Indarapatra at Sulayman

(A summary of the Moro epic)

(From the compilation of Mabel Cook Cole)
A long, long time ago Mindanao was covered with water, and the sea extended over all
the lowlands so that nothing could be seen but mountains. Then 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. Gurayan was its home and like the others it wrought havoc in its region.
So great was the death and destruction caused by these terrible monsters 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. Gurayan 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.

Why the Sea is Salty?

(Ilokano Version)
(Narrated by José M. Paredes of Bangued, Ilocos Sur. He heard the story from a
farmer. From the compilation of Dean S. Fansler and Mabel Cook Cole)
A few years after the creation of the world there lived a tall giant by the name of Ang-
ngalo, the only son of the god of building. Ang-ngalo was a wanderer, and a lover of work.
He lived in the mountains, where he dug many caves. These caves he protected from the
continual anger of Angin, the goddess of the wind, by precipices and sturdy trees.
One bright morning, while Ang-ngalo was climbing to his loftiest cave, he spied someone
across the ocean. The ocean at the time was pure, its water being the accumulated tears
of a disappointed goddess named Baybay. Ang-ngalo waved at the beautiful maid. She
beckoned to him, and waved her black handkerchief: so Ang-ngalo waded across to her
through the water. The deep caverns in the ocean are his footprints.
This beautiful maid was Sipnget, the goddess of the dark. She said to Ang-ngalo, “I am
tired of my dark palace in heaven. You are a great builder. What I want you to do for me
is to erect a great mansion on this spot. This mansion must be built of bricks as white as
snow.”
Ang-ngalo could not find any bricks as white as snow: the only white thing there was then
was salt. So he went for help to Asin, the ruler of the Kingdom of Salt. Asin gave him
pure bricks of salt, as white as snow. Then Ang-ngalo built hundreds of bamboo bridges
across the ocean. Millions of men were employed day and night transporting the white
bricks from one side of the ocean to the other.
At last the patience of Baybay came to an end: she could not bear to have her deep and
quiet slumber disturbed. One day, while the men were busy carrying the salt bricks across
the bridges, she sent forth big waves and destroyed them. The brick-carriers and their
burden were buried in her deep bosom. In time the salt dissolved, and today the ocean is
salty.