Philippine Folk Tales
The Creation Story
When the world first began there was no land,
but only the sea and the sky, and between them
was a kite[1]. One day the bird which had nowhere to
light grew tired of flying about, so she stirred up the
sea until it threw its waters against the sky. The sky,
in order to restrain the sea, showered upon it many
islands until it could no longer rise, but ran back and
forth. Then the sky ordered the kite to light on one
of the islands to build her nest, and to leave the sea
and the sky in peace.
Now at this time the land breeze and the sea breeze
were married, and they had a child which was a bamboo.
One day when this bamboo was floating
about on the water, it struck the feet of the kite which
was on the beach. The bird, angry that anything
should strike it, pecked at the bamboo, and out of one
section came a man and from the other a woman.
Then the earthquake called on all the birds and fish
to see what should be done with these two, and it was
decided that they should marry. Many children were
born to the couple, and from them came all the different races of people.
After a while the parents grew very tired of having
so many idle and useless children around, and they
wished to be rid of them, but they knew of no place to
send them to. Time went on and the children became
so numerous that the parents enjoyed no peace. One
day, in desperation, the father seized a stick and began
beating them on all sides.
This so frightened the children that they
fled in different directions, seeking hidden rooms in the house
- some concealed themselves in the walls, some ran
outside, while others hid in the fireplace, and several
fled to the sea.
Now it happened that those who went into the
hidden rooms of the house later became the chiefs of
the Islands; and those who concealed themselves in
the walls became slaves. Those who ran outside were
free men; and those who hid in the fireplace became
negroes; while those who fled to the sea were gone
many years, and when their children came back they
were the white people.
[1] A bird something like a hawk.
The Story of Benito
Benito was an only son who lived with his father
and mother in a little village. They were very
poor, and as the boy grew older and saw how hard
his parents struggled for their scanty living he often
dreamed of a time when he might be a help to them.
One evening when they sat eating their frugal meal
of rice the father told about a young king who lived
in a beautiful palace some distance from their village,
and the boy became very much interested. That night
when the house was dark and quiet and Benito lay on
his mat trying to sleep, thoughts of the young king
repeatedly came to his mind, and he wished he were a
king that he and his parents might spend the rest of
their lives in a beautiful palace.
The next morning he awoke with a new idea. He
would go to the king and ask for work, that he might
in that way be able to help his father and mother.
He was a long time in persuading his parents to allow
him to go, however, for it was a long journey, and
they feared that the king might not be gracious. But
at last they gave their consent, and the boy started
out. The journey proved tiresome. After he reached
the palace, he was not at first permitted to see the
king. But the boy being very earnest at last secured
a place as a servant.
It was a new and strange world to Benito who had
known only the life of a little village. The work was
hard, but he was happy in thinking that now he could
help his father and mother. One day the king sent
for him and said:
"I want you to bring to me a beautiful princess who
lives in a land across the sea. Go at once, and if you
fail you shall be punished severely."
The boy's heart sank within him, for he did not
know what to do. But he answered as bravely as possible, "I will, my lord," and left the king's chamber.
He at once set about preparing things for a long journey,
for he was determined to try at least to fulfil the
command.
When all was ready Benito started. He had not
gone far before he came to a thick forest, where he
saw a large bird bound tightly with strings.
"Oh, my friend," pleaded the bird, "please free me
from these bonds, and I will help you whenever you
eall on me."
Benito quickly released the bird, and it flew away
calling back to him that its name was Sparrowhawk.
Benito continued his journey till he came to the sea.
Unable to find a way of crossing, he stopped and gazed
sadly out over the waters, thinking of the king's threat
if he failed. Suddenly he saw swimming toward him
the King of the Fishes who asked:
"Why are you so sad?"
"I wish to cross the sea to find the beautiful
Princess," answered the boy.
"Well, get on my back," said the Fish, "and I will
carry you across."
So Benito stepped on his back and was carried to
the other shore.
Soon he met a strange woman who inquired what
it was he sought, and when he had told her she said:
"The Princess is kept in a castle guarded by giants.
Take this magic sword, for it will kill instantly whatever it touches."
And she handed him the weapon.
"Benito was more than grateful for her kindness and
went on full of hope. As he approached the castle
he could see that it was surrounded by many giants,
and as soon as they saw him they ran out to seize him,
but they went unarmed for they saw that he was a
mere boy. As they approached he touched those in
front with his sword, and one by one they fell dead.
Then the others ran away in a panic, and left the castle
unguarded. Benito entered, and when he had told the
Princess of his errand, she was only too glad to escape
from her captivity and she set out at once with him
for the palace of the king.
"At the seashore the King of the Fishes was waiting
for them, and they had no difficulty in crossing the
sea and then in journeying through the thick forest to
the palace, where they were received with great rejoicing.
After a time the King asked the Princess to
become his wife, and she replied:
"I will, O King, if you will get the ring I lost in
the sea as I was crossing it."
"The King immediately thought of Benito, and
sending for him he commanded him to find the ring which
had been lost on the journey from the land of the
giants.
It seemed a hopeless task to the boy, but, anxious to
obey his master, he started out. At the seaside he
stopped and gazed over the waters until, to his great
delight, he saw his friend, the King of the Fishes,
swimming toward him. When he had been told of
the boy's troubles, the great fish said: "I will see if I
can help you," and he summoned all his subjects to
him. When they came he found that one was missing,
and he sent the others in search of it. They found it
under a stone so full that it could not swim, and the
larger ones took it by the tail and dragged it to the
King.
"Why did you not come when you were called?"
inquired the King Fish.
"I have eaten so much that I cannot swim," replied
the poor fish.
Then the King Fish, suspecting the truth, ordered it
cut open, and inside they found the lost ring. Benito
was overjoyed at this, and expressing his great thanks,
hastened ivith the precious ring to his master.
The King, greatly pleased, earried the ring to the
Princess and said:
"Now that I have your ring will you become my
wife ?"
"I will be your wife," replied the Princess, "if you
will find my earring that I lost in the forest as I was
journeying with Benito."
"Again the King sent for Benito, and this time he
commanded him to find the earring. The boy was
very weary from his long journeys, but with no complaint
he started out once more. Along the road
through the thick forest he searched carefully, but with
no reward. At last, tired and discouraged, he sat down
under a tree to rest.
"Suddenly there appeared before him a mouse of
great size, and he was surprised to find that it was the
King of Mice.
"Why are you so sad?" asked the King Mouse.
"Because," answered the boy, "I cannot find an
earring which the Princess lost as we were going through
the forest together."
"I will help you," said the Mouse, and he summoned
all his subjects.
When they assembled it was found that one little
mouse was missing, and the King sent the others to
look for him. In a small hole among the bamboo trees
they found him, and he begged to be left alone, for,
he said, he was so full that he could not walk. Nevertheless
they pulled him along to their master, who,
upon finding that there was something hard inside the
mouse, ordered him cut open; and inside they found
the missing earring.
Benito at once forgot his weariness, and after
expressing his great thanks to the King Mouse he hastened
to the palace with the prize. The King eagerly
seized the earring and presented it to the Princess,
again asking her to be his wife.
"Oh, my King," replied the Princess, "I have one
more request to make. Only grant it and I will be
your wife forever."
The King, believing that now with the aid of Benito
he could grant anything, inquired what it was she
wished, and she replied:
"Get me some water from heaven and some from
the lower world, and I shall ask nothing more."
Once more the King called Benito and sent him on
the hardest errand of all.
The boy went out not knowing which way to turn,
and while he was in a deep study his weary feet led
him to the forest. Suddenly he thought of the bird
who had promised to help him, and he called, "Sparrowhawk!"
There was a rustle of wings, and the bird
swooped down. He told it of his troubles and it
said:
"I will get the water for you."
Then Benito made two light cups of bamboo which
he fastened to the bird's legs, and it flew away. All
day the boy waited in the forest, and just as night was
coming on the bird returned with both cups full. The
one on his right foot, he told Benito, was from heaven,
and that on his left was from the lower world. The
boy unfastened the cups, and then, as he was thanking
the bird, he noticed that the journey had been too much
for it and that it was dying. Filled with sorrow for
his winged friend, he waited and carefully buried it,
and then he hastened to the palace with the precious
water.
When the Princess saw that her wish had been
fulfilled she asked the King to eut her in two and pour
over her the water from heaven. The King was not
able to do this, so she cut herself, and then as he poured
the water over her he beheld her grow into the most
beautiful woman he had ever seen.
Eager to become handsome himself, the King then
begged her to pour over him the water from the other
cup. He cut himself, and she did as he requested, but immediately
there arose a creature most ugly and horrible to look upon,
which soon vanished out of sight.
Then the Princess called Benito and told him that because
he had been so faithful to his master and so kind
to her, she chose him for her husband.
They were married amid great festivities and became
king and queen of that broad and fertile land. During
all the great rejoicing, however, Benito never forgot
his parents. One of the finest portions of his kingdom
he gave to them, and from that time they all lived in
great happiness.[1]
[1]This is undoubtedly a worked-over story, probably brought in from
Europe. Kings, queens, palaces etc., were, of course unknown to
the people before the advent of the Spaniards.
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