Philippine Folktale - The Seven Happy Villagers
Seven happy villagers decided to take a day off from work to go fishing. They gathered in the morning at the edge of the village. They told the wife of one of the men who walked with them, "Tell all the people to start their fires early tonight, and bake yams and bread in the coals. We will bring fish enough for everyone in the village to eat. We will hold a celebration for the great day we intend to have. It is good to celebrate being alive!"
The wife was kind enough to count the men before they left the village to make certain that everyone was there. "One-two-three-four-five-six-seven! Yes, you are all here! Please enjoy your day. Everyone will be gathered for a celebration when you return."
Off, the men went, along a jungle path from the village to a special place where they liked to fish on the banks of their favorite river. They fished, and they played, just like when they were young boys. They had a delightful and relaxing day. Their numbers of fish grew as the day went on.
Late afternoon, the eldest suggested, "It is time to go home. I am hungry, and I know the fires will be ready for our celebration. Everyone will be happy to see the fish we bring for dinner." He had been the leader of this group of men every since they had been young. "I think that before we go, we should once again count ourselves to see that we are all still here," he said.
He lined up his companions and began to count, "One-two-three-four-five-six! Six! Only Six! One of us is missing! Oh, no," he worried out loud. He had forgotten to count himself. "We were seven when we left, and now we are only six. One of us must have fallen into the river and drowned."
"That cannot be correct," said the second eldest. "You must be mistaken. I do not recall anyone falling into the river, and I do not recall anyone leaving early. Let me count everyone." Then he lined the other men up in a row and counted, "One-two-three-four-five-six! Six! Only Six! You are right! One of us is missing!" (He also forgot to count himself.) "We were seven when we left, and now we are only six. One of us must have fallen into the river and drowned."
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