Juan and his friends

In the enchanting setting of Bicol, Juan, accompanied by his six whimsical companions, embarks on a lighthearted adventure to the river for a refreshing bath. However, the merriment takes an unexpected turn in the "Episode of the Miscounting." As the group journeys home, they become aware of the absence of one companion, casting a somber shadow over their spirits.

In the midst of their melancholy, fate leads them to encounter another despondent young man on the way. He implores the seven to hasten to his home, where his ailing mother awaits her final moments. Entrusted with the solemn duty of comforting the dying woman until the son's return, the seven companions dutifully agree.

As they sit by the bedside of the ailing mother, Juan, in his innocence, mistakes a conspicuous mole on her forehead for a bothersome fly. Attempts to brush it away prove futile, leading Juan to employ a piece of bamboo in a misguided attempt to rid her of the imaginary pest. Unfortunately, the son returns to find his mother has passed away during his absence.

Facing an unforeseen responsibility, the grieving son requests the seven companions to perform the solemn task of burying his mother. Wrapping the lifeless body in a mat, they set out for the cemetery. However, the journey takes an unexpected turn as the body slips from their grasp, leading them to retrace their steps in search of the fallen corpse.

In a bizarre twist of events, the group mistakenly takes the wrong path and encounters an old woman cutting ferns. Misguided by their grief and confusion, they perceive her as the initial old woman attempting deception. In a regrettable act, they hurl stones at her, convinced of her ill intentions. The story concludes with the burial of this unintended victim, with the seven admonishing her, even in death, to "never deceive anyone again." The tale leaves behind a curious blend of sorrow, confusion, and unintended consequences in the mystical realm of Bicol.