Suan was a clever boy who could accurately guess what his mother bought at the market each day, earning a reputation as a diviner. When the datu's daughter's ring went missing, Suan used his skills to determine which soldier had taken it. As a result of finding the ring, Suan married the princess and continued using his guessing abilities to win bets, establishing his talent and merit.

1. Suan, The Good Guesser
Narrated by Macaria Garcia. The story is popular among the Pampangans.
There was once an old woman who had an only son named Suan. Suan was a clever, sharp-witted boy.
His mother sent him to school. Instead of going to school, however, Suan climbed up the tree that stood
by the roadside. As soon as his mother had passed by from the market, Suan hurried home ahead of her.
When she reached home, he cried, “Mother, I know what you bought in the market to-day.” He then
told her, article by article. This same thing happened so repeatedly, that his mother began to believe in
his skill as a diviner.
One day the ring of the datu’s daughter disappeared. All the people in the locality searched for it, but in
vain. The datu called for volunteers to find the lost ring, and he offered his daughter’s hand as a prize to
the one who should succeed. Suan’s mother heard of the proclamation. So she went to the palace and
presented Suan to the datu. “Well, Suan, tomorrow tell me where the ring is,” said the datu. “Yes, my
lord, I will tell you, if you will give your soldiers over to me for tonight,” Suan replied. “You shall have
everything you need,” said the datu.
That evening Suan ordered the soldiers to stand around him in a semicircle. When all were ready, Suan
pointed at each one of them, and said, “The ring is here, and nowhere else.” It so happened that Suan
fixed his eyes on the guilty soldier, who trembled and became pale. “I know who has it,” said Suan. Then
he ordered them to retire. Late in the night this soldier came to Suan, and said, “I will get the ring you
are in search of, and will give it to you if you will promise me my safety.” “Give it to me, and you shall be
safe,” said Suan.
Very early the next morning Suan came to the palace with a turkey in his arms. “Where is the ring?” the
datu demanded. “Why, sir, it is in this turkey’s intestines,” Suan replied. The turkey was then killed, and
the ring was found inside it. “You have done very well, Suan. Now you shall have my daughter’s hand,”
said the datu. So Suan became the princess’s husband.
One day the datu proposed a bet with anyone who wished to prove Suan’s skill. Accordingly another
datu came. He offered to bet seven cascos of treasure that Suan could not tell the number of seeds that
were in his orange. Suan did not know what to do. At midnight he went secretly to the cascos. Here he
heard their conversation, and from it he learned the number of seeds in the orange. In the morning
Suan said boastfully, “I tell you, your orange has nine seeds.” Thus Suan won the whole treasure. Hoping
to recover his loss, the datu came again. This time he had with him fourteen cascos full of gold. He asked
Suan to tell him what was inside his golden ball. Suan did not know what to say. So in the dead of night
he went out to the cascos, but he could learn nothing there. The next morning Suan was summoned into
the presence of the two datus. He had no idea whatever as to what was in the ball; so he said scornfully,
“Nonsense!” “That is right, that is right!” shouted a man. “The ball contains nine cents.” Consequently
Suan won the fourteen cascos full of gold. From now on, nobody doubted Suan’s merit.

2. ATIN CU PUNG SINGSING
Atin cu pung singsing
Metung yang timpucan
mana que iti
Quing indung ibatan
Sangcan queng sininup
Quing metung a caban
Me wala ya iti
Eco camalayan
Ing sucal ning lub cu
Susucdul quing banua
Mi curus cung gamat
Babo ning lamesa
Nino mang manaquit
Quing singsing cung mana
Calulung puso cu
Manginu ya kaya.