LIT 001 Cordillera TaleThe Giantess and the Three Children Retold by Ma. Luisa B. Aguilar-Carino(1) ONCE THERE WERE three orphans who lived in a small house thathad a garden, because they had no rice fields and no one to hunt forthem, each night they would lay sharp shells and sticks across theirgarden path. In this way, they would catch an occasional wild boar forfood.(2) But though they would manage to trap a wily animal in their front yard from time to time, it would always be eaten by the vultures orother wild animals because they had no fire on which to roast themeat. Only the giantess, Bekat, had fire.(3) The children were thin and hungry. One day they could stand it nolonger. They had just caught a large boar in their garden, and nowthey decided to ask Bekat for fire.(4) ―Bekat, Bekat,‖ the children called in giantess’ garden. (5) The giantess came out of her house. She was larger than a house, andthe children trembled but tried n ot to show it. ―What do you want?‖ asked the giantess. When she spoke, the children could see her sharpteeth.(6) ―We have come to ask for fire,‖ replied the children. (7) ―That is easy to have,‖ said the giantess wickedly. ―But you must giveme a hog in exchange for it.‖ (8) The children looked at each other in dismay. One whispered, ―How is that? If we get the fire and give her the boar, we will be as hungry we were before!‖ (9) ―I have a plan,‖ whispered his sister.‖ Let us pretend to leave.‖ (10) ―Yes,‖ said the third child, ―then let us follow her into her house and steal fire when she is not looking.(11) So the children pretended to look sad. ―We have no hog,‖ they told the giantess.(12) ―Then you cannot have fire!‖ bellowed Bekat. (13) The giantess stomped back into her house. The children crept alongits walls and peered into the house of Bekat. There she was in thecorner, taking the tangles out of her matted hair. In the middle of theroom was a small fire. The children tiptoed in, walking in theshadows. Then they grabbed a burning twig and ran home as fast asthey could, taking care not to put out the fire.(14) The children joyfully cut up the wild boar’s meat and roasted it over their fire. However, Bekat smelled their cooking and followed the smoke to the children’s house. (15) ―Ah - ha!‖ she exclaimed. ―You took fire from me! You must give mepart of what you have to eat, or I shall roast you on my fire!‖ (16) The children let her sit with them. Bekat took their food baskets andtook charge of dividing the meat. The bones and tough parts she dropped into the children’s baskets, and the fat and slices she kept for herself.(17) The children looked at each other. Then, one of them said, ―Let us swim in the river before we eat. Can you dive well?‖ he asked Bekat.―We can dive very well,‖ he continued boastfully. (18) Bekat followed them to the river. The children dived into the water first; then they surfaced and said, ―Your turn, Bekat. Do you knowhow?‖ (19) Bekat dived; she had a difficult time coming up because she was soheavy. While she was still in the water, the children raced back to the house. They emptied Bekat’s food basket and put the meat into theirs. They poured large stones into Bekat’s basket and then they h id on abranch of a tree growing near the river.(20) Bekat came out of the water and called the children. There was noanswer, so she resumed to their house. She did not see them thereeither, so she picked up her food basket and went home. When sheopened it to eat the boar meat, she set up aa great howl. The childrenhad tricked her! She stomped through the forest, breaking youngtrees and kicking up bushes in her fury.(21) Coming to the river, she saw the children’s reflections in the water; they had not moved from their hiding place on the tree. Bekat thoughtthe children were hiding in the water. She dived but could not findthem there. when she came out, she looked up and saw where they were. The children screamed. ―Oh, Kabunian,‖ they prayed, ―Save usnow!‖ (22) The giantess laughed an evil laugh. She took an axe out of her pocket and began to hack at the tree. ―Oh, Kabunian,‖ prayed the childrenagain, ―Let her not hit the tree; Let her hit her knee instead.‖ The giantess suddenly gave a great yelp. She had cut off her leg at theknee so she fell over backward and died. That was the end of thegiantess Bekat.
Posted on: Mon, 08 Dec 2014 11:51:19 +0000
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