re, promising
that he would meet them in a certain place; but really he hurried home
and told his wife. "We are now rid of a heavy burden," he said, and the
two were very happy. When the poor boys had finished their work, they
looked in vain for their father. Of course they could not find him;
but Pitong led the company, and they followed the track of stones. The
boys reached home safely, and the parents were route with astonishment.

The next morning Melanio took his sons out with him again. This
time all the boys took white stones with them, besides bread, which
they intended to eat if they should get hungry; but the part of the
forest to which they went was so far, that all the stones were used
up before they got there. Pitong did not eat his bread; he broke it
into pieces, and dropped them on the ground as they went along. They
now reached the nook where their father proposed to leave them. This
place was grown up with wild shrubs, so that there were plenty of
twigs to keep the boys busy. Melanio slipped away from them without
their noticing it. After the seven brothers had worked a long time,
they thought of returning home. But they could not find the track:
the pieces of bread had been eaten by the ants. They cried out,
"Father, father! where are you?" When they were so hungry and tired
that they could not shout any more, they sat down on the ground and
began to weep.

It began to grow dark. Pitong advised his brothers to pluck up courage,
and said to them, "Follow me." So they went on without taking any
particular course, and in about a half-hour they came to a tall
tree. Pitong climbed it to see if there was a road near by. When
he reached the top, he said, "Brothers, I see a lighted house from
here. Let us go look for the house! Maybe we can get something to
eat there."

When they came near the house, they saw that it was well lighted and
richly adorned, as if there were a banquet going on; only it was very
quiet. Pitong, followed by his brothers, knocked at the door. A woman
kindly admitted them, and the boys begged for some food. They told
her how they had been deserted by their selfish father. The woman
said to them, "I have a giant husband who is a great eater of human
beings. If he finds you here, you will surely be devoured; but I can
give you something to eat. I will hide you before he comes, and you
must remain perfectly still." The boys had hardly finished dinner
when a loud sound was heard from wi