The Story of Maria Sinukuan

Once upon a time, they say that Mt. Arayat abounded in all kinds of fruit trees. Aside from the fruit
trees, it is said that animals of all kinds once roamed this mountain. The strange thing about this fruit
trees and animals is that the fruit trees bore exceptionally big fruits all the year round and the animals
was no other than Mariang Sinukuan. These fruit trees and animals, Mariang Sinukuan used to distribute
to the poor. Needy families often woke up on the morning to see at their doorsteps fruits and animals
for their needs. They knew it was Mariang Sinukuan who left this foods while they were sleeping. How
grateful the people were to be graced by the enchanted lady. And to show their gratitude and respect
they never tried to go to her hide-out in the mountain. The people considered her home as a sacred
place.

But such was not always the case. There came a time when the people were no longer satisfied with
what the enchanted lady left at their doorsteps. They wanted to get more.

One day, some young men decided to go up Mt. Arayat. They wanted to get more of Mariang Sinukuan’s
fruits and animals. They started for the mountain early at dawn. They reached the base of the mountain
at sunrise. Guavas bigger than their fists dangled from the guava trees. Pomegranate branches almost
reached to the ground because of the many and big fruits they bore. Ripe mangoes were just within
one’s reach. Fowls of every kind were plentiful. Pigs, goats and other animals roamed around. The young
men were still viewing this wonder of nature when from nowhere came Mariang Sinukuan. They were
dazzled by her brilliance. They could not find any words to say to her. It was Mariang Sinukuan who first
spoke to them.

” Welcome to my home, young men. Help yourself to the fruits. Eat as much as you can but I’m warning
you not to take anything home without my knowledge.” With this, the enchanted lady departed.

After recovering from their amazement, the young men started to pick up fruits. They ate and ate until
they could not eat any more.

“Let us pick some more fruits. I want to fill this sack which I brought,” said one.

“No, let’s not do that. Let’s go home now,” said another. “I’m scared.”

” Why be scared? Did we not come to get more fruits and animals?”

” But the lady warned us not to take anything home without her knowledge.”

“Oh, come on. She won’t know we took home fruits and animals. They’re so plentiful, she won’t know
the difference.”

And so the young men started to fill their sacks with as many fruits and animals as they could get hold
of. Then they started for home. As they were about to begin their descent they felt their sacks becoming
heavier. They didn’t mind this, but they had not gone ten steps farther when they felt that their load
was pulling them down. Putting the sacks down, how surprised the young men were to find that the
fruits and animals had become big stones. They remembered Mariang Sinukuan’s warning. The young
men became terribly frightened. Leaving their sacks behind, they ran as fast as their feet could carry
them. But before they reached the base of the mountain whom did they see blocking their way? It was
Mariang Sinukuan who was very angry.

“You ungrateful wretches! I help you in times of need. But how do you repay me. You are not satisfied
with what I leave you at your doorsteps. And now you even try to steal my things! Because of your
greediness I’m going to turn you all into a swine.” With the wave of her wand, Mariang Sinukuan
changed the young men into swine.

This was not the last time that people tried to get hold of Mariang Sinukuan’s fruits and animals. Again
and again they tried to steal them. At last, fed up with the people’s greediness, Mariang Sinukuan
stopped leaving food at their doorsteps. She caused the fruit trees and animals in the mountain to
disappear. She no longer showed herself to the people for she was disgusted with their greediness.

Birth of the Maria Sinukuan Legend: In what has been documented of ancient Kapampangan folklore,
and in the research gathered by Kapampangan students of Henry Otley Beyer in the 1940s, Mount
Arayat is only known as the abode of Apung/Aring Sinukuan (sun god of war and death, taught the early
inhabitants the industry of metallurgy, wood cutting, rice culture and even waging war). Although early
beginning of this legend were documented in the travel diary of Italian adventurer Gemelli Careri, 1696.

Documented legend says Mount Arayat is the home of the god/sorcerer named Sinukuan/Sinukwan or
Sucu, which could mean “the end” or “he who others have surrendered to.” The mountain was said to
have been located in the swamp to its south but relocated because of the evil ways of those who lived
there, in addition to which, the people of the swamp were made to suffer numerous misfortunes.
Sinukuan is believed to be able to transform and do as he pleases at will, his only real rival being
Namalyari of Mount Pinatubo. The waterfalls at Ayala in Magalang, Pampanga is said to be his bathing
quarters, and it is often visited by tourists and natives alike. Sinukuan is said to live at the White rock, a
Lava dome possibly formed by the last eruption, where its glimmering properties were most likely to
have inspired the legend. Contrary to reality, the mountain is believed to be several mountains merging
at the center including the tallest two peaks.

In other legends, Sinukuan is said to have bested Makiling of southern Luzon almost effortlessly, unlike
his arch rival Namalyari. Sinukuan is believed to have daughters who come down only during time of
grace and are disguised as humans, Sinukuan himself can be disguised as human. The day he comes back
is believed to either be when he responds to the attack of Namalyari on Mount Pinatubo’s 1991
eruption or when the time to call his servants upon the end of the world has come. In other tales,
Makiling (as a goddess instead of her modern incarnation of a diwata) is the love object of Sinukuan.

The Story of Maria Cacao

The basic form of the legend is that whenever rains flood the river that comes from Mount Lantoy, or a
bridge is broken, this is a sign that Maria Cacao and her husband Mangao have either travelled down the
river in their golden ship so that they can export their crops, or travelled up the river on their way back.
She is supposed to live inside a cave in the mountain and the Cacao plants outside it are supposed to be
her plantation. While the story is obviously mythical in nature, it is cited as evidence of how long the
production of tableya, has been going on in the area. Tableya is Cebuano for round, unsweetened
chocolate tablets made from cacao beans. It is a crucial ingredient in the Filipino delicacies sikwate (hot
chocolate) and champorado.

Birth of the Maria Cacao Legend: Boy, you guys aren’t going to like me. Maria Cacao is probably older
than Maria Sinukuan, but couldn’t have gotten her name until sometime in the late 1600s when cacao
was first introduced to the Philippines (The first recorded crop was in 1670). Some suggest that the
story of Mangao already existed and that Maria Cacao was adopted into the folk story. In a paper by
Koki Seki, “Rethinking Maria Cacao: Legend-making in the Visayan Context”, it is stated that the legend
of Maria Cacao may have more to do with migratory experiences of the local people, rather than
anything directly related to the name. “The ubiquitous legend of Maria Cacao is given a specific form
and expression in the course of migration experiences of the narrators. In turn, it enables the narrators
to structure and imagine their reality in a particular way; for instance, the intensification and activation
of their image of homeland and identity.” In the case of Maria Cacao, the belief in diwatas may have still
been prevalent in the region where the story was created.

Maria Makiling

Similar to Maria Sinukuan of Pampanga’s Mount Arayat and Maria Cacao on Cebu’s Mount Lantoy,
Maria Makiling is the guardian spirit of Mount Makiling, responsible for protecting its bounty and thus, is
also a benefactor for the townspeople who depend on the mountain’s resources. In addition to being a
guardian of the mountain, some legends also identify Laguna de Bay – and the fish caught from it – as
part of her domain.

Legends of Maria Makiling

Because stories about Maria Makiling were part of oral tradition long before they were documented,
there are numerous versions of the Maria Makiling legend. Some of these are not stories per se, but
superstitions.

Superstitions about Maria Makiling

One superstition is that every so often, men would disappear into the forests of the mountain. It is said
that Makiling has fallen in love with that particular man, and has taken him to her house to be her
husband, there to spend his days in matrimonial bliss. Another superstition says that one can go into the
forests and pick and eat any fruits one might like, but never carry any of them home. In doing so, one
runs the risk of angering Maria Makiling. One would get lost, and be beset by insect stings and thorn
pricks. The only solution is to throw away the fruit, and then to reverse one’s clothing as evidence to
Maria that one is no longer carrying any of her fruit.

Turning Ginger into gold

Perhaps the most common “full” story is that of Maria turning ginger into gold to help one villager or the
other. In these stories, Maria is said to live in a place known to the villagers, and interacts with them
regularly. The villager in question is often either a mother seeking a cure for her ill child, or a husband
seeking a cure for his wife.

The wise Maria recognizes the symptoms as signs not of disease, but of hunger brought about by
extreme poverty. She gives the villager some ginger, which, by the time the villager gets home, has
magically turned to gold

In versions where the villager is going home to his wife, he unwisely throws some of the ginger away
because it had become too heavy to carry.

In some versions, the villagers love her all the more for her act of kindness.

In most, however, greedy villagers break into Maria’s garden to see if her other plants were really gold.
Distressed by the villager’s greed, Maria runs away up the mountain, her pristine white clothing soon
becoming indistinguishable from the white clouds that play amongst the trees on the upper parts of the
mountains.
Spurned Lover

In many other stories, Makiling is characterized as a spurned lover.

In one story, she fell in love with a hunter who had wandered into her kingdom. Soon the two became
lovers, with the hunter coming up the mountain every day. They promised to love each other forever.
When Maria discovered that he had met, fell in love with, and married a mortal woman, she was deeply
hurt. Realizing that she could not trust townspeople because she was so different from them, and that
they were just using her, she became angry and refused to give fruits to the trees, let animals and birds
roam the forests for hunters to catch, and let fish abound in the lake. People seldom saw her, and those
times when she could be seen were often only during pale moonlit nights.

In another version of the story, told by the Philippines’ National Hero, Jose Rizal, Maria falls in love with
a farmer, whom she then watches over. This leads the townspeople say he is endowed with a charm, or
mutya, as it is called, that protected him and his from harm. The young man was good at heart and
simple in spirit, but also quiet and secretive. In particular, he would not say much of his frequent visits
into the wood of Maria Makiling. But then war came to the land, and army officers came recruiting
unmarried young men. The man entered an arranged marriage so that he could stay safely in the village.
A few days before his marriage, he visits Maria one last time. “I would that you were consecrated to
me,” she said sadly, “but you need an earthly love, and you do not have enough faith in me besides. I
could have protected you and your family.” After saying this, she disappeared. Maria Makiling was never
seen by the peasants again, nor was her humble hut ever rediscovered

.The Three Suitor.

Michelle Lanuza tells another version of the story, set during the later part of the Spanish occupation:

Maria was sought for and wooed by many suitors, three of whom were the Captain Lara, a Spanish
soldier; Joselito, a Spanish mestizo studying in Manila; and Juan who was but a common farmer. Despite
his lowly status, Juan was chosen by Maria Makiling.

Spurned, Joselito and Captain Lara conspired to frame Juan for setting fire to the cuartel of the Spanish.
Juan was shot as the enemy of the Spaniards. Before he died, he cried Maria’s name out loud.

The diwata quickly came down from her mountain while Captain Lara and Joselito fled to Manila in fear
of Maria’s wrath. When she learned what happened, she cursed the two, along with all other men who
cannot accept failure in love.

Soon, the curse took effect. Joselito suddenly contracted an incurable illness. The revolutionary Filipinos
killed Captain Lara.
“From then on,” Lanuza concludes, “Maria never let herself be seen by the people again. Every time
somebody gets lost on the mountain, they remember the curse of the diwata. Yet they also remember
the great love of Maria Makiling.”

Mount Makiling still abounds with superstitions and stories concerning Makiling. When people get lost
on the mountain, the disappearances are still attributed to the diwata or to spirits who follow her.

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.
Why Do the Moon and Stars Appear Only at Night?

401px-ClementineObservesTheMoonSolarCoronaAndVenus

A long time ago, when the universe was still young, the sun and the moon were married to each other.
One day, the moon asked her husband, the sun, to keep watch over their sleeping children, since she
had to gather food for the family. The moon, reminded her husband not to go near the young ones, for
they would get burned by his intense noon day heat.
The sun, however, couldn’t keep from bending over to kiss the little ones – but as his wife had feared,
the children slowly started to melt. Although the sun wanted to hide from his wife, his brightness always
gave him away. His wife, the moon, became cold to him and endlessly blamed him for deforming their
children. She often harped about his self-centeredness and feelings of self-importance, just because the
entire universe revolved around him.

This occurred until one day, the sun's fiery temper got the better of him – he struck his wife's face to
stop her endless nagging. Again, he felt sorry for having done so, since his action had left the moon with
scars and pockmarks on her face.

Since then, the moon and the sun became estranged, and the former took her children with her as far as
she could, to get away from the sun. She and the children showed up only during the night when
everyone was asleep, so they wouldn’t notice the pockmarks on her surface or the imperfection of her
children, the little twinkling stars.

The legend of guava

A long time ago, there's a king who ruled a rich, prosperous island. He had all the things a king could
ever ask for: the power, the wealth, and all the delicious foods one could only imagine.The king's name
was King Barabas.

King Barabas is a rude king and overweight, indulging himself to all the foods available, hesitant to share
to anyone. And his castle is starting to become filthy. He would spend most of his time sitting and eating
with his bare hands. As he eats, he drips food on the floor and smile mockingly at the people around
him, specially his servants.

People in the kingdom would approach with requests for his help, but he would always refuse. As he
neglected his kingdom, people started to complain and starve.

After some time, an old hunched-back woman showed up at the castle begging for food while the king
was eating. The old lady asked for food as she was starving.

"Go away! I don't have anything to give. Can't you see I'm eating?" said the king.

"Please, my king," begged the old woman. "I'm asking for anything, anything you could give me as I am
so hungry. Even a little piece of bread or fruit would do."

"Get out at once! You disgust me," the king belittled the old beggar.

The old woman stood up straight, casting aside her stooped posture. "I've heard much about you and
how your kingdom is suffering." The tone of her voice had changed. It was no longer the voice of a weak,
old woman. "I asked for help, and you shoved me away. You have a lot for yourself, but when I only
asked for a little food, you belittled me. You are selfish. No one loves you and no one will remember you
when you are gone!"

And the beggar disappeared.

After a few more days, the king slowly weakened and became sick. No one knows what's wrong with
him. He got weaker and weaker and lost much weight. He looked older than his age. Soon after that, the
king died. As unfortunate and unexpected as it was, no one cried and nobody showed up at the king's
burial. He died alone.
And where the king was buried, his people noticed a strange plant growing, a plant they had never seen
before. The plant soon grew into a tree, which bore rounded fruits that turned yellowish when ripe.

People also noticed that the fruit seemed to have a crown as it develops, which reminded them of their
selfish, arrogant king. The flesh of the fruit tasted a bit sour, just like the sour personality of the king
towards them.

The people learned to eat the fruit, which helped them with starvation. And because the tree was from
the grave of their King Barabas and it has crown just like their king, they named the tree after him:
barabas, which in time they called bayabas.

The fruit is still called, as to this day, bayabas.

The Legend of Makahiya

Philippines

Long time ago, there was a couple in Barangay Masagana (Pampanga today) who wanted a daughter.
Their wish was granted and the wife gave birth to a baby girl. They called her Maria. Maria was very
beautiful but very shy that she wouldn't go out from their house.
Weeks later, Spaniards came to their town. The Spaniards were very cruel that they get everything they
wanted. They rob houses and kill everyone who gets in their way and who refuses to give what they
wanted.

The couple was very frightened to lose their daughter so, they hid Maria in the bushes so the Spaniards
couldn't find her.

After the Spaniards left their town, the couple tried to look for Maria but they couldn't find her even in
the bushes where they hid her, instead they found a little plant that is very sensitive that when you
touch it, it would immediately close.

So they thought it was their daughter, Maria. They called the plant "Makahiya" that means "touch me
not," like their daughter who was very shy.

Legend of the Firefly

Lovely little creatures, glittering, sparkling, throwing fragments of light in the dark night skies. How did
the fireflies or alitaptap come about?

Once, a long time ago, in the valley of Pinak in Central Luzon, one of the islands in the Philippines. There
was a deep large lake rich with fish. There, the people of Pinak fished for their food, and always, there
was plenty for all. Then suddenly, the big river dried up. In the shallow mud, there wasn’t a fish to catch.
For months, there were no rains. Out in the fields, the land turned dry. The rice-stalks slowly withered.
Everywhere in Pinak, there was hunger. Night after night, the people of Pinak prayed hard.

“Dear Bathala,” they would recite together in their small and poorly-built chapel, ” send us rains, give us
food to eat. For the people are starving, and there is want among us!”

Then one black and starless night, the good Bathala answered the prayers of the faithful people of Pinak.
For suddenly up in the dark skies appeared a blaze of gold! A beautiful chariot of gold was zooming thru
the sky. The people started to panic but a big booming voice came from the chariot soothing them with
words.

” I am Bula-hari, and I have come with my wife, Bitu-in. We are sent from the heavens to rule Pinak from
now on. We have come to give you good life!” As Bulan-hari spoke, the black skies burst open. The rain
fell in torrents. Soon the dry fields bloomed again. The large lake rose and once again was filled with
fish. The people were happy once more under the rulership of Bulan-hari.

Soon Bulan-hari and Bitu-in had a daughter. She grew up to be a beautiful maiden. Such long dark hair!
Such lovely eyes under long curling lashes! Her nose was chiselled fine. Her lips like rosebuds. Her skin
was soft and fair like cream. They named her Alitaptap for on her forehead was a bright sparkling star.

All the young, brave handsome men of Pinak fell in love with Alitaptap. They worshipped her beauty.
They sang songs of love beneath her windows. They all sought to win her heart.

But alas! the heart of Alitaptap wasn’t human. She was the daughter of Bulan-hari and Bitu-in, who
burst from the sky and were not of the earth. She had a heart of stone, as cold and as hard as the
sparkling star on her forehead. Alitaptap would never know love.

Then one day, an old woman arrived at the palace. Her hair long and dirty. her clothing tattered and
soiled. Before the king Bulan-hari, Balo-na, the old, wise woman whined in her sharp voice… that she
had come from her dwelling in the mountains to bear the king sad news. The news being that she saw
the future in a dream and it betold of their fate… the warriors of La-ut are coming with their mighty
swords to conquer the land, the only solution is to have a marriage between Alitaptap and one of the
young men, so as to have an heir to win the war.

At once Bulan-hari pleaded with his daughter to choose one of the young men in their village. But how
could the beautiful maiden understand? Alitaptap’s heart of stone merely stood in silence. Bulan-hari
gripped his sword in despair… “ Alitapatap!” he bellowed in the quiet palace, “You will follow me, or you
will lay dead this very minute!”

But nothing could stir the lovely young woman’s heart. Bulan-hari blind with anger and fear of the dark
future finally drew his sword. Clang! the steel of his sword’s blade rang in the silence of the big palace. It
hit the star on Alitaptap’s lovely forehead!

The star burst! Darkness was everywhere! Until a thousand chips of glitter and light flew around the hall.
Only the shattered pieces of the star on Alitaptap’s forehead lighted the great hall, flickering as though
they were stars with tiny wings.

Alitaptap, the lovely daughter from the heavens lay dead.

And soon, Balo-na’s prediction had come true. Riding in stamping wild horses, the warriors of La-ut
came like the rumble and clashes of lightning and thunder. They killed the people of Pinak, ruined crops,
poisoned the lake. They spread sorrow and destruction everywhere.

When it all ended, the beautiful, peaceful valley of Pinak had turned into an empty and shallow swamp.
At night, there was nothing but darkness. But soon, tiny sparkles of light would flicker and lend glimmers
of brightness in the starless night.

And so, the fireflies came about. Once, a long time ago, they were fragments from the star on the
forehead of Bulan-hari’s daughter, the beautiful Alitaptap.
The Legend of Mount Kanlaon

There once lived on the island of Negros a princess named Anina who lived a very sheltered life.

One day, Anina overheard her father talking to the kingdom’s chief priestess. The priestess was frantic
about a report that they could not find a single maiden who was unblemished.
Later, Anina asked her father what it was all about, and the king finally broke down. There had long
been a seven-headed dragon threatening the kingdom, and the monster could only be appeased if an
unblemished maiden was sacrificed to it.

In fear, all the women in the kingdom had cut themselves to disqualify themselves from the sacrifice.
Parents cut their own baby girls so as to spare the infants from the sacrifice. But the king and the queen
couldn’t bring themselves to mar their daughter’s beauty, and so Anina was the only remaining
unscarred female in the kingdom.

Anina did not weep. Instead, she willingly offered herself for the sacrifice. Fortuitously, on the day she
was to be brought to the mountain where the dragon lived, a man calling himself Khan Laon appeared.
(Khan in his language meant a noble lord.) He said he came from a kingdom far away in order to slay the
dragon and spare Anina’s life.

No one believed the dragon could be killed, but Khan Laon insisted that his ability to talk to animals
would help him. He asked the help of the ants, the bees and the eagles.

The ants swarmed over the dragon’s body and crept under its scales to bite its soft, unprotected flesh,
while the bees stung the fourteen eyes of the dragon till it was blind. The largest eagle carried Khan
Laon to the mountain where he was able to easily chop off the seven heads of the writhing beast.

In gratitude, the king gave Khan Laon his daughter Anina to be his bride, and the people named the
mountain after the noble lord.

And that is how, according to the story, Mount Kanlaon got its name. That it is a volcano is because of
the spirt of the dead dragon.
The Legend of Mangoes

Once upon a time, there was a little boy named Ben who had a wonderful heart. He is the son of Maria
and Juan. Ben’s a kind and helpful young lad who was nurtured well by his parents who have good
hearts as well.

One day, Ben saw a very old beggar and he took pity on him. So, Ben decided to invite the old beggar
into their humble home and he cooked food and fed the old beggar until he could not eat anymore. Ben
was not a rich boy but that did not stop him from helping this old beggar by serving him with the type of
food that Ben’s family could only afford. After a sumptuous meal, the beggar thanked the young lad and
bade him farewell.

On another day, while Ben was looking for fire woods, he passed by an old man who was also very
hungry. Ben took pity on him once more and without a doubt in his mind, he invited the old man back to
their home and gave him food and some clothes that his father does not use anymore. Ben’s parents
were happy that they have a son who has a heart of gold like Ben.

Unfortunately, the time came that Ben suddenly got very ill. His parents were troubled and didn’t know
what to do. But despite that, they persisted to have their son treated but to no avail, Ben died. His
parents mourned over the loss of their only son. The next day, after Ben’s death, a beautiful fairy came
to Ben’s wake and talked to his parents. She asked them to give her Ben’s heart. They agreed and gave it
to her. The fairy then flew away and in a mountain, she dug and buried Ben’s dead heart. It then turned
into a fruit-bearing tree whose fruits were in the shape of a heart and whose taste was so sweet. People
were amazed upon discovering this new type of fruit and when they tasted it they were happy as it’s the
sweetest fruit they have ever tasted.

Indarapatra & Sulayman

The famous Mindanao epic, in English

This is the story of King Indarapatra and his brother Sulayman.

A very long time ago, the large island of Mindanao was completely covered with water, and the sea
extended over all the lowlands so that nothing could be seen but mountains. There were many people
living in the country, and all the highlands were dotted with villages and settlements. For many years the
people prospered, living in peace and contentment.

Suddenly there appeared in the land four horrible monsters which, in a short time, had devoured every
human being they could find.

Kurita, a terrible creature with many limbs, lived partly on land and partly in the sea, but its favorite
haunt was the mountain where the rattan grew; and here it brought utter destruction on every living
thing. The second monster, Tarabusaw, an ugly creature in the form of a man, lived on Mt. Matutun, and
far and wide from that place he devoured the people, laying waste the land. The third, an enormous bird
called Pah, was so large that when on the wing it covered the sun and brought darkness to the earth. Its
egg was as large as a house. Mt. Bita was its haunt, and there the only people who escaped its voracity
were those who hid in caves in the mountains. The fourth monster was a dreadful bird also, having
seven heads and the power to see in all directions at the same time. Mt. Gurayn was its home and like
the others it wrought havoc in its region.

So great was the death and destruction caused by these terrible animals that at length the news spread
even to the most distant lands, and all nations were grieved to hear of the sad fate of Mindanao.

Now far across the sea in the land of the golden sunset was a city so great that to look at its many
people would injure the eyes of man. When tidings of these great disasters reached this distant city, the
heart of the king Indarapatra was filled with compassion, and he called his brother, Sulayman, begging
him to save the land of Mindanao from the monsters.

Sulayman listened to the story, and as he heard he was moved with pity.

“I will go,” said he, zeal and enthusiasm adding to his strength, “and the land shall be avenged.”

King Indarapatra, proud of his brother’s courage, gave him a ring and a sword as he wished him success
and safety. Then he placed a young sapling by his window and said to Sulayman:
“By this tree I shall know your fate from the time you depart from here, for if you live, it will live; but if
you die, it will die also.”

So Sulayman departed for Mindanao, and he neither walked nor used a boat, but he went through the
air and landed on the mountain where the rattan grew. There he stood on the summit and gazed about
on all sides. He looked on the land and the villages, but he could see no living thing. And he was very
sorrowful and cried out:

“Alas, how pitiful and dreadful is this devastation!”

No sooner had Sulayman uttered these words than the whole mountain began to move, and then shook.
Suddenly out of the ground came the horrible creature, Kurita. It sprang at the man and sank its claws
into his flesh. But Sulayman, knowing at once that this was the scourge of the land, drew his sword and
cut the Kurita to pieces.

Encouraged by his first success, Sulayman went on to Mt. Matutun where conditions were even worse.
As he stood on the heights viewing the great devastation there was a noise in the forest and a
movement in the trees. With a loud yell, forth leaped Tarabusaw. For a moment they looked at each
other, neither showing any fear. Then Tarabusaw threatened to devour the man, and Sulayman declared
that he would kill the monster. At that the animal broke large branches off the trees and began striking
at Sulayman who, in turn, fought back. For a long time the battle continued until at last the monster fell
exhausted to the ground and then Sulayman killed him with his sword.

The next place visited by Sulayman was Mt. Bita. Here havoc was present everywhere, and though he
passed by many homes, not a single soul was left. As he walked along, growing sadder at each moment,
a sudden darkness which startled him fell over the land. As he looked toward the sky he beheld a great
bird descending upon him. Immediately he struck at it, cutting off its wing with his sword, and the bird
fell dead at his feet; but the wing fell on Sulayman, and he was crushed.

Now at this very time King Indarapatra was sitting at his window, and looking out he saw the little tree
wither and dry up.
“Alas!” he cried, “my brother is dead”; and he wept bitterly.

Then although he was very sad, he was filled with a desire for revenge, and putting on his sword and
belt he started for Mindanao in search of his brother.

He, too, traveled through the air with great speed until he came to the mountain where the rattan grew.
There he looked about, awed at the great destruction, and when he saw the bones of Kurita he knew
that his brother had been there and gone. He went on till he came to Matutun, and when he saw the
bones of Tarabusaw he knew that this, too, was the work of Sulayman.

Still searching for his brother, he arrived at Mt. Bita where the dead bird lay on the ground, and as he
lifted the severed wing he beheld the bones of Sulayman with his sword by his side. His grief now so
overwhelmed Indarapatra that he wept for some time. Upon looking up he beheld a small jar of water
by his side. This he knew had been sent from heaven, and he poured the water over the bones, and
Sulayman came to life again. They greeted each other and talked long together. Sulayman declared that
he had not been dead but asleep, and their hearts were full of joy.

After some time Sulayman returned to his distant home, but Indarapatra continued his journey to Mt.
Gurayn where he killed the dreadful bird with the seven heads. After these monsters had all been
destroyed and peace and safety had been restored to the land, Indarapatra began searching everywhere
to see if some of the people might not be hidden in the earth still alive.

One day during his search he caught sight of a beautiful woman at a distance. When he hastened toward
her she disappeared through a hole in the ground where she was standing. Disappointed and tired, he
sat down on a rock to rest, when, looking about, he saw near him a pot of uncooked rice with a big fire
on the ground in front of it. This revived him and he proceeded to cook the rice. As he did so, however,
he heard someone laugh near by, and turning he beheld an old woman watching him. As he greeted her,
she drew near and talked with him while he ate the rice.

Of all the people in the land, the old woman told him, only a very few were still alive, and they hid in a
cave in the ground from whence they never ventured. As for herself and her old husband, she went on,
they had hidden in a hollow tree, and this they had never dared leave until after Sulayman killed the
voracious bird, Pah.
At Indarapatra’s earnest request, the old woman led him to the cave where he found the headman with
his family and some of his people. They all gathered about the stranger, asking many questions, for this
was the first they had heard about the death of the monsters. When they found what Indarapatra had
done for them, they were filled with gratitude, and to show their appreciation the headman gave his
daughter to him in marriage, and she proved to be the beautiful girl whom Indarapatra had seen at the
mouth of the cave.

Then the people all came out of their hiding-place and returned to their homes where they lived in
peace and happiness. And the sea withdrew from the land and gave the lowlands to the people.

Biag ni Lam-ang (Summary)

Ilocano: Biag ni Lam-ang

Tagalog: Buhay ni Lam-ang

BIAG NI LAM-ANG (Life of Lam-ang) is a pre-Hispanic epic poem of the Ilocano people of the Philippines.
The story was handed down orally for generations before it was written down around 1640 assumedly
by a blind Ilokano bard named Pedro Bucaneg.

BUOD NG OF BIAG NI LAM-ANG

(SUMMARY OF BIAG NI LAM-ANG)

Don Juan and his wife Namongan lived in Nalbuan, now part of La Union in the northern part of the
Philippines. They had a son named Lam-ang. Before Lam-ang was born, Don Juan went to the mountains
in order to punish a group of their Igorot enemies. While he was away, his son Lam-ang was born. It took
four people to help Namongan give birth. As soon as the baby boy popped out, he spoke and asked that
he be given the name Lam-ang. He also chose his godparents and asked where his father was.

After nine months of waiting for his father to return, Lam-ang decided he would go look for him.
Namongan thought Lam-ang was up to the challenge but she was sad to let him go.

During his exhausting journey, he decided to rest for awhile. He fell asleep and had a dream about his
father’s head being stuck on a pole by the Igorot. Lam-ang was furious when he learned what had
happened to his father. He rushed to their village and killed them all, except for one whom he let go so
that he could tell other people about Lam-ang’s greatness.

Upon returning to Nalbuan in triumph, he was bathed by women in the Amburayan river. All the fish
died because of the dirt and odor from Lam-ang’s body.

There was a young woman named Ines Kannoyan whom Lam-ang wanted to woo. She lived in
Calanutian and he brought along his white rooster and gray dog to visit her. On the way, Lam-ang met
his enemy Sumarang, another suitor of Ines whom he fought and readily defeated.

Lam-ang found the house of Ines surrounded by many suitors all of whom were trying to catch her
attention. He had his rooster crow, which caused a nearby house to fall. This made Ines look out. He
had his dog bark and in an instant the fallen house rose up again. The girl’s parents witnessed this and
called for him. The rooster expressed the love of Lam-ang. The parents agreed to a marriage with their
daughter if Lam-ang would give them a dowry valued at double their wealth. Lam-ang had no problem
fulfilling this condition and he and Ines were married.

It was a tradition to have a newly married man swim in the river for the rarang fish. Unfortunately, Lam-
ang dove straight into the mouth of the water monster Berkakan. Ines had Marcos get his bones, which
she covered with a piece of cloth. His rooster crowed and his dog barked and slowly the bones started to
move. Back alive, Lam-ang and his wife lived happily ever after with his white rooster and gray dog.
Bidasari (Mindanao Epic Story)

When a simple merchant, his young son and mute servant are out in the woods, they chance upon a
drifting boat, in which there is a baby girl and a bowl containing a live goldfish. The merchant realises
that the baby is unusual because her life is bonded to the fish: if the fish leaves the water, she stops
breathing. The merchant adopts the baby as his own and names her Bidasari. Years later Bidasari grows
up into a beautiful young woman while the merchant has prospered into a wealthy businessman.
At the royal palace of this kingdom, the King has just remarried a beautiful woman, the Permaisuri
(Queen). The Permaisuri is a proud woman who secretly practises witchcraft. Hidden in her chambers is
a magic mirror that can show her anything she asks. She uses it to ask who the most beautiful in all the
land is. One day when she asks the mirror this question, the image of Bidasari appears in it. She is
enraged by this and carries out a search to find who Bidasari is.

Her search leads her to the merchant's house. Under the guise of kindness, the Permaisuri asks the
merchant for permission to bring Bidasari to the palace to be her companion. Although the merchant is
reluctant to part with his beloved daughter, he lets her go. But once Bidasari arrives at the palace, she is
sent to the kitchens as a servant, where she is starved and given the dirtiest jobs.

After the Permaisuri is satisfied that Bidasari has been ruined, she once again asks her magic mirror who
is the most beautiful in the land. When the mirror shows Bidasari yet again, the Permaisuri flies into a
rage and runs to the kitchen where she grabs burning pieces of firewood which she tries to burn
Bidasari's face with. She is shocked when the fire goes out and Bidasari's face is left untouched. Bidasari,
who has by now realised that the Permaisuri's malice is targeted only at her and will never stop, begs for
mercy and explains her life is bonded to that of a fish that is kept in a bowl in her father's garden.

The Permaisuri has a servant steal the fish for her from the merchant's garden, and as soon as the fish
leaves the water, Bidasari collapses and stops breathing. Satisfied that Bidasari's life is in her hands, the
Permaisuri hangs the fish around her neck as a trophy. When she asks the mirror who is the most
beautiful in the land, the mirror shows her own image.

The merchant realises that the fish is missing, and is told that Bidasari died mysteriously at the palace.
Her body is returned to him and he builds a small tomb for her in the woods where her body is laid out
in peace.

Meanwhile, the Permaisuri's stepson the Prince has been having dreams about Bidasari, although he has
never met her. The dreams plague him even in his waking hours, despite his father's advice that such a
beautiful woman cannot exist. The Permaisuri sees her stepson acting this way and plants a painting of
Bidasari in his room. The Prince finds the painting, which leads him to the merchant who explains the
sad tale of Bidasari's death and the mysterious disappearance of the fish.

The Prince decides to visit Bidasari's tomb to see her beauty with his own eyes. Coincidentally at this
time, back at the palace the Permaisuri is having a bath in the royal bathing pool. The fish manages to
break free of its locket and drops into the water where it starts swimming. This causes Bidasari to wake
up right before the Prince's eyes. Bidasari tells him of what the Permaisuri did to her, which confirms the
Prince's suspicions of his stepmother.

When the Permaisuri finishes her bath, she discovers that the fish has gotten free. She manages to catch
it just as the Prince is about to help Bidasari leave the tomb, causing her to fall unconscious again. The
Prince places Bidasari back in the tomb and promises to make things right.
The Prince returns to the palace in a fury, demanding that the Permaisuri give him the fish. The
Permaisuri pretends not to know anything, and when the King listens to the Prince's explanation, the
King declares that his son has gone insane and calls the royal guards. A fight ensues, during which the
Permaisuri is injured and dies.

Just before the Prince is about to be captured, the merchant and the Prince's loyal manservants arrive
with Bidasari on a stretcher. The merchant explains that the story about the fish being bonded to
Bidasari's life is true. The Prince takes the fish from the locket around the Permaisuri's neck and puts it
into a bowl of water. As soon as the fish enters the water, Bidasari comes back to life. The King
apologises to his son, and the Prince and Bidasari are married.

THE CARABAO AND THE SHELL

Tinguian

One very hot day, when a carabao went into the river to bathe, he met a shell and they began talking
together.

"You are very slow," said the carabao to the shell.

"Oh, no," replied the shell. "I can beat you in a race."

"Then let us try and see," said the carabao.

So they went out on the bank and started to run.

After the carabao had gone a long distance he stopped and called, "Shell!"

And another shell lying by the river answered, "Here I am!"

Then the carabao, thinking that it was the same shell with which he was racing, ran on.

By and by he stopped again and called, "Shell!"

Again another shell answered, "Here I am!"

The carabao was surprised that the shell could keep up with him. But he ran on and on, and every time
he stopped to call, another shell answered him. But he was determined that the shell should not beat
him, so he ran until he dropped dead

This is The Legend Of Pineapple Story for kids. Once upon a time, there was a woman who lived with her
daughter, Pina in a tiny hut in a village. They were very poor and the mother worked day and night to
make both ends meet. No matter how hard she worked, she could never get any help from her
daughter.

Pina was a lazy, spoilt kid who liked to play in the backyard all day. Whenever he mother asked for help,
she would always find an excuse by saying she couldn’t find the object needed to complete the task. If
her mother asked her to sweep the house, she would say that she could not find the broom, even if it
was right in front of her. Her mother always ended up doing all the work by herself. Also, read The
Legend Of The Black Sea.

legend of pineapple

legend of pineapple Image Source @www.youtube.com

One day, her mother became very ill. She called out to Pina and said, “Pina, Come here, I am very sick.
Can you cook some porridge for me? I’m so weak that I cannot get up!” Pina ignored her mother and
continued to playing the backyard. “Daughter, come over here this very instant,” Pina’s mother
mustered all her strength just to call her. Pina grudgingly stopped playing and went inside the house.

She poked her head into her mother’s room. “What do you want, Mama? You really expect me to cook
for you? That’s too hard!” Pina protested pouting and stomped her feet. Her mother told her the recipe
to cook porridge and she told her that whatever she would need was there in the kitchen. Pina
reluctantly left and went to the kitchen. Her mother could hear the banging of the drawers and the
cabinets.

After sometime, her mother heard her opening the back door and sneaking out into the backyard. Her
mother waited and waited. Finally, she called out to Pina again. “Pina, did you cook like I told you to?”
“No!” was the defined response. “Why not?” asked her mother very tiredly. “Because I couldn’t find the
laddle,” said Pina. “Oh, you lazy child, you probably didn’t even look for it. What am I going to do with
you, Pina? I’m so sick but I cannot even count on you,” cried her poor mother. You may also like to read,
The Legend Of The Chinese Dragon.

The mother wept bitterly. In her rage, she shouted, “I wish you would grow a thousand eyes all over
your head. Then, you can find what you’re looking for. Maybe then, Pina, you won’t have so many such
excuses!” As soon as she said this, there was complete silence. Her mother thought, “She’s trying to be
quiet so I can forget about asking her again,” she sighed.

She was hoping that Pina would come back. Realizing the wait was futile, she slowly got up to do the
cooking by herself. When she looked out into the backyard, Pina was nowhere to be found. She sighed
again and said, “That lazy girl must have gone to her friend’s house. She didn’t want to do any errands
for me!” Exhausted, she went back to her room for a much needed rest. Weaker she was, she tried to do
everything she could.

Hours passed by and then days. Still there was no sign of her wayward daughter. With a heavy heart, she
thought Pina had ran away. When she recovered from her illness, the first thing she did was look for
Pina. No one had seen or heard from her. It was as if she was disappeared into thin air. Also, read The
Legend Of The Dream Catcher.
Months passed and still, there was no sign of her. The mother felt very bad for her angry outburst. She
feared that she might never ever see her daughter again.

One day, while sweeping the backyard, where Pina used to play, she noticed a very strange plant
growing at the very spot where she last saw Pina. By this time, the leaves of the plant had fully opened.
Inside, she saw this very strange yellow fruit. It resembled a child’s head with a thousand eyes.

She suddenly remembered the spiteful words she had said that day. With horror, she realized in the
same way, her mother’s love have spoiled her daughter. Her anger unwittingly cursed her. Somehow,
her daughter had turned into this plant.

To honor the memory of her beloved daughter, she named the fruit “Pina”. She took such loving care of
it like it was her own daughter. The fruit flourished so well that it bore more and more fruits. It became
very popular among the villagers and the entire country. Its name later evolved to “Pimia” or
“Pineapple” in English.

the adventures of juan

s getting into trouble. He was a lazy boy, and more than that, he did not have good sense. When he tried
to do things, he made such dreadful mistakes that he might better not have tried.

His family grew very impatient with him, scolding and beating him whenever he did anything wrong.
One day his mother, who was almost discouraged with him, gave him a bolo and sent him to the forest,
for she thought he could at least cut firewood. Juan walked leisurely along, contemplating some means
of escape. At last he came to a tree that seemed easy to cut, and then he drew his long knife and
prepared to work.

Now it happened that this was a magic tree and it said to Juan:

“If you do not cut me I will give you a goat that shakes silver from its whiskers.”
This pleased Juan wonderfully, both because he was curious to see the goat, and because he would not
have to chop the wood. He agreed at once to spare the tree, whereupon the bark separated and a goat
stepped out. Juan commanded it to shake its whiskers, and when the money began to drop he was so
delighted that he took the animal and started home to show his treasure to his mother.

On the way he met a friend who was more cunning than Juan, and when he heard of the boy’s rich goat
he decided to rob him. Knowing Juan’s fondness for tuba, he persuaded him to drink, and while he was
drunk, the friend substituted another goat for the magic one. As soon as he was sober again, Juan
hastened home with the goat and told his people of the wonderful tree, but when he commanded the
animal to shake its whiskers, no money fell out. The family, believing it to be another of Juan’s tricks,
beat and scolded the poor boy.

He went back to the tree and threatened to cut it down for lying to him, but the tree said:

“No, do not cut me down and I will give you a net which you may cast on dry ground, or even in the tree
tops, and it will return full of fish.”

So Juan spared the tree and started home with his precious net, but on the way he met the same friend
who again persuaded him to drink tuba. While he was drunk, the friend replaced the magic net with a
common one, so that when Juan reached home and tried to show his power, he was again the subject of
ridicule.

Once more Juan went to his tree, this time determined to cut it down. But the offer of a magic pot,
always full of rice and spoons which provided whatever he wished to eat with his rice, dissuaded him,
and he started home happier than ever. Before reaching home, however, he met with the same fate as
before, and his folks, who were becoming tired of his pranks, beat him harder than ever.

Thoroughly angered, Juan sought the tree a fourth time and was on the point of cutting it down when
once more it arrested his attention. After some discussion, he consented to accept a stick to which he
had only to say, “Boombye, Boomba,” and it would beat and kill anything he wished.

When he met his friend on this trip, he was asked what he had and he replied:
“Oh, it is only a stick, but if I say ‘Boombye, Boomba’ it will beat you to death.”

At the sound of the magic words the stick leaped from his hands and began beating his friend until he
cried:

“Oh, stop it and I will give back everything that I stole from you.” Juan ordered the stick to stop, and
then he compelled the man to lead the goat and to carry the net and the jar and spoons to his home.

There Juan commanded the goat, and it shook its whiskers until his mother and brothers had all the
silver they could carry. Then they ate from the magic jar and spoons until they were filled. And this time
Juan was not scolded. After they had finished Juan said:

“You have beaten me and scolded me all my life, and now you are glad to accept my good things. I am
going to show you something else: ‘Boombye, Boomba’.” Immediately the stick leaped out and beat
them all until they begged for mercy and promised that Juan should ever after be head of the house.

From that time Juan was rich and powerful, but he never went anywhere without his stick. One night,
when some thieves came to his house, he would have been robbed and killed had it not been for the
magic words “Boombye, Boomba,” which caused the death of all the robbers.

Some time after this he married a beautiful princess, and because of the kindness of the magic tree they
always lived happily.
The Poor Fisherman and His Wife

ny years ago a poor fisherman and his wife lived with their three sons in a village by the sea. One day the
old man set his snare in the water not far from his house, and at night when he went to look at it, he
found that he had caught a great white fish. This startled the old man very much, for he had never seen
a fish like this before, and it occurred to him that it was the priest of the town.

He ran to his wife as fast as he could and cried:

“My wife, I have caught the priest.”

“What?” said the old woman, terrified at the sight of her frightened husband.

“I have caught the priest,” said the old man again.

They hurried together to the river where the snare was set, and when the old woman saw the fish, she
cried:
“Oh, it is not the priest but the governor.”

“No, it is the priest,” insisted the old man, and they went home trembling with fear.

That night neither of them was able to sleep for thought of the terrible thing that had happened and
wondering what they should do. Now the next day was a great holiday in the town. At four o’clock in the
morning cannons were fired and bells rang loudly. The old man and woman, hearing all the noise and
not knowing the reason for it, thought that their crime had been discovered, and the people were
searching for them to punish them, so they set out as fast as they could to hide in the woods. On and on
they went, stopping only to rest so as to enable them to resume their flight.

The next morning they reached the woods near Pilar, where there also was a great holiday, and the
sexton was ringing the bells to call the people to mass. As soon as the old man and woman heard the
bells they thought the people there had been notified of their escape, and that they, too, were trying to
catch them. So they turned and started home again.

As they reached their house, the three sons came home with their one horse and tied it to the trunk of
the caramay tree. Presently the bells began to ring again, for it was twelve o’clock at noon. Not thinking
what time of day it was, the old man and woman ran out of doors in terror, and seeing the horse
jumped on its back with the intention of riding to the next town before anyone could catch them. When
they had mounted they began to whip the horse. In their haste, they had forgotten to untie the rope
which was around the trunk of the caramay tree. As the horse pulled at the rope fruit fell from the tree
upon the old man and woman. Believing they were shot, they were so frightened that they died.
The Virtue of the Cocoanuts

y a man took his blow-gun and his dog and went to the forest to hunt. As he was making his way
through the thick woods he chanced upon a young cocoanut tree growing in the ground.

It was the first tree of this kind that he had ever seen, and it seemed so peculiar to him that he stopped
to look at it.

When he had gone some distance farther, his attention was attracted by a noisy bird in a tree, and he
shot it with his blow-gun. By and by he took aim at a large monkey, which mocked him from another
treetop, and that, too, fell dead at his feet.

Then he heard his dog barking furiously in the distant bushes, and hastening to it he found it biting a
wild pig. After a hard struggle he killed the pig, and then, feeling satisfied with his success, he took the
three animals on his back and returned to the little plant.

“I have decided to take you home with me, little plant,” he said, “for I like you and you may be of some
use to me.”

He dug up the plant very carefully and started home, but he had not gone far when he noticed that the
leaves had begun to wilt, and he did not know what to do, since he had no water. Finally, in despair, he
cut the throat of the bird and sprinkled the blood on the cocoanut. No sooner had he done this than the
plant began to revive, and he continued his journey.

Before he had gone far, however, the leaves again began to wilt, and this time he revived it with the
blood of the monkey. Then he hastened on, but a third time the leaves wilted, and he was compelled to
stop and revive it with the blood of the pig. This was his last animal, so he made all the haste possible to
reach home before his plant died. The cocoanut began to wilt again before he reached his house, but
when he planted it in the ground, it quickly revived, and grew into a tall tree.

This hunter was the first man to take the liquor called tuba from the cocoanut tree, and he and his
friends began to drink it. After they had become very fond of it, the hunter said to his friends:

“The cocoanut tree is like the three animals whose blood gave it life when it would have died. The man
who drinks three or four cups of tuba becomes like the noisy bird that I shot with my blow-gun. One
who drinks more than three or four cups becomes like the big monkey that acts silly; and one who
becomes drunk is like the pig that sleeps even in a mud-hole.”