El Filibusterismo (El Fili) – Chapter 4
Chapter Title: Cabesang Tales
Setting: Tiana, San Diego (timeline starting from Cabesang Tales’ early adulthood to present, Christmas Eve)
Characters:
- Cabesang Tales
- Tandang Selo
- Tano
- Juli
- Friar Administrator
- Senor Gobernador M
- Sister Bali
- Sister Penchang
- Capitan General (mentioned)
- Basilio (mentioned)
- Padre Camorra (mentioned)
- Maria Clara (mentioned)
Chapter Summary:
The chapter talks about the family history of Cabesang Tales. Tandang Selo was a woodcutter who lived in the forest. His son Cabesang Tales worked on a farm but but wanted to live on his own so the family cut down trees to clear land for farming. One by one, Canesang Tales’ family got sick and died (including his wife and oldest daughter Lucia), and they thought the spirits of the forest were getting revenge. During their first harvest, the church claimed their fields and charged them an annual fee of 20-30 pesos to use them.
Tandang Selo said lawyers would be a waste of money anyway, and that Cabesang Tales can pretend he lost the money gambling or that a crocodile ate it.
The family was productive and and Tales wanted to build a house in Sagpang barrio in Tiana, San Diego. After one year, the friars raised the rent to 50 pesos. Tandang Selo told Cabesang Tales to be patient, and to just pretend that the crocodile that ate his money got bigger and ate more.
The family built their house and thought of sending Juli to school.
Cabesang Tales became Cabeza de Barangay and ended up paying tax deficits and other costs with his own money. Tandang Selo told him to pretend that the crocodiles’ relatives showed up. Cabesang Tales promised Juli she would be able to study but the rental price increased to 200 pesos eventually. Tales protested but the friar administrator sent his servants to take back the land. Cabesang Tales rebelled and said he will only surrender his fields to “the first man who would water them with blood from his own veins.”
Cabesang Tales refused to surrender his lands because the friars don’t have documents to prove that they own them. Cabesang Tales decided to pay lawyers and officials to help him but they took advantage of him and used up his savings.
Cabesang Tales started patrolling his fields with a shotgun, hoping to shoot tulisanes (bandits). The judges knew Cabesang Tales was right and that friars were forbidden to own lands, but they wanted to feed their families so they told Cabesang Tales to pay the rent. Senor Gobernador M tried to talk to Cabesang Tales but he refused.
The judges sided with the friars. Tano left the family, and there were rumors of him going to the Carolines or joining the guardia civil.
Cabesang Tales became tense and Tandang Selo stopped talking to him. Juli got sick. Because everyone in town became afraid of Tales, the Capitan General ordered all firearms to be confiscated so Cabesang Tales patrolled the lands with a long bolo instead. His bolo was confiscated also so he used an axe.
In present day, the tulisanes have guns and were able to capture Tales. They threaten to kill him unless they are paid 500 pesos by the family in 2 days.
Juli has only 200 pesos in savings but doesn’t know what to do. She asks for help from Sister Bali. Juli plans to sell all her jewels except a locket from Basilio. The locket was given by a nun, Capitan Tiago’s daughter, to a leper. Basilio treated the leper and it was given to him. Juli earns 50 pesos for her jewels. The family thinks about selling the house but cannot because Tales is not there to give his consent.
Sister Bali suggests asking for a loan on the house which they will pay when they win the case. But no one wants to buy it because they don’t want to go against the friars.
An old woman lends the amount to Juli as long as she serves her. Juli promises to start working for her on Christmas Day (the next day).
Tandang Selo is upset by her decision and threatens to return to the forest but Juli argues that it was necessary. Juli cries at night while Tandang Selo refuses to eat. Juli is sad that Basilio will be arriving the next day, but they cannot marry because she is now poor.
Juli goes to sleep and dreams of her childhood. In her dream, she is bathing in the stream with her siblings and she sees Basilio under the water. He has the face of Tano. Her new mistress is watching from the shore.
Trivia:
Quotes:
Tandang Selo: Patience!
Tandang Selo: In lawsuits, he who wins is left without a shirt.
Cabesang Tales: To the dust we will return, father, and we were born without shirts on.
