The Dragon Rock
This story begins with Once Upon A Time, because the best stories do, of course.
So, Once Upon A Time, and imagine if you can, a steep sided valley cluttered with giant, spiky green pine trees and thick, green grass that reaches to the top of your socks so that when you run, you have to bring your knees up high, like running through water. Wildflowers spread their sweet heady perfume along the gentle breezes and bees hum musically to themselves as they cheerily collect flower pollen.
People are very happy here and they work hard, keeping their houses spick and span and their children's faces clean.
This particular summer had been very hot and dry, making the lean farm dogs sleepy and still. Farmers whistled lazily to themselves and would stand and stare into the distance, trying to remember what it was that they were supposed to be doing. By two o'clock in the afternoon, the town would be in a haze of slumber, with grandmas nodding off over their knitting and farmers snoozing in the haystacks. It was very, very hot.
No matter how hot the day, however, the children would always play in the gentle, rolling meadows. With wide brimmed hats and skin slippery with sun block, they chittered and chattered like sparrows, as they frolicked in their favourite spot.
Now, their favourite spot is very important to this story because in this particular spot is a large, long, scaly rock that looks amazingly similar to a sleeping dragon.
The children knew it was a dragon.
The grown ups knew it was a dragon.
The dogs and cats and birds knew it was a dragon.
But nobody was scared because it never, ever moved.
The boys and girls would clamber all over it, poking sticks at it and hanging wet gumboots on its ears but it didn't mind in the least. The men folk would sometimes chop firewood on its zigzagged tail because it was just the right height and the Ladies Weaving Group often spun sheep fleece on its spikes.
Often on a cool night, when the stars were twinkling brightly in a velvet sky and the children peacefully asleep, the grown ups would settle for the evening with a mug of steaming cocoa in a soft cushioned armchair. Then the stories about How The Dragon Got There began. Nobody knew for sure, there were many different versions depending on which family told the tale, but one thing that everybody agreed on, was this:
< 2 >
In Times of Trouble
The Dragon will Wake
And Free the Village
By making a Lake
This little poem was etched into everybody's minds and sometimes appeared on tea towels and grandma's embroidery.
The days went by slowly, quietly and most importantly, without any rain. There had been no rain in the valley for as long as the children could remember. The wells were starting to bring up muddy brown water and clothes had to be washed in yesterday's dishwater. The lawns had faded to a crisp biscuit colour and the flowers drooped their beautiful heads. Even the trees seemed to hang their branches like weary arms. The valley turned browner and drier and thirstier, every hot, baking day.
The townsfolk grew worried and would murmur to each other when passing with much shaking of heads and tut tuts. They would look upwards searching for rain clouds in the blue, clear sky, but none ever came.
"The tale of the Dragon cannot be true," said old Mrs Greywhistle, the shopkeeper.
"It hasn't moved an inch, I swear," replied her customer, tapping an angry foot.
It was now too hot for the children to play out in the direct sun and they would gather under the shade of the trees, digging holes in the dust and snapping brittle twigs.
"The Dragon will help us soon," said one child.
"He must do Something," agreed another.
"I'm sure he will."
They all nodded in agreement.
A week went by with no change, the people struggling along as best they could. Some were getting cross at the Dragon and would cast angry, sideways looks at it when passing. The villagers were becoming skinny eyed and sullen.
Meanwhile, the children had a plan.
Quickly and quietly, they moved invisibly around town, picking and plucking at the fading flowers. With outstretched arms and bouquets up to their chins, they rustled over to where the giant rock lay, as still as ever.
< 3 >
The boys and girls placed bunches of flowers around the Dragon in a big circle. They scattered petals around its head and over its nose, then danced around and around it, skipping and chanting the rhyme that they all knew so well.
In Times of Trouble
The Dragon Will Wake
And Save the Village
By making a Lake.
The searing heat made them dizzy and fuzzy and finally they all fell in a sprawling heap at the bottom of the mound. They looked up at the rock.
Nothing happened.
A dry wind lazily picked up some flower heads and swirled them around. The air was thick with pollen and perfume. A stony grey nostril twitched.
"I saw something," cried the youngest boy.
They stared intently.
An ear swiveled like a periscope.
The ground began to rumble.
"Look out! Run!Run!"
The children scampered in all directions, shrieking and squealing, arms pumping with excitement.
The rumbling grew and grew.
The Dragon raised its sleepy head. It got onto its front feet and sat like a dog. It stood up and stretched, arching its long scaly back like a sleek tabby cat. It blinked and looked around with big kind, long lashed eyes.
And then its nostrils twitched and quivered again.
The older folk were alerted by the screams and shrieks. The ladies held up their long skirts to run and the men rolled their sleeves up and soon the whole town stood together in a tight huddle at the foot of the hill, staring up at the large beast with mouths held open.
"AHHHHH AAHHHHHHHHH!!"
The noise erupted from the Dragon.
"AHHHHH AAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!"
< 4 >
The families gripped each other tighter and shut their eyes.
"AHHHHH CHOOOOOOOOO!!"
The sneeze blasted from the Dragon like a rocket, throwing it back fifty paces, causing a whirlwind of dust and dirt.
"AHHHHH CHOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!"
The second blast split open the dry earth, sending explosions of soil and tree roots high into the sky like missiles, and something else too ...
The people heard the sound but couldn't recognize it at first for it had been such a long time since their ears had heard such tinkling melody. As their eyes widened in wonder, their smiles turned into grins and then yahoos and hoorahs.
Water, cold, clear spring water, oozed, then trickled, then roared out of the hole, down the hillside and along the valley floor.
The torrent knocked over a farmer's haystack, but he didn't care.
The river carried away the schoolteacher's bike shed but she cared not a jot. It even demolished the Ladies Bowling Club changing rooms but they howled with laughter and slapped their thighs. When the flood sent pools of water out towards the golf course, filling up sixteen of the nineteen holes, the men just hooted and whistled and threw their caps up in the air.
What used to be a dirty, brown dust bowl, now gleamed and glistened in the sunlight, sending playful waves and ripples across the lake and inviting all to share.
"HMMMMM," sighed the Dragon sleepily, and showing his perfect movie star teeth. "Seeing as I'm awake ..."
And he lumbered forward with surprising grace and style and disappeared into the cool dark water with a small wave of a claw and flick of his tail.
They never saw him again.
After the families had restored and rebuilt the village, and set up sailing clubs for the children, and scuba diving for the grandparents, they erected a bandstand and monument in the spot where the Dragon used to lay. Every year to mark the occasion, they would bring garlands of flowers and herbs and arrange them in a big circle. The children would have the day off school, for it was known as 'Water Dragon Day' and wearing the dragon masks that they had been working on all week, would skip and clap and sing.
< 5 >
The Dragon helped Us
As We said He would Do
Hooray for The Dragon
Achoo, Achoo, ACHOOOO!
And that is the end of the story.
top
Saturday, August 27, 2011
poem
CLASSIC POEMS FOR CHILDREN
Rising in the Morning
~Hugh Rhodes
A plant without moisture sweet
Can bring forth no good flower;
If in youth ye lack virtue,
In age ye shall want honour.
First dread you God, and fly from sin,
Earthly things are mortal;
Be thou not haughty in thy looks
For pride will have a fall.
Rise you early in the morning,
For it hath properties three:
Holiness, health, and happy wealth,
As my father taught me.
At six of the clock, without delay,
Accustom thee to rise,
And give God thanks for thy good rest
When thou openest thine eyes.
Pray Him also to prosper thee
And thine affairs in deed:
All the day after, assure thyself,
The better shalt thou speed.
Rising in the Morning
~Hugh Rhodes
A plant without moisture sweet
Can bring forth no good flower;
If in youth ye lack virtue,
In age ye shall want honour.
First dread you God, and fly from sin,
Earthly things are mortal;
Be thou not haughty in thy looks
For pride will have a fall.
Rise you early in the morning,
For it hath properties three:
Holiness, health, and happy wealth,
As my father taught me.
At six of the clock, without delay,
Accustom thee to rise,
And give God thanks for thy good rest
When thou openest thine eyes.
Pray Him also to prosper thee
And thine affairs in deed:
All the day after, assure thyself,
The better shalt thou speed.
poemmm
Sample Poem
Jake The Snake
This is the story of Jake the Snake.
One day Jake made a big mistake.
He ate a fake piece of birthday cake.
It caused him to shiver,
It caused him to shake,
It caused him to get a tummy ache.
Jake went to the doctor down by the lake.
The doctor said, "Jake, don’t eat fake cake."
—Adele Tolley Wilson
Jake The Snake
This is the story of Jake the Snake.
One day Jake made a big mistake.
He ate a fake piece of birthday cake.
It caused him to shiver,
It caused him to shake,
It caused him to get a tummy ache.
Jake went to the doctor down by the lake.
The doctor said, "Jake, don’t eat fake cake."
—Adele Tolley Wilson
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
poem
What is Pink?
by Christina Rossetti
What is pink? A rose is pink
By the fountain's brink.
What is red? A poppy's red
In its barley bed.
What is blue? The sky is blue
Where the clouds float through.
What is white? A swan is white
Sailing in the light.
What is yellow? Pears are yellow,
Rich and ripe and mellow.
What is green? The grass is green,
With small flowers between.
What is violet? Clouds are violet
In the summer twilight.
What is orange? Why, an orange,
Just an orange!
The cherry Tree
Once I found a cherry stone,
I put it in the ground,
And when I came to look at it,
A tiny shoot I found.
The shoot grew up and up each day,
And soon became a tree.
I picked the rosy cherries then,
And ate them for my tea.
All Things Bright and Beautiful
by Cecil Frances Alexander
All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.
Each little flower that opens,
Each little bird that sings,
He made their glowing colors,
He made their tiny wings.
The purple-headed mountain,
The river running by,
The sunset, and the morning,
That brightens up the sky;
The cold wind in the winter,
The pleasant summer sun,
The ripe fruits in the garden,
He made them every one.
He gave us eyes to see them,
And lips that we might tell,
How great is God Almighty,
Who has made all things well.
Above the Bright Blue Sky
by Albert Midlane
There's a Friend for little children
Above the bright blue sky,
A Friend who never changes
Whose love will never die;
Our earthly friends may fail us,
And change with changing years,
This Friend is always worthy
Of that dear name he bears.
There's a home for little children
Above the bright blue sky,
Where Jesus reigns in glory,
A home of peace and joy;
No home on earth is like it,
Nor can with it compare;
And everyone is happy,
Nor could be happier there.
Rainbow
I’ve got a rainbow above my bed.
The first of its colors is bright bright red,
Then comes orange, then yellow and green
The loveliest colors I’ve ever ever seen.
Next comes blue, like the blue of the sea,
Indigo and violet are the others I see.
When the sun comes out through the falling rain,
My rainbow makes a colored arch
above the counterpane.
Rainbow, rainbow
Come again soon.
Shine on in my bedroom
Till the coming of the moon
Good Night and Good Morning
by Richard Monckton Milnes, Lord Houghton
A fair little girl sat under a tree,
Sewing as long as her eyes could see;
Then smoothed her work, and folded it right,
And said, "Dear work, good night! good night!"
Such a number of rooks came over her head,
Crying, "Caw! Caw!" on their way to bed;
She said, as she watched their curious flight,
"Little black things, good night! good night!"
The horses neighed, and the oxen lowed,
The sheep's "Bleat! bleat!" came over the road;
All seeming to say, with a quiet delight,
"Good little girl, good night! good night!"
She did not say to the sun, "Good night!"
Though she saw him there like a ball of light,
For she knew he had God's time to keep
All over the world, and never could sleep.
The tall pink foxglove bowed his head,
The violets curtsied and went to bed;
And good little Lucy tied up her hair,
And said on her knees her favourite prayer.
And while on her pillow she softly lay,
She knew nothing more till again it was day;
And all things said to the beautiful sun,
"Good morning! good morning! our work is begun!
Two Little Kittens
by Anonymous (circa 1880)
Two little kittens, one stormy night,
Began to quarrel, and then to fight;
One had a mouse, the other had none,
And that's the way the quarrel begun.
"I'll have that mouse," sad the biggest cat;
"You'll have that mouse? We'll see about that!"
"I will have that mouse," said the eldest son;
"You shan't have the mouse," said the little one.
I told you before 'twas a stormy night
When these two little kittens began to fight;
The old woman seized her sweeping broom,
And swept the two kittens right out of the room.
The ground was covered with frost and snow,
And the two little kittens had nowhere to go;
So they laid them down on the mat at the door,
While the old woman finished sweeping the floor.
Then they crept in, as quiet as mice,
All wet with the snow, and cold as ice,
For they found it was better, that stormy night,
To lie down and sleep than to quarrel and fight.
by Christina Rossetti
What is pink? A rose is pink
By the fountain's brink.
What is red? A poppy's red
In its barley bed.
What is blue? The sky is blue
Where the clouds float through.
What is white? A swan is white
Sailing in the light.
What is yellow? Pears are yellow,
Rich and ripe and mellow.
What is green? The grass is green,
With small flowers between.
What is violet? Clouds are violet
In the summer twilight.
What is orange? Why, an orange,
Just an orange!
The cherry Tree
Once I found a cherry stone,
I put it in the ground,
And when I came to look at it,
A tiny shoot I found.
The shoot grew up and up each day,
And soon became a tree.
I picked the rosy cherries then,
And ate them for my tea.
All Things Bright and Beautiful
by Cecil Frances Alexander
All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.
Each little flower that opens,
Each little bird that sings,
He made their glowing colors,
He made their tiny wings.
The purple-headed mountain,
The river running by,
The sunset, and the morning,
That brightens up the sky;
The cold wind in the winter,
The pleasant summer sun,
The ripe fruits in the garden,
He made them every one.
He gave us eyes to see them,
And lips that we might tell,
How great is God Almighty,
Who has made all things well.
Above the Bright Blue Sky
by Albert Midlane
There's a Friend for little children
Above the bright blue sky,
A Friend who never changes
Whose love will never die;
Our earthly friends may fail us,
And change with changing years,
This Friend is always worthy
Of that dear name he bears.
There's a home for little children
Above the bright blue sky,
Where Jesus reigns in glory,
A home of peace and joy;
No home on earth is like it,
Nor can with it compare;
And everyone is happy,
Nor could be happier there.
Rainbow
I’ve got a rainbow above my bed.
The first of its colors is bright bright red,
Then comes orange, then yellow and green
The loveliest colors I’ve ever ever seen.
Next comes blue, like the blue of the sea,
Indigo and violet are the others I see.
When the sun comes out through the falling rain,
My rainbow makes a colored arch
above the counterpane.
Rainbow, rainbow
Come again soon.
Shine on in my bedroom
Till the coming of the moon
Good Night and Good Morning
by Richard Monckton Milnes, Lord Houghton
A fair little girl sat under a tree,
Sewing as long as her eyes could see;
Then smoothed her work, and folded it right,
And said, "Dear work, good night! good night!"
Such a number of rooks came over her head,
Crying, "Caw! Caw!" on their way to bed;
She said, as she watched their curious flight,
"Little black things, good night! good night!"
The horses neighed, and the oxen lowed,
The sheep's "Bleat! bleat!" came over the road;
All seeming to say, with a quiet delight,
"Good little girl, good night! good night!"
She did not say to the sun, "Good night!"
Though she saw him there like a ball of light,
For she knew he had God's time to keep
All over the world, and never could sleep.
The tall pink foxglove bowed his head,
The violets curtsied and went to bed;
And good little Lucy tied up her hair,
And said on her knees her favourite prayer.
And while on her pillow she softly lay,
She knew nothing more till again it was day;
And all things said to the beautiful sun,
"Good morning! good morning! our work is begun!
Two Little Kittens
by Anonymous (circa 1880)
Two little kittens, one stormy night,
Began to quarrel, and then to fight;
One had a mouse, the other had none,
And that's the way the quarrel begun.
"I'll have that mouse," sad the biggest cat;
"You'll have that mouse? We'll see about that!"
"I will have that mouse," said the eldest son;
"You shan't have the mouse," said the little one.
I told you before 'twas a stormy night
When these two little kittens began to fight;
The old woman seized her sweeping broom,
And swept the two kittens right out of the room.
The ground was covered with frost and snow,
And the two little kittens had nowhere to go;
So they laid them down on the mat at the door,
While the old woman finished sweeping the floor.
Then they crept in, as quiet as mice,
All wet with the snow, and cold as ice,
For they found it was better, that stormy night,
To lie down and sleep than to quarrel and fight.
Princess And Evil
PRINCESS AND EVIL
castle
Once upon a time, in a faraway land lived a King and Queen with 7 daughters. The eldest was 17 and was called Vanessa, the second eldest was 16 and called India, then came the twins Kareshka and Dandy, (they called her Dandy Brush for fun) who where 15. Next came Alexandra, the cleverest of them all and 14 years old. And the youngest was Brianna who was 13. They all lived a huge castle with towers and battlements bigger than any in the world. The towers were 7 and in each one, one of the princesses slept.
But one stormy night Brianna could not get to sleep. The rain crashed on her window and shew could hear the wind roaring in the distance. So she got up and pulled on her fluffy cream dressing gown and opened her bedroom door.
The whole castle seemed to be sleeping and the spindly stairs that connected the tower with the rest of the castle were swallowed up by darkness. So she crept back through her room and opened a pink satin coated chest and took out a candle. She lit it with a match and then descended the stairs and came into a long corridor. It was cold and dark along here, so Brianna wrapped her dressing gown around her tighter and leaned closer to her candle.
As she walked further along the corridor she became aware of a faint green light in the library. She became intrigued and walked faster towards the library door that was wide open.
When she stepped into the library the door slammed shut after her and her candle snuffed out. Brianna wanted to scream but no noise came out. The only light now was that green light that was as bright as the sun now that she had entered the library.
And there in the cushy armchair by the fireplace sat a beautiful woman. She looked about 23 years old but like nobody Brianna had ever seen before. She had green hair and her skin had a greenish tinge to it. Even her eyes and clothes where green. She smiled when Brianna came in and said " I have been waiting many years to see you my child." and held out a hand for Brianna to take.
Brianna took it because she was enchanted by the green glow. She new neither where nor what it was coming from but it made her think of the most wonderful things, like the green lemonade cook sometimes made for her and of her favorite Quill. (a green one) and of freshly moan grass that she and her sisters loved to picnic on. And the woman, the woman reminded her of someone she had seen in a dream. A lovely lady who had helped her be reunited with her sisters after they had been ship-wrecked. But that was only a dream. This was reality. Or was it???
Brianna seemed to be hypnotized by the light and walked over to the woman in a kind of stupor. " My name is Selina the woman carried on in a soft musical voice. " After the moon."
She was now twirling a strand of Brianna's long red hair round her finger. " You will probably not know me," she said. " For I you have never truly met me. But I have met you. And I have always wanted you for my daughter. You have the most lovely hair and your beauty is outstanding. Leave your wicked parents and come with me.
You shall no longer be overcrowded by your sisters. You shall be the center of attention always..." The word "wicked" brought Brianna back to her senses for a moment and just had time to give the woman an alarmed look before the green light and mystical song that now seemed to be coming from the mists of it made everything cloudy and she no longer had the ability to think.
"Yes, your parents are wicked" Selina went on. "For they have denied you a Pegasus. Something you always wanted am I right??? And did they not tell you that Pegasuses don't exist??? Well... They do! Do you not believe me? I have one outside just for you. You shall have that and everything else you have always wanted. Only if you come with me."
Poor Brianna! The beautiful woman had hypnotized her! What else could she do but say yes???
So Selina told her to go and pack and she did. The next thing she new she was flying on a blue Pegasus high in the sky. pegasus
Her red hair whipping round her face and Selina riding a huge green Swan next to her.
At last they reached Selina's home. It was now dawn and the green glow had disappeared as soon as the sun rose over the mountains. The house took Brianna's breath away. It was a little green cottage with rainbow colored flowers blossoming everywhere Brianna looked.
There was also a little pink heart shaped gate and the door was bright red with miniature white hearts painted all over it. "Wow!" she breathed and Selina led her through the heart shaped gate and through the front door. But as soon as she stepped through the door a cage crashed down over her and hoisted her into the air.
She screamed as Selina began to change form. She changed into an hag of a woman. She had hazel matted hair that reached the floor and a big crooked nose with a mole on it. She was wearing black and grey clothes that were grubby and looked like they where made from a carpet.
And she also wore a blood red hat that had dead moths all over it. "HA HAHA!!!" she cried pointing at Brianna. " My name is not Selina you pathetic girl but Aradnea! I made you dream I reunited you with your pathetic family so felt more comfortable around me! But in the end I settled for a hypnotizing potion instead! HA HAHA!!!
And now I will transfer your beauty into me! HA! You where going to be married to the most handsome man in the land!
AS IF I WOULD LET THAT HAPPEN!!!
I saw him first! I have seen him ride past here ever since he was 6 and I was four! But he never looked twice at me!!! I have also watched you pass by too!!! We grew up together! Remember me??? The little girl from the poor family that you used to play with!!!
Well... I saw you with him one day! His name is William! And he was looking at you with such LOVE!!! I had to steal him from you! So what better thing to do than turn myself into you???
Goodbye Princess Brianna! I hope you enjoy being me! HAHAHA!!!"
And with that she started singing a song and waving her arms about. It went like this:
Mambe Danna
Mambe Danna
Turn me into Princess Brianna
Turn her into ugly old me
And let her lover start to love meeeeeeeee
It finished on a long chourus of eeeeeeeeeeeeeeees but before she could finish them William bounded into the room and cut her head off.
They got married 3 days later and everyone rejoiced and sang and a great new age began.
THE END...
©2008 Sophianna Mastrosavvaki
castle
Once upon a time, in a faraway land lived a King and Queen with 7 daughters. The eldest was 17 and was called Vanessa, the second eldest was 16 and called India, then came the twins Kareshka and Dandy, (they called her Dandy Brush for fun) who where 15. Next came Alexandra, the cleverest of them all and 14 years old. And the youngest was Brianna who was 13. They all lived a huge castle with towers and battlements bigger than any in the world. The towers were 7 and in each one, one of the princesses slept.
But one stormy night Brianna could not get to sleep. The rain crashed on her window and shew could hear the wind roaring in the distance. So she got up and pulled on her fluffy cream dressing gown and opened her bedroom door.
The whole castle seemed to be sleeping and the spindly stairs that connected the tower with the rest of the castle were swallowed up by darkness. So she crept back through her room and opened a pink satin coated chest and took out a candle. She lit it with a match and then descended the stairs and came into a long corridor. It was cold and dark along here, so Brianna wrapped her dressing gown around her tighter and leaned closer to her candle.
As she walked further along the corridor she became aware of a faint green light in the library. She became intrigued and walked faster towards the library door that was wide open.
When she stepped into the library the door slammed shut after her and her candle snuffed out. Brianna wanted to scream but no noise came out. The only light now was that green light that was as bright as the sun now that she had entered the library.
And there in the cushy armchair by the fireplace sat a beautiful woman. She looked about 23 years old but like nobody Brianna had ever seen before. She had green hair and her skin had a greenish tinge to it. Even her eyes and clothes where green. She smiled when Brianna came in and said " I have been waiting many years to see you my child." and held out a hand for Brianna to take.
Brianna took it because she was enchanted by the green glow. She new neither where nor what it was coming from but it made her think of the most wonderful things, like the green lemonade cook sometimes made for her and of her favorite Quill. (a green one) and of freshly moan grass that she and her sisters loved to picnic on. And the woman, the woman reminded her of someone she had seen in a dream. A lovely lady who had helped her be reunited with her sisters after they had been ship-wrecked. But that was only a dream. This was reality. Or was it???
Brianna seemed to be hypnotized by the light and walked over to the woman in a kind of stupor. " My name is Selina the woman carried on in a soft musical voice. " After the moon."
She was now twirling a strand of Brianna's long red hair round her finger. " You will probably not know me," she said. " For I you have never truly met me. But I have met you. And I have always wanted you for my daughter. You have the most lovely hair and your beauty is outstanding. Leave your wicked parents and come with me.
You shall no longer be overcrowded by your sisters. You shall be the center of attention always..." The word "wicked" brought Brianna back to her senses for a moment and just had time to give the woman an alarmed look before the green light and mystical song that now seemed to be coming from the mists of it made everything cloudy and she no longer had the ability to think.
"Yes, your parents are wicked" Selina went on. "For they have denied you a Pegasus. Something you always wanted am I right??? And did they not tell you that Pegasuses don't exist??? Well... They do! Do you not believe me? I have one outside just for you. You shall have that and everything else you have always wanted. Only if you come with me."
Poor Brianna! The beautiful woman had hypnotized her! What else could she do but say yes???
So Selina told her to go and pack and she did. The next thing she new she was flying on a blue Pegasus high in the sky. pegasus
Her red hair whipping round her face and Selina riding a huge green Swan next to her.
At last they reached Selina's home. It was now dawn and the green glow had disappeared as soon as the sun rose over the mountains. The house took Brianna's breath away. It was a little green cottage with rainbow colored flowers blossoming everywhere Brianna looked.
There was also a little pink heart shaped gate and the door was bright red with miniature white hearts painted all over it. "Wow!" she breathed and Selina led her through the heart shaped gate and through the front door. But as soon as she stepped through the door a cage crashed down over her and hoisted her into the air.
She screamed as Selina began to change form. She changed into an hag of a woman. She had hazel matted hair that reached the floor and a big crooked nose with a mole on it. She was wearing black and grey clothes that were grubby and looked like they where made from a carpet.
And she also wore a blood red hat that had dead moths all over it. "HA HAHA!!!" she cried pointing at Brianna. " My name is not Selina you pathetic girl but Aradnea! I made you dream I reunited you with your pathetic family so felt more comfortable around me! But in the end I settled for a hypnotizing potion instead! HA HAHA!!!
And now I will transfer your beauty into me! HA! You where going to be married to the most handsome man in the land!
AS IF I WOULD LET THAT HAPPEN!!!
I saw him first! I have seen him ride past here ever since he was 6 and I was four! But he never looked twice at me!!! I have also watched you pass by too!!! We grew up together! Remember me??? The little girl from the poor family that you used to play with!!!
Well... I saw you with him one day! His name is William! And he was looking at you with such LOVE!!! I had to steal him from you! So what better thing to do than turn myself into you???
Goodbye Princess Brianna! I hope you enjoy being me! HAHAHA!!!"
And with that she started singing a song and waving her arms about. It went like this:
Mambe Danna
Mambe Danna
Turn me into Princess Brianna
Turn her into ugly old me
And let her lover start to love meeeeeeeee
It finished on a long chourus of eeeeeeeeeeeeeeees but before she could finish them William bounded into the room and cut her head off.
They got married 3 days later and everyone rejoiced and sang and a great new age began.
THE END...
©2008 Sophianna Mastrosavvaki
LIttle Star
Little Star
Little star lived in space with all the other stars and planets. Most stars were shiny and bright and made patterns in the sky, but try as she might, Little Star couldn’t shine as brightly as the other stars.
One night when the other stars were dancing around the moon Little Star set off to see her friend, Twinkle. Now Twinkle was a wishing star and could make Little Stars wish come true. She wanted to be the brightest star in the universe! But Little Star couldn’t find Twinkle anywhere and she started to cry. Would she ever be as bright as the other stars ?
Suddenly she heard a friendly voice calling out ,”Little Star, Little Star grab hold of my tail and I’ll take you for a ride!” It was Corky the comet. Corky had a long silvery tail and was always rushing through space. Straight away Little Star leaped onto Corky’s tail. It was time for an adventure!
“Where are we going?” Little Star asked Corky. “We’re going to visit my old friend Mr. Sun, the biggest and brightest star of all.” Little Star was so excited she nearly fell off Corky’s tail. As Corky sped through space Little Star could feel the warm glow from Mr. Sun getting closer.” We’ll fly once around Mr. Sun and then it’s back home for tea” bellowed Corky. Little Star couldn’t wait.
As they got nearer Corky heard Little Star shout out ,”Hello Mr. Sun.”
Mr. Sun slowly turned around to see who was there. “ Well if it isn’t my old friend Corky… and who have you brought along to see me today?” he said with a warm and friendly voice. “This” said Corky, is my new friend Little Star. “ It’s a pleasure to meet you Mr. Sun “ said Little Star. “ I wish I was big and bright like you.”
Mr. Sun chuckled to himself. “ It will be a long time before you’re as big as me “ he said, “But you’ll be much brighter sooner than you think “ he said, winking at Corky.
Then Mr. Sun reached out his long shimmering arm and shook hands with Little Star, and as he let go a strange thing happened. Little Star felt all tingly inside, her eyes lit up and suddenly she started to glow brighter and brighter.” Looks like Mr. Sun has cheered you up a bit”, said Corky. Little Star gave Corky a big smile then turned around to wave goodbye to Mr. Sun. “ Thank you for making me bright and shiny”, shouted Little Star.” You always were”, said Mr. Sun ,”you just had to feel it inside.”
Then with a whoosh from Corky’s tail they shot off through space and before Little Star knew it they were back home just in time for tea.
The End.
Little star lived in space with all the other stars and planets. Most stars were shiny and bright and made patterns in the sky, but try as she might, Little Star couldn’t shine as brightly as the other stars.
One night when the other stars were dancing around the moon Little Star set off to see her friend, Twinkle. Now Twinkle was a wishing star and could make Little Stars wish come true. She wanted to be the brightest star in the universe! But Little Star couldn’t find Twinkle anywhere and she started to cry. Would she ever be as bright as the other stars ?
Suddenly she heard a friendly voice calling out ,”Little Star, Little Star grab hold of my tail and I’ll take you for a ride!” It was Corky the comet. Corky had a long silvery tail and was always rushing through space. Straight away Little Star leaped onto Corky’s tail. It was time for an adventure!
“Where are we going?” Little Star asked Corky. “We’re going to visit my old friend Mr. Sun, the biggest and brightest star of all.” Little Star was so excited she nearly fell off Corky’s tail. As Corky sped through space Little Star could feel the warm glow from Mr. Sun getting closer.” We’ll fly once around Mr. Sun and then it’s back home for tea” bellowed Corky. Little Star couldn’t wait.
As they got nearer Corky heard Little Star shout out ,”Hello Mr. Sun.”
Mr. Sun slowly turned around to see who was there. “ Well if it isn’t my old friend Corky… and who have you brought along to see me today?” he said with a warm and friendly voice. “This” said Corky, is my new friend Little Star. “ It’s a pleasure to meet you Mr. Sun “ said Little Star. “ I wish I was big and bright like you.”
Mr. Sun chuckled to himself. “ It will be a long time before you’re as big as me “ he said, “But you’ll be much brighter sooner than you think “ he said, winking at Corky.
Then Mr. Sun reached out his long shimmering arm and shook hands with Little Star, and as he let go a strange thing happened. Little Star felt all tingly inside, her eyes lit up and suddenly she started to glow brighter and brighter.” Looks like Mr. Sun has cheered you up a bit”, said Corky. Little Star gave Corky a big smile then turned around to wave goodbye to Mr. Sun. “ Thank you for making me bright and shiny”, shouted Little Star.” You always were”, said Mr. Sun ,”you just had to feel it inside.”
Then with a whoosh from Corky’s tail they shot off through space and before Little Star knew it they were back home just in time for tea.
The End.
The Elf and the rose
The Elf of the Rose
by
Hans Christian Andersen
(1839)
IN the midst of a garden grew a rose-tree, in full blossom, and in the prettiest of all the roses lived an elf. He was such a little wee thing, that no human eye could see him. Behind each leaf of the rose he had a sleeping chamber. He was as well formed and as beautiful as a little child could be, and had wings that reached from his shoulders to his feet. Oh, what sweet fragrance there was in his chambers! and how clean and beautiful were the walls! for they were the blushing leaves of the rose.
During the whole day he enjoyed himself in the warm sunshine, flew from flower to flower, and danced on the wings of the flying butterflies. Then he took it into his head to measure how many steps he would have to go through the roads and cross-roads that are on the leaf of a linden-tree. What we call the veins on a leaf, he took for roads; ay, and very long roads they were for him; for before he had half finished his task, the sun went down: he had commenced his work too late. It became very cold, the dew fell, and the wind blew; so he thought the best thing he could do would be to return home. He hurried himself as much as he could; but he found the roses all closed up, and he could not get in; not a single rose stood open. The poor little elf was very much frightened. He had never before been out at night, but had always slumbered secretly behind the warm rose-leaves. Oh, this would certainly be his death. At the other end of the garden, he knew there was an arbor, overgrown with beautiful honey-suckles. The blossoms looked like large painted horns; and he thought to himself, he would go and sleep in one of these till the morning. He flew thither; but “hush!” two people were in the arbor,—a handsome young man and a beautiful lady. They sat side by side, and wished that they might never be obliged to part. They loved each other much more than the best child can love its father and mother.
“But we must part,” said the young man; “your brother does not like our engagement, and therefore he sends me so far away on business, over mountains and seas. Farewell, my sweet bride; for so you are to me.”
And then they kissed each other, and the girl wept, and gave him a rose; but before she did so, she pressed a kiss upon it so fervently that the flower opened. Then the little elf flew in, and leaned his head on the delicate, fragrant walls. Here he could plainly hear them say, “Farewell, farewell;” and he felt that the rose had been placed on the young man’s breast. Oh, how his heart did beat! The little elf could not go to sleep, it thumped so loudly. The young man took it out as he walked through the dark wood alone, and kissed the flower so often and so violently, that the little elf was almost crushed. He could feel through the leaf how hot the lips of the young man were, and the rose had opened, as if from the heat of the noonday sun.
There came another man, who looked gloomy and wicked. He was the wicked brother of the beautiful maiden. He drew out a sharp knife, and while the other was kissing the rose, the wicked man stabbed him to death; then he cut off his head, and buried it with the body in the soft earth under the linden-tree.
“Now he is gone, and will soon be forgotten,” thought the wicked brother; “he will never come back again. He was going on a long journey over mountains and seas; it is easy for a man to lose his life in such a journey. My sister will suppose he is dead; for he cannot come back, and she will not dare to question me about him.”
Then he scattered the dry leaves over the light earth with his foot, and went home through the darkness; but he went not alone, as he thought,—the little elf accompanied him. He sat in a dry rolled-up linden-leaf, which had fallen from the tree on to the wicked man’s head, as he was digging the grave. The hat was on the head now, which made it very dark, and the little elf shuddered with fright and indignation at the wicked deed.
It was the dawn of morning before the wicked man reached home; he took off his hat, and went into his sister’s room. There lay the beautiful, blooming girl, dreaming of him whom she loved so, and who was now, she supposed, travelling far away over mountain and sea. Her wicked brother stopped over her, and laughed hideously, as fiends only can laugh. The dry leaf fell out of his hair upon the counterpane; but he did not notice it, and went to get a little sleep during the early morning hours. But the elf slipped out of the withered leaf, placed himself by the ear of the sleeping girl, and told her, as in a dream, of the horrid murder; described the place where her brother had slain her lover, and buried his body; and told her of the linden-tree, in full blossom, that stood close by.
“That you may not think this is only a dream that I have told you,” he said, “you will find on your bed a withered leaf.”
Then she awoke, and found it there. Oh, what bitter tears she shed! and she could not open her heart to any one for relief.
The window stood open the whole day, and the little elf could easily have reached the roses, or any of the flowers; but he could not find it in his heart to leave one so afflicted. In the window stood a bush bearing monthly roses. He seated himself in one of the flowers, and gazed on the poor girl. Her brother often came into the room, and would be quite cheerful, in spite of his base conduct; so she dare not say a word to him of her heart’s grief.
As soon as night came on, she slipped out of the house, and went into the wood, to the spot where the linden-tree stood; and after removing the leaves from the earth, she turned it up, and there found him who had been murdered. Oh, how she wept and prayed that she also might die! Gladly would she have taken the body home with her; but that was impossible; so she took up the poor head with the closed eyes, kissed the cold lips, and shook the mould out of the beautiful hair.
“I will keep this,” said she; and as soon as she had covered the body again with the earth and leaves, she took the head and a little sprig of jasmine that bloomed in the wood, near the spot where he was buried, and carried them home with her. As soon as she was in her room, she took the largest flower-pot she could find, and in this she placed the head of the dead man, covered it up with earth, and planted the twig of jasmine in it.
“Farewell, farewell,” whispered the little elf. He could not any longer endure to witness all this agony of grief, he therefore flew away to his own rose in the garden. But the rose was faded; only a few dry leaves still clung to the green hedge behind it.
“Alas! how soon all that is good and beautiful passes away,” sighed the elf.
After a while he found another rose, which became his home, for among its delicate fragrant leaves he could dwell in safety. Every morning he flew to the window of the poor girl, and always found her weeping by the flower pot. The bitter tears fell upon the jasmine twig, and each day, as she became paler and paler, the sprig appeared to grow greener and fresher. One shoot after another sprouted forth, and little white buds blossomed, which the poor girl fondly kissed. But her wicked brother scolded her, and asked her if she was going mad. He could not imagine why she was weeping over that flower-pot, and it annoyed him. He did not know whose closed eyes were there, nor what red lips were fading beneath the earth. And one day she sat and leaned her head against the flower-pot, and the little elf of the rose found her asleep. Then he seated himself by her ear, talked to her of that evening in the arbor, of the sweet perfume of the rose, and the loves of the elves. Sweetly she dreamed, and while she dreamt, her life passed away calmly and gently, and her spirit was with him whom she loved, in heaven. And the jasmine opened its large white bells, and spread forth its sweet fragrance; it had no other way of showing its grief for the dead. But the wicked brother considered the beautiful blooming plant as his own property, left to him by his sister, and he placed it in his sleeping room, close by his bed, for it was very lovely in appearance, and the fragrance sweet and delightful. The little elf of the rose followed it, and flew from flower to flower, telling each little spirit that dwelt in them the story of the murdered young man, whose head now formed part of the earth beneath them, and of the wicked brother and the poor sister. “We know it,” said each little spirit in the flowers, “we know it, for have we not sprung from the eyes and lips of the murdered one. We know it, we know it,” and the flowers nodded with their heads in a peculiar manner. The elf of the rose could not understand how they could rest so quietly in the matter, so he flew to the bees, who were gathering honey, and told them of the wicked brother. And the bees told it to their queen, who commanded that the next morning they should go and kill the murderer. But during the night, the first after the sister’s death, while the brother was sleeping in his bed, close to where he had placed the fragrant jasmine, every flower cup opened, and invisibly the little spirits stole out, armed with poisonous spears. They placed themselves by the ear of the sleeper, told him dreadful dreams and then flew across his lips, and pricked his tongue with their poisoned spears. “Now have we revenged the dead,” said they, and flew back into the white bells of the jasmine flowers. When the morning came, and as soon as the window was opened, the rose elf, with the queen bee, and the whole swarm of bees, rushed in to kill him. But he was already dead. People were standing round the bed, and saying that the scent of the jasmine had killed him. Then the elf of the rose understood the revenge of the flowers, and explained it to the queen bee, and she, with the whole swarm, buzzed about the flower-pot. The bees could not be driven away. Then a man took it up to remove it, and one of the bees stung him in the hand, so that he let the flower-pot fall, and it was broken to pieces. Then every one saw the whitened skull, and they knew the dead man in the bed was a murderer. And the queen bee hummed in the air, and sang of the revenge of the flowers, and of the elf of the rose and said that behind the smallest leaf dwells One, who can discover evil deeds, and punish them also.
The End
by
Hans Christian Andersen
(1839)
IN the midst of a garden grew a rose-tree, in full blossom, and in the prettiest of all the roses lived an elf. He was such a little wee thing, that no human eye could see him. Behind each leaf of the rose he had a sleeping chamber. He was as well formed and as beautiful as a little child could be, and had wings that reached from his shoulders to his feet. Oh, what sweet fragrance there was in his chambers! and how clean and beautiful were the walls! for they were the blushing leaves of the rose.
During the whole day he enjoyed himself in the warm sunshine, flew from flower to flower, and danced on the wings of the flying butterflies. Then he took it into his head to measure how many steps he would have to go through the roads and cross-roads that are on the leaf of a linden-tree. What we call the veins on a leaf, he took for roads; ay, and very long roads they were for him; for before he had half finished his task, the sun went down: he had commenced his work too late. It became very cold, the dew fell, and the wind blew; so he thought the best thing he could do would be to return home. He hurried himself as much as he could; but he found the roses all closed up, and he could not get in; not a single rose stood open. The poor little elf was very much frightened. He had never before been out at night, but had always slumbered secretly behind the warm rose-leaves. Oh, this would certainly be his death. At the other end of the garden, he knew there was an arbor, overgrown with beautiful honey-suckles. The blossoms looked like large painted horns; and he thought to himself, he would go and sleep in one of these till the morning. He flew thither; but “hush!” two people were in the arbor,—a handsome young man and a beautiful lady. They sat side by side, and wished that they might never be obliged to part. They loved each other much more than the best child can love its father and mother.
“But we must part,” said the young man; “your brother does not like our engagement, and therefore he sends me so far away on business, over mountains and seas. Farewell, my sweet bride; for so you are to me.”
And then they kissed each other, and the girl wept, and gave him a rose; but before she did so, she pressed a kiss upon it so fervently that the flower opened. Then the little elf flew in, and leaned his head on the delicate, fragrant walls. Here he could plainly hear them say, “Farewell, farewell;” and he felt that the rose had been placed on the young man’s breast. Oh, how his heart did beat! The little elf could not go to sleep, it thumped so loudly. The young man took it out as he walked through the dark wood alone, and kissed the flower so often and so violently, that the little elf was almost crushed. He could feel through the leaf how hot the lips of the young man were, and the rose had opened, as if from the heat of the noonday sun.
There came another man, who looked gloomy and wicked. He was the wicked brother of the beautiful maiden. He drew out a sharp knife, and while the other was kissing the rose, the wicked man stabbed him to death; then he cut off his head, and buried it with the body in the soft earth under the linden-tree.
“Now he is gone, and will soon be forgotten,” thought the wicked brother; “he will never come back again. He was going on a long journey over mountains and seas; it is easy for a man to lose his life in such a journey. My sister will suppose he is dead; for he cannot come back, and she will not dare to question me about him.”
Then he scattered the dry leaves over the light earth with his foot, and went home through the darkness; but he went not alone, as he thought,—the little elf accompanied him. He sat in a dry rolled-up linden-leaf, which had fallen from the tree on to the wicked man’s head, as he was digging the grave. The hat was on the head now, which made it very dark, and the little elf shuddered with fright and indignation at the wicked deed.
It was the dawn of morning before the wicked man reached home; he took off his hat, and went into his sister’s room. There lay the beautiful, blooming girl, dreaming of him whom she loved so, and who was now, she supposed, travelling far away over mountain and sea. Her wicked brother stopped over her, and laughed hideously, as fiends only can laugh. The dry leaf fell out of his hair upon the counterpane; but he did not notice it, and went to get a little sleep during the early morning hours. But the elf slipped out of the withered leaf, placed himself by the ear of the sleeping girl, and told her, as in a dream, of the horrid murder; described the place where her brother had slain her lover, and buried his body; and told her of the linden-tree, in full blossom, that stood close by.
“That you may not think this is only a dream that I have told you,” he said, “you will find on your bed a withered leaf.”
Then she awoke, and found it there. Oh, what bitter tears she shed! and she could not open her heart to any one for relief.
The window stood open the whole day, and the little elf could easily have reached the roses, or any of the flowers; but he could not find it in his heart to leave one so afflicted. In the window stood a bush bearing monthly roses. He seated himself in one of the flowers, and gazed on the poor girl. Her brother often came into the room, and would be quite cheerful, in spite of his base conduct; so she dare not say a word to him of her heart’s grief.
As soon as night came on, she slipped out of the house, and went into the wood, to the spot where the linden-tree stood; and after removing the leaves from the earth, she turned it up, and there found him who had been murdered. Oh, how she wept and prayed that she also might die! Gladly would she have taken the body home with her; but that was impossible; so she took up the poor head with the closed eyes, kissed the cold lips, and shook the mould out of the beautiful hair.
“I will keep this,” said she; and as soon as she had covered the body again with the earth and leaves, she took the head and a little sprig of jasmine that bloomed in the wood, near the spot where he was buried, and carried them home with her. As soon as she was in her room, she took the largest flower-pot she could find, and in this she placed the head of the dead man, covered it up with earth, and planted the twig of jasmine in it.
“Farewell, farewell,” whispered the little elf. He could not any longer endure to witness all this agony of grief, he therefore flew away to his own rose in the garden. But the rose was faded; only a few dry leaves still clung to the green hedge behind it.
“Alas! how soon all that is good and beautiful passes away,” sighed the elf.
After a while he found another rose, which became his home, for among its delicate fragrant leaves he could dwell in safety. Every morning he flew to the window of the poor girl, and always found her weeping by the flower pot. The bitter tears fell upon the jasmine twig, and each day, as she became paler and paler, the sprig appeared to grow greener and fresher. One shoot after another sprouted forth, and little white buds blossomed, which the poor girl fondly kissed. But her wicked brother scolded her, and asked her if she was going mad. He could not imagine why she was weeping over that flower-pot, and it annoyed him. He did not know whose closed eyes were there, nor what red lips were fading beneath the earth. And one day she sat and leaned her head against the flower-pot, and the little elf of the rose found her asleep. Then he seated himself by her ear, talked to her of that evening in the arbor, of the sweet perfume of the rose, and the loves of the elves. Sweetly she dreamed, and while she dreamt, her life passed away calmly and gently, and her spirit was with him whom she loved, in heaven. And the jasmine opened its large white bells, and spread forth its sweet fragrance; it had no other way of showing its grief for the dead. But the wicked brother considered the beautiful blooming plant as his own property, left to him by his sister, and he placed it in his sleeping room, close by his bed, for it was very lovely in appearance, and the fragrance sweet and delightful. The little elf of the rose followed it, and flew from flower to flower, telling each little spirit that dwelt in them the story of the murdered young man, whose head now formed part of the earth beneath them, and of the wicked brother and the poor sister. “We know it,” said each little spirit in the flowers, “we know it, for have we not sprung from the eyes and lips of the murdered one. We know it, we know it,” and the flowers nodded with their heads in a peculiar manner. The elf of the rose could not understand how they could rest so quietly in the matter, so he flew to the bees, who were gathering honey, and told them of the wicked brother. And the bees told it to their queen, who commanded that the next morning they should go and kill the murderer. But during the night, the first after the sister’s death, while the brother was sleeping in his bed, close to where he had placed the fragrant jasmine, every flower cup opened, and invisibly the little spirits stole out, armed with poisonous spears. They placed themselves by the ear of the sleeper, told him dreadful dreams and then flew across his lips, and pricked his tongue with their poisoned spears. “Now have we revenged the dead,” said they, and flew back into the white bells of the jasmine flowers. When the morning came, and as soon as the window was opened, the rose elf, with the queen bee, and the whole swarm of bees, rushed in to kill him. But he was already dead. People were standing round the bed, and saying that the scent of the jasmine had killed him. Then the elf of the rose understood the revenge of the flowers, and explained it to the queen bee, and she, with the whole swarm, buzzed about the flower-pot. The bees could not be driven away. Then a man took it up to remove it, and one of the bees stung him in the hand, so that he let the flower-pot fall, and it was broken to pieces. Then every one saw the whitened skull, and they knew the dead man in the bed was a murderer. And the queen bee hummed in the air, and sang of the revenge of the flowers, and of the elf of the rose and said that behind the smallest leaf dwells One, who can discover evil deeds, and punish them also.
The End
The Happy Tree
THE HAPPY TREE
Tree stood by the brook at the bottom of the meadow. He stretched his branches up to the sky and gave a little sigh.
"Why are you so sad?" asked an owl, settling on a branch.
"I'm the only tree here," said Tree, "I have no friends nearby."
"You're not as alone as you think," said Owl, "Look."
One wiggly worm crawled in and out of Tree's bark.
"Hello Wiggly Worm," said Tree, a little astonished.
"Hi there, Tree," called Wiggle Worm, "want to be friends?"
"Oh yes," said Tree, feeling a bit less sad.
"Look a little more," said Owl.
Two squirrels scuttled up the tree trunk.
"That's ticklish!" giggled Tree.
"Hello Tree," laughed the squirrels, "want to be friends?"
"Yes, please," said Tree, and he giggled again.
"You need to look again," said Owl.
Three blackbirds sat on a branch to sing.
"I'd like to sing with you," hummed Tree.
"Of course," twittered the blackbirds, "want to be friends?"
"I do," said Tree, and he hummed a song.
"All you have to do is keep looking," smiled Owl.
Four rabbits scampered from their burrow by Tree's roots.
"Where are you off to?" asked Tree.
"To find a garden full of spring vegetables," called the rabbits, "want to be friends?"
"I'd love to," smiled Tree, and he shook his branches in the sunshine.
"You seem quite busy, today," said Owl.
Five baby sparrows chattered noisily in their nests.
"Are you hungry again?" called Tree.
"We're always hungry!" chattered the sparrows, "want to be our friend, Tree?"
"Yes, indeed," said Tree, and rocked gently till the baby sparrows fell asleep.
"They are very noisy little birds," said Owl.
Six ants scuttled up and down Tree's trunk.
"You always seem so busy," said Tree with a friendly smile.
"Oh yes, we have so much work to do during the summer," cried the ants, "want to be our friend?"
"Oh yes," said Tree, not needing to sigh any more.
"They rush around all day long," said Owl.
Seven spiders spun their webs till Tree's leaves glittered in the autumn mist.
"They are beautiful webs," gasped Tree when he saw them.
"Thank you," chorused the spiders, "want to be our friend,Tree?"
"I would love to be your friend," Tree was delighted.
"They are wonderful artists," said Owl, "but look there, Tree."
Eight cows sheltered from the rain under Tree's branches.
"Hello," said Tree, surprised, "are you new here?"
"We've just arrived on the farm," said the cows, "would you please be our friend?"
"Oh yes," said Tree, "you can meet some of my other friends too."
"Now your friends are meeting each other and making friends too," chuckled Owl.
Nine red apples hung on Tree's branches like jewels.
"I have beautiful apples," Tree told Owl, now very proud.
"They taste good too," said Pig, who snuffled around Tree's trunk, "would you like to be my friend?"
"Yes I would," said Tree, quite delighted.
"This is a very busy place," muttered Owl, "who's this now?"
Ten little children came along to play. Tree shook the snow off his branches and made the children laugh.
"Oh Tree, we want to be your friends," said the children, "we find wiggly worms, spiders and ants here; we can see the birds in their nests and listen to them singing; we can climb on your branches or shelter from the rain, we can pick your bright red apples, drink milk from the cows and pat the pig."
"Well come and join in the fun," grinned a very happy Tree.
"You have more friends than you realise." said Owl.
"I do. I m a very Happy Tree."
Tree stood by the brook at the bottom of the meadow. He stretched his branches up to the sky and gave a little sigh.
"Why are you so sad?" asked an owl, settling on a branch.
"I'm the only tree here," said Tree, "I have no friends nearby."
"You're not as alone as you think," said Owl, "Look."
One wiggly worm crawled in and out of Tree's bark.
"Hello Wiggly Worm," said Tree, a little astonished.
"Hi there, Tree," called Wiggle Worm, "want to be friends?"
"Oh yes," said Tree, feeling a bit less sad.
"Look a little more," said Owl.
Two squirrels scuttled up the tree trunk.
"That's ticklish!" giggled Tree.
"Hello Tree," laughed the squirrels, "want to be friends?"
"Yes, please," said Tree, and he giggled again.
"You need to look again," said Owl.
Three blackbirds sat on a branch to sing.
"I'd like to sing with you," hummed Tree.
"Of course," twittered the blackbirds, "want to be friends?"
"I do," said Tree, and he hummed a song.
"All you have to do is keep looking," smiled Owl.
Four rabbits scampered from their burrow by Tree's roots.
"Where are you off to?" asked Tree.
"To find a garden full of spring vegetables," called the rabbits, "want to be friends?"
"I'd love to," smiled Tree, and he shook his branches in the sunshine.
"You seem quite busy, today," said Owl.
Five baby sparrows chattered noisily in their nests.
"Are you hungry again?" called Tree.
"We're always hungry!" chattered the sparrows, "want to be our friend, Tree?"
"Yes, indeed," said Tree, and rocked gently till the baby sparrows fell asleep.
"They are very noisy little birds," said Owl.
Six ants scuttled up and down Tree's trunk.
"You always seem so busy," said Tree with a friendly smile.
"Oh yes, we have so much work to do during the summer," cried the ants, "want to be our friend?"
"Oh yes," said Tree, not needing to sigh any more.
"They rush around all day long," said Owl.
Seven spiders spun their webs till Tree's leaves glittered in the autumn mist.
"They are beautiful webs," gasped Tree when he saw them.
"Thank you," chorused the spiders, "want to be our friend,Tree?"
"I would love to be your friend," Tree was delighted.
"They are wonderful artists," said Owl, "but look there, Tree."
Eight cows sheltered from the rain under Tree's branches.
"Hello," said Tree, surprised, "are you new here?"
"We've just arrived on the farm," said the cows, "would you please be our friend?"
"Oh yes," said Tree, "you can meet some of my other friends too."
"Now your friends are meeting each other and making friends too," chuckled Owl.
Nine red apples hung on Tree's branches like jewels.
"I have beautiful apples," Tree told Owl, now very proud.
"They taste good too," said Pig, who snuffled around Tree's trunk, "would you like to be my friend?"
"Yes I would," said Tree, quite delighted.
"This is a very busy place," muttered Owl, "who's this now?"
Ten little children came along to play. Tree shook the snow off his branches and made the children laugh.
"Oh Tree, we want to be your friends," said the children, "we find wiggly worms, spiders and ants here; we can see the birds in their nests and listen to them singing; we can climb on your branches or shelter from the rain, we can pick your bright red apples, drink milk from the cows and pat the pig."
"Well come and join in the fun," grinned a very happy Tree.
"You have more friends than you realise." said Owl.
"I do. I m a very Happy Tree."
Short story: The Mermaid and the Centaur
The Mermaid and the Centaur
It was a warm and sunny afternoon, when Shaira was happily splashing her tail in the ocean waters with her best friends, Aisha and Kasia. For hours they would play their favorite game where the mermaid leaping the highest over the other would become 'Sea Princess of the Day.'
Giggling and laughing so hard that her tummy hurt, Shaira decided to let Aisha win today as she always felt that it was more fun to see her friends win.
Shaira's smile was wider than the horizon in the sky and her heart was bigger than the towering mountains above which seemed to touch the very sky. Her eyes were brighter than the bluest of waters she knew as her home. Her golden hair cascaded like a fresh waterfall down her back to her waist. From here on, Shaira had the slender tail of a fish which helped her swim faster and jump higher than any other human fish in the sea.
Her voice sang enchanting melodies that blew with the gentle sea breezes and stormy winds for miles and miles to lands faraway.
When Shaira was sad, she sang and hoped a special someone would hear her song.
There was someone she missed more than anything, - Shanan, the love of her many lives. Oh how she wondered where and who he was this time.....
Shaira first met Shanan many years ago when the heavens burst and created the stars and planets of our universe.
Shaira and Shanan shone side by side, brighter than the two stars of Gemini, lighting up the night sky with the brightness of the Moon.
Long ago, Sol and Luna were taking turns watching over the stars and decided to entertain themselves by playing a game of dice. Proud Sol said, " Let us make the game more fun by placing a little bet! " Luna enthusiastically asked, "Yes, what shall we bet?" Sol replied, "Every one hundred earth years, whoever wins, shall be given for one brief moment, the power of all the planets above to grant a wish to any stars that the winner chooses!"
Luna liked the idea and it was not very long before she won this game of dice. Luna immediately knew who the lucky star children would be - the two brightest in the heavens, Shaira and Shanan.
Chosen for their pure hearts and love for each other, sentimental Luna could not help but feel somewhat sad for them.
On the night of an eclipse, when Luna was at her most powerful, she appeared to Shaira and Shanan and asked; "Make a wish, children of the night sky, for I will make it come true!" "Oh Luna, we want to be closer to each other than stars in the sky!" cried Shaira and Shanan.
Luna began speaking the words of power and when the eclipse passed, Shaira and Shanan were reborn as two red roses, the most beautiful of flowers.
In a spectacular floral garden, they lived side by side once again, but this time, able to enjoy each other's company and sweet fragrance.
One hundred years passed and on this starry night, it was Luna's turn again to grant Shaira and Shanan yet another wish. With the help of Sol, Luna magically transformed herself into a butterfly of the brightest and prettiest of colors. She flew to the rose bush home of Shaira and Shanan and spoke, " My old friends, there is nothing more I would like to do, than to grant another wish for the two of you!"
The two red roses pleaded, "Oh, if only you will, what we want most it to be closer still!" The butterfly smiled, winked an eye at them and gracefully flew and disappeared into the baby blue sky.
Then out of a giant cloud, flew two lovely white-winged doves.
Shaira and Shanan were together again, but this time, traveling through the sky as symbols of universal peace.
Meanwhile, Shaira and Shanan's hearts were content but something they felt, was still missing. Luna sensed this sadness and could not wait to be able to grant them another wish.
The time eventually came and Luna transformed herself into a magnificent palm tree and planted herself near the old rose garden home of Shaira and Shanan.
One very hot summer day, the doves flew to this special palm tree to find a little bit of shade. Suddenly, the palm tree spoke, "Again a hundred years have come and gone, tell me what it is that you wish upon?" Shaira and Shanan cried out " By all your powers from above, what we have together is true love, if only we could now hold hands, and walk side by side through distant lands!"
Luna wanted to add some excitement and replied, "This will be done, but let's make it more fun, to make your wish come true for you, there is one thing you both must agree to do."
"What is it?" asked the doves. "You must wait longer if this is your will, but only to be re-born closer still.
A thousand nights spent apart, will bring more strength to each other's heart." Said Luna.
Shaira and Shanan answered, "Yes, to be closer than ever before is surely worth waiting for."
Content with this reply, Luna vanished into the rich earth.
And so they waited.....
Two hundred years passed and Shaira's sea-mates knew that she was sad as she often thought of Shanan, hoping the day would soon come when they would be together again
Shaira felt a bit tired today and gracefully swam to the sandy shore for a little afternoon nap. As she fell asleep under the warmth of the sun, she dreamt of Shanan. In her dream, a seahorse spoke, "The one you wait for is nearby, this I promise you is no lie. "
Shanan had been roaming the lands all this time searching for his beloved Shaira. He looked for her in all forms of life on earth. But today, he too grew most tired and discouraged. As he lay down to rest, he quickly fell asleep. In his dream, a seahorse also appeared and said, "Wait no more for her my friend, this is the beginning and not the end." Shanan instantly awoke determined now, more than ever, to keep looking even harder for Shaira.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the bushes, Shaira was awakened by the sounds of distant galloping. "Am I still dreaming?" she asked herself. Her eyes opened wide when she saw the handsome centaur who had stopped to drink some water from a nearby pond. Shaira's heart began to pound so loud that she could hear it!
She immediately recognized Shanan's soul. Feeling her presence, Shanan looked up only to find himself gazing into Shaira's crystal blue eyes and said, "I knew you were near because your song led me here!" Shaira replied, "I sang to you from my heart, each day that we have been apart."
From the distant waters you could hear Aisha and Kasia singing and rejoicing at the sight of them holding hands for the very first time.
Then suddenly, from the bushes appeared a unicorn of a lavender color who galloped proudly up to Shaira and Shanan. Like a warm spring shower, a golden ray of light shone from its horn bathing Shaira from head to tail and Shanan from head to hooves.
The unicorn's work was done as she galloped away into the bushes whereshe came from. Shaira and Shanan looked at each other and saw that she was no longer a mermaid and he was no longer a centaur. Now they were people just like you and me!
As they gazed down and started jumping and skipping about getting used to their brand new legs and feet, they suddenly realized that the magical unicorn had been their old friend, Luna who made true the best wish of all.
Together, Shaira and Shanan continued to live happily as Children of the Moon, King and Queen of the Kingdom of Lunaria, named in honor of their old friend, Luna.
© 2003 Ana Ruiz
It was a warm and sunny afternoon, when Shaira was happily splashing her tail in the ocean waters with her best friends, Aisha and Kasia. For hours they would play their favorite game where the mermaid leaping the highest over the other would become 'Sea Princess of the Day.'
Giggling and laughing so hard that her tummy hurt, Shaira decided to let Aisha win today as she always felt that it was more fun to see her friends win.
Shaira's smile was wider than the horizon in the sky and her heart was bigger than the towering mountains above which seemed to touch the very sky. Her eyes were brighter than the bluest of waters she knew as her home. Her golden hair cascaded like a fresh waterfall down her back to her waist. From here on, Shaira had the slender tail of a fish which helped her swim faster and jump higher than any other human fish in the sea.
Her voice sang enchanting melodies that blew with the gentle sea breezes and stormy winds for miles and miles to lands faraway.
When Shaira was sad, she sang and hoped a special someone would hear her song.
There was someone she missed more than anything, - Shanan, the love of her many lives. Oh how she wondered where and who he was this time.....
Shaira first met Shanan many years ago when the heavens burst and created the stars and planets of our universe.
Shaira and Shanan shone side by side, brighter than the two stars of Gemini, lighting up the night sky with the brightness of the Moon.
Long ago, Sol and Luna were taking turns watching over the stars and decided to entertain themselves by playing a game of dice. Proud Sol said, " Let us make the game more fun by placing a little bet! " Luna enthusiastically asked, "Yes, what shall we bet?" Sol replied, "Every one hundred earth years, whoever wins, shall be given for one brief moment, the power of all the planets above to grant a wish to any stars that the winner chooses!"
Luna liked the idea and it was not very long before she won this game of dice. Luna immediately knew who the lucky star children would be - the two brightest in the heavens, Shaira and Shanan.
Chosen for their pure hearts and love for each other, sentimental Luna could not help but feel somewhat sad for them.
On the night of an eclipse, when Luna was at her most powerful, she appeared to Shaira and Shanan and asked; "Make a wish, children of the night sky, for I will make it come true!" "Oh Luna, we want to be closer to each other than stars in the sky!" cried Shaira and Shanan.
Luna began speaking the words of power and when the eclipse passed, Shaira and Shanan were reborn as two red roses, the most beautiful of flowers.
In a spectacular floral garden, they lived side by side once again, but this time, able to enjoy each other's company and sweet fragrance.
One hundred years passed and on this starry night, it was Luna's turn again to grant Shaira and Shanan yet another wish. With the help of Sol, Luna magically transformed herself into a butterfly of the brightest and prettiest of colors. She flew to the rose bush home of Shaira and Shanan and spoke, " My old friends, there is nothing more I would like to do, than to grant another wish for the two of you!"
The two red roses pleaded, "Oh, if only you will, what we want most it to be closer still!" The butterfly smiled, winked an eye at them and gracefully flew and disappeared into the baby blue sky.
Then out of a giant cloud, flew two lovely white-winged doves.
Shaira and Shanan were together again, but this time, traveling through the sky as symbols of universal peace.
Meanwhile, Shaira and Shanan's hearts were content but something they felt, was still missing. Luna sensed this sadness and could not wait to be able to grant them another wish.
The time eventually came and Luna transformed herself into a magnificent palm tree and planted herself near the old rose garden home of Shaira and Shanan.
One very hot summer day, the doves flew to this special palm tree to find a little bit of shade. Suddenly, the palm tree spoke, "Again a hundred years have come and gone, tell me what it is that you wish upon?" Shaira and Shanan cried out " By all your powers from above, what we have together is true love, if only we could now hold hands, and walk side by side through distant lands!"
Luna wanted to add some excitement and replied, "This will be done, but let's make it more fun, to make your wish come true for you, there is one thing you both must agree to do."
"What is it?" asked the doves. "You must wait longer if this is your will, but only to be re-born closer still.
A thousand nights spent apart, will bring more strength to each other's heart." Said Luna.
Shaira and Shanan answered, "Yes, to be closer than ever before is surely worth waiting for."
Content with this reply, Luna vanished into the rich earth.
And so they waited.....
Two hundred years passed and Shaira's sea-mates knew that she was sad as she often thought of Shanan, hoping the day would soon come when they would be together again
Shaira felt a bit tired today and gracefully swam to the sandy shore for a little afternoon nap. As she fell asleep under the warmth of the sun, she dreamt of Shanan. In her dream, a seahorse spoke, "The one you wait for is nearby, this I promise you is no lie. "
Shanan had been roaming the lands all this time searching for his beloved Shaira. He looked for her in all forms of life on earth. But today, he too grew most tired and discouraged. As he lay down to rest, he quickly fell asleep. In his dream, a seahorse also appeared and said, "Wait no more for her my friend, this is the beginning and not the end." Shanan instantly awoke determined now, more than ever, to keep looking even harder for Shaira.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the bushes, Shaira was awakened by the sounds of distant galloping. "Am I still dreaming?" she asked herself. Her eyes opened wide when she saw the handsome centaur who had stopped to drink some water from a nearby pond. Shaira's heart began to pound so loud that she could hear it!
She immediately recognized Shanan's soul. Feeling her presence, Shanan looked up only to find himself gazing into Shaira's crystal blue eyes and said, "I knew you were near because your song led me here!" Shaira replied, "I sang to you from my heart, each day that we have been apart."
From the distant waters you could hear Aisha and Kasia singing and rejoicing at the sight of them holding hands for the very first time.
Then suddenly, from the bushes appeared a unicorn of a lavender color who galloped proudly up to Shaira and Shanan. Like a warm spring shower, a golden ray of light shone from its horn bathing Shaira from head to tail and Shanan from head to hooves.
The unicorn's work was done as she galloped away into the bushes whereshe came from. Shaira and Shanan looked at each other and saw that she was no longer a mermaid and he was no longer a centaur. Now they were people just like you and me!
As they gazed down and started jumping and skipping about getting used to their brand new legs and feet, they suddenly realized that the magical unicorn had been their old friend, Luna who made true the best wish of all.
Together, Shaira and Shanan continued to live happily as Children of the Moon, King and Queen of the Kingdom of Lunaria, named in honor of their old friend, Luna.
© 2003 Ana Ruiz
Monday, March 7, 2011
THE BOY WHO BECAME A STONE Tinguian
THE BOY WHO BECAME A STONE
Tinguian
One day a little boy named Elonen sat out in the yard making a bird snare, and as he worked, a little bird called to him: "Tik-tik-lo-den" (come and catch me).
"I am making a snare for you," said the boy; but the bird continued to call until the snare was finished.
Then Elonen ran and threw the snare over the bird and caught it, and he put it in a jar in his house while he went with the other boys to swim.
While he was away, his grandmother grew hungry, so she ate the bird, and when Elonen returned and found that his bird was gone, he was so sad that he wished he might go away and never come back. He went out into the forest and walked a long distance, until finally he came to a big stone and said: "Stone, open your mouth and eat me." And the stone opened its mouth and swallowed the boy.
When his grandmother missed the boy, she went out and looked everywhere, hoping to find him. Finally she passed near the stone and it cried out, "Here he is." Then the old woman tried to open the stone but she could not, so she called the horses to come and help her. They came and kicked it, but it would not break. Then she called the carabao and they hooked it, but they only broke their horns. She called the chickens, which pecked it, and the thunder, which shook it, but nothing could open it, and she had to go home without the boy.
http://www.sacred-texts.com/asia/pft/pft21.htm
Tinguian
One day a little boy named Elonen sat out in the yard making a bird snare, and as he worked, a little bird called to him: "Tik-tik-lo-den" (come and catch me).
"I am making a snare for you," said the boy; but the bird continued to call until the snare was finished.
Then Elonen ran and threw the snare over the bird and caught it, and he put it in a jar in his house while he went with the other boys to swim.
While he was away, his grandmother grew hungry, so she ate the bird, and when Elonen returned and found that his bird was gone, he was so sad that he wished he might go away and never come back. He went out into the forest and walked a long distance, until finally he came to a big stone and said: "Stone, open your mouth and eat me." And the stone opened its mouth and swallowed the boy.
When his grandmother missed the boy, she went out and looked everywhere, hoping to find him. Finally she passed near the stone and it cried out, "Here he is." Then the old woman tried to open the stone but she could not, so she called the horses to come and help her. They came and kicked it, but it would not break. Then she called the carabao and they hooked it, but they only broke their horns. She called the chickens, which pecked it, and the thunder, which shook it, but nothing could open it, and she had to go home without the boy.
http://www.sacred-texts.com/asia/pft/pft21.htm
Another Work of Jose viLLa Footnote To Youth
Another Work of Jose viLLa
Footnote To Youth
The sun was salmon and hazy in the west. Dodong thought to himself he would tell his father about Teang when he got home, after he had unhitched the carabao from the plow, and let it to its shed and fed it. He was hesitant about saying it, but he wanted his father to know. What he had to say was of serious import as it would mark a climacteric in his life. Dodong finally decided to tell it, at a thought came to him his father might refuse to consider it. His father was silent hard-working farmer who chewed areca nut, which he had learned to do from his mother, Dodong's grandmother.
I will tell it to him. I will tell it to him.
The ground was broken up into many fresh wounds and fragrant with a sweetish earthy smell. Many slender soft worms emerged from the furrows and then burrowed again deeper into the soil. A short colorless worm marched blindly to Dodong's foot and crawled calmly over it. Dodong go tickled and jerked his foot, flinging the worm into the air. Dodong did not bother to look where it fell, but thought of his age, seventeen, and he said to himself he was not young any more.
Dodong unhitched the carabao leisurely and gave it a healthy tap on the hip. The beast turned its head to look at him with dumb faithful eyes. Dodong gave it a slight push and the animal walked alongside him to its shed. He placed bundles of grass before it land the carabao began to eat. Dodong looked at it without interests.
Dodong started homeward, thinking how he would break his news to his father. He wanted to marry, Dodong did. He was seventeen, he had pimples on his face, the down on his upper lip already was dark--these meant he was no longer a boy. He was growing into a man--he was a man. Dodong felt insolent and big at the thought of it although he was by nature low in statue. Thinking himself a man grown, Dodong felt he could do anything.
He walked faster, prodded by the thought of his virility. A small angled stone bled his foot, but he dismissed it cursorily. He lifted his leg and looked at the hurt toe and then went on walking. In the cool sundown he thought wild you dreams of himself and Teang. Teang, his girl. She had a small brown face and small black eyes and straight glossy hair. How desirable she was to him. She made him dream even during the day.
Dodong tensed with desire and looked at the muscles of his arms. Dirty. This field
work was healthy, invigorating but it begrimed you, smudged you terribly. He turned back the way he had come, then he marched obliquely to a creek.
Dodong stripped himself and laid his clothes, a gray undershirt and red kundiman shorts, on the grass. The he went into the water, wet his body over, and rubbed at it vigorously. He was not long in bathing, then he marched homeward again. The bath made him feel cool.
It was dusk when he reached home. The petroleum lamp on the ceiling already was lighted and the low unvarnished square table was set for supper. His parents and he sat down on the floor around the table to eat. They had fried fresh-water fish, rice, bananas, and caked sugar.
Dodong ate fish and rice, but did not partake of the fruit. The bananas were overripe and when one held them they felt more fluid than solid. Dodong broke off a piece of the cakes sugar, dipped it in his glass of water and ate it. He got another piece and wanted some more, but he thought of leaving the remainder for his parents.
Dodong's mother removed the dishes when they were through and went out to the batalan to wash them. She walked with slow careful steps and Dodong wanted to help her carry the dishes out, but he was tired and now felt lazy. He wished as he looked at her that he had a sister who could help his mother in the housework. He pitied her, doing all the housework alone.
His father remained in the room, sucking a diseased tooth. It was paining him again, Dodong knew. Dodong had told him often and again to let the town dentist pull it out, but he was afraid, his father was. He did not tell that to Dodong, but Dodong guessed it. Afterward Dodong himself thought that if he had a decayed tooth he would be afraid to go to the dentist; he would not be any bolder than his father.
Dodong said while his mother was out that he was going to marry Teang. There it was out, what he had to say, and over which he had done so much thinking. He had said it without any effort at all and without self-consciousness. Dodong felt relieved and looked at his father expectantly. A decrescent moon outside shed its feeble light into the window, graying the still black temples of his father. His father looked old now.
"I am going to marry Teang," Dodong said.
His father looked at him silently and stopped sucking the broken tooth. The silence became intense and cruel, and Dodong wished his father would suck that troublous tooth again. Dodong was uncomfortable and then became angry because his father kept looking at him without uttering anything.
"I will marry Teang," Dodong repeated. "I will marry Teang."
His father kept gazing at him in inflexible silence and Dodong fidgeted on his seat.
"I asked her last night to marry me and she said...yes. I want your permission. I... want... it...." There was impatient clamor in his voice, an exacting protest at this coldness, this indifference. Dodong looked at his father sourly. He cracked his knuckles one by one, and the little sounds it made broke dully the night stillness.
"Must you marry, Dodong?"
Dodong resented his father's questions; his father himself had married. Dodong made a quick impassioned easy in his mind about selfishness, but later he got confused.
"You are very young, Dodong."
"I'm... seventeen."
"That's very young to get married at."
"I... I want to marry...Teang's a good girl."
"Tell your mother," his father said.
"You tell her, tatay."
"Dodong, you tell your inay."
"You tell her."
"All right, Dodong."
"You will let me marry Teang?"
"Son, if that is your wish... of course..." There was a strange helpless light in his father's eyes. Dodong did not read it, so absorbed was he in himself.
Dodong was immensely glad he had asserted himself. He lost his resentment for his father. For a while he even felt sorry for him about the diseased tooth. Then he confined his mind to dreaming of Teang and himself. Sweet young dream....
-------------------------------------------
Dodong stood in the sweltering noon heat, sweating profusely, so that his camiseta was damp. He was still as a tree and his thoughts were confused. His mother had told him not to leave the house, but he had left. He had wanted to get out of it without clear reason at all. He was afraid, he felt. Afraid of the house. It had seemed to cage him, to compares his thoughts with severe tyranny. Afraid also of Teang. Teang was giving birth in the house; she gave screams that chilled his blood. He did not want her to scream like that, he seemed to be rebuking him. He began to wonder madly if the process of childbirth was really painful. Some women, when they gave birth, did not cry.
In a few moments he would be a father. "Father, father," he whispered the word with awe, with strangeness. He was young, he realized now, contradicting himself of nine months comfortable... "Your son," people would soon be telling him. "Your son, Dodong."
Dodong felt tired standing. He sat down on a saw-horse with his feet close together. He looked at his callused toes. Suppose he had ten children... What made him think that? What was the matter with him? God!
He heard his mother's voice from the house:
"Come up, Dodong. It is over."
Suddenly he felt terribly embarrassed as he looked at her. Somehow he was ashamed to his mother of his youthful paternity. It made him feel guilty, as if he had taken something no properly his. He dropped his eyes and pretended to dust dirt off his kundiman shorts.
"Dodong," his mother called again. "Dodong."
He turned to look again and this time saw his father beside his mother.
"It is a boy," his father said. He beckoned Dodong to come up.
Dodong felt more embarrassed and did not move. What a moment for him. His parents' eyes seemed to pierce him through and he felt limp.
He wanted to hide from them, to run away.
"Dodong, you come up. You come up," he mother said.
Dodong did not want to come up and stayed in the sun.
"Dodong. Dodong."
"I'll... come up."
Dodong traced tremulous steps on the dry parched yard. He ascended the bamboo steps slowly. His heart pounded mercilessly in him. Within, he avoided his parents eyes. He walked ahead of them so that they should not see his face. He felt guilty and untrue. He felt like crying. His eyes smarted and his chest wanted to burst. He wanted to turn back, to go back to the yard. He wanted somebody to punish him.
His father thrust his hand in his and gripped it gently.
"Son," his father said.
And his mother: "Dodong..."
How kind were their voices. They flowed into him, making him strong.
"Teang?" Dodong said.
"She's sleeping. But you go on..."
His father led him into the small sawali room. Dodong saw Teang, his girl-wife, asleep on the papag with her black hair soft around her face. He did not want her to look that pale.
Dodong wanted to touch her, to push away that stray wisp of hair that touched her lips, but again that feeling of embarrassment came over him and before his parents he did not want to be demonstrative.
The hilot was wrapping the child, Dodong heard it cry. The thin voice pierced him queerly. He could not control the swelling of happiness in him.
“You give him to me. You give him to me," Dodong said.
-------------------------------------------
Blas was not Dodong's only child. Many more children came. For six successive years a new child came along. Dodong did not want any more children, but they came. It seemed the coming of children could not be helped. Dodong got angry with himself sometimes.
Teang did not complain, but the bearing of children told on her. She was shapeless and thin now, even if she was young. There was interminable work to be done. Cooking. Laundering. The house. The children. She cried sometimes, wishing she had not married. She did not tell Dodong this, not wishing him to dislike her. Yet she wished she had not married. Not even Dodong, whom she loved. There has been another suitor, Lucio, older than Dodong by nine years, and that was why she had chosen Dodong. Young Dodong. Seventeen. Lucio had married another after her marriage to Dodong, but he was childless until now. She wondered if she had married Lucio, would she have borne him children. Maybe not, either. That was a better lot. But she loved Dodong...
Dodong whom life had made ugly.
One night, as he lay beside his wife, he rose and went out of the house. He stood in the moonlight, tired and querulous. He wanted to ask questions and somebody to answer him. He w anted to be wise about many things.
One of them was why life did not fulfill all of Youth's dreams. Why it must be so. Why one was forsaken... after Love.
Dodong would not find the answer. Maybe the question was not to be answered. It must be so to make youth Youth. Youth must be dreamfully sweet. Dreamfully sweet. Dodong returned to the house humiliated by himself. He had wanted to know a little wisdom but was denied it.
When Blas was eighteen he came home one night very flustered and happy. It was late at night and Teang and the other children were asleep. Dodong heard Blas's steps, for he could not sleep well of nights. He watched Blas undress in the dark and lie down softly. Blas was restless on his mat and could not sleep. Dodong called him name and asked why he did not sleep. Blas said he could not sleep.
"You better go to sleep. It is late," Dodong said.
Blas raised himself on his elbow and muttered something in a low fluttering voice.
Dodong did not answer and tried to sleep.
"Itay ...," Blas called softly.
Dodong stirred and asked him what it was.
"I am going to marry Tona. She accepted me tonight."
Dodong lay on the red pillow without moving.
"Itay, you think it over."
Dodong lay silent.
"I love Tona and... I want her."
Dodong rose from his mat and told Blas to follow him. They descended to the yard, where everything was still and quiet. The moonlight was cold and white.
"You want to marry Tona," Dodong said. He did not want Blas to marry yet. Blas was very young. The life that would follow marriage would be hard...
"Yes."
"Must you marry?"
Blas's voice stilled with resentment. "I will marry Tona."
Dodong kept silent, hurt.
"You have objections, Itay?" Blas asked acridly.
"Son... n-none..." (But truly, God, I don't want Blas to marry yet... not yet. I don't want Blas to marry yet....)
But he was helpless. He could not do anything. Youth must triumph... now. Love must triumph... now. Afterwards... it will be life.
As long ago Youth and Love did triumph for Dodong... and then Life.
Dodong looked wistfully at his young son in the moonlight. He felt extremely sad and sorry for him.
http://matikas0805.multiply.com/journal/item/65
Footnote To Youth
The sun was salmon and hazy in the west. Dodong thought to himself he would tell his father about Teang when he got home, after he had unhitched the carabao from the plow, and let it to its shed and fed it. He was hesitant about saying it, but he wanted his father to know. What he had to say was of serious import as it would mark a climacteric in his life. Dodong finally decided to tell it, at a thought came to him his father might refuse to consider it. His father was silent hard-working farmer who chewed areca nut, which he had learned to do from his mother, Dodong's grandmother.
I will tell it to him. I will tell it to him.
The ground was broken up into many fresh wounds and fragrant with a sweetish earthy smell. Many slender soft worms emerged from the furrows and then burrowed again deeper into the soil. A short colorless worm marched blindly to Dodong's foot and crawled calmly over it. Dodong go tickled and jerked his foot, flinging the worm into the air. Dodong did not bother to look where it fell, but thought of his age, seventeen, and he said to himself he was not young any more.
Dodong unhitched the carabao leisurely and gave it a healthy tap on the hip. The beast turned its head to look at him with dumb faithful eyes. Dodong gave it a slight push and the animal walked alongside him to its shed. He placed bundles of grass before it land the carabao began to eat. Dodong looked at it without interests.
Dodong started homeward, thinking how he would break his news to his father. He wanted to marry, Dodong did. He was seventeen, he had pimples on his face, the down on his upper lip already was dark--these meant he was no longer a boy. He was growing into a man--he was a man. Dodong felt insolent and big at the thought of it although he was by nature low in statue. Thinking himself a man grown, Dodong felt he could do anything.
He walked faster, prodded by the thought of his virility. A small angled stone bled his foot, but he dismissed it cursorily. He lifted his leg and looked at the hurt toe and then went on walking. In the cool sundown he thought wild you dreams of himself and Teang. Teang, his girl. She had a small brown face and small black eyes and straight glossy hair. How desirable she was to him. She made him dream even during the day.
Dodong tensed with desire and looked at the muscles of his arms. Dirty. This field
work was healthy, invigorating but it begrimed you, smudged you terribly. He turned back the way he had come, then he marched obliquely to a creek.
Dodong stripped himself and laid his clothes, a gray undershirt and red kundiman shorts, on the grass. The he went into the water, wet his body over, and rubbed at it vigorously. He was not long in bathing, then he marched homeward again. The bath made him feel cool.
It was dusk when he reached home. The petroleum lamp on the ceiling already was lighted and the low unvarnished square table was set for supper. His parents and he sat down on the floor around the table to eat. They had fried fresh-water fish, rice, bananas, and caked sugar.
Dodong ate fish and rice, but did not partake of the fruit. The bananas were overripe and when one held them they felt more fluid than solid. Dodong broke off a piece of the cakes sugar, dipped it in his glass of water and ate it. He got another piece and wanted some more, but he thought of leaving the remainder for his parents.
Dodong's mother removed the dishes when they were through and went out to the batalan to wash them. She walked with slow careful steps and Dodong wanted to help her carry the dishes out, but he was tired and now felt lazy. He wished as he looked at her that he had a sister who could help his mother in the housework. He pitied her, doing all the housework alone.
His father remained in the room, sucking a diseased tooth. It was paining him again, Dodong knew. Dodong had told him often and again to let the town dentist pull it out, but he was afraid, his father was. He did not tell that to Dodong, but Dodong guessed it. Afterward Dodong himself thought that if he had a decayed tooth he would be afraid to go to the dentist; he would not be any bolder than his father.
Dodong said while his mother was out that he was going to marry Teang. There it was out, what he had to say, and over which he had done so much thinking. He had said it without any effort at all and without self-consciousness. Dodong felt relieved and looked at his father expectantly. A decrescent moon outside shed its feeble light into the window, graying the still black temples of his father. His father looked old now.
"I am going to marry Teang," Dodong said.
His father looked at him silently and stopped sucking the broken tooth. The silence became intense and cruel, and Dodong wished his father would suck that troublous tooth again. Dodong was uncomfortable and then became angry because his father kept looking at him without uttering anything.
"I will marry Teang," Dodong repeated. "I will marry Teang."
His father kept gazing at him in inflexible silence and Dodong fidgeted on his seat.
"I asked her last night to marry me and she said...yes. I want your permission. I... want... it...." There was impatient clamor in his voice, an exacting protest at this coldness, this indifference. Dodong looked at his father sourly. He cracked his knuckles one by one, and the little sounds it made broke dully the night stillness.
"Must you marry, Dodong?"
Dodong resented his father's questions; his father himself had married. Dodong made a quick impassioned easy in his mind about selfishness, but later he got confused.
"You are very young, Dodong."
"I'm... seventeen."
"That's very young to get married at."
"I... I want to marry...Teang's a good girl."
"Tell your mother," his father said.
"You tell her, tatay."
"Dodong, you tell your inay."
"You tell her."
"All right, Dodong."
"You will let me marry Teang?"
"Son, if that is your wish... of course..." There was a strange helpless light in his father's eyes. Dodong did not read it, so absorbed was he in himself.
Dodong was immensely glad he had asserted himself. He lost his resentment for his father. For a while he even felt sorry for him about the diseased tooth. Then he confined his mind to dreaming of Teang and himself. Sweet young dream....
-------------------------------------------
Dodong stood in the sweltering noon heat, sweating profusely, so that his camiseta was damp. He was still as a tree and his thoughts were confused. His mother had told him not to leave the house, but he had left. He had wanted to get out of it without clear reason at all. He was afraid, he felt. Afraid of the house. It had seemed to cage him, to compares his thoughts with severe tyranny. Afraid also of Teang. Teang was giving birth in the house; she gave screams that chilled his blood. He did not want her to scream like that, he seemed to be rebuking him. He began to wonder madly if the process of childbirth was really painful. Some women, when they gave birth, did not cry.
In a few moments he would be a father. "Father, father," he whispered the word with awe, with strangeness. He was young, he realized now, contradicting himself of nine months comfortable... "Your son," people would soon be telling him. "Your son, Dodong."
Dodong felt tired standing. He sat down on a saw-horse with his feet close together. He looked at his callused toes. Suppose he had ten children... What made him think that? What was the matter with him? God!
He heard his mother's voice from the house:
"Come up, Dodong. It is over."
Suddenly he felt terribly embarrassed as he looked at her. Somehow he was ashamed to his mother of his youthful paternity. It made him feel guilty, as if he had taken something no properly his. He dropped his eyes and pretended to dust dirt off his kundiman shorts.
"Dodong," his mother called again. "Dodong."
He turned to look again and this time saw his father beside his mother.
"It is a boy," his father said. He beckoned Dodong to come up.
Dodong felt more embarrassed and did not move. What a moment for him. His parents' eyes seemed to pierce him through and he felt limp.
He wanted to hide from them, to run away.
"Dodong, you come up. You come up," he mother said.
Dodong did not want to come up and stayed in the sun.
"Dodong. Dodong."
"I'll... come up."
Dodong traced tremulous steps on the dry parched yard. He ascended the bamboo steps slowly. His heart pounded mercilessly in him. Within, he avoided his parents eyes. He walked ahead of them so that they should not see his face. He felt guilty and untrue. He felt like crying. His eyes smarted and his chest wanted to burst. He wanted to turn back, to go back to the yard. He wanted somebody to punish him.
His father thrust his hand in his and gripped it gently.
"Son," his father said.
And his mother: "Dodong..."
How kind were their voices. They flowed into him, making him strong.
"Teang?" Dodong said.
"She's sleeping. But you go on..."
His father led him into the small sawali room. Dodong saw Teang, his girl-wife, asleep on the papag with her black hair soft around her face. He did not want her to look that pale.
Dodong wanted to touch her, to push away that stray wisp of hair that touched her lips, but again that feeling of embarrassment came over him and before his parents he did not want to be demonstrative.
The hilot was wrapping the child, Dodong heard it cry. The thin voice pierced him queerly. He could not control the swelling of happiness in him.
“You give him to me. You give him to me," Dodong said.
-------------------------------------------
Blas was not Dodong's only child. Many more children came. For six successive years a new child came along. Dodong did not want any more children, but they came. It seemed the coming of children could not be helped. Dodong got angry with himself sometimes.
Teang did not complain, but the bearing of children told on her. She was shapeless and thin now, even if she was young. There was interminable work to be done. Cooking. Laundering. The house. The children. She cried sometimes, wishing she had not married. She did not tell Dodong this, not wishing him to dislike her. Yet she wished she had not married. Not even Dodong, whom she loved. There has been another suitor, Lucio, older than Dodong by nine years, and that was why she had chosen Dodong. Young Dodong. Seventeen. Lucio had married another after her marriage to Dodong, but he was childless until now. She wondered if she had married Lucio, would she have borne him children. Maybe not, either. That was a better lot. But she loved Dodong...
Dodong whom life had made ugly.
One night, as he lay beside his wife, he rose and went out of the house. He stood in the moonlight, tired and querulous. He wanted to ask questions and somebody to answer him. He w anted to be wise about many things.
One of them was why life did not fulfill all of Youth's dreams. Why it must be so. Why one was forsaken... after Love.
Dodong would not find the answer. Maybe the question was not to be answered. It must be so to make youth Youth. Youth must be dreamfully sweet. Dreamfully sweet. Dodong returned to the house humiliated by himself. He had wanted to know a little wisdom but was denied it.
When Blas was eighteen he came home one night very flustered and happy. It was late at night and Teang and the other children were asleep. Dodong heard Blas's steps, for he could not sleep well of nights. He watched Blas undress in the dark and lie down softly. Blas was restless on his mat and could not sleep. Dodong called him name and asked why he did not sleep. Blas said he could not sleep.
"You better go to sleep. It is late," Dodong said.
Blas raised himself on his elbow and muttered something in a low fluttering voice.
Dodong did not answer and tried to sleep.
"Itay ...," Blas called softly.
Dodong stirred and asked him what it was.
"I am going to marry Tona. She accepted me tonight."
Dodong lay on the red pillow without moving.
"Itay, you think it over."
Dodong lay silent.
"I love Tona and... I want her."
Dodong rose from his mat and told Blas to follow him. They descended to the yard, where everything was still and quiet. The moonlight was cold and white.
"You want to marry Tona," Dodong said. He did not want Blas to marry yet. Blas was very young. The life that would follow marriage would be hard...
"Yes."
"Must you marry?"
Blas's voice stilled with resentment. "I will marry Tona."
Dodong kept silent, hurt.
"You have objections, Itay?" Blas asked acridly.
"Son... n-none..." (But truly, God, I don't want Blas to marry yet... not yet. I don't want Blas to marry yet....)
But he was helpless. He could not do anything. Youth must triumph... now. Love must triumph... now. Afterwards... it will be life.
As long ago Youth and Love did triumph for Dodong... and then Life.
Dodong looked wistfully at his young son in the moonlight. He felt extremely sad and sorry for him.
http://matikas0805.multiply.com/journal/item/65
The work's of Peque Gallaga
Enteng Kabisote 2: Okay ka fairy ko... The legend continues by Peque Gallga
Taking off where Enteng Kabisote (The Legend of Okay Ka, Fairy Ko) ended, this year's filmic installment of the much-loved TV series of the earthling Enteng Kabisote and his romance with his Faye, despite the frequent intervention of his mother-in-law Ina Magenta, Queen of fairyland Engkantasia, goes on to bigger grounds. Their family is expanding as Faye is again on the family way. The magical world Engkantasya and the man's world welcomes a new addition to the Kabisote family with Ada, Enteng and Faye's new baby girl - a new princess of Engkantasya. While both worlds were happy with this new addition, Darkness is once again brooding both in Engkantasya and in man's world. In the previous film, Satana, the ruler of Kadiliman (Darkness) lost her powers and was vanquish by Magenta. Reborn through the blood of a traitor, Satana regained her powers and vowed to destroy Enkantasya. This time she has succeeded. With the fall of Magenta's kingdom, Faye, the only daughter was given the duty to find the three missing amulets that could rebuild Engkantasya. Enteng and his family is once again sucked into the magical world and has to travel through Satana's kingdom to save Engkantasya. With the help of new allies, Alyssa, Ada's godmother and daughter of Ina Azul, Queen of Engkantasya's Azul Kingdom, and Verdana, the battered husband turned into Princess Fiona in ogre mode look-a-like, sent by Ina Verde, Queen of Engkantasya Verde, Enteng and his family has to battle dragons, sea creatures, and sword wielding dark minions to save the fate of Engkantasya. Written by newton20032004
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0479659/plotsummary
Taking off where Enteng Kabisote (The Legend of Okay Ka, Fairy Ko) ended, this year's filmic installment of the much-loved TV series of the earthling Enteng Kabisote and his romance with his Faye, despite the frequent intervention of his mother-in-law Ina Magenta, Queen of fairyland Engkantasia, goes on to bigger grounds. Their family is expanding as Faye is again on the family way. The magical world Engkantasya and the man's world welcomes a new addition to the Kabisote family with Ada, Enteng and Faye's new baby girl - a new princess of Engkantasya. While both worlds were happy with this new addition, Darkness is once again brooding both in Engkantasya and in man's world. In the previous film, Satana, the ruler of Kadiliman (Darkness) lost her powers and was vanquish by Magenta. Reborn through the blood of a traitor, Satana regained her powers and vowed to destroy Enkantasya. This time she has succeeded. With the fall of Magenta's kingdom, Faye, the only daughter was given the duty to find the three missing amulets that could rebuild Engkantasya. Enteng and his family is once again sucked into the magical world and has to travel through Satana's kingdom to save Engkantasya. With the help of new allies, Alyssa, Ada's godmother and daughter of Ina Azul, Queen of Engkantasya's Azul Kingdom, and Verdana, the battered husband turned into Princess Fiona in ogre mode look-a-like, sent by Ina Verde, Queen of Engkantasya Verde, Enteng and his family has to battle dragons, sea creatures, and sword wielding dark minions to save the fate of Engkantasya. Written by newton20032004
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0479659/plotsummary
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Sa Babaeng Naghubad sa Dalampasigan ng obong
Sa Babaeng Naghubad sa Dalampasigan Obong Rene Estella
Labis ang aking pagkagitla
sa unti-unting pagkalaglag
ng iyong patadyong
animo’y pilantik ng pasol
sa mayamang pamana
sa maputing dibdib mo.
Kay ganda ng pagkalatag
ng dalawang biyoos,
nakausli sa may umaga
sana’y makatitiyad ako sa ibabaw
ng aking balikhaw!
O anong sarap sumigaw ng mahinahon!
Habang lumilingon-lingon ka
Kung wala bang kasalo sa iyong pagpapabaya,
Naglagitgitan ang mga dahon,
Itinulak ng lunti ang mga laya
at nakisalamuha sa lupa;
pababa ng pababa ang patadyong
kumalat ang iyong kariktan,
‘kinalong ka ng mga alon
inakay ka ng batis
ng liwanag at lilim
hinangad ang mga lusay
upang gawing pana
sa kanilang malikmata
nilathala kang walang katumbas
sa mga hangari’t panaginip
ang iyong pusod karangalan ng Ladabi,
ang iyong kinding dalisay na Sugbuanon;
ibinintang ko sa langit
ang aking kasiyahan
pagkat ng umigkas ang bingwit
iniwan mo ng taga ang aking
kasingkasing.
http://books.google.com.ph/books?id=r9-6JkwxZRMC&pg=PR8&lpg=PR8&dq=sa+babaeng+naghubad+sa+dalampasigan+ng+obong+1989+by+rene+Estella&source=bl&ots=kXRY30itEx&sig=GrAuTAW6D_GP_kP6j8hIDc58rSo&hl=tl&ei=GFJzTZDiE8H3rQf-x4HSCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBcQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=sa%20babaeng%20naghubad%20sa%20dalampasigan%20ng%20obong%201989%20by%20rene%20Estella&f=
Labis ang aking pagkagitla
sa unti-unting pagkalaglag
ng iyong patadyong
animo’y pilantik ng pasol
sa mayamang pamana
sa maputing dibdib mo.
Kay ganda ng pagkalatag
ng dalawang biyoos,
nakausli sa may umaga
sana’y makatitiyad ako sa ibabaw
ng aking balikhaw!
O anong sarap sumigaw ng mahinahon!
Habang lumilingon-lingon ka
Kung wala bang kasalo sa iyong pagpapabaya,
Naglagitgitan ang mga dahon,
Itinulak ng lunti ang mga laya
at nakisalamuha sa lupa;
pababa ng pababa ang patadyong
kumalat ang iyong kariktan,
‘kinalong ka ng mga alon
inakay ka ng batis
ng liwanag at lilim
hinangad ang mga lusay
upang gawing pana
sa kanilang malikmata
nilathala kang walang katumbas
sa mga hangari’t panaginip
ang iyong pusod karangalan ng Ladabi,
ang iyong kinding dalisay na Sugbuanon;
ibinintang ko sa langit
ang aking kasiyahan
pagkat ng umigkas ang bingwit
iniwan mo ng taga ang aking
kasingkasing.
http://books.google.com.ph/books?id=r9-6JkwxZRMC&pg=PR8&lpg=PR8&dq=sa+babaeng+naghubad+sa+dalampasigan+ng+obong+1989+by+rene+Estella&source=bl&ots=kXRY30itEx&sig=GrAuTAW6D_GP_kP6j8hIDc58rSo&hl=tl&ei=GFJzTZDiE8H3rQf-x4HSCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBcQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=sa%20babaeng%20naghubad%20sa%20dalampasigan%20ng%20obong%201989%20by%20rene%20Estella&f=
Corrinne May - Five Loaves And Two Fishes
Corrinne May - Five Loaves And Two Fishes
A little boy of thirteen was on his way to school
He heard a crowd of people laughing and he went to take a look
Thousands were listening to the stories of one man
He spoke with such wisdom, even the kids could understand
The hours passed so quickly, the day turned to night
Everyone was hungry but there was no food in sight
The boy looked in his lunchbox at the little that he had
He wasn't sure what good it'd do, there were thousands to be fed
But he saw the twinkling eyes of Jesus
The kindness in His smile
And the boy cried out
With the trust of a child
he said:
"Take my five loaves and two fishes
Do with it as you will
I surrender
Take my fears and my inhibitions
All my burdens, my ambitions
You can use it all to feed them all"
I often think about that boy when I'm feeling small
Find More lyrics at www.sweetslyrics.com
And I worry that the work I do means nothing at all
But every single tear I cry is a diamond in His hands
And every door that slams in my face, I will offer up in prayer
So I'll give you every breath that I have
Oh Lord, you can work miracles
All that you need is my "Amen"
So take my five loaves and two fishes
Do with it as you will
I surrender
Take my fears and my inhibitions
All my burdens, my ambitions
You can use it all
I hope it's not too small
I trust in you
I trust in you
So take my five loaves and two fishes
Do with it as you will
I surrender
Take my fears and my inhibitions
All my burdens, my ambitions
You can use it all
No gift is too small
http://www.sweetslyrics.com/600056.Corrinne%20May%20-%20Five%20Loaves%20And%20Two%20Fishes%20.html
A little boy of thirteen was on his way to school
He heard a crowd of people laughing and he went to take a look
Thousands were listening to the stories of one man
He spoke with such wisdom, even the kids could understand
The hours passed so quickly, the day turned to night
Everyone was hungry but there was no food in sight
The boy looked in his lunchbox at the little that he had
He wasn't sure what good it'd do, there were thousands to be fed
But he saw the twinkling eyes of Jesus
The kindness in His smile
And the boy cried out
With the trust of a child
he said:
"Take my five loaves and two fishes
Do with it as you will
I surrender
Take my fears and my inhibitions
All my burdens, my ambitions
You can use it all to feed them all"
I often think about that boy when I'm feeling small
Find More lyrics at www.sweetslyrics.com
And I worry that the work I do means nothing at all
But every single tear I cry is a diamond in His hands
And every door that slams in my face, I will offer up in prayer
So I'll give you every breath that I have
Oh Lord, you can work miracles
All that you need is my "Amen"
So take my five loaves and two fishes
Do with it as you will
I surrender
Take my fears and my inhibitions
All my burdens, my ambitions
You can use it all
I hope it's not too small
I trust in you
I trust in you
So take my five loaves and two fishes
Do with it as you will
I surrender
Take my fears and my inhibitions
All my burdens, my ambitions
You can use it all
No gift is too small
http://www.sweetslyrics.com/600056.Corrinne%20May%20-%20Five%20Loaves%20And%20Two%20Fishes%20.html
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Sa Kuko ng Agila
Mahirap man ang buhay
Aking matitiis
Basta't walang talikalang nakatali sa leeg
Hirap ay makakaya
Kung ako ay wala na
Sa kuko ng agila sa akin ay pumupuksa
Sa sariling lupa ay alipin ako ng banyaga
Sa kuko ng agila kailangan kung makalaya
Kailan ang tamang oras upang labanan ko
Ang mga pang aapi sagad na sa aking buto
[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/f/freddie_aguilar/sa_kuko_ng_agila.html ]
Ngunit walang kalayaan
Habang naroroon
Sa kuko ng agila sa leeg ko nakabaon
Akoy palayain
Sa kuko ng agilang mapang alipin
Mahirap man ang buhay
Aking matitiis
Basta't walang talikalang nakatali sa leeg
Ngunit walang kalayaan
Habang naroroon
Sa kuko ng agila sa leeg ko nakabaon
Ako'y palayain sa kuko ng agilang mapang alipin
Sa sariling lupa ay alipin ako ng banyaga
Sa kuko ng agila kailangan kung makalaya
Akoy palayain
Sa kuko ng agilang mapang alipin(2x)
http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/f/freddie_aguilar/sa_kuko_ng_agila.html
Aking matitiis
Basta't walang talikalang nakatali sa leeg
Hirap ay makakaya
Kung ako ay wala na
Sa kuko ng agila sa akin ay pumupuksa
Sa sariling lupa ay alipin ako ng banyaga
Sa kuko ng agila kailangan kung makalaya
Kailan ang tamang oras upang labanan ko
Ang mga pang aapi sagad na sa aking buto
[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/f/freddie_aguilar/sa_kuko_ng_agila.html ]
Ngunit walang kalayaan
Habang naroroon
Sa kuko ng agila sa leeg ko nakabaon
Akoy palayain
Sa kuko ng agilang mapang alipin
Mahirap man ang buhay
Aking matitiis
Basta't walang talikalang nakatali sa leeg
Ngunit walang kalayaan
Habang naroroon
Sa kuko ng agila sa leeg ko nakabaon
Ako'y palayain sa kuko ng agilang mapang alipin
Sa sariling lupa ay alipin ako ng banyaga
Sa kuko ng agila kailangan kung makalaya
Akoy palayain
Sa kuko ng agilang mapang alipin(2x)
http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/f/freddie_aguilar/sa_kuko_ng_agila.html
When I Was No Bigger Than A Huge By Jose Garcia Villa
When, I, was, no, bigger, than, a, huge,
Star, in, my, self, I, began, to, write,
My,
Theology,
Of, rose, and,
Tiger: till, I, burned, with, their
Pure, and, Rage. Then, was, I, Wrath-
Ful,
And, most,
Gentle: most,
Dark, and, yet, most, Lit: in, me, an,
Eye, there, grew: springing, Vision,
Its,
Gold, and,
Its, wars. Then,
I, knew, the, Lord, was, not, my, Creator!
--Not, He, the, Unbegotten—but, I, saw,
The,
Creator,
Was, I—and,
I, began, to, Die, and, I, began, to, Grow.
http://www.seasite.niu.edu/Tagalog/Literature/Poems/Others/When_I_was_A_Bigger.htm
Star, in, my, self, I, began, to, write,
My,
Theology,
Of, rose, and,
Tiger: till, I, burned, with, their
Pure, and, Rage. Then, was, I, Wrath-
Ful,
And, most,
Gentle: most,
Dark, and, yet, most, Lit: in, me, an,
Eye, there, grew: springing, Vision,
Its,
Gold, and,
Its, wars. Then,
I, knew, the, Lord, was, not, my, Creator!
--Not, He, the, Unbegotten—but, I, saw,
The,
Creator,
Was, I—and,
I, began, to, Die, and, I, began, to, Grow.
http://www.seasite.niu.edu/Tagalog/Literature/Poems/Others/When_I_was_A_Bigger.htm
Sunday, February 27, 2011
maynila pagkagat ng dilim
♥Maynila, Pagkagat ng Dilim♥
Bakit itinuturing na isa sa mga pinagpipitagang pelikula ni Direktor Ishmael Bernal ang Manila By Night (Regal Films, Inc.)? Ating balikan ang pelikulang umani ng papuri mula sa mga kritiko noong taong 1980. Kilala si Bernal sa paggawa ng mga pelikulang puno ng iba't-ibang pangunahing tauhan. Tahasang isinaad sa pelikula ang suliraning pang lipunan sa kalakhang Maynila. Mula sa isang simpleng tinedyer (William Martinez) na anak ng dating putang nagbagong buhay (Charito Solis) hanggang sa isang tomboy na drug pusher (Cherie Gil), may bulag na masahista (Rio Locsin), nariyan din ang taxi driver (Orestes Ojeda), ang kabit niyang nagkukunwaring nars (Alma Moreno), mayroon ring probinsyanang waitress (Lorna Tolentino) at ang baklang couturier (Bernardo Bernardo) na bumubuhay sa kanyang pamilya. Iba't-ibang buhay ng mga taong pinagbuklod ng isang malaking siyudad. Tinalakay ng pelikula ang problema sa droga, prostitusyon, relihiyon at kahirapan na magpasahanggang ngayon ay mga suliraning hinahanapan pa rin natin ng solusyon. Maraming nagkumpara ng Manila By Night sa obra ni Direktor Lino Brocka ang Maynila Sa Mga Kuko Ng Liwanag. Kung saan nagkulang ang pelikula ni Brocka ito naman ang landas na tinahak ng obra ni Bernal. Hindi lamang nito ipinakita ang lumalalang situwasyon ng kahirapan sa Maynila sa halip ay hinarap nito ang ibang mga isyung hindi tinalakay sa pelikula ni Brocka. Sa aspetong ito mababanaag ang malaking pagkakaiba ng dalawang pelikula. Kung panonoorin sa ngayon ang Manila By Night masasabing may kalumaan na ang tema nito, di tulad ng unang ipinalabas ang pelikula sa mga sinehan. Matatandaang kinatay ito ng Board Of Censors sa utos na rin ng Unang Ginang na si Imelda Marcos dahil taliwas ito sa imahe ng Maynilang ipinagkakapuri ng administrasyong Marcos. Halos lahat ng linya sa pelikulang sinabi ang katagang Maynila ay pinutol. Pati na rin ang mga maseselang eksena sa pelikula ay iniklian o kaya ay tuluyang ginunting ng opresibong sensura. Hinarang din ng gobyerno ang dapat sanang pagpapalabas ng Manila By Night sa Berlin Film Festival.
Makaraan ang dalawampu't anim na taon mula ng ipalabas ang Manila By Night ay masasabing halos walang binago ang panahon kung susuriin natin ang mga suliraning pang lipunan ng Pilipinas. Nariyan pa rin ang problema sa mga ipinagbabawal na gamot, ang prostitusyon at kahirapan. Sino ba talaga ang dapat sisishin sa lahat ng mga ito? Ang pamahalaan ba? Tayong mga mamayan? Hanggang ngayon wala pang sagot sa mga tanong na ito. Nararapat nating pasalamatan ang mga direktor na tulad ni Ishmael Bernal na sa pamamagitan ng paggawa ng mga obrang tulad ng Manila By Night, isang pelikulang nagmulat sa ating kaisipan sa suliranin ng bansang Pilipinas.
http://sari-saringsinengpinoy.blogspot.com/2006/04/pagkagat-ng-dilim-manila-by-night.html
Bakit itinuturing na isa sa mga pinagpipitagang pelikula ni Direktor Ishmael Bernal ang Manila By Night (Regal Films, Inc.)? Ating balikan ang pelikulang umani ng papuri mula sa mga kritiko noong taong 1980. Kilala si Bernal sa paggawa ng mga pelikulang puno ng iba't-ibang pangunahing tauhan. Tahasang isinaad sa pelikula ang suliraning pang lipunan sa kalakhang Maynila. Mula sa isang simpleng tinedyer (William Martinez) na anak ng dating putang nagbagong buhay (Charito Solis) hanggang sa isang tomboy na drug pusher (Cherie Gil), may bulag na masahista (Rio Locsin), nariyan din ang taxi driver (Orestes Ojeda), ang kabit niyang nagkukunwaring nars (Alma Moreno), mayroon ring probinsyanang waitress (Lorna Tolentino) at ang baklang couturier (Bernardo Bernardo) na bumubuhay sa kanyang pamilya. Iba't-ibang buhay ng mga taong pinagbuklod ng isang malaking siyudad. Tinalakay ng pelikula ang problema sa droga, prostitusyon, relihiyon at kahirapan na magpasahanggang ngayon ay mga suliraning hinahanapan pa rin natin ng solusyon. Maraming nagkumpara ng Manila By Night sa obra ni Direktor Lino Brocka ang Maynila Sa Mga Kuko Ng Liwanag. Kung saan nagkulang ang pelikula ni Brocka ito naman ang landas na tinahak ng obra ni Bernal. Hindi lamang nito ipinakita ang lumalalang situwasyon ng kahirapan sa Maynila sa halip ay hinarap nito ang ibang mga isyung hindi tinalakay sa pelikula ni Brocka. Sa aspetong ito mababanaag ang malaking pagkakaiba ng dalawang pelikula. Kung panonoorin sa ngayon ang Manila By Night masasabing may kalumaan na ang tema nito, di tulad ng unang ipinalabas ang pelikula sa mga sinehan. Matatandaang kinatay ito ng Board Of Censors sa utos na rin ng Unang Ginang na si Imelda Marcos dahil taliwas ito sa imahe ng Maynilang ipinagkakapuri ng administrasyong Marcos. Halos lahat ng linya sa pelikulang sinabi ang katagang Maynila ay pinutol. Pati na rin ang mga maseselang eksena sa pelikula ay iniklian o kaya ay tuluyang ginunting ng opresibong sensura. Hinarang din ng gobyerno ang dapat sanang pagpapalabas ng Manila By Night sa Berlin Film Festival.
Makaraan ang dalawampu't anim na taon mula ng ipalabas ang Manila By Night ay masasabing halos walang binago ang panahon kung susuriin natin ang mga suliraning pang lipunan ng Pilipinas. Nariyan pa rin ang problema sa mga ipinagbabawal na gamot, ang prostitusyon at kahirapan. Sino ba talaga ang dapat sisishin sa lahat ng mga ito? Ang pamahalaan ba? Tayong mga mamayan? Hanggang ngayon wala pang sagot sa mga tanong na ito. Nararapat nating pasalamatan ang mga direktor na tulad ni Ishmael Bernal na sa pamamagitan ng paggawa ng mga obrang tulad ng Manila By Night, isang pelikulang nagmulat sa ating kaisipan sa suliranin ng bansang Pilipinas.
http://sari-saringsinengpinoy.blogspot.com/2006/04/pagkagat-ng-dilim-manila-by-night.html
Si Anabella ni Magdalena Jalandoni
Si Anabella ni Magdalena Jalandoni
Unang inilathala ang maikling kuwentong “Si Anabella” ni
Magdalena Jalandoni sa libro ni Corazon Villareal,
Translating the Sugilanon (1994, 135-141). Kalakip ang
orihinal nito sa isang lupon ng mga makiniladyong maikling kuwento
ni Jalandoni, na pinamagatang Hinugpong nga mga Sugilanon 1936-
1938. Nailathala din ang saling Filipino ni Villareal sa nirebisang
edisyon ng antolohiyang Philippine Literature: A History and
Anthology (1997, 151-154) ni Bienvenido Lumbera.
Sa unang pagsipat ng kuwentong “Si Anabella,” ating iisiping
taglay nito ang pormula ng mga romantikong kuwentong laganap
noong panahong ito’y nasulat, sa pagitan ng mga taong 1936-1938.
Magsisimula ang melodramatikong banghay sa pag-iibigan ng
dalawang magkaiba ng estado sa buhay, hahadlangan ito ng palalong
ina ng mayaman, susubukin ang katapatan ng magkasintahan, aangat
ang estado ng mahirap sa di inaasahang paraan upang sa wakas ay
magsasama uli sila, at magtatagumpay ang kanilang wagas na pag-
ibig.
Sa pagbubuod ni Villareal sa banghay ng kuwento, may
naidagdag siyang ilang detalyeng hindi binabanggit sa kuwento.
Halimbawa, na sumayaw ang magkasintahan sa tahanan ng binata,
at kinainggitan sila ng lahat; na nagsanib ang liwanag ng buwan at
ningning ng bituin sa loob ng isang gabi (1994, 13; aking salin mula
sa Ingles):
4748
“Si Anabella”
Isang pagunitang paglalakbay sa panahon ng dekada
treinta ang kuwentong “Si Anabella.” Isang gabing
maliwanag ang buwan at mga bituin, hinarana ng
binata ang dilag ng kaniyang biyolin. Sa himig ng
isang buong orkestra, sumayaw sila sa malawak na
sala ng malapalasyong tahanan ng binata. Nguni’t
ang binata’y mayaman, at inilayo siya ng kaniyang
ina sa kaniyang pinupusuan. Subalit buong tiyagang
naghintay si Anabella sa pagbabalik nito, at sa wakas
sila ay muling nagsama. (“Anabella” is a nostalgic
trip to the ‘30s. The beau serenades his love with a
violin on a moonlit and starry night, they dance in
the spacious sala of his palatial home to the strains
of a full orchestra, they are the envy of everyone
on the dancefloor. But he is rich and his mother
takes him away from his lover. Anabella, however,
waits patiently for his return and eventually they
are reunited.)
Kung magpatianod ang isang mambabasa sa romantikong
tradisyon, maaari ngang aakalin niyang may taglay itong mga
romantikong sangkap na sa katunayan ay hindi naman makikita sa
kuwento mismo. Hindi naman lubhang mali ang ganitong paraan
ng pagbasa kung ipinapalagay na ang kuwentong “Si Anabella” ay
akmang halimbawa ng isang makaluma’t romantikong kuwento.
Dagdag pa ni Villareal bilang komentaryo sa kuwento (1994, 13):
Maaaring sabihing pinapatibay ng “Si Anabella” ang
puna ng mga manunuri hinggil sa kahinaan ng
panitikang bernakular sa Pilipinas: na ito’y dulot
ng “malagkit na romantisismo,” “walang kaingatan
sa teknik,” pagkabuhaghag ng estruktura,
“didaktisismo,” at “sentimentalismo.” (In a way,
“Anabella” confirms what critics have listed as the
weaknesses of vernacular literature in the
Philippines: “a cloying romanticism,”)
http://journals.upd.edu.ph/index.php/dilimanreview/article/view/753/751
Unang inilathala ang maikling kuwentong “Si Anabella” ni
Magdalena Jalandoni sa libro ni Corazon Villareal,
Translating the Sugilanon (1994, 135-141). Kalakip ang
orihinal nito sa isang lupon ng mga makiniladyong maikling kuwento
ni Jalandoni, na pinamagatang Hinugpong nga mga Sugilanon 1936-
1938. Nailathala din ang saling Filipino ni Villareal sa nirebisang
edisyon ng antolohiyang Philippine Literature: A History and
Anthology (1997, 151-154) ni Bienvenido Lumbera.
Sa unang pagsipat ng kuwentong “Si Anabella,” ating iisiping
taglay nito ang pormula ng mga romantikong kuwentong laganap
noong panahong ito’y nasulat, sa pagitan ng mga taong 1936-1938.
Magsisimula ang melodramatikong banghay sa pag-iibigan ng
dalawang magkaiba ng estado sa buhay, hahadlangan ito ng palalong
ina ng mayaman, susubukin ang katapatan ng magkasintahan, aangat
ang estado ng mahirap sa di inaasahang paraan upang sa wakas ay
magsasama uli sila, at magtatagumpay ang kanilang wagas na pag-
ibig.
Sa pagbubuod ni Villareal sa banghay ng kuwento, may
naidagdag siyang ilang detalyeng hindi binabanggit sa kuwento.
Halimbawa, na sumayaw ang magkasintahan sa tahanan ng binata,
at kinainggitan sila ng lahat; na nagsanib ang liwanag ng buwan at
ningning ng bituin sa loob ng isang gabi (1994, 13; aking salin mula
sa Ingles):
4748
“Si Anabella”
Isang pagunitang paglalakbay sa panahon ng dekada
treinta ang kuwentong “Si Anabella.” Isang gabing
maliwanag ang buwan at mga bituin, hinarana ng
binata ang dilag ng kaniyang biyolin. Sa himig ng
isang buong orkestra, sumayaw sila sa malawak na
sala ng malapalasyong tahanan ng binata. Nguni’t
ang binata’y mayaman, at inilayo siya ng kaniyang
ina sa kaniyang pinupusuan. Subalit buong tiyagang
naghintay si Anabella sa pagbabalik nito, at sa wakas
sila ay muling nagsama. (“Anabella” is a nostalgic
trip to the ‘30s. The beau serenades his love with a
violin on a moonlit and starry night, they dance in
the spacious sala of his palatial home to the strains
of a full orchestra, they are the envy of everyone
on the dancefloor. But he is rich and his mother
takes him away from his lover. Anabella, however,
waits patiently for his return and eventually they
are reunited.)
Kung magpatianod ang isang mambabasa sa romantikong
tradisyon, maaari ngang aakalin niyang may taglay itong mga
romantikong sangkap na sa katunayan ay hindi naman makikita sa
kuwento mismo. Hindi naman lubhang mali ang ganitong paraan
ng pagbasa kung ipinapalagay na ang kuwentong “Si Anabella” ay
akmang halimbawa ng isang makaluma’t romantikong kuwento.
Dagdag pa ni Villareal bilang komentaryo sa kuwento (1994, 13):
Maaaring sabihing pinapatibay ng “Si Anabella” ang
puna ng mga manunuri hinggil sa kahinaan ng
panitikang bernakular sa Pilipinas: na ito’y dulot
ng “malagkit na romantisismo,” “walang kaingatan
sa teknik,” pagkabuhaghag ng estruktura,
“didaktisismo,” at “sentimentalismo.” (In a way,
“Anabella” confirms what critics have listed as the
weaknesses of vernacular literature in the
Philippines: “a cloying romanticism,”)
http://journals.upd.edu.ph/index.php/dilimanreview/article/view/753/751
Valediction sa hill crest by Rolando Tinio
Valediction sa hill crest by Rolando Tinio
Valediction sa hill crest
Pagkacollect ng Railway Express sa aking things
(Deretso na iyon sa barko while I take the plane.)
Inakyat kong muli ang N-311, at dahil dead of winter,
Nakatopcoat at galoshes akong
Nagright-turn sa N wing ng mahabang dilim
(Tunnel yatang aabot hanggang Tundo.)
Kinapa ko ang switch sa hall.
Sa isang pitik, nagshrink ang imaginary tunnel,
Nagparang ataol.
Or catacomb.
Strangely absolute ang impression
Ng hilera ng mga pintong nagpuprusisyon:
Individual identification, parang mummy cases,
De-nameplate, de-numero, de-hometown address.
Antiseptic ang atmosphere, streamlined yet.
Kung hindi catacomb, at least
E filing cabinet.
Filing, hindi naman deaths, ha.
Remembrances, oo. Yung medyo malapot
Dahil alam mo na, I’m quitting the place
After two and a half years.
After two and a half years,
Di man nagkatiyempong mag-ugat, ika nga,
Siyempre’y nagging attached, parang morning glory’ng
Mahirap mapaknit sa alambreng trellis.
At pagkabukas ko sa kuwarto,
Hubo’t hubad na ang mattresses,
Wala nang kutson sa easy chair,
Mga drawer ng bureau’y nakanganga,
Sabay-sabay nag-ooration,
Nagkahiyaan, nabara.
Of course, tuloy ang radiator sa paggaralgal:
Nasa New York na si Bob and the two Allans,
Yung mga quarterbacks across the hall
Pihadong panay ang display sa Des Moines.
Don ang Cosntance aren’t coming back at all.
Gusto ko nang magpaalam–
to whom?
The drapes? The washbowl? Sa double-decker
Na pinaikot-ikot naming ni Kandaswamy
To create space, hopeless, talagang impossible.
Of course, tuloy ang radiator sa paglagutok.
(And the stone silence,
nakakaiyak kung sumagot.)
Bueno, let’s get it over with.
It’s a long walk to the depot.
Tama na ang sophistication-sophistication.
Sa steep incline, pababa sa highway
Where all things level, sabi nga,
There’s a flurry, ang gentle-gentle.
Pagwhoosh-whoosh ng paa ko,
The snow melts right under:
Nagtutubig parang asukal,
Humuhulas,
nagsesentimental.
-Rolando Tinio
http://isaganicruz.wordpress.com/2009/03/07/rolando-tinios-valediction-sa-hillcrest/
Valediction sa hill crest
Pagkacollect ng Railway Express sa aking things
(Deretso na iyon sa barko while I take the plane.)
Inakyat kong muli ang N-311, at dahil dead of winter,
Nakatopcoat at galoshes akong
Nagright-turn sa N wing ng mahabang dilim
(Tunnel yatang aabot hanggang Tundo.)
Kinapa ko ang switch sa hall.
Sa isang pitik, nagshrink ang imaginary tunnel,
Nagparang ataol.
Or catacomb.
Strangely absolute ang impression
Ng hilera ng mga pintong nagpuprusisyon:
Individual identification, parang mummy cases,
De-nameplate, de-numero, de-hometown address.
Antiseptic ang atmosphere, streamlined yet.
Kung hindi catacomb, at least
E filing cabinet.
Filing, hindi naman deaths, ha.
Remembrances, oo. Yung medyo malapot
Dahil alam mo na, I’m quitting the place
After two and a half years.
After two and a half years,
Di man nagkatiyempong mag-ugat, ika nga,
Siyempre’y nagging attached, parang morning glory’ng
Mahirap mapaknit sa alambreng trellis.
At pagkabukas ko sa kuwarto,
Hubo’t hubad na ang mattresses,
Wala nang kutson sa easy chair,
Mga drawer ng bureau’y nakanganga,
Sabay-sabay nag-ooration,
Nagkahiyaan, nabara.
Of course, tuloy ang radiator sa paggaralgal:
Nasa New York na si Bob and the two Allans,
Yung mga quarterbacks across the hall
Pihadong panay ang display sa Des Moines.
Don ang Cosntance aren’t coming back at all.
Gusto ko nang magpaalam–
to whom?
The drapes? The washbowl? Sa double-decker
Na pinaikot-ikot naming ni Kandaswamy
To create space, hopeless, talagang impossible.
Of course, tuloy ang radiator sa paglagutok.
(And the stone silence,
nakakaiyak kung sumagot.)
Bueno, let’s get it over with.
It’s a long walk to the depot.
Tama na ang sophistication-sophistication.
Sa steep incline, pababa sa highway
Where all things level, sabi nga,
There’s a flurry, ang gentle-gentle.
Pagwhoosh-whoosh ng paa ko,
The snow melts right under:
Nagtutubig parang asukal,
Humuhulas,
nagsesentimental.
-Rolando Tinio
http://isaganicruz.wordpress.com/2009/03/07/rolando-tinios-valediction-sa-hillcrest/
Morning in Magrebcan
MORNING IN NAGREBCAN
MORNING IN NAGREBCAN
It was sunrise at Nagrebcan. The fine, bluish mist, low over the tobacco fields, was lifting and thinning moment by moment. A ragged strip of mist, pulled away by the morning breeze, had caught on the clumps of bamboo along the banks of the stream that flowed to one side of the barrio. Before long the sun would top the Katayaghan hills, but as yet no people were around. In the grey shadow of the hills, the barrio was gradually awaking. Roosters crowed and strutted on the ground while hens hesitated on theri perches among the branches of the camanchile trees. Stray goats nibbled the weeds on the sides of the road, and the bull carabaos tugged restively against their stakes.
In the early mornig the puppies lay curled up together between their mother’s paws under the ladder of the house. Four puupies were all white like the mother. They had pink noses and pink eyelids and pink mouths. The skin between their toes and on the inside of their large, limp ears was pink. They had short sleek hair, for the mother licked them often. The fifth puppy lay across the mother’s neck. On the puppy’s back was a big black spot like a saddle. The tips of its ears were black and so was a pitch of hair on its chest.
The opening of the sawali door, its uneven bottom dragging noisily against the bamboo flooring, aroused the mother dog and she got up and stretched and shook herself, scattering dust and loose white hair. A rank doggy smell rose in the cool morning air. She took a quick leap forward, clearing the puppies which had begun to whine about her, wanting to suckle. She trotted away and disappeared beyond the house of a neighbor.
The puppies sat back on their rumps, whining. After a little while they lay down and went back to sleep, the black-spotted puppy on top.
Baldo stood at the treshold and rubbed his sleep-heavy eyes with his fists. He must have been about ten yeras old, small for his age, but compactly built, and he stood straight on his bony legs. He wore one of his father’s discarded cotton undershirts.
The boy descended the ladder, leaning heavily on the single bamboo railing that served as a banister. He sat on the lowest step of the ladder, yawning and rubbing his eyes one after the other. Bending down, he reached between his legs for the blak-spotted puppy. He held it to him, stroking its soft, warm body. He blew on its nose. The puppy stuck out a small red tongue,lapping the air. It whined eagerly. Baldo laughed—a low gurgle.
He rubbed his face against that of the dog. He said softly. “My puppy. My puppy.” He said it many times. The puppy licked his ears, his cheeks. When it licked his mouth. Baldo straightened up, raised the puppy on a level with his eyes. “You are a foolish puppy” he said, laughing. “Foolish, foolish, foolish,” he said, rolling the puppy on his lap so that it howled.
The four other puppies awoke and came scrambling about Baldo’s legs. He put down the black-spotted puppy and ran to the narrow foot bridge of women split-bamboo spanning the roadside ditch. When it rained, water from the roadway flowed under the makeshift bridge, but it had not rained for a long time and the ground was dry and sandy. Baldo sat on the bridge, digging his bare feet into the sand, feeling the cool particles escaping between his toes. He whistled, a toneless whistle with a curious trilling to it produced by placing the tongue against the lower teeth and then curving it up and down. The whistle excited the puppies, they ran to the boy as fast theri unsteady legs could carry them, barking choppy little barks.
It was sunrise at Nagrebcan. The fine, bluish mist, low over the tobacco fields, was lifting and thinning moment by moment. A ragged strip of mist, pulled away by the morning breeze, had caught on the clumps of bamboo along the banks of the stream that flowed to one side of the barrio. Before long the sun would top the Katayaghan hills, but as yet no people were around. In the grey shadow of the hills, the barrio was gradually awaking. Roosters crowed and strutted on the ground while hens hesitated on theri perches among the branches of the camanchile trees. Stray goats nibbled the weeds on the sides of the road, and the bull carabaos tugged restively against their stakes.
In the early mornig the puppies lay curled up together between their mother’s paws under the ladder of the house. Four puupies were all white like the mother. They had pink noses and pink eyelids and pink mouths. The skin between their toes and on the inside of their large, limp ears was pink. They had short sleek hair, for the mother licked them often. The fifth puppy lay across the mother’s neck. On the puppy’s back was a big black spot like a saddle. The tips of its ears were black and so was a pitch of hair on its chest.
The opening of the sawali door, its uneven bottom dragging noisily against the bamboo flooring, aroused the mother dog and she got up and stretched and shook herself, scattering dust and loose white hair. A rank doggy smell rose in the cool morning air. She took a quick leap forward, clearing the puppies which had begun to whine about her, wanting to suckle. She trotted away and disappeared beyond the house of a neighbor.
The puppies sat back on their rumps, whining. After a little while they lay down and went back to sleep, the black-spotted puppy on top.
Baldo stood at the treshold and rubbed his sleep-heavy eyes with his fists. He must have been about ten yeras old, small for his age, but compactly built, and he stood straight on his bony legs. He wore one of his father’s discarded cotton undershirts.
The boy descended the ladder, leaning heavily on the single bamboo railing that served as a banister. He sat on the lowest step of the ladder, yawning and rubbing his eyes one after the other. Bending down, he reached between his legs for the blak-spotted puppy. He held it to him, stroking its soft, warm body. He blew on its nose. The puppy stuck out a small red tongue,lapping the air. It whined eagerly. Baldo laughed—a low gurgle.
He rubbed his face against that of the dog. He said softly. “My puppy. My puppy.” He said it many times. The puppy licked his ears, his cheeks. When it licked his mouth. Baldo straightened up, raised the puppy on a level with his eyes. “You are a foolish puppy” he said, laughing. “Foolish, foolish, foolish,” he said, rolling the puppy on his lap so that it howled.
The four other puppies awoke and came scrambling about Baldo’s legs. He put down the black-spotted puppy and ran to the narrow foot bridge of women split-bamboo spanning the roadside ditch. When it rained, water from the roadway flowed under the makeshift bridge, but it had not rained for a long time and the ground was dry and sandy. Baldo sat on the bridge, digging his bare feet into the sand, feeling the cool particles escaping between his toes. He whistled, a toneless whistle with a curious trilling to it produced by placing the tongue against the lower teeth and then curving it up and down. The whistle excited the puppies, they ran to the boy as fast theri unsteady legs could carry them, barking choppy little barks.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/34536551/Morning-in-Nagrebcan-Manuel-E-Arguilla
MORNING IN NAGREBCAN
It was sunrise at Nagrebcan. The fine, bluish mist, low over the tobacco fields, was lifting and thinning moment by moment. A ragged strip of mist, pulled away by the morning breeze, had caught on the clumps of bamboo along the banks of the stream that flowed to one side of the barrio. Before long the sun would top the Katayaghan hills, but as yet no people were around. In the grey shadow of the hills, the barrio was gradually awaking. Roosters crowed and strutted on the ground while hens hesitated on theri perches among the branches of the camanchile trees. Stray goats nibbled the weeds on the sides of the road, and the bull carabaos tugged restively against their stakes.
In the early mornig the puppies lay curled up together between their mother’s paws under the ladder of the house. Four puupies were all white like the mother. They had pink noses and pink eyelids and pink mouths. The skin between their toes and on the inside of their large, limp ears was pink. They had short sleek hair, for the mother licked them often. The fifth puppy lay across the mother’s neck. On the puppy’s back was a big black spot like a saddle. The tips of its ears were black and so was a pitch of hair on its chest.
The opening of the sawali door, its uneven bottom dragging noisily against the bamboo flooring, aroused the mother dog and she got up and stretched and shook herself, scattering dust and loose white hair. A rank doggy smell rose in the cool morning air. She took a quick leap forward, clearing the puppies which had begun to whine about her, wanting to suckle. She trotted away and disappeared beyond the house of a neighbor.
The puppies sat back on their rumps, whining. After a little while they lay down and went back to sleep, the black-spotted puppy on top.
Baldo stood at the treshold and rubbed his sleep-heavy eyes with his fists. He must have been about ten yeras old, small for his age, but compactly built, and he stood straight on his bony legs. He wore one of his father’s discarded cotton undershirts.
The boy descended the ladder, leaning heavily on the single bamboo railing that served as a banister. He sat on the lowest step of the ladder, yawning and rubbing his eyes one after the other. Bending down, he reached between his legs for the blak-spotted puppy. He held it to him, stroking its soft, warm body. He blew on its nose. The puppy stuck out a small red tongue,lapping the air. It whined eagerly. Baldo laughed—a low gurgle.
He rubbed his face against that of the dog. He said softly. “My puppy. My puppy.” He said it many times. The puppy licked his ears, his cheeks. When it licked his mouth. Baldo straightened up, raised the puppy on a level with his eyes. “You are a foolish puppy” he said, laughing. “Foolish, foolish, foolish,” he said, rolling the puppy on his lap so that it howled.
The four other puppies awoke and came scrambling about Baldo’s legs. He put down the black-spotted puppy and ran to the narrow foot bridge of women split-bamboo spanning the roadside ditch. When it rained, water from the roadway flowed under the makeshift bridge, but it had not rained for a long time and the ground was dry and sandy. Baldo sat on the bridge, digging his bare feet into the sand, feeling the cool particles escaping between his toes. He whistled, a toneless whistle with a curious trilling to it produced by placing the tongue against the lower teeth and then curving it up and down. The whistle excited the puppies, they ran to the boy as fast theri unsteady legs could carry them, barking choppy little barks.
It was sunrise at Nagrebcan. The fine, bluish mist, low over the tobacco fields, was lifting and thinning moment by moment. A ragged strip of mist, pulled away by the morning breeze, had caught on the clumps of bamboo along the banks of the stream that flowed to one side of the barrio. Before long the sun would top the Katayaghan hills, but as yet no people were around. In the grey shadow of the hills, the barrio was gradually awaking. Roosters crowed and strutted on the ground while hens hesitated on theri perches among the branches of the camanchile trees. Stray goats nibbled the weeds on the sides of the road, and the bull carabaos tugged restively against their stakes.
In the early mornig the puppies lay curled up together between their mother’s paws under the ladder of the house. Four puupies were all white like the mother. They had pink noses and pink eyelids and pink mouths. The skin between their toes and on the inside of their large, limp ears was pink. They had short sleek hair, for the mother licked them often. The fifth puppy lay across the mother’s neck. On the puppy’s back was a big black spot like a saddle. The tips of its ears were black and so was a pitch of hair on its chest.
The opening of the sawali door, its uneven bottom dragging noisily against the bamboo flooring, aroused the mother dog and she got up and stretched and shook herself, scattering dust and loose white hair. A rank doggy smell rose in the cool morning air. She took a quick leap forward, clearing the puppies which had begun to whine about her, wanting to suckle. She trotted away and disappeared beyond the house of a neighbor.
The puppies sat back on their rumps, whining. After a little while they lay down and went back to sleep, the black-spotted puppy on top.
Baldo stood at the treshold and rubbed his sleep-heavy eyes with his fists. He must have been about ten yeras old, small for his age, but compactly built, and he stood straight on his bony legs. He wore one of his father’s discarded cotton undershirts.
The boy descended the ladder, leaning heavily on the single bamboo railing that served as a banister. He sat on the lowest step of the ladder, yawning and rubbing his eyes one after the other. Bending down, he reached between his legs for the blak-spotted puppy. He held it to him, stroking its soft, warm body. He blew on its nose. The puppy stuck out a small red tongue,lapping the air. It whined eagerly. Baldo laughed—a low gurgle.
He rubbed his face against that of the dog. He said softly. “My puppy. My puppy.” He said it many times. The puppy licked his ears, his cheeks. When it licked his mouth. Baldo straightened up, raised the puppy on a level with his eyes. “You are a foolish puppy” he said, laughing. “Foolish, foolish, foolish,” he said, rolling the puppy on his lap so that it howled.
The four other puppies awoke and came scrambling about Baldo’s legs. He put down the black-spotted puppy and ran to the narrow foot bridge of women split-bamboo spanning the roadside ditch. When it rained, water from the roadway flowed under the makeshift bridge, but it had not rained for a long time and the ground was dry and sandy. Baldo sat on the bridge, digging his bare feet into the sand, feeling the cool particles escaping between his toes. He whistled, a toneless whistle with a curious trilling to it produced by placing the tongue against the lower teeth and then curving it up and down. The whistle excited the puppies, they ran to the boy as fast theri unsteady legs could carry them, barking choppy little barks.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/34536551/Morning-in-Nagrebcan-Manuel-E-Arguilla
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Gagamba
CHARACTERS:
1. The cripple, Tranquilino Penoy – otherwise known as Gagamba (spider) to the denizenz of Ermita – was one of those who survived the collapse of the Camarin building on Marcelo H. Del Pilar Street – the only building in Manila which totally wrecked. He is selling sweepstakes tickets. He looks like a two -legged spider, ball of a head, squat body, and long arms. He was born with short limp limbs no longer than a foot and even now that he was fifty; they were as useless as ever.
2. Didi Gamboa, the first owner of Camarin, would not have permitted Gagamba to be at the entrance for so long, selling sweepstakes tickets. Didi Gamboa is the madam of Camarin, migrated to the United States out of boredom with the lesbian debauchery provided by her establishment; she got her second cousin Fred Villa.
3. Aling Pacing brood of twelve. The vegetable vendor’s dullard husband had died. Aling Pacing is the mother of Gagamba.
4. Fred Villa is interested in the restaurant. He was a most auspicious choice. Not only was he family, he was also Camarin regular and personally knew most of the old clientele. When they learned that he was going to take over, they were relieved and at the same time pleased – they could trust him with their peccadilloes as well as their idiosyncrasies for Fred Villa had one quality they appreciated. He was discreet.
5. Don José Villa the father of Fred Villa.
6. Don Manuel the son of Don José Villa and the brother of Fred Villa
7. Jose Rizal the head waiter who looked like Jose Rizal was the only one in tuxedo.
8. Mars Floro he was the old customer and a good friend of Fred Villa.
9. Lina Reyes was barely eighteen. She came from a middle-class family in Pampanga, where her father was a small town doctor, her mother a schoolteacher. She is the youngest, was well on her way to finishing a nondescript course in the humanities at the state university. She was tall, with a pert nose and a face virginal in appearance. She was five feet six inches, almost as tall as Fred Villa, with such clear ivory skin that he drooled every time she undressed before him. Her breasts were not all that large and her height, thirty-four inches seemed almost small.
10. Namnama- Gagamba’s wife. She was adopted by Aling Pacing because she was an orphan back then. She did not look at the deformity of Gagamba and did not hesitate to marry the cripple.
11. Joe Patalinghug- A 22 year old man. He and his wife traveled from Dalaguete to Manila because of the fear that he will also be killed like his two brothers. Joe’s younger brother was killed; the reason why he and his wife went to Manila, knowing that he would probably be killed. He has a teenage wife whose name was Nancy, who was 6, months pregnant. Because of sudden-environment change and no one helped them; they ended up begging in the streets of Manila.
12. Pedro (Pete) Domingo- also known as Jose Rizal at Camarin. Although he is 50 years old, he is still youthful. He is the easygoing and voluble head waiter in Camarin. After several years of working in Camarin with Madam Gamboa and Sir Fred he already know by heart the favorite order of most of the costumers. He has a wife named Bebang who had a cancer and will die in nearly 2 months.
13. Sixto Carmelo- also known as Mabini, also a waiter of Camarin, a close friend of Rizal. He came from Tayug, Pangasinan and like Rizal, was Ilokano. He has no problems at all but his looks because he was the darkest and in senses the homeliest of the waiters in Camarin but he is the most popular waiter in Camarin because of his quick and honest answers.
14. Jim Denison- Son of Ruth Denison, who would be going to Asia for the first time, specifically to Philippines. But the other reason behind his brilliant mind is actually, he wanted to meet his half sister and the Filipino wife of his father Cresencia Reyes.
15. Emma Denison- Jim Denison’s half sister, daughter of Cresencia Reyes. She was always being protected by Cresencia her mom, specifically her virginity. Emma was always in the list of honored students in his high school and college years. More than of her intelligence, she was also very beautiful that she won the title of Miss Philippines.
16. Hiroki Sato- executive of Mitsui, who liked the Philippines best of all Southeast Asian Countries. He visited annually. He was wary in dealings with the Filipinos in the beginning what attract him most in returning the Philippines is actually the girls which his friend, Mars Floro, is partnering with him. He has one child.
17. Mars Floro- Close friend of Hiroki Sato, who has as well one child like his friend. But what his friend doesn’t know about him is that he has a dozen of children with different women.
18. Eric Hariyan- he is a friend of Gaston Navato when they were taking up law in University of the Philippines. He is a student leader. With his friend, that led those Demos against Marcos regime. When they were released for Marcos got irritated with them and put them in jail, he got a fellowship to Yale. Eric Hariyan is brighter than his companion, was in more modest circumstances. He is parenting six children. He was famous for his intelligence.
19. Gaston Navato- also known as Gasty, he was with his friend in University of the Philippines and in prison. But when they were released he stayed on, took the bar and continued his human rights campaign against the regime. He was middle class. Eric and him remained friends.
20. Rudy Golangco- Marco’s closest crony. He had gone into exile when the dictator was deposed. And now he was out of power and only way he could get back all the wealth that been taken from him was to acquire political clout himself.
21. Eduardo Dantes- is a business man who retired from his active life for he was already old and weak, actually in the age of 80. He had left the management of his publishing empire to his two sons. He always dresses elegantly. In his age he could still walk sprightly, with no need for a nurse the way other ancients move abort a nurse always in tow. He hates Japanese a lot.
22. Senator Reyes- wheeled senator for he is having some medical tests. HE is eighty years old as Eduardo Dantes. He is also retired from his janges life. His vast property were divided among his heirs but was assured a hefty income in his last days from his investments and stocks.
23. Dolf Contreras- was not a regular Camarin costumer. He had a very successful real estate business which he had inherited from his father whom he has paid his grate attention. He is now in his forty. He has a wife whose name was Elisa. But before her, he had a lot of affairs with different women, mutually and sexually.
24. Elisa- Dolf Contreras’s wife. A patient woman who bears all the things that Dolf throws to her. She is working before in Camarin, where Dolf actually met her. Even though her patience was long, she still got fed up with what Dolf was doing to her. She went a far from Dolf and ended up being a nun.
25. Tony Picazo- is a son of an honest politician. He visited his former teacher, Fr.dela Terra. He is a young man who is losing hope for his own country, Philippines. He is planning to migrate to other country and leave his own. He is earning a lot.
26. Fr. Dela Terra- old priest, who is actually considered to be a missionary. He is a Spanish priest who came from China before getting in the Philippines. He lived almost half of his life in the Philippines, to be specific 30 years of his life on earth. And because of this he really doesn’t want to go back to the Seedbed of his life, in Spain. And he believes in the capacity of the young people.
27. Major Solomon (Sol) Flor- Philippine Military Class ’72. He is a senior aide to Major General Calixto (Cal) Primo and general’s confidante, he lives a very simple life compare to his co-majors. Actually just renting an apartment in Cubao. He is living with his wife and children.
28. Colonel Simeon Flores- an elegant and dishonest colonel who is a close friend of his opposite Major Sol. He is tempting and influencing Major Sol to do something which in one click will make him a millionaire.
SETTING:
The story happened on July 15, 1990, Sunday at around one pm, a killer earthquake – the strongest recorded in the Philippine history – struck and for four minutes of apocalyptic turbulence, Central Luzon including Manila was submerged in a wave of panic. Farther to the north of the capital, where the epicenter was recorded as exceeding intensity 8 on the Richter scale, the landscape was changed as mountainsides crumbled and the earth cracked. The story was ended at the Camarin building on Marcelo H. Del Pilar Street – the only building in Manila which totally wrecked.
PLOT
The date of the mid July 1990, the earthquake happened and so many people died in the natural disaster, rich, beggars, old, and all kind of creatures are being suffered because this earthquake is the strongest recorded in the Philippine history. Gagamba a sweepstakes’ vendor located in the Ermita restaurant also known as Camarin. Gagamba is not a beggar nevertheless he had a casualties and defects in his body. He was born with short limb that why he always stays in his cart to move and work to have food every day. All of the costumers are being known by gagamba and their stories, gagamba told the story all costumers og camarin restaurant. The first one is a landlord, Fred Villa.
The big boss of Camarin because madam Didi was migrated in the United States and Fred was being appointed to take charge of the business. His girls are well selected to work in the Camarin, All of the women in the Camarin would be tested first by Fred and one of them is Lina an eighteen year old girl from Pampanga. She was beautiful not taller but in the average height. Her family is in the middle class but her studies not so well supported by family that why she found a job like this.
There are costumer, Mars Floro who waited to her but Fred Villa where tested her first. The next character was a Cebuano; Joe Patalinhug arrived on November in 1989. In the first day in manila they are slept in a culvert intended to the bridge construction site in Tondo Manila. After a month’s they know that there’s a people from Cebu was staying in the squatters area in Paranaque that Joe’s family can live. They life is worst than their life in Cebu before because they have only a little rice and some salted oyster mussel. He live his wife in Tondo and went to Paranaque alone to have a better life and find a job that suits his capacity.
The next character was apparent and a regular costumer of Camarin. He is Pedro (pete) Domingo, he is youthful and still wavy hair in place and lived at the squatter area close to the Rizal Memorial stadium. The place was once swum, and being criticized by other people, Although Rizal and his children lived in squatters surroundings. Rizal had discovered his wife had a cancer, two months to live. His children do not know what to do and Rizal makes all way to cure and extend the life of his wife. He tried so many faith healers one of those was the faith healer of former president Marcos. He tried going to Quipo and completing the nine days on novena and to the Baclaran. He wishes to God his wife would be spared not to death because all men die, but the pain that she was now suffering. Eric hariyan and Gaston was best friend in university of the Philippines.
`While Eric is joining in the Law firm of lastog, Cacab and Rawet. One of the biggest law firms in the county. They are jailed in camp Crame because they oppose to government of President Marcos. They have experienced together nevertheless they have so many differences they were stay as best friend, While Eric invited him to meet Rudy Golangco, perhaps Marco’s closest crony. While Marcos dictatorship change the ownership the majority stock went to Rudy Golangco. Lastog want to meet him because e want to interrogate asked at so many issues before about him. First he research and finding all the information about him and use his knowledge as a lawyer and give so many question hat Rudy cannot be known.
There are com http://gomezjames.blogspot.com/2009/12/gagamba-by-f-sionil-jose.html
1. The cripple, Tranquilino Penoy – otherwise known as Gagamba (spider) to the denizenz of Ermita – was one of those who survived the collapse of the Camarin building on Marcelo H. Del Pilar Street – the only building in Manila which totally wrecked. He is selling sweepstakes tickets. He looks like a two -legged spider, ball of a head, squat body, and long arms. He was born with short limp limbs no longer than a foot and even now that he was fifty; they were as useless as ever.
2. Didi Gamboa, the first owner of Camarin, would not have permitted Gagamba to be at the entrance for so long, selling sweepstakes tickets. Didi Gamboa is the madam of Camarin, migrated to the United States out of boredom with the lesbian debauchery provided by her establishment; she got her second cousin Fred Villa.
3. Aling Pacing brood of twelve. The vegetable vendor’s dullard husband had died. Aling Pacing is the mother of Gagamba.
4. Fred Villa is interested in the restaurant. He was a most auspicious choice. Not only was he family, he was also Camarin regular and personally knew most of the old clientele. When they learned that he was going to take over, they were relieved and at the same time pleased – they could trust him with their peccadilloes as well as their idiosyncrasies for Fred Villa had one quality they appreciated. He was discreet.
5. Don José Villa the father of Fred Villa.
6. Don Manuel the son of Don José Villa and the brother of Fred Villa
7. Jose Rizal the head waiter who looked like Jose Rizal was the only one in tuxedo.
8. Mars Floro he was the old customer and a good friend of Fred Villa.
9. Lina Reyes was barely eighteen. She came from a middle-class family in Pampanga, where her father was a small town doctor, her mother a schoolteacher. She is the youngest, was well on her way to finishing a nondescript course in the humanities at the state university. She was tall, with a pert nose and a face virginal in appearance. She was five feet six inches, almost as tall as Fred Villa, with such clear ivory skin that he drooled every time she undressed before him. Her breasts were not all that large and her height, thirty-four inches seemed almost small.
10. Namnama- Gagamba’s wife. She was adopted by Aling Pacing because she was an orphan back then. She did not look at the deformity of Gagamba and did not hesitate to marry the cripple.
11. Joe Patalinghug- A 22 year old man. He and his wife traveled from Dalaguete to Manila because of the fear that he will also be killed like his two brothers. Joe’s younger brother was killed; the reason why he and his wife went to Manila, knowing that he would probably be killed. He has a teenage wife whose name was Nancy, who was 6, months pregnant. Because of sudden-environment change and no one helped them; they ended up begging in the streets of Manila.
12. Pedro (Pete) Domingo- also known as Jose Rizal at Camarin. Although he is 50 years old, he is still youthful. He is the easygoing and voluble head waiter in Camarin. After several years of working in Camarin with Madam Gamboa and Sir Fred he already know by heart the favorite order of most of the costumers. He has a wife named Bebang who had a cancer and will die in nearly 2 months.
13. Sixto Carmelo- also known as Mabini, also a waiter of Camarin, a close friend of Rizal. He came from Tayug, Pangasinan and like Rizal, was Ilokano. He has no problems at all but his looks because he was the darkest and in senses the homeliest of the waiters in Camarin but he is the most popular waiter in Camarin because of his quick and honest answers.
14. Jim Denison- Son of Ruth Denison, who would be going to Asia for the first time, specifically to Philippines. But the other reason behind his brilliant mind is actually, he wanted to meet his half sister and the Filipino wife of his father Cresencia Reyes.
15. Emma Denison- Jim Denison’s half sister, daughter of Cresencia Reyes. She was always being protected by Cresencia her mom, specifically her virginity. Emma was always in the list of honored students in his high school and college years. More than of her intelligence, she was also very beautiful that she won the title of Miss Philippines.
16. Hiroki Sato- executive of Mitsui, who liked the Philippines best of all Southeast Asian Countries. He visited annually. He was wary in dealings with the Filipinos in the beginning what attract him most in returning the Philippines is actually the girls which his friend, Mars Floro, is partnering with him. He has one child.
17. Mars Floro- Close friend of Hiroki Sato, who has as well one child like his friend. But what his friend doesn’t know about him is that he has a dozen of children with different women.
18. Eric Hariyan- he is a friend of Gaston Navato when they were taking up law in University of the Philippines. He is a student leader. With his friend, that led those Demos against Marcos regime. When they were released for Marcos got irritated with them and put them in jail, he got a fellowship to Yale. Eric Hariyan is brighter than his companion, was in more modest circumstances. He is parenting six children. He was famous for his intelligence.
19. Gaston Navato- also known as Gasty, he was with his friend in University of the Philippines and in prison. But when they were released he stayed on, took the bar and continued his human rights campaign against the regime. He was middle class. Eric and him remained friends.
20. Rudy Golangco- Marco’s closest crony. He had gone into exile when the dictator was deposed. And now he was out of power and only way he could get back all the wealth that been taken from him was to acquire political clout himself.
21. Eduardo Dantes- is a business man who retired from his active life for he was already old and weak, actually in the age of 80. He had left the management of his publishing empire to his two sons. He always dresses elegantly. In his age he could still walk sprightly, with no need for a nurse the way other ancients move abort a nurse always in tow. He hates Japanese a lot.
22. Senator Reyes- wheeled senator for he is having some medical tests. HE is eighty years old as Eduardo Dantes. He is also retired from his janges life. His vast property were divided among his heirs but was assured a hefty income in his last days from his investments and stocks.
23. Dolf Contreras- was not a regular Camarin costumer. He had a very successful real estate business which he had inherited from his father whom he has paid his grate attention. He is now in his forty. He has a wife whose name was Elisa. But before her, he had a lot of affairs with different women, mutually and sexually.
24. Elisa- Dolf Contreras’s wife. A patient woman who bears all the things that Dolf throws to her. She is working before in Camarin, where Dolf actually met her. Even though her patience was long, she still got fed up with what Dolf was doing to her. She went a far from Dolf and ended up being a nun.
25. Tony Picazo- is a son of an honest politician. He visited his former teacher, Fr.dela Terra. He is a young man who is losing hope for his own country, Philippines. He is planning to migrate to other country and leave his own. He is earning a lot.
26. Fr. Dela Terra- old priest, who is actually considered to be a missionary. He is a Spanish priest who came from China before getting in the Philippines. He lived almost half of his life in the Philippines, to be specific 30 years of his life on earth. And because of this he really doesn’t want to go back to the Seedbed of his life, in Spain. And he believes in the capacity of the young people.
27. Major Solomon (Sol) Flor- Philippine Military Class ’72. He is a senior aide to Major General Calixto (Cal) Primo and general’s confidante, he lives a very simple life compare to his co-majors. Actually just renting an apartment in Cubao. He is living with his wife and children.
28. Colonel Simeon Flores- an elegant and dishonest colonel who is a close friend of his opposite Major Sol. He is tempting and influencing Major Sol to do something which in one click will make him a millionaire.
SETTING:
The story happened on July 15, 1990, Sunday at around one pm, a killer earthquake – the strongest recorded in the Philippine history – struck and for four minutes of apocalyptic turbulence, Central Luzon including Manila was submerged in a wave of panic. Farther to the north of the capital, where the epicenter was recorded as exceeding intensity 8 on the Richter scale, the landscape was changed as mountainsides crumbled and the earth cracked. The story was ended at the Camarin building on Marcelo H. Del Pilar Street – the only building in Manila which totally wrecked.
PLOT
The date of the mid July 1990, the earthquake happened and so many people died in the natural disaster, rich, beggars, old, and all kind of creatures are being suffered because this earthquake is the strongest recorded in the Philippine history. Gagamba a sweepstakes’ vendor located in the Ermita restaurant also known as Camarin. Gagamba is not a beggar nevertheless he had a casualties and defects in his body. He was born with short limb that why he always stays in his cart to move and work to have food every day. All of the costumers are being known by gagamba and their stories, gagamba told the story all costumers og camarin restaurant. The first one is a landlord, Fred Villa.
The big boss of Camarin because madam Didi was migrated in the United States and Fred was being appointed to take charge of the business. His girls are well selected to work in the Camarin, All of the women in the Camarin would be tested first by Fred and one of them is Lina an eighteen year old girl from Pampanga. She was beautiful not taller but in the average height. Her family is in the middle class but her studies not so well supported by family that why she found a job like this.
There are costumer, Mars Floro who waited to her but Fred Villa where tested her first. The next character was a Cebuano; Joe Patalinhug arrived on November in 1989. In the first day in manila they are slept in a culvert intended to the bridge construction site in Tondo Manila. After a month’s they know that there’s a people from Cebu was staying in the squatters area in Paranaque that Joe’s family can live. They life is worst than their life in Cebu before because they have only a little rice and some salted oyster mussel. He live his wife in Tondo and went to Paranaque alone to have a better life and find a job that suits his capacity.
The next character was apparent and a regular costumer of Camarin. He is Pedro (pete) Domingo, he is youthful and still wavy hair in place and lived at the squatter area close to the Rizal Memorial stadium. The place was once swum, and being criticized by other people, Although Rizal and his children lived in squatters surroundings. Rizal had discovered his wife had a cancer, two months to live. His children do not know what to do and Rizal makes all way to cure and extend the life of his wife. He tried so many faith healers one of those was the faith healer of former president Marcos. He tried going to Quipo and completing the nine days on novena and to the Baclaran. He wishes to God his wife would be spared not to death because all men die, but the pain that she was now suffering. Eric hariyan and Gaston was best friend in university of the Philippines.
`While Eric is joining in the Law firm of lastog, Cacab and Rawet. One of the biggest law firms in the county. They are jailed in camp Crame because they oppose to government of President Marcos. They have experienced together nevertheless they have so many differences they were stay as best friend, While Eric invited him to meet Rudy Golangco, perhaps Marco’s closest crony. While Marcos dictatorship change the ownership the majority stock went to Rudy Golangco. Lastog want to meet him because e want to interrogate asked at so many issues before about him. First he research and finding all the information about him and use his knowledge as a lawyer and give so many question hat Rudy cannot be known.
There are com http://gomezjames.blogspot.com/2009/12/gagamba-by-f-sionil-jose.html
Friday, February 25, 2011
Maynila 1898
Labanan sa Look ng Maynila (1898)
Ang Labanan sa Look ng Maynila ay pagsiklab ng digmaan sa pagitan ng Estados Unidos at Espanya ay nag-udyok sa Estados Unidos na sakupin ang Pilipinas. Ipinakita ng mga Amerikano ang kapangyarihang militar nito nang lusubin ng kanilang hukbong pandagat ang hukbo ng mga Español sa Look ng Maynila noong Mayo 1, 1898. Walang nagawa ang mga Espanyol kundi isuko ang Pilipinas sa mga Amerikano. Upang hindi malagay sa kahihiyan ang Spain, nakipagkasundo ang Estados Unidos na magkaroon ng kunwa-kunwariang labanan sa Maynila. Isinagawa ito noong Agosto 13, 1898. Inakala ng hukbo ni Aguinaldo na magkakaroon ng tunay na paglusob ang mga Amerikano laban sa mga Español kaya nag-alok siya ng tulong militar ngunit hindi ito tinanggap ng mga Amerikano. Sa pamamagitan ng kunwa-kunwariang labanang ito, ipinakita ng mga Espanyol na lumaban ang mga hukbo nito sa abot ng kanilang makakaya at hanggang sa huling sandali.
Ang Labanan sa Look ng Maynila ay pagsiklab ng digmaan sa pagitan ng Estados Unidos at Espanya ay nag-udyok sa Estados Unidos na sakupin ang Pilipinas. Ipinakita ng mga Amerikano ang kapangyarihang militar nito nang lusubin ng kanilang hukbong pandagat ang hukbo ng mga Español sa Look ng Maynila noong Mayo 1, 1898. Walang nagawa ang mga Espanyol kundi isuko ang Pilipinas sa mga Amerikano. Upang hindi malagay sa kahihiyan ang Spain, nakipagkasundo ang Estados Unidos na magkaroon ng kunwa-kunwariang labanan sa Maynila. Isinagawa ito noong Agosto 13, 1898. Inakala ng hukbo ni Aguinaldo na magkakaroon ng tunay na paglusob ang mga Amerikano laban sa mga Español kaya nag-alok siya ng tulong militar ngunit hindi ito tinanggap ng mga Amerikano. Sa pamamagitan ng kunwa-kunwariang labanang ito, ipinakita ng mga Espanyol na lumaban ang mga hukbo nito sa abot ng kanilang makakaya at hanggang sa huling sandali.
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