The Social Cancer, by José Rizal - Home

CHAPTER XVIII 87
me also. I never resort to blows, only sometimes a pinch, or a whack on the head."
"I'm going to do as you do!" "I'll do the same!" "And I!" exclaimed the women.
"But suppose the plate is only broken into two or three pieces, then you earn very few," observed the obstinate
Rufa.
"Abá!" answered old Sipa. "I make them recite the prayers anyhow. Then I glue the pieces together again and
so lose nothing."
Sister Rufa had no more objections left.
"Allow me to ask about a doubt of mine," said young Juana timidly. "You ladies understand so well these
matters of heaven, purgatory, and hell, while I confess that I'm ignorant. Often I find in the novenas and other
books this direction: three paternosters, three Ave Marias, and three Gloria Patris--"
"Yes, well?"
"Now I want to know how they should be recited: whether three paternosters in succession, three Ave Marias
in succession, and three Gloria Patris in succession; or a paternoster, an Ave Maria, and a Gloria Patri
together, three times?"
"This way: a paternoster three times--"
"Pardon me, Sister Sipa," interrupted Rufa, "they must be recited in the other way. You mustn't mix up males
and females. The paternosters are males, the Ave Marias are females, and the Gloria Patris are the children."
"Eh? Excuse me, Sister Rufa: paternoster, Ave Maria, and Gloria are like rice, meat, and sauce--a mouthful
for the saints--"
"You're wrong! You'll see, for you who pray that way will never get what you ask for."
"And you who pray the other way won't get anything from your novenas," replied old Sipa.
"Who won't?" asked Rufa, rising. "A short time ago I lost a little pig, I prayed to St. Anthony and found it, and
then I sold it for a good price. Abá!"
"Yes? Then that's why one of your neighbors was saying that you sold a pig of hers."
"Who? The shameless one! Perhaps I'm like you--"
Here the expert had to interfere to restore peace, for no one was thinking any more about paternosters--the talk
was all about pigs. "Come, come, there mustn't be any quarrel over a pig, Sisters! The Holy Scriptures give us
an example to follow. The heretics and Protestants didn't quarrel with Our Lord for driving into the water a
herd of swine that belonged to them, and we that are Christians and besides, Brethren of the Holy Rosary,
shall we have hard words on account of a little pig! What would our rivals, the Tertiary Brethren, say?"
All became silent before such wisdom, at the same time fearing what the Tertiary Brethren might say. The
expert, well satisfied with such acquiescence, changed his tone and continued: "Soon the curate will send for
us. We must tell him which preacher we've chosen of the three that he suggested yesterday, whether Padre
Damaso, Padre Martin, or the coadjutor. I don't know whether the Tertiary Brethren have yet made any
choice, so we must decide."