Duwende

Lola's story

When I was a girl in Manila, things went missing in our house all the time. A hair clip. One slipper. My Lola's reading glasses, which turned up a week later inside the rice jar. "Duwende," my Lola would say, shaking her head. "The little ones who live under the stairs."

"Can I see them?" I asked.

"Maybe," she said. "They say only children can. But if you do, be polite. Say tabi tabi po, and ask nicely for your things back."

Now I live in a walk-up in Queens, with a staircase that creaks all night. And guess what? Didi's yellow hair bobbles keep disappearing. Her best headband too. Kuya made a list of every missing thing, Chun set a trap made of cookies, and Didi stood at the bottom of the hagdan and asked, very politely, "Nasaan po?"

The next morning, one bobble was back on the bottom step. The cookies were gone.

What people say

The duwende (from the Spanish duende, a house spirit) is one of the best-known creatures in the Philippines. People say duwende are tiny, like little old men, and live in quiet corners: under stairs, inside walls, in old trees, or in anthills like their cousin, the nuno sa punso.

Many families say there are two kinds. White duwende are kind and may bring good luck. Black duwende are mischievous, and they hide your things, trip you up, or make noises at night. Some stories say only children can see them, and that a duwende may want to play with a child.

How to stay safe

Be polite in dark corners. Say tabi tabi po as you pass, don't kick or sweep where a duwende might live, and if something goes missing, ask nicely for it back.