How the little boys escape from the attack of aswang malakat while they were alone at night in their house in the forest.

A Visayan tale retold.

It was two days before the market day of the town near the sea. the mountain people descended from the mountain to trade and sell their produce, mostly of root crops, abaca, and reptile skins.

In one house the parents give instruction to their children that they were away for three days and  told them that they must not venture away from their house and when night came they should not open the doors if somebody called their names. They also told them to carry knives and spears on their sleep.

When the aswang malakat, an aswang that could not fly, learned that the boys, where the eldest is only 12 years old were left alone they decided to investigate, observed and gain informations so that they will have no difficulty when attacking them at night.

When the aswang couple came nearer to the house dress and act as normal people, Pedro the eldest among them, knew their intention.

"Where are you going to sleep tonight, Pedro?" they asked.
"At the living room," he answered politely for the knew the old couples, their distant neighbor by the hill.

The boys prepared that night. They put the mat on the sala and put three cut out banana trees on it and covered with blankets like  sleeping persons. Then they climbed at the ceiling and tied themselves on the cross beam. They also brought with them their spears and knives.

At midnight the two aswang came as they heard the wakwak and tiktik sounds around the house. Then they saw two shadows entered through the door. Immediately the aswang jumped on the blanket and strangled it - but they found only banana trunks. Then from above, the boys threw their spears and hit the two aswang. They scampered by jumping outside the window.