The Tale of Marinduque

The father of Maring did not wish to sacrifice more lives after that
In a small island kingdom there once lived a very beautiful princess. She was disaster. He gave his daughter freedom to choose her husband. So she
nicknamed Maring. Her favorite haunt was the top of a very tall mountain. confessed to him her secret love. The king consented to the marriage. Seven
Mount Malindig. days of festing and marry making followed, to mark the happy union of the two
She was very fond of hunting wild animals, a diversion which was much young people, the island kingdom was named Marinduque, after Maring and
against her father's wish. Duque.

One day she espied a pretty white deer. It ran so swiftly that it took her a Why There is High Tide during a Full Moon
long time to catch up with it. She had the game already at bay when the owner
came along looking for it. The stranger was a man of princely bearing and fine Long, long ago only gods lived in this world, the earth, seas, and sky were
manners. He introduced himself as Duque and offered the deer to her as a ruled by three different powerful gods.
token of their first meeting. Maring could not resist his gallant gesture. She The sun god, who ruled the sky, had a very beautiful daughter, Luna, the
could not help admiring the stranger, who fell in love with her at first sight. moon. Luna enjoyed going around the heavens in her golden chariot. One
Since that day they often met in the forest. day she found herself taking another path which led her outside her
kingdom. She wandered on until she reached the place where the sky met the
The beauty of Maring was known far and wide. Innumerable suitors came sea. Beautiful and unusual sights greeted her eyes. As she was admiring the
to woo her, but she turned a deaf ear to them all, for she had set her heart on beautiful things around, a voice startled her. It asked, "Where has thou come
the modest Duque. Not knowing about her secret love affair, her royal father from, most beautiful one?"
announced that her hand would be given to the one who would win a ship
race. So the most persistent suitors, three wealthy kings, fitted out vessels for Turning around she saw a young man who looked much like her father though
the contest. Duque could not participate; He was not rich enough to equip a fairer. She wanted to run away, but when she looked at him again, she saw
vessel. that he was smiling at her. Taking courage she answered, "I am Luna,
daughter of the sun god."
Meanwhile, Maring was very unhappy. She prayed to the Gods for help.
Bathala heard her prayers, on the appointed day, the sky grew suddenly dark. The young man smiled at her and answered, "I am Mar, the son of the sea
The sea seethed turbulently and winds blew furiously, but the contest could god. Welcome to our kingdom." Soon the two became good friends. They
not be put off for another day. The three kings set forth bravely on their ships. had many interesting stories to tell each other. When it was time for Luna to
Before they were half way on the goal, one of them hit a rock and soon go, they promised to see each other as often as they could, for they has many
vanished from sight with his ship. The second vessel was able to move on a more tales to tell. They continued meeting at the same spot until they realized
little farther and then it was also devoured by the angry sea. The last ship met that they were in love with each other.
the same fate.
One day after one of their secret meetings, Luna went back to the heavens full
The king and the spectators grieved over the fate of the three royal of joy. She was so happy that she told her secret to one of her cousins. The
suitors. Only Maring did not feel grieved at the outcome of the race. When the cousin, jealous of her beauty and her happiness, reported the affair to the sun
sea calmed down, everyone was surprised to see three Islands at the places god. The sun god was angered at his daughter's disobedience to the immortal
where the ships had sunk. They were named Tres Reyes, or Three Kings, laws. He shut her in their garden and did not allow her to get out. Then he
after the unlucky trio. sent a messenger to the sea god informing him that his son Mar disobeyed the
immortal law. The sea god, who was also angered by his son's disobedience, it wrought havoc to its region. So great was the death and destruction caused
imprisoned him in one of his sea caves. by these terrible creatures that at length, the news spread even to the most
distant lands - and all nations grieved to hear the sad fate of Mindanao. Now
Luna stayed in the garden for sometime. She was very sad at not being able far across the sea, in the land of the golden sunset, was a city so great that to
to see Mar. She longed to be with him again. Feeling very restless one day,
she escaped from the garden. She took her golden chariot and rushed to their look at its many people would injure the eyes of men. When tidings of these
meeting place. Mar, who was imprisoned in the sea cave, saw her reflection great disasters reached this distant city, the heart of King Indarapatra was
on the water. He wanted to get out to meet her. He tried hard to get out of his filled with compassion, and he called his brother, Sulayman, and begged hem
cave causing unrest in the sea. Luna waited for Mar to appear, but he did not to save the land of Mindanao from the monsters. Sulayman listened to the
come. Then she went back home very sad. Each time she remembered Mar, story and as heard it, was moved with pity. "I will go", zeal and enthusiasm
she would rush out in the golden chariot to the meeting place in hopes of adding to his strength, "and the land shall be avenged," said he. King
seeing him again.
Indarapatra, proud of his brother's courage, gave him a ring and a sword as
The fishermen out in the sea believe that each time Luna, the moon, appears, he wished him success and safety. Then he placed a young sapling by his
the sea gets troubled. "It is Mar trying to escape from his cave," they say. window and said to Sulayman "By this tree I shall know your fate from the
hour 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 waded nor used a
Indrapatra and Sulayman boat, but 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
A long, long time ago, Mindanao was covered with water, and the sea covers on the land and the villages, but he could see no living thing. And he was very
all the lowlands so that nothing could be seen but the mountains jutting from it. sorrowful and cried out: "Alas, how pitiful and dreadful is this devastation." No
There were many people living in the country and all the highlands were sooner had Sulayman uttered those words than the Whole Mountain began to
dotted with villages and settlements. For many years the people prospered, move and then shook. Suddenly out of the ground came the
living in peace and contentment. Suddenly there appeared in the land four
horrible monsters which, in short time has devoured every human being they 2. horrible creature Kurita. It spring at the man and sank its claws at his flesh.
could find. Kurita, a terrible creature with many limbs, lived partly on the land But Sulayman knows at once that this was the scourge of the land, drew his
and partly on sea, but its favorite haunt was the mountain where the rattan sword and cut Kurita to pieces. Encourage by his first success, Sulayman
palm grew; and here it brought utter destruction on every living thing. The went on to Mt. Matutum, where conditions were even worse. As he stood on
second monster, Tarabusaw, an ugly creature in the form of a man, lived on the heights viewing the great devastation, there was a noise in the forest and
Mt. Matutum, and far and wide from that place he devoured the people, laying a movement in the trees. With a loud yell, Tarabusaw forth leaped. For the
waste the land. The third, an enormous bird called Pah, was so large that, moment they looked at each other, neither showing any sign of fear. Then
when on the wing, it covered the sun and brought darkness to the earth. Its Tarabusaw used all his powers to try to devour Sulayman, who fought back.
egg was as large as a house. Mt. Bita was its haunt; and there the only people For a long time, the battle continued, until at last, the monster fell exhausted to
who escaped its voracity were those whi hid in the mountain caves. The fourth the ground and Sulayman killed him with his sword. The nest place visited by
monster was also a dreadful bird, having seven heads and the power to see in Sulayman was Mt. Bita. Here havoc was present everywhere, and though he
all directions at the same time. Mt. Gurayan was its home and like the others, passed by many homes, he saw that not a single soul was left. As he walked,
sudden darkness fell over the land, startling him. As he looked toward the sky told him, only few were left, and they hid in a cave in the ground from whence
he beheaded a great bird that swooped upon him. Immediately he struck, and they never ventured to come out. As for herself and her old husband, she went
the bird fell dead at his feet; but the wing fell on Sulayman and he was on, they had hidden in a hollow tree, and this they had never dared to leave
crushed. Now at this very time King Indarapatra was sitting at his window, and until Sulayman killed the voracious bird Pah. At Indarapatra's request, the old
looking out he saw the little tree witchery and dry up. "Alas!" he cried, "my woman led him to one such cave. There he met the headmen with his family
brother is dead" and he wept bitterly. Then although he was very sad, he was and some people. They all gathered about the stranger, asking many
filled with a desire for revenge. Putting on his sword and belt, he started for questions, for this was the first time they had heard about the death of the
Mindanao, in search for his brother. He, too, traveled through the air with great monsters. When they found out what Indarapatra had done for them, the
speed until he came to the mountain where the rattan grew. There he looked headman gave his daughter to him in marriage, and she proved to be beautiful
about, awed at the great destruction, and when she saw the bones of Kurita girl whom Indarapatra had seen at the mouth of the cave. Then the people all
he knew that his brother had been there. He went on till he came to Matutum, came out of their hiding places and returned to their homes where they lived in
and when he saw the bones of Tarabusaw, he knew that this, too, was the peace and happiness. And the sea withdrew from the land and gave the
work of Sulayman. Still searching for his brother, he arrived at Mt. Bita, where lowlands to the people.
the dead bird lay on the ground, and when he lifted the severed wing he
beheld the bones of Sulayman with his sword biy 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 the
heaven, and he poured the water over the bones, and Sulayman, came to life
again. They greeted each other and talked animatedly for great length of time.
Sulayman declared that he had not been dead but asleep, and their hearts
were full of joy. After some time Sulayman returned his distant home, but
Indarapatra continued his journey to Mt.Gurayan where killed the dreadful bird
with the seven heads. After these monsters had all been killed, peace and
safety had been restored to the land: Indarapatra began searching
everywhere to see if some of the people who hid in the earth were still alive.

3. One day, in the course of his search, his caught sight of a beautiful woman
at a distance. When he hastened toward her she disappeared through a hole
in the ground where she stood. Disappointed and tried, he sat down on a rock
to rest when, looking about, he saw near him a pot 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 nearby, and turning he
beheld an old woman watching him. As he greeted her, she drew near and
talked to him while he ate the rice. Of all the people in the land, the woman