Mythologies

How the World Was Made

Thousands of years ago there was no land nor sun nor moon nor stars, and
the world was only a great sea of water, above which stretched the sky. The
water was the kingdom of the god Maguayan, and the sky was ruled by the
great god Captan.
Maguayan had a daughter called Lidagat, the sea, and Captan had a son
known as Lihangin, the wind. The gods agreed to the marriage of their
children, so the sea became the bride of the wind.
Three sons and a daughter were born to them. The sons were called
Licalibutan, Liadlao, and Libulan; and the daughter received the name of
Lisuga.
Licalibutan had a body of rock and was strong and brave; Liadlao was formed
of gold and was always happy; Libulan was made of copper and was weak
and timid; and the beautiful Lisuga had a body of pure silver and was sweet
and gentle. Their parents were very fond of them, and nothing was wanting
to make them happy.
After a time Lihangin died and left the control of the winds to his eldest son
Licalibutan. The faithful wife Lidagat soon followed her husband, and the
children, now grown up, were left without father or mother. However, their
grandfathers, Captan and Maguayan, took care of them and guarded them
from all evil.
After a time, Licalibutan, proud of his power over the winds, resolved to gain
more power, and asked his brothers to join him in an attack on Captan in the
sky above. At first they refused; but when Licalibutan became angry with
them, the amiable Liadlao, not wishing to offend his brother, agreed to help.
Then together they induced the timid Libulan to join in the plan.
When all was ready the three brothers rushed at the sky, but they could not
beat down the gates of steel that guarded the entrance. Then Licalibutan let
loose the strongest winds and blew the bars in every direction. The brothers
rushed into the opening, but were met by the angry god Captan. So terrible
did he look that they turned and ran in terror; but Captan, furious at the
destruction of his gates, sent three bolts of lightning after them.

The first struck the copper Libulan and melted him into a ball. The second
struck the golden Liadlao, and he too was melted. The third bolt struck
Licalibutan, and his rocky body broke into many pieces and fell into the sea.
So huge was he that parts of his body stuck out above the water and became
what is known as land.

In the meantime the gentle Lisuga had missed her brothers and started to
look for them. She went toward the sky, but as she approached the broken
gates, Captan, blind with anger, struck her too with lightning, and her silver
body broke into thousands of pieces.
Captan then came down from the sky and tore the sea apart, calling on
Maguayan to come to him and accusing him of ordering the attack on the
sky. Soon Maguayan appeared and answered that he knew nothing of the
plot as he had been asleep far down in the sea.
After a time he succeeded in calming the angry Captan. Together they wept
at the loss of their grandchildren, especially the gentle and beautiful Lisuga;
but with all their power they could not restore the dead to life. However, they
gave to each body a beautiful light that will shine forever.
And so it was that golden Liadlao became the sun, and copper Libulan the
moon, while the thousands of pieces of silver Lisuga shine as the stars of
heaven. To wicked Licalibutan the gods gave no light, but resolved to make
his body support a new race of people. So Captan gave Maguayan a seed,
and he planted it on the land, which, as you will remember, was part of
Licalibutan's huge body.
Soon a bamboo tree grew up, and from the hollow of one of its branches a
man and a woman came out. The man's name was Sicalac, and the woman
was called Sicabay. They were the parents of the human race. Their first child
was a son whom they called Libo; afterwards they had a daughter who was
known as Saman. Pandaguan was a younger son and he had a son called
Arion.
Pandaguan was very clever and invented a trap to catch fish. The very first
thing he caught was a huge shark. When he brought it to land, it looked so
great and fierce that he thought it was surely a god, and he at once ordered
his people to worship it. Soon all gathered around and began to sing and
pray to the shark. Suddenly the sky and sea opened, and the gods came out
and ordered Pandaguan to throw the shark back into the sea and to worship
none but them.

All were afraid except Pandaguan. He grew very bold and answered that the
shark was as big as the gods, and that since he had been able to overpower
it he would also be able to conquer the gods. Then Captan, hearing this,
struck Pandaguan with a small thunderbolt, for he did not wish to kill him but
merely to teach him a lesson. Then he and Maguayan decided to punish
these people by scattering them over the earth, so they carried some to one
land and some to another. Many children were afterwards born, and thus the
earth became inhabited in all parts.
Pandaguan did not die. After lying on the ground for thirty days he regained
his strength, but his body was blackened from the lightning, and all his
descendants ever since that day have been black.
His first son, Arion, was taken north, but as he had been born before his
father's punishment he did not lose his color, and all his people therefore are
white.
Libo and Saman were carried south, where the hot sun scorched their bodies
and caused all their descendants to be of a brown color.
A son of Saman and a daughter of Sicalac were carried east, where the land
at first was so lacking in food that they were compelled to eat clay. On this
account their children and their children's children have always been yellow
in color.
And so the world came to be made and peopled. The sun and moon shine in
the sky, and the beautiful stars light up the night. All over the land, on the
body of the envious Licalibutan, the children of' Sicalac and Sicabay have
grown great in numbers. May they live forever in peace and brotherly love!

The Creation (Igorot)

In the beginning there were no people on the earth.

Lumawig, the Great Spirit, came down from the sky and cut many reeds. He
divided these into pairs which he placed in different parts of the world, and
then he said to them, "You must speak."
Immediately the reeds became people, and in each place was a man and a
woman who could talk, but the language of each couple differed from that of
the others.
Then Lumawig commanded each man and woman to marry, which they did.
By and by there were many children, all speaking the same language as their

parents. These, in turn, married and had many children. In this way there
came to be many people on the earth.
Now Lumawig saw that there were several things which the people on the
earth needed to use, so he set to work to supply them. He created salt, and
told the inhabitants of one place to boil it down and sell it to their neighbors.
But these people could not understand the directions of the Great Spirit, and
the next time he visited them, they had not touched the salt.
Then he took it away from them and gave it to the people of a place called
Mayinit. These did as he directed, and because of this he told them that they
should always be owners of the salt, and that the other peoples must buy of
them.
Then Lumawig went to the people of Bontoc and told them to get clay and
make pots. They got the clay, but they did not understand the molding, and
the jars were not well shaped. Because of their failure, Lumawig told them
that they would always have to buy their jars, and he removed the pottery to
Samoki. When he told the people there what to do, they did just as he said,
and their jars were well shaped and beautiful. Then the Great Spirit saw that
they were fit owners of the pottery, and he told them that they should
always make many jars to sell.
In this way Lumawig taught the people and brought to them all the things
which they now have.

The Children of the Limokon: Mandaya (Mindanao)

In the very early days before there were any people on the earth, the
limokon (a kind of dove ) were very powerful and could talk like men though
they looked like birds. One limokon laid two eggs, one at the mouth of the
Mayo River and one farther up its course. After some time these eggs
hatched, and the one at the mouth of the river became a man, while the
other became a woman.
The man lived alone on the bank of the river for a long time, but he was very
lonely and wished many times for a companion. One day when he was
crossing the river something was swept against his legs with such force that
it nearly caused him to drown. On examining it, he found that it was a hair,
and he determined to go up the river and find whence it came. He traveled
up the stream, looking on both banks, until finally he found the woman, and
he was very happy to think that at last he could have a companion.

They were married and had many children, who are the Mandaya still living
along the Mayo River.

Origin: Bagobo (Mindanao)

In the beginning there lived one man and one woman, Toglai and Toglibon.
Their first children were a boy and a girl. When they were old enough, the
boy and the girl went far away across the waters seeking a good place to live
in. Nothing more was heard of them until their children, the Spaniards and
Americans, came back. After the first boy and girl left, other children were
born to the couple; but they all remained at Cibolan on Mount Apo with their
parents, until Toglai and Toglibon died and became spirits. Soon after that
there came a great drought which lasted for three years. All the waters dried
up, so that there were no rivers, and no plants could live.
"Surely," said the people, "Manama is punishing us, and we must go
elsewhere to find food and a place to dwell in."
So they started out. Two went in the direction of the sunset, carrying with
them stones from Cibolan River. After a long journey they reached a place
where were broad fields of cogon grass and an abundance of water, and
there they made their home. Their children still live in that place and are
called Magindanau, because of the stones which the couple carried when
they left Cibolan.
Two children of Toglai and Toglibon went to the south, seeking a home, and
they carried with them women's baskets (baraan). When they found a good
spot, they settled down. Their descendants, still dwelling at that place, are
called Baraan or Bilaan, because of the women's baskets.
So two by two the children of the first couple left the land of their birth. In
the place where each settled a new people developed, and thus it came
about that all the tribes in the world received their names from things that
the people carried out of Cibolan, or from the places where they settled.
All the children left Mount Apo save two (a boy and a girl), whom hunger and
thirst had made too weak to travel. One day when they were about to die the
boy crawled out to the field to see if there was one living thing, and to his
surprise he found a stalk of sugarcane growing lustily. He eagerly cut it, and
enough water came out to refresh him and his sister until the rains came.
Because of this, their children are called Bagobo.

Legend
Legend of Mag-asawang Tubig

In the olden days, there was a small town in which a few farmers' families
lived. Among them was the couple known as Ba Imo and Ba Sinta. They
were well liked and respected in that place, for although they were well off,
they were humble and generous.
One day Bathala put them to the test. A beggar in tattered clothes came to
their house and asked for lodgings. The couple very hospitably welcomed
their guest and even joined him for a meal at their table. To the great
amazement of the couple, although they had been eating for sometime, the
food at the table did not decrease. Realizing that their guest was God, the

couple knelt before him and prayed. The old man blessed them. In their
prayer, the couple asked that they may die at the same time, so that neither
of them would experience grief and loneliness which would surely happen if
one of them died first.
God granted the wish of the couple. They died at the same time and were
buried in adjoining graves. Not long afterwards, a brook sprang from their
graves. This later grew and grew until it became a river, which was named
Mag-asawang Tubig in memory of the loving couple.
The Legend of Macapuno

In pre-Hispanic days, there was a lagoon that connected with the River Pasig,
where later stood the Chinese Parian, near present Botanical Gardens. The
Pasig lapped quietly against its banks. Sailing slowly past on the current were
floating islands of water-plants, including patches of those resembling
cabbages called quiapo, which that suburb is named after. Crocodiles-ancient, scraggy-skinned specimens--abounded, and water-fowl filled the
mornings and evenings with their calls. Where the lagoon and shore met in a
labyrinth of waterways, the green fronds of the nipa-palm flourished, and
forest trees grew about the edges, raised a few feet above the level of the
river. This lagoon was later used as a water-entry for the trading champans
and cascos with the Chinese, but gradually it filled up after the Parain was
transferred across the Pasig to the Alcayceria.
Upon the arrival of the Castilians to the Islands, the petty rajahs and rulers of
the settlements were--almost without exception--men of Borneo or, to more
accurately, of the the sultanate of Brunei, which claimed everything north to
Manila Bay. Such places as Sapa (Sta. Ana) were ruled over by Lakantagan,
a Bornean, whose son by a "Bornean woman" named Pasay--it is said--gave
his name to that settlement. So Kainta, Kalilaya, and Komintang (Tayabas
and Batangas) of Panay, and Bago and Ilo of Negros were Bornean rulers, as
was possibly Lakandola, the grandson of Lontok and Kalangitan. A daughter
of Lontok married the ruler of Sapa (Baliuag), a colony planted from the
original Sapa (Sta. Ana), who was called Balagtas. Bunayog, the ruler of Bua
(Nebuy, the chief settlement of Camarines); Panga, ruler of Lupa; Kayayao
ruler of Sabang, settlements of Bicolandia; and Sumaclob, rajah of the Cuyos
were all men of Borneo who paid tribute to Brunei before its decadence
about the end of the16th century.
Its copper money, at least, was current in the beginning of this century here
in the Islands.

Some generations before the caravels of Legaspi entered Manila Bay, this
lagoon was home to a family of the rajah class who had been exiled from
Brunei for some reason connected with the execution of the Sultan, a cruel
and avaricious ruler. Reduced to the lowest circumstances, Rajah Madia and
his wife Kimay made the banks of the lagoon their home. Without the usual
regiment of slaves and with no means of obtaining them, their household
consisted of their only daughter, Macapuno, a girl of extreme beauty and
affability and a princess in her own right; the aged brother of Madia, named
Tidoy; and Tidoy's two sons, Kamanchille and Guanar, both growing into
manhood. The river, marsh, and forest supplied their simple wants, as it did
those of their neighbors on the lush banks of the Pasig.
Although many asked for the hand of the beautiful and modest Macapuno,
none was of sufficient rank to satisfy Madia and his wife. Attractive and
lovable she grew into womanhood, but lacking a noble suitor, she busied
herself solely with the tasks of the household. If she had dreams, she kept
them to herself. In time, age overtook her parents, who died and were buried
according to Bornean customs. Kamanchille and Guanar, haughtily refusing
to take service with the datus of Lusong, became expert warriors and
hunters, supporting their cousin Macapuno, and their aged father Tidoy, a
once-renowned warrior. A year or so passed in this manner for the reduced
family living in exile on the banks of the lagoon by the Pasig.
The day came when a wandering hero (bayani) from Brunei passed by, saw
the beautiful Macapuno, and fell violently in love with her. She in turn did
not discourage his advances. Having nothing but his arms and valor and
pleasing address and appearance, Luanbakar proposed to marry her, but the
cousins, Kamanchille and Buanar, as heads of the family, were fiercely proud
of their high descent and, following age-old custom, suspicious of all
strangers. After conferring with the viejo Tidoy and Macapuno, they allowed
him to follow the regular condition of an unknown suitor of Malaysia.
This custom stated that the admirer should labor for a certain period for the
family of the maid, until the elders were satisfied that a good choice had
been made and that the suitor would prove an eligible match for the girl.
Luanbakar readily agreed, and the first task appointed him was the
construction of a long dike in order to make part of the lagoon into a
fishpond. This pond, supplied by the tides from the Pasig, would prove a
profitable undertaking in breeding the fish among the roots of the mangroves
and nilad. The work progressed for some time, the dredging and building
being done by hand alone. This was varied by hunting trips in the commons,
and Luanbakar proved his industry and dexterity on all occasions, partly
allaying the suspicions of the two cousins.

Because the fishpond was but a short distance from the house, Macapuno
would carry food to the bayani engaged in his labor of love for her, and in the
flush of youth, they were naturally attracted to each other. But the cousins of
the princess believed that the stranger had not waited for the rite of
marriage and, out of revenge planned, to kill him as he had not followed the
strict custom. They reasoned that to doing so would save their honor,
notwithstanding that the task allotted him had been practically completed
and that their cousin and the bayani were as good as married. In accordance
with Malayan custom, a wrong remains un-righted until death overtakes the
guilty. It is equally un-redressed if the avenger fails to make himself or his
aims known to the victim. The boys then plotted the death of the stranger,
either singly or in the company of each other.
As Luanbakar was busy finishing the dike, Kamanchille with his hunting spear
appeared before him one day, inquiring if the wild boar he was pursing had
passed that way. The bayani replied, "No," adding that these animals rarely
take to the river to hide. The cousin kept insisting on his story, and
Luanbakar turning his head towards the young man, saw him with his spear
poised and pointed in his direction. The same instant this was launched with
such ferocity that it entered his side below the ribs, passed through the body
and hurled him into the water, while Kamanchille taunted him for his flouting
of immemorial custom. Terribly wounded, Luanbakar climbed the dike,
extracted the spear, bound the mortal wound tightly with his sarong, and
saw Kamanchille in full flight after his treacherous deed.
Macapuno, noting that Kamanchille did not return after passing that way and
apprehensive of his attitude came to the dike. It was deserted, but the trail of
blood told the story as she followed it to where they lay side by side in death.
Tears welled from her eyes for the fate of her relative and her lover, and for
some time, she gave herself up to silent sorrow. Stifling her grief, she piled
branches on the pair and returned to the house resolved to say nothing and
to keep silence over the affair. Guanar, returning later, asked her about the
whereabouts of the two, and she replied that the bayani and Kamanchille
had gone hunting and awaited him in a distant part of the forest which then
extended through Paco--named after its edible ferns--to the nyun of Sapa
itself. Grasping his spear, he left hastily for the supposed rendezvous,
sensing that his brother was leading the stranger to his death.
Upon his departure Macapuno took a wooden spade and returned to the
scene of the tragedy. The night had set and turned dark and stormy. Rain
from over the distant mountain pattered on the forest canopies and the
lagoon. The wind blew in fitful gusts, chilling her during her terrible task.
Without aid of light, she excavated a deep grave in which she placed both
bodies, weeping bitterly the while, the work taking some hours to finish. After

washing herself in the waters of the river, she returned to the house and
prepared a meal for Guanar. He returned about midnight carrying a deer
which had fallen to his spear and remarking that he had not found a trace of
either his brother or the bayani, although he had searched the entire forest.
Macapuno assured him they would return the next day without doubt. The
succeeding day Guanar himself continued the work on the fishpond. Upon
noticing the traces of blood he reported it to Macapuno, who replied that it is
probably that of some wounded animal in the fight. While the explanation
did not satisfy Guanar, he said nothing. Some months passed, and the
hunters did not return nor was anything further heard of them. The ancient
warrior, Tidoy, passed on, and they were still more alone. She took the child
across the Pasig, entrusting it to an old woman to bring up. No mention was
made of its parents, but princess left with the old crone all her ornaments as
recompense--all the property she had left in the world.
Macapuno return sadly to her menial tasks with nothing but memories. The
daily gnawing of conscience tormented her. Unable to stand these, together
with the buffetings of fate, she arrayed herself in her best garments,
carefully weighted them with stones, went to the end of dike and threw
herself into the river, thus ending the tragedy. Guanar, finding her absent,
searched for her high and low, finally discovering her corpse on a sandbar
near the mouth of the Pasig. His sorrow was great, but no amount of
remorse could alter the facts. Recovering the body he dug a grave on the
bank in which he buried the unfortunate Macapuno, but he had nothing to
mark the spot.
Looking around he saw a coconut floating past in the current. This he
retrieved and planted it in the grave to permanently mark it. Returning to
the lonely house, he in turn became disconsolate, brooding over the
circumstances that left him the sole survivor of all his exiled family. He
resolved to return to the land of his birth and take service under some datu
(exiled family). He paddled out to the island of Takaykay from whence he
took passage in a boat bearing the tribute to the Sultan of Brunei, the last of
his race.
Years past and the coconut planted on the grave of Macapuno grew up into a
noble palm bearing fruit in turn. While not so tall as its species, its graceful
fronds hid an abundance of small round nuts. But these were entirely
different from the ordinary variety, being solid, full of meat, and much
sweeter to taste. The wandering traders of Kalilaya and Bai took these nuts
to propagate, and they were thus in high demand.
May not the palm have absorbed the agreeable qualities of the unfortunate
princess--her perfection of form, her sweetness of temper? That at least is

the legend, for this variety of coconut is known by all and is called
Macapuno.

Baggilit of Hinagagan and the Jars He Brought from the Village of

Souls

A long time ago, before the coming of the Spaniards, there lived at
Hinagagan a man called Baggilit. He was a wealthy man, possessing four
rice granaries and a very large house; but he was not a priest. His constant
desire was to hunt in the forest.
One day Baggilit went hunting in the forest and was overtaken by night. He
called his dogs, but they did not come. He made fire, cooked, and ate. Then
one dog came to him, and he took the lead and departed. Nearby he found a
path. The dog with him barked and the second dog answered, and they
went on. And the dog with Baggilit began to whimper and whine and to pull
on the leash. So Baggilit began to run, and they went on. Suddenly it
became light all around them, and they came out of the forest into a large
group of people. And the people said among themselves, "Surely Baggilit is
dead," and they examined his body and asked, "Where were you speared?"
and Baggilit spoke and said, "I have not been speared! I went hunting and
was overtaken by night, and my dog here ran ahead on our path. I followed,
and came here, and--lo!--it is light here!"
And they took Baggilit and went to their town, for there are many large
towns there in the dwelling-place of souls. They wished to give him food; but
he said, "Wait until my own food is exhausted, and then I will eat of your rice
here." And they asked him, "How many days will you remain with us?" and
Baggilit answered that he would remain four days. Then the people began
to laugh and one of them said, "Not four days but four years here!"
"Ha!" cried Baggilit. "I shall never do that! Wait until you see!"
"Just so!" answered the other."One day here is the same as a year on the
Earthworld," but Baggilit thought that he was lying.
Baggilit visited all of the towns there. He worked in the rice fields, and they
gave him four jars as his wages. Then his host said to him, "Return home
now, for you have been here four days, which, according to the usage of the
Earthworld, are four years."

"Yes," answered Baggilit, "I wish to go home now, as I am homesick for my

family. You have been very good to me, for you have given me wages for my
work."
And the host said: "It was a gift, not wages, but a gift, that I gave you," and
he led the way and pointed out to Baggilit a ladder. "Go down that ladder,
and in a short time you will arrive at your house," he said. Baggilit started
to go down, but one of the jars struck heavily against the ladder and was
broken. He slid down the trunk of the tree to the ground. The chickens were
crowing, and it was just dawn. And he looked at his surroundings and
exclaimed: "Why this is my own house!" His relatives came out and said,
"Who are you?" and he replied, "This is my house." They looked at him
closely and cried, "Well now, it is Baggilit who has been gone these four
years!" And they sat down and talked long together. He showed them the
jars, and they asked, "Where did you get those?" And he answered, "I
brought them from the Skyworld," and they were afraid and went to look for
the ladder. But it was no longer there.

The Legend of the Sampaloc Lake

Once upon a time there lives in the northern side of San Pablo a well-to-do
but childless couple. They have a large garden of tamarind (sampaloc in
Tagalog) trees which bore the sweetest fruits in all the land. many people
from far and wide heard of the tamarind trees. And many of them wanted to
taste the sweet tamarind fruits.
The couple felt very proud of their rich possession. They built a fence around
their yard so that no strangers would pick any of the tamarind fruits. Just to
make sure no one could enter their yard, they placed a big watchdog to
guard it.
God wanted to test the hospitality of the couple. And so, one day a fairy,
disguised as an old beggar bent and wrinkled by age, approached the
couple's garden and begged for some fruit.
"Please give me some tamarind fruit. I am hungry!" The old woman pleaded.
The couple did not even look at the old woman.
"Be gone! We don't want to give any of our tamarind fruit away!" replied the
couple angrily.
"Please, I am so hungry, and a fruit or two will satisfy me," the old beggar
insisted. "I know your tamarind trees are laden with most delicious fruits."

Then, without further ado, the old woman came near one of the large trees.
She stretched out her wrinkled, skinny hand to pluck a curly thick pod
hanging from one of the lower branches.
Upon seeing what the old beggar had done, the couple grew angry. They
became so angry that they hurried back to their house, let their dog loose,
and set it on the poor woman. Alas, the poor old woman was badly bitten.
Patiently, the old woman bore her pain. But before turning away from the
inhospitable spot, she touched the tamarind tree and, looking at the couple,
said, "You shall be punished for your selfishness." Then she went slowly on
her way.
Even before the woman was out of sight, the sky became overcast. In a short
while a terrible storm broke out, and heavy rain fell through the night.
The following morning all was peaceful. The man and his wife went out for
the daily round as usual. They had hardly taken a few steps when, to their
surprise, instead of the tall green tamarind trees, there stretched before their
unbelieving eyes a vast expanse of water shining in the morning sun.
Still unconvinced about what had happened, the couple went forward up to
the bank of what now appeared to be a natural lake. And wonder of wonders,
they saw through the transparent water the dark amass o tamarind trees still
rooted to the sunken ground!
From that day on, the place became "Sampaloc Lake" - sampaloc being the
Tagalog word for tamarind. Nowadays Sampaloc Lake is a tourist spot to
which many lovers of nature, both young and old, go in order to admire the
splendor and beauty that it offer.

Fables
The Monkey and the Turtle

The turtle and the monkey once found a banana tree floating amidst the
waves of a river. It was a very fine tree, with large green leaves and with
roots, just as if it had been pulled off by a storm. They took it ashore.
Let us divide it, said Turtle, and plant each its portion. They cut it in the
middle and the monkey, as the stronger, took for himself the upper part of
the tree, thinking that it would grow quicker, for it had leaves. The turtle, as
the weaker, had the lower part that looked ugly, although it had roots.

After some days they met. Hello, Mr. Monkey, said the turtle, how are you
getting on with your banana tree?
Alas, answered the monkey, it has been dead a long time. And yours, Miss
Turtle?
Very nice, indeed, with leaves and fruits. Only I cannot climb up to gather
them.
Never mind, said the malicious monkey. I will climb and pick them for
you.
Do, Mr. Monkey, replied the turtle gratefully. And so they walked toward the
turtles house. As soon as the monkey saw the bright yellow fruits hanging
between the large green leaves, he climbed up and began plundering,
munching, and gobbling, as quickly as he could.
But give me some, too, said the turtle, seeing that the monkey did not take
the slightest notice of her.
Not even a bit of the skin, if it is eatable, rejoined the monkey, both his
cheeks crammed with bananas.
The turtle meditated revenge. She went to the river, picked up some pointed
snails, planted them around the banana tree, and hid himself under a
coconut shell.
When the monkey came down, he hurt himself and began to bleed. After a
long search he found the turtle. You wretched creature, here you are! said
he. You must now pay for your wickedness. You must die!
But as I am very generous, I will leave you the choice of your death. Shall I
pound you in a mortar, or shall I throw you into the water? Which do you
prefer?
The mortar, the mortar! answered the turtle. I am so afraid of getting
drowned.
O ho! laughed the monkey, Indeed! You are afraid of getting drowned!
Now I will drown you. And, going to the shore, he slung the turtle and threw
it in the water. But soon the turtle reappeared swimming and laughing at the
deceived, artful monkey.

The Crocodile and the Peahen

Once there lived a young crocodile on the bank of the Pasig River. He was so
fierce and so greedy that no animal dared to approach him. One day while
he was resting on a rock, he thought of getting married. He said aloud, I will
give all that I have for a wife. As he pronounced these words, a coquettish
peahen passed near him. That naughty crocodile expressed his wish again.
The coquette listened carefully, and began to examine the crocodile's looks.
She said to herself, I will marry this crocodile. He is very rich. Oh my! If I
could only have all those pearls and diamonds, I should be the happiest wife
in the world. She then alighted on the rock where the crocodile was, who
made his offer again with extreme politeness, as a hypocrite always does.
She thought that the big eyes of the crocodile were two beautiful diamonds
and that the rough skin was made of pearls, so she accepted the proposal.
The crocodile asked the peahen to sit on his mouth, that she might not spoil
her beautiful feathers with mud. The foolish bird did as she was told. What
do you think happened? He made a good dinner of his new wife.

The Hawk and the Hen

A hawk flying about in the sky one day decided that he would like to marry a
hen whom he often saw on earth. He flew down and searched until he found
her, and then asked her to become his wife. She at once agreed as long as
he would wait until she could grow wings like his, so that she might also fly
high. The hawk agreed to this and flew away, after giving her a ring as an
engagement present and telling her to take good care of it.
The hen was very proud of the ring and placed it around her neck. The next
day, however, she met the cockerel who looked at her in astonishment and
said, Where did you get that ring? Do you not know that you promised to be
my wife? You must not wear the ring of anyone else. Throw it away.
The hen threw away the beautiful ring.
Not long after this the hawk came down bringing beautiful feathers to dress
the hen. When she saw him coming she was frightened and ran to hide
behind the door, but the hawk called to her to come and see the beautiful
dress he had brought her.
The hen came out, and the hawk at once saw that the ring was gone.
Where is the ring I gave you? He asked. Why do you not wear it?

The hen was too frightened and ashamed to tell the truth so she answered,
Oh, sir, yesterday when I was walking in the garden, I met a large snake and
he frightened me so that I ran as fast as I could to the house. Then I missed
the ring and I searched everywhere but could not find it.
The hawk looked sharply at the hen, and he knew that she was deceiving
him.
He said to her, I did not believe that you could behave so badly. When you
have found the ring I will come down again and make you my wife. But as a
punishment for breaking your promise, you must always scratch the ground
to look for the ring. Every chicken of yours that I find, I shall snatch away.
Then he flew away, and ever since all the hens throughout the world have
been scratching to find the hawks ring.
And that was the story of The Hawk and the Hen. So now you know that
when hens peck the ground, they are looking for a lost ring. The next tale is
very short and explains why spiders dont like flies.

The Monkey and the Crocodile

Once upon a time, a clever monkey lived in a tree that bore juicy, red rose
apples. He was very happy. One fine day, a crocodile swam up to that tree
and told the monkey that he had traveled a long distance and was in search
of food as he was very hungry. The kind monkey offered him a few rose
apples. The crocodile enjoyed them very much and asked the monkey
whether he could come again for some more fruit. The generous monkey
happily agreed.
The crocodile returned the next day. And the next. And the next one after
that. Soon the two became very good friends. They discussed their lives,
their friends and family, like all friends do. The crocodile told the monkey
that he had a wife and that they lived on the other side of the river. So the
kind monkey offered him some extra rose apples to take home to his wife.
The crocodiles wife loved the rose apples and made her husband promise to
get her some, every day.
Meanwhile, the friendship between the monkey and the crocodile deepened
as they spent more and more time together. The crocodiles wife started
getting jealous. She wanted to put an end to this friendship. So she
pretended that she could not believe that her husband could be friends with

a monkey. Her husband tried to convince her that he and the monkey shared
a true friendship. The crocodiles wife thought to herself that if the monkey
lived on a diet of rose monkeys, his flesh would be very sweet. So she asked
the crocodile to invite the monkey to their house.
The crocodile was not happy about this. He tried to make the excuse that it
would be difficult to get the monkey across the river. But his wife was
determined to eat the monkeys flesh. So she thought of a plan. One day, she
pretended to be very ill and told the crocodile that the doctor said that she
would only recover if she ate a monkeys heart. If her husband wanted to
save her life, he must bring her his friends heart.
The crocodile was aghast. He was in a dilemma. On the one hand, he loved
his friend. On the other, he could not possibly let his wife die. The crocodiles
wife threatened him saying that if he did not get her the monkeys heart, she
would surely die.
So the crocodile went to the rose apple tree and invited the monkey to come
home to meet his wife. He told the monkey that he could ride across the river
on the crocodiles back. The monkey happily agreed. As they reached the
middle of the river, the crocodile began to sink. The frightened monkey
asked him why he was doing that. The crocodile explained that he would
have to kill the monkey to save his wifes life. The clever monkey told him
that he would gladly give up his heart to save the life of the crocodiles wife,
but he had left his heart behind in the rose apple tree. He asked the crocodile
to make haste and turn back so that the monkey could go get his heart from
the apple tree.
The silly crocodile quickly swam back to the rose apple tree. The monkey
scampered up the tree to safety. He told the crocodile to tell his wicked wife
that she had married the biggest fool in the world.

Philippine Mythologies, Legends and

Fables

Pamil, Angeline A.
BSEDEN 3-1D
Dr. Chenita Dapito