Noong unang panahon, sa isang malamig na bahagi ng mundo, may isang grupo ng mga taong naninirahan. Sinasabing ang mga taong ito ang isa sa mga sinaunang nilalang. Marami pa silang bagay na hindi nalalaman o natutuklasan. Napakabata pa ng sibilisasyon at payak pa ang pamumuhay.
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Minsan may isang palakang tumingala sa langit at humanga sa mga ibong nagliliparan. Gusto ko ring makalipad na tulad nila! ang sabi niya. Ngunit ang tanong ay papaano? Isang hapon, nakakita ang palaka ng lobong lumilipad. Noon niya naisip ang solusyon sa kanyang paghahangad. |
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One day a crow found a piece of meat on the ground. He picked it up and flew to the top of a tree. While sitting there eating his meat, a kasaykasay (a small bird) passed by. She was carrying a dead rat, and was flying very fast. The crow called to her, and said, Kasaykasay, where did you get that dead rat that you have? But the small bird did not answer: she flew on her way. |
One day the mango tree spoke to the lampakanay that grew by the swamp: You have much to complain about, Lampakanay; nature has not been fair to you. The weight of a bird is a heavy burden for you. The slightest wandering breeze makes you bow your head. While my head not only stops the rays of the sun but also braves the wildest tempest. Everything for you is a storm, while everything to me seems a zephyr. |
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The tortoise and the monkey found once 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 the tortoise, and plant each its portion. |
Sa bayan ng Tayabas ang pinakamagandang dalaga ay nagngangalang Ilang. Maraming mayayamang binata ang nanliligaw sa kanya. Ngunit ang kaniyang nagugustuhan ay si Edo. Isang mahirap na magsasaka. |
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Namongan gives birth to Lam-ang, a baby of incredible strength and courage. The boy asks his mother about his father's whereabouts and learns that he has gone to fight the Igorot. Lam-ang arms himself with charms and decides to look for his father. From a dream, he learns that his father Don Juan Panganiban had been killed by the Igorot. Later, Lam-ang finds the Igorot in a "sagang", a feast celebrating a successful headhunting expedition. |
Yling, a bird reputed to talk, asks Cadugnung, a wise man, to sing of the ancient story of Handiong. This is the story he tells: |