certain
Guevarra, Navarra or Ibarra was killed. (Refer to the Noli Me Tangere)

The Kapitan shows the spot, while Doña Victorina peers into the water, searching for any trace of
the killing (thirteen years after the event occurred). Padre Sibyla adds that the father is now with
the corpse of the son (in the Noli Me Tangere, the corpse of Ibarra’s father–Don Rafael–was
thrown in the lake). That’s the cheapest burial, quips Ben Zayb. People laugh. Simoun pales and
does not say anything. The Kapitan thinks Simoun is just seasick.