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+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the model, the conversion or the presented background story might be based on historical facts. BEWARE!
Some background:
In the early days of World War II, Royal Navy fighter requirements had been based on cumbersome two-seat designs, such as the fighter/dive-bomber Blackburn Skua (and its turreted derivative the Blackburn Roc) and the fighter/reconnaissance Fairey Fulmar, since it was expected that they would encounter only long-range bombers or flying boats and that navigation over featureless seas required the assistance of a radio operator/navigator. The Royal Navy hurriedly adopted higher-performance single-seat aircraft such as the Hawker Sea Hurricane and the less robust Supermarine Seafire alongside, but neither aircraft had sufficient range to operate at a distance from a carrier task force. The American Vought F4U Corsair was welcomed as a more robust and versatile alternative.
In November 1943, the Royal Navy received its first batch of 95 "birdcage" Vought F4U-1s, which were given the designation "Corsair [Mark] I". The first squadrons were assembled and trained on the U.S. East Coast and then shipped across the Atlantic. The Royal Navy put the Corsair into carrier operations immediately. They found its landing characteristics dangerous, suffering a number of fatal crashes, but considered the Corsair to be the best option they had.
The Royal Navy cleared the F4U for carrier operations well before the U.S. Navy and showed that the Corsair Mk II could be operated with reasonable success even from escort carriers. It was not without problems, though: one was excessive wear of the arrester wires, due both to the weight of the Corsair and the understandable tendency of the pilots to stay well above the stalling speed, and because of the limited hangar deck height in several classes of British carrier, many Corsairs had their outer wings "clipped" by 8 in (200 mm) to clear the deckhead. However, the change in span brought about the added benefit of improving the sink rate, reducing the F4U's propensity to "float" in the final stages of landing. The Royal Navy developed further modifications to the Corsair that made carrier landings more practical. Among these were a bulged canopy (similar to the P-51 B/C’s Malcolm Hood), raising the pilot's seat 7 in (180 mm), and wiring shut the cowl flaps across the top of the engine compartment, diverting frequent oil and hydraulic fluid spray around the sides of the fuselage so that the windscreen remained clear.
The Corsair Mk I was followed by 510 "blown-canopy" F4U-1A/-1Ds, which were designated Corsair Mk II (the final 150 equivalent to the F4U-1D, but not separately designated in British use). 430 Brewster Corsairs (334 F3A-1 and 96 F3A-1D), more than half of Brewster's total production, were delivered to Britain as the Corsair Mk III. 857 Goodyear Corsairs (400 FG-1/-1A and 457 FG-1D) were delivered and designated Corsair Mk IV. A total of 2,012 Corsairs were supplied to the United Kingdom during WWII, and British Corsairs served both in Europe and in the Pacific. Despite the large number of aircraft, the Mk IIs and IVs were the only versions to be actually used in combat.
The first, and also most important, European FAA Corsair operations were the series of attacks in April, July, and August 1944 on the German battleship Tirpitz (Operation Tungsten), for which Corsairs from HMS Victorious and HMS Formidable provided fighter cover. From April 1944, Corsairs from the British Pacific Fleet took part in several major air raids in South-East Asia beginning with Operation Cockpit, an attack on Japanese targets at Sabang island, in the Dutch East Indies. In July and August 1945, RN Corsairs took part in a series of strikes on the Japanese mainland, near Tokyo, operating from Victorious and Formidable. It was during this late phase of the war that the Admiralty was expecting new and more powerful indigenous naval fighters to become available, primarily Griffon-powered Seafires and the Hawker Sea Fury, a navalized derivative of the Hawker Tempest fighter powered by the new Centaurus radial engine. Both types, however, faced development problems, so that the Royal Navy approached Vought and requested a new variant of the proven Corsair, powered by the British Centaurus engine and further tailored to the Royal Navy’s special needs. This became the Corsair Mark V.
The Corsair V was based on the newest American variant, the F4U-4, but it differed in many aspects, so much that it effectively was a totally different aircraft. The F4U-4 was the last American Corsair variant that would be introduced during WWII, but it only saw action during the final weeks of the conflict. It had a 2,100 hp (1,600 kW) dual-stage-supercharged -18W engine, and when the cylinders were injected with the water/alcohol mixture, power was boosted to 2,450 hp (1,830 kW). To better cope with the additional power, the propeller was changed to a four-blade type. Maximum speed was increased to 448 miles per hour (721 km/h) and climb rate to over 4,500 feet per minute (1,400 m/min) as opposed to the 2,900 feet per minute (880 m/min) of the F4U-1A. The unarmored wing fuel tanks of 62 US gal (230 L) capacities were removed for better maneuverability at the expense of maximum range. Other detail improvements were introduced with the F4U-4, too: The windscreen was now flat bullet-resistant glass to avoid optical distortion, a change from the curved Plexiglas windscreens with an internal armor glass plate of the earlier variants. The canopy was furthermore without bracing and slightly bulged – an improvement adopted from the Royal Navy Corsairs.
The original "4-Hog" retained the original armament of six 0.5” machine guns and had all the external load (i.e., drop tanks, bombs, HVARs) capabilities of the F4U-1D. A major sub-type, the F4U-4B, was the same but featured an alternate gun armament of four 20 millimeters (0.79 in) AN/M3 cannon, and the F4U-4P was a rare photo reconnaissance variant with an additional camera compartment in the rear fuselage, but fully combat-capable.
The Royal Navy agreed to adopt the new F4U-4 but insisted on the British Centaurus as powerplant and demanded British equipment and armament, too. The latter included four Hispano 20 mm cannon in the outer wings, adapted wirings for British unguided rockets under the outer wings and a four-channel VHF radio system, a radio altimeter and a G2F compass. Vought reluctantly agreed, even though the different engine meant that a totally different mount had to be developed in short time, and the many alterations to the F4U-4’s original airframe would require a separate, new production line. Since this would block valuable resources for the running standard F4U production for the USN, the Corsair V was outsourced to the newly established Kaiser-Fleetwing company (a ship builder with only limited aircraft experience so far) and designated FK-1 in American circles.
As expected, the development of the FK-1 alone took more time than expected – not only from a technical point of view, but also due to logistic problems. The Centaurus engines and most vital equipment pieces had to be transported across the Atlantic, a hazardous business. The first precious Centaurus engines for the development of the modified engine mount were actually transferred to the USA through the air, hanging in the bomb bays of American B-24 bombers that were used as transporters to supply Great Britain with vital materials.
Because Kaiser-Fleetwings had to establish a proper production line for the FK-1 and supplies for raw F4U-4 airframes had to be diverted and transported to the company’s factory at Bristol, Pennsylvania, delays started to pile up and pushed the Corsair Mk. V development back. The first Centaurus-powered Corsair flew in January 1945 and immediately revealed massive stability problems caused by the engine’s high torque. Enlarged tail surfaces were tested and eventually solved the problem, but this measure changed the F4U-4s standard airframe even more. It was furthermore soon discovered that the early Centaurus engine suffered frequent crankshaft failure due to a poorly designed lubrication system, which led to incidents of the engine seizing while in mid-flight. The problem was resolved when Bristol's improved Centaurus XVIII engine replaced the earlier variant. Tests and adaptations of British equipment to the airframe continued until May 1945, when the Corsair V was eventually cleared for production. But when the first of 100 ordered machines started to roll off the production lines the war was already over.
At that time many of the Fleet Air Arm's carrier fighters were Seafires and Lend-Lease Corsairs. The Seafire had considerable drawbacks as a naval aircraft, notably the narrow undercarriage, while the Corsairs had to be returned or purchased. As the UK did not have the means to pay for them, the Royal Navy Corsairs were mostly pushed overboard into the sea in Moreton Bay off Brisbane, Australia.
Since the Corsair V had not been part of the Lend Lease agreement with the United States, the Royal Navy was not able to easily retreat from the production contract and had to accept the aircraft. Because the Royal Navy’s intended new standard shipborne fighter, the Hawker Sea Fury, was delayed and almost cancelled during this period of re-organizations and cutbacks, the Admiralty bit the bullet, used the inevitable opportunity and procured the Corsair V as a stopgap solution, even though the original production order from May 1945 was not extended and effectively only 95 Corsair Vs were ever produced in the USA and transferred as knocked-down kits via ship to Great Britain.
The first re-assembled Corsair Vs entered Royal Navy service in August 1946, but their frontline service with 802 and 805 NAS, both based at Eglington (Northern Ireland), was only brief. Following the successful completion of weapons trials at the A&AEE Boscombe Down, the Sea Fury was eventually cleared for operational use on 31 July 1947 and quickly entered service. The Corsair Vs were gradually replaced with them until late 1948; 805 NAS was the first unit to abandon the type when 805 Squadron was reformed as a Royal Australian Navy FAA squadron operating Hawker Sea Fury Mk II aircraft. In 1950, 802 NAS was assigned to HMS Ocean and equipped with the Hawker Sea Fury, too, and sent to Korea.
Most Corsair Vs were then relegated to the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR) in August 1951, where they replaced Supermarine Seafires and took over their role as classic fighter aircraft, despite the Corsair V’s strike/attack potential with bombs and unguided missiles. Most of the time the Corsairs were used for lang range navigation training. RNVR units that operated the Corsair V included Nos. 1831, 1832, 1833, 1834, 1835 and 1836 Squadrons. No. 1832, based at RAF Benson, was the last RNVR squadron to relinquish the type in August 1955 for the jet-powered Supermarine Attacker, and this ended the Corsair V’s short career.
General characteristics:
Crew: One
Length: 34 ft (10.37 m)
Wingspan: 40 ft 8 in (12.10 m)
Height: 15 ft 4 in (4.68 m)
Wing area: 314 sq ft (29.17 m²)
Empty weight: 9,205 lb (4,238 kg)
Gross weight: 14,670 lb (6,654 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 14,533 lb (6,592 kg)
Powerplant:
1× Bristol Centaurus XVIII 18-cylinder air-cooled radial engine with
2,470 hp (1,840 kW) take-off power, driving a 4-bladed
Rotol constant-speed propeller with 14 ft (4.3 m) diameter
Performance:
Maximum speed: 453 mph (730 km/h, 397 kn) at sea level
Cruise speed: 215 mph (346 km/h, 187 kn) at sea level
Stall speed: 89 mph (143 km/h, 77 kn)
Range with internal fuel, clean: 1,005 mi (1,617 km, 873 nmi)
Combat range with max. ordnance: 328 mi (528 km, 285 nmi)
Service ceiling: 41,500 ft (12,600 m)
Rate of climb: 4,360 ft/min (22.1 m/s)
Armament:
4× 20 mm (0.787 in) Hispano Mk II cannon in the outer wings, 250 RPG
A total of 11 hardpoints under the wings and the fuselage for a total ordnance of
4,000 pounds (1.800 kg), including drop tanks, up to 16× 60 lb unguided aircraft rockets on twin
launch rails and/or bombs of up to 1.000 lb (454 kg) caliber
The kit and its assembly:
My first submission to the 2023 “Re-engine” group build at whatifmodellers.com, and a British Corsair with a Centaurus instead of the original R-2800 is almost a no-brainer. But taking the idea to hardware turned out to be a bit trickier than expected. I based my fictional conversion on an Italeri F4U-4, which would have been the appropriate late-WWII basis for a real-life conversion. The kit has good ex- and internal detail with fine engraved panels and offers the late Corsairs’ all-metal wings, too.
The engine replacement is a massive resin piece from OzMods, part of a conversion twin set for a Bristol Brigand; I assume it’s intended for the Valom kit? The set includes resin four-blade props with deep blades which I rather wanted to use than the Sea Fury’s typical five-blade prop.
The Italeri Corsair was basically built OOB, but beyond the different engine, which caused some trouble in itself (see below), I incorporated several mods to change the aircraft’s appearance. The streamlined Centaurus was insofar a problem because it has s slightly smaller diameter than the original R-2800 cowling. Not much, but enough to make a simple exchange impossible or at least look awkward. While the upper cowling section and its curvature blended well into the Corsair fuselage, the difference became more obvious and complicated underneath: late Corsairs have a “flattened” bottom, and from below the Centaurus appears somewhat undersized. To smooth the intersection out I grinded much of the cooling flaps away, and to even out the profile I added a shallow air scoop from an Italeri F4U-7 under the engine, which required some PSR. A good compromise, though. The resin propeller was mounted onto a metal axis and fitted into a hole/channel that was drilled through the Centaurus’ massive resin block.
As an FAA Corsair the wing tips were clipped, which was easy to realize thanks to the massive parts in this area. The Corsair’s original oil coolers in the wing roots were retained, but the four guns in the wings (separate parts in the Italeri kit with quite large holes) were replaced with faired Hispano cannon for/from an early Hawker Tempest, aftermarket brass parts from Master Models.
To change the model’s look further I modified the tail surfaces, too; the rounded fin was replaced with a rather square and slightly bigger donor, a stabilizer from a Novo Supermarine Attacker. The original stabilizers were replaced, too, with trapezoidal alternatives from a Matchbox Meteor night fighter, which offer slightly more area. Since the tail surfaces were all graft-ons now I implanted a vertical styrene tube behind the rear cockpit bulkhead as a display holder adapter for later flight scene pictures. Together with the clipped/squared-off wingtips the new tail creates a consistent look, and with the propeller and its dominant spinner in place the Corsair V reminds a lot of a late Bristol Firebrand mark or even of an Unlimited Class Reno Racer? It looks fast and purposeful now!
Even though unguided missiles and/or bombs could have been a valid ordnance option I decided to leave the Corsair V relatively clean as a pure gun fighter; I just used the OOB drop tank on the centerline station.
Painting and markings:
Very dry and using real 1948 Royal Navy aircraft as benchmark, the Corsair V ended up with a rather simple and dull Extra Dark Sea Grey over Sky (Humbrol 123 and 90, respectively) with a low waterline, and still with wartime Type C roundels with “Identification red (dull)”, even though the RAF officially had reverted to bright identification colors in 1947 and started to use the high-viz Type D roundel as standard marking. To add a British flavor the cockpit interior was painted in very dark grey (Revell 06, Tar Black) while the interior of the landing gear wells was painted in a pale cream yellow (Humbrol 74, Linen) to mimic zinc chromate primer. The only highlight is a red spinner, a contemporary unit marking of 805 NAS.
The kit received a light black ink washing and post-shading to emphasize and/or add surface structures, and this nicely breaks up the otherwise uniform surfaces. Decals/markings came from Xtradecal Hawker Sea Fury und late WWII FAA/RN aircraft sheets, and some decals were mixed to create a fictional serial number for the Corsair V (TF 632 was never allocated, but the code fits into the model’s era). Some light oil and exhaust stains were also added, but not as severely as if the aircraft had been operated under wartime conditions. Finally, the model was sealed with matt acrylic varnish.
While a classic F4U with a British Centaurus engine sounds simple, and actually is, getting there was not as easy as it sounds – the ventral air scoop came to the rescue. With some more small mods like the new tail surfaces the aircraft got a subtly different look from its American ancestor(s). The Corsair V IMHO has now a very Blackburn-ish look, thanks to the big spinner and the square fin! And I wonder what I will do with the other Centaurus from the conversion set?
Happy Fence Friday!
Timber here with "Squirrelzilla" from July's barkbox...he likes to bring his toys outside...
The beautiful Story Bridge in Brisbane!
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CC week 24 is Reflections
I had an idea about Frannie Frogg reading to herself, picturing in her mind's eye the handsome peacock in the story. It seemed that a reflection would be perfect to convey the idea.
To make it happen, I couldn't get the reflection and the frog lined up in one photo, so I did two separate photos, cut out the frog in that photo and pasted it into the reflection photo.
I am completely in love with this dress and wish I could have one of my own. After you apply the water with the magic paintbrush it takes 20 or so minutes before it returns to white. It is also very easy to scratch the special fabric as I did with my fingernail leaving a small pink spot in the design.
If any of the super crafty people out there know of something I can use on the dress to keep the design from fading please let me know. That would be awesome!
This is a 10-year old shot of two of our grandchildren decorating our Christmas tree, and they did such a perfect job, we didn't have to relocate even one ornament. As you can see, Santa very much approved of their effort...
But, the real story here is the tree. Their great grandmother, Sammy's mom, bought it for us 54 years ago. Previously, we had always had real trees, and Sammy's family cut their tree from stands of pines they had on their farm in the Berkshire Hills of western Massachusetts. However, in 1967, my pregnant wife, our year old son and two German shepherds drove to California to start a new life in the sun, and in December of that year, our second son was born. Life was hectic, and going out to a tree lot to find a real tree was just a bit too much to handle at the time. But, fortunately, Sammy's wonderful mother, Mary, had flown out from Massachusetts to help out, and one day she and Sammy, with two babies in tow, were in W.T, Grant's, and Mary asked if she could buy this cute little tree for us. To Sammy, it just wasn't conceivable that we would ever even consider an artificial tree, but she allowed as how it was really a cute little tree, and just for this year, until we got organized, why not accept this thoughtful gift? Then Gramma started sending us ornaments that she had hand-made, and when next Christmas rolled around, why we just had to put up Gramma's tree with her ornaments. And in succeeding years, Gramma's ornaments just kept arriving in the mail, and ever since, her $8.99 tree and her hand-made ornaments have stood before our living room window, and we have never once considered getting a real tree to replace it. Most of the ornaments you see here on her tree were hand-made by Mary. Somehow, it just seems to get cuter and more meaningful with the passage of each Christmas.
There will always be another story...
I had not read his work before....these stories convinced me that he was a great writer...I will be looking for more...
This lady travels around telling stories in the open air and in halls to anyone who would like to hear
Another thing that I had to Google, not having heard of Story People.
Today members of the We're here group are feeling schmaltzy as they pay a visit to the Story People group
There is a way that nature speaks, that land speaks. Most of the time we are simply not patient enough, quiet enough, to pay attention to the story.~Linda Hogan
Have a restful and recharging weekend my friends!
get the entire story behind the enigmatic and Londons most prolific artist who inspired the crowd:
UR SO PORNO BABY! if u want it
Mr. Fahrenheit: Die wahre Geschichte
276 pages
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now available on
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dress United color ( UC)
hair !!firelight!!
hosiery: style panthythose
Shoes : Gos
makeup : !Pout
necklace, earring, bracelet,rings :**RE**
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Our family has been busy getting ready for Christmas and also having a few photoshoots of the kids. What a busy and wonderful time of year ! Merry Christmas everyone !
I've been wanting to test out an ND8 filter that I bought a while ago for my 24mm lens, so I decided to shoot some long exposures of the Story Bridge in Brisbane. This one was a 73 second exposure @ f/8 and 100 iso.
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Story Bridge, Brisbane. Taken using a Nikon D200 with Sigma 10-20mm Lens. 3 Shot HDR
[View On Black] to view large resolution
Her hair wasn't too bad, just needed a good brushing ans straightening, it was the mark on her cheek that sucked. It was right on the blush, so I had to get rid of all the blush. But, it doesn't look all bad :)
Name: Story Loden
Age: 18
Hometown: Center Hill, Florida
This is a stitched panorama view of the Story Bridge in Brisbane. It was somewhat difficult to do as all 5 source images had a different exposure and they needed to be adjusted before stitching.
Each image was taken as a long exposure, between 15 - 25 seconds as the light was fading really fast and the lightness difference in each was obvious.
Equipment used for this image was Canon 5D m II and EF 17-40mm f/4 L lens.
Concept & Photography: Anand Jadhav
Model: Nishi
MUA: Swarangi
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[strobist setup]
[430exii - silver umbrella]-(24mm@1/16) at 7h
[yn460 - mini softbox]-(24mm@1/32) at 12h
[camera]
Canon EOS 60d
[camera setup]
ISO100, 1/100, f2.8
[lens]
Canon EF 100mm f2.8 macro
[trigger]
Cactus V5
Twitter: @erkua
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In Osla, lies a temple where a religious cult still continues to worship Duryodhan, the main antagonist of Mahabharat. As the story goes, in his quest for the Pandavas during their fourteen year period of exile, Duryodhan reached the Jaunsar-Bawar regions in the Garhwal Himalaya. The enthralling beauty of this region compelled him to stay here with his entourage. He appealed to Lord Mahasu, the reigning God of these climes to bless him with a piece of the valley, where he may reign and look after the affairs of the people. The 5,000-year-old ritual of the drum being played thrice a day in honour of their beloved king Duryodhana continues even today.
I listened while Candy told Jillian her version of a recent fishing adventure she had with friends . . .
"Honest, Jillian, it was THIS big!! but it got away at the last minute! I was glad because I thought it might eat me up, even on dry land! I was scared but fishing was fun!"
I think Jillian took the story with a grain of salt, but she was kind and didn't ruin Candy's excitement!
HTBT, Everyone!
I am going to tell you a story that has happened to me a couple of times.
When I'm falling asleep, both times stretched out and face up looking at the ceiling, I have felt a pressure on my chest and when I have opened my eyes I have seen a kind of giant black moth on me. I couldn't move because I was paralyzed. I couldn't scream, I couldn't even speak, just move my eyes. The moth or whatever it was didn't make any sound, it just started to shake its head really fast.
I can't say how long the experience lasted, I guess how long it takes to hold your breath because I couldn't breathe well.
Suddenly I was able to move my arms and get back up in bed.
Birulia, Savar, Bangladesh, 2012
Every house has a story
A story of its own
A story so real and full of miscellany
A story full of euphoria and joy or even a bit depression
A story, in which we are just strangers
Whatever happen story continues and remains inside.
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Why not tell a story to your children this weekend...
The Orphan Boy and His Dog
Story adapted from a T'boli tale by Laura Simms
This tale was gathered originally by three T'Boli Scholars: Faw-Wanan, Waning Negwan, and Gadu Udal. The tales were collected and written down in 1973 and later translated into English. (The T'boli live on the southern part of the island of Mindanoa in the Philippines. They are Malay in complexion and gather in seven villages around Lake Sebu. The datu is the head man in charge of village affairs. Until recently, they have had little contact with the modern world, but are known for their sophisticated weaving and their epic literature. Laura Simms visited the T'Boli in autumn 1996. The manuscript from which this story is adapted was given to Laura by anthropologist Helen Alegado in Davoa City, Mindanoa.)
There was an orphan boy who was unhappy. His only companion was a little dog. He lived with his aunt and uncle who mistreated him. They beat the child, gave him only leftovers to eat, and rags instead of clothes. The poor child worked all day and slept in the ashes by the fire at night.
The orphan boy did whatever he was told. He worked hard and never complained. If he disobeyed he was burned or beaten, and the little dog was beaten as well. Everyone in the village made fun of the child, "He is lazy and stupid." The other children avoided him calling out, "He is an ugly child who has no clothes."
One morning, the boy was sent to fetch water. The puppy followed behind him. When they got to the well, the dog began to bark. A tiny old man stood near the cliff. His white beard hung to the earth. The child was frightened, but the puppy began to yelp and ran toward the little man.
The little man said, "Do not be afraid of me. I have something to tell you." The boy walked toward the man as if he was under a spell.
"I have seen how much you suffer," said the little man, "You and your puppy must follow me." They followed the man to the foot of a tree.
"I do not see anything," remarked the boy.
The man said, "Your eyes are blurred." He gave the boy and the dog medicine with which they washed their eyes.
Then the little man said, "Keep your eyes closed until I tell you to open them." The boy was afraid. He heard the man unsheathe his bolo (sword). The child trembled, afraid to move. But he could not stand his fear and opened his eyes. He saw a huge snake moving toward him. He screamed, "I am going to die."
He heard a strange voice, like the buzz of a mosquito, "If you obey me you will have good fortune. But if you keep your eyes open, you will have bad fortune. Do not be afraid of the snake." The boy closed his eyes.
All of a sudden, he heard his puppy wail. Then someone tapped him on the forehead saying, "open your eyes." When he opened his eyes he saw a large dog standing before him. When he looked at himself he was dressed in sparkling clothes. His scars and dirt were gone. He was standing next to a house with glass walls.
The man spoke, "You are away from your village and you are away from danger. In my house there are many treasures. But, you can not eat any food in my world because you will not be able to return home. My family is away for four days. You must return home and then come back here to meet them. Your people have been very cruel to you, but one day they will honor you."
The old man gave the boy and the dog some special medicine so they could return to the glass house when they needed to return, then he turned them into their former selves, and turned himself back into a little old man.
The orphan was standing beside the well. He heard his aunt calling angrily for him, "What takes you so long to draw water?"
The orphan boy ran with the water. The little dog ran behind him. At home, his aunt beat him and the dog with a bamboo stick and pushed them into the garbage.
At that time, in the house where the boy was living, there was to be a great wedding feast. The three sons of the datu were to marry three princesses.
The orphan boy was given three times as many chores to do in preparation for the wedding. The three sons were not present because they were looking for the many gifts that the girls asked for their dowries: tedyung (black cloth to make skirts), kamagi (gold for jewelry), fanid ndol (the woven cloth called tinaluk), kfilan (special swords), ulew ndol (red turbans) and brass musical instruments.
The three daughters arrived and waited.
The orphan and the puppy left the kitchen to watch the celebrations. But the people called out, "Drive that ugly filthy child and his hideous dog away. They will bring bad luck. They are a source of embarrassment." The aunt mercilessly beat the boy and the puppy and then forced them to work again. No one took pity on the child.
The child and the dog ran as fast as they could to the well. They covered themselves with the medicine the old man had given them and passed through to the other world. The man welcomed them. He introduced the boy to his wife and two children. The man's wife was a beautiful. Her hair was coiled on the top of her head as elegantly as a finely woven basket. If she was to let down her hair it would reach her feet. She said, "Stay with us until the feast is over. You have suffered enough."
The orphan boy was given food to eat. The big dog was also given food. The man gave the boy two charms: one for good luck and one for bad luck. He said, "Use the good charm tonight at midnight. The youngest princess will see who you are. But, be careful not to confuse the two charms."
Then the boy and the puppy returned as they were before. When they reached the house they were beaten again, because they had been gone so long.
All evening and all night the boy tended the fire and stirred the rice. Eventually, everyone went to sleep. Only the youngest princess could not sleep because she did not want to marry one of the three datus. As the orphan was stirring the rice he thought, "The three datus think that they are the most powerful leaders. But they do not realize that I, whom they despise, will be the most powerful datu."
At midnight, he carefully chose the good luck charm and rubbed it on himself. The fireplace instantly turned into a well-woven mat. The bamboo frame of the stove became two pillows. The fire turned into a lamp and the stones on which he slept became valuable gongs. Everything in the kitchen became a priceless treasure of this world, and theorphan boy became a handsome young man and the dog became ferocious.
The youngest princess went into the kitchen. To her amazement she saw the young man and his place of treasures. She saw his beauty and the power of the dog. She knew it was not a dream. She awoke her mother, but when the old woman went to look, she saw only the filthy orphan boy and his ragged dog.
The youngest princess returned to her bed. She fell asleep and dreamed. The little old man came to her dream and said, "When you must choose a young man tomorrow, choose the orphan boy. You will live in a house of glass and mirrors and be surrounded by treasures. He will be kind and loving. The orphan boy will be the strongest datu." She awoke to the sound of bells and gongs. The wedding ceremonies were beginning.
Each of the young men was seated under nets. Behind the men were rows of horses, cows, water buffalo, sheep and goats. This was the dowry to be given to the fathers of the brides.
As the sun rose, each of the girls was to sit beside their chosen husband under the mosquito net. But the youngest princess had made a form from a pillow the size of a girl and she placed that beneath the net beside the youngest datu. When it was discovered, her father yelled at her. "You must go and choose your husband."
The youngest princess started running. She ran near to the datu, but instead of sitting down beside him, she ran all the way to the orphan boy and sat beside him near the fire. Her father tried to pull her away. She cried out, "If you pull me away or harm the orphan, I will die with him."
The youngest datu was enraged. He lifted up his sword and went to kill the orphan and the princess. But, the orphan took out his good luck charm. He rubbed it on himself and on the dog. He shed his ugly skin and stood up a powerful and handsome young man. The dog grew ten times its size and pounced on the datu's son. Everything in the kitchen turned to treasures.
The people who saw what had happened fell to their knees. The aunt, who had been so cruel, ran to the boy, and put her head by his feet. But, the dog intercepted and bit her hands.
The orphan boy married the princess, and from that day onwards he became the most powerful datu. They lived in that village for a long time.
Then, one morning, all the people saw a flash of lightening. Suddenly, the little old man appeared. His white beard hung down to the earth. When the sky cleared, the boy, the princess, the old man and the dog were gone. They all lived happily in the other world in the house of treasures.