THE LEGEND OF MAYON VOLCANO

Book Title: Stories of our Country

Title: The Legend of Mayon Volcano

Place and Date of Publication: Manlapaz Publishing Co., Manila 1953 Number of Pages: 3

Magayon was the most beautiful maiden in the kingdom of Albay. She fell in love
with Gat Malayo, a prince from Tagalog Kingdom in Tayabas. The two decided to marry,
but Datu Buhawen, the Magayon consented to the marriage. On the day of the wedding,
Gat Malayon arrived and fierce battle began. Datu Buhawen stabbed him to death. When
Magayon saw her lover dying, she took the dagger and killed herself. The two were buried
in a common grave. After a few days, the earth on their grave rose and turns into a beautiful
mountain-volcano. It was named after the beautiful maiden Magayon.

Setting: Kingdom of Albay

Characters: Daragang Magayon, Gat Malayo and Datu Buhawen
Lesson: Nothing good comes out from selfishness.

Comment: The story has a tragic ending. Because of Man’s selfishness, many lives were
sacrificed.
 A HAUNTED HOUSE
Virginia Woolf

Whatever hour you woke there was a door shutting. From room to room they went,
hand in hand, lifting here, opening there, making sure--a ghostly couple. "Here we left it,"
she said. And he added, "Oh, but here tool" "It's upstairs," she murmured. "And in the
garden," he whispered. "Quietly," they said, "or we shall wake them."
But it wasn't that you woke us. Oh, no. "They're looking for it; they're drawing the curtain,"
one might say, and so read on a page or two. "Now they've found it,' one would be certain,
stopping the pencil on the margin. And then, tired of reading, one might rise and see for
oneself, the house all empty, the doors standing open, only the wood pigeons bubbling
with content and the hum of the threshing machine sounding from the farm. "What did I
come in here for? What did I want to find?" My hands were empty. "Perhaps its upstairs
then?" The apples were in the loft. And so down again, the garden still as ever, only the
book had slipped into the grass.

But they had found it in the drawing room. Not that one could ever see them. The
windowpanes reflected apples, reflected roses; all the leaves were green in the glass. If
they moved in the drawing room, the apple only turned its yellow side. Yet, the moment
after, if the door was opened, spread about the floor, hung upon the walls, pendant from
the ceiling--what? My hands were empty. The shadow of a thrush crossed the carpet; from
the deepest wells of silence the wood pigeon drew its bubble of sound. "Safe, safe, safe"
the pulse of the house beat softly. "The treasure buried; the room . . ." the pulse stopped
short. Oh, was that the buried treasure? A moment later the light had faded. Out in the
garden then? But the trees spun darkness for a wandering beam of sun. So fine, so rare,
coolly sunk beneath the surface the beam I sought always burned behind the glass. Death
was the glass; death was between us, coming to the woman first, hundreds of years ago,
leaving the house, sealing all the windows; the rooms were darkened. He left it, left her,
went North, went East, saw the stars turned in the Southern sky; sought the house, found it
dropped beneath the Downs. "Safe, safe, safe," the pulse of the house beat gladly. 'The
Treasure yours."

The wind roars up the avenue. Trees stoop and bend this way and that. Moonbeams
splash and spill wildly in the rain. But the beam of the lamp falls straight from the window.
The candle burns stiff and still. Wandering through the house, opening the windows,
whispering not to wake us, the ghostly couple seek their joy. "Here we slept," she says. And
he adds, "Kisses without number." "Waking in the morning--" "Silver between the trees--"
"Upstairs--" 'In the garden--" "When summer came--" 'In winter snow time--" "The doors go
shutting far in the distance, gently knocking like the pulse of a heart. Nearer they come,
cease at the doorway. The wind falls, the rain slides silver down the glass. Our eyes darken,
we hear no steps beside us; we see no lady spread her ghostly cloak. His hands shield the
lantern. "Look," he breathes. "Sound asleep. Love upon their lips." Stooping, holding their
silver lamp above us, long they look and deeply. Long they pause. The wind drives straightly;
the flame stoops slightly. Wild beams of moonlight cross both floor and wall, and, meeting,
stain the faces bent; the faces pondering; the faces that search the sleepers and seek their
hidden joy. "Safe, safe, safe," the heart of the house beats proudly. "Long years--" he sighs.
"Again you found me." "Here," she murmurs, "sleeping; in the garden reading; laughing,
rolling apples in the loft. Here we left our treasure--" Stooping, their light lifts the lids upon my
eyes. "Safe! safe! safe!" the pulse of the house beats wildly. Waking, I cry "Oh, is this your
buried treasure? The light in the heart.
 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 hawk’s ring.
 WHY DOGS WAG THEIR TAILS

A rich man in a certain town once owned a dog and a cat, both of which were very useful
to him. The dog had served his master for many years and had become so old that he had lost his
teeth and was unable to fight anymore, but he was a good guide and companion to the cat
who was strong and cunning.

The master had a daughter who was attending school at a convent some distance from
home, and very often he sent the dog and the cat with presents to the girl.

One day he called the faithful animals and bade them carry a magic ring to his daughter.

“You are strong and brave,” he said to the cat. “You may carry the ring, but you must be
careful not to drop it.”

And to the dog he said, “You must go with the cat to guide her and keep her from harm.”

They promised to do their best, and started out. All went well until they came to a river. As
there was neither bridge nor boat, there was no way to cross but to swim.

“Let me take the magic ring,” said the dog as they were about to plunge into the water.

“Oh, no,” replied the cat, “the master gave it to me to carry.”

“But you cannot swim well,” argued the dog. “I am strong and can take good care of it.”

The cat refused to give up the ring until finally the dog threatened to bite her, and then she
reluctantly gave it to him.

The river was wide and the water so swift that they grew very tired, and just before they
reached the opposite bank the dog dropped the ring. They searched carefully, but could not find
it anywhere, and after a while they turned back to tell their master of the sad loss. Just before
reaching the house, however, the dog was so overcome with fear that he turned and ran away
and never was seen again.

The cat went on alone, and when the master saw her coming he called out to know why
she had returned so soon and what had become of her companion. The poor cat was frightened,
but as well as she could she explained how the ring had been lost and how the dog had run
away.

On hearing her story, the master was very angry, and commanded that all his people
should search for the dog, and that it should be punished by having its tail cut off.

He also ordered that all the dogs in the world should join in the search, and ever since
when one dog meets another he says, “Are you the old dog that lost the magic ring? If so, your
tail must be cut off.” Then immediately each shows his teeth and wags his tail to prove that he is
not the guilty one.

Since then, too, cats have been afraid of water and will not swim across a river if they can
avoid it.
 THE LEGEND OF THE 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. 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, " said 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

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.