Philippine Folklore Stories | Page 5

gay with my friends, So all that I wish is a light."

IV
"You shall have it at once," said the gratified King, And he fastened a
light to the fly, Who straightway returned to his home with the prize
That was worth more than money could buy. So now you can see him
at night with his light And from him this lesson may learn: To keep
your eyes open and see the least thing, And Fortune will come in its
turn.

Mangita and Larina

This is a tale told in the lake district of Luzon. At times of rain or in
winter the waters of the Laguna de Bai rise and detach from the banks a
peculiar vegetation that resembles lettuce. These plants, which float for
months down the Pasig River, gave rise, no doubt, to the story.
Many years ago there lived on the banks of the Laguna de Bai a poor
fisherman whose wife had died, leaving him two beautiful daughters
named Mangita and Larina.
Mangita had hair as black as night and a dark skin. She was as good as
she was beautiful, and was loved by all for her kindness. She helped her
father mend the nets and make the torches to fish with at night, and her
bright smile lit up the little nipa house like a ray of sunshine.
Larina was fair and had long golden hair of which she was very proud.
She was different from her sister, and never helped with the work, but
spent the day combing her hair and catching butterflies. She would
catch a pretty butterfly, cruelly stick a pin through it, and fasten it in
her hair. Then she would go down to the lake to see her reflection in the
clear water, and would laugh to see the poor butterfly struggling in pain.
The people disliked her for her cruelty, but they loved Mangita very
much. This made Larina jealous, and the more Mangita was loved, the
more her sister thought evil of her.
One day a poor old woman came to the nipa house and begged for a
little rice to put in her bowl. Mangita was mending a net and Larina
was combing her hair in the doorway. When Larina saw the old woman
she spoke mockingly to her and gave her a push that made her fall and
cut her head on a sharp rock; but Mangita sprang to help her, washed
the blood away from her head, and filled her bowl with rice from the jar
in the kitchen.
The poor woman thanked her and promised never to forget her
kindness, but to her sister she spoke not a word. Larina did not care,
however, but laughed at her and mocked her as she painfully made her
way again down the road. When she had gone Mangita took Larina to
task for her cruel treatment of a stranger; but, instead of doing any good,
it only caused Larina to hate her sister all the more.
Some time afterwards the poor fisherman died. He had gone to the big
city down the river to sell his fish, and had been attacked with a terrible
sickness that was raging there.
The girls were now alone in the world.

Mangita carved pretty shells and earned enough to buy food, but,
though she begged Larina to try to help, her sister would only idle away
the time.
The terrible sickness now swept everywhere and poor Mangita, too, fell
ill. She asked Larina to nurse her, but the latter was jealous of her and
would do nothing to ease her pain. Mangita grew worse and worse, but
finally, when it seemed as if she would soon die, the door opened and
the old woman to whom she had been so kind came into the room. She
had a bag of seeds in her hand, and taking one she gave it to Mangita,
who soon showed signs of being better, but was so weak that she could
not give thanks.
The old woman then gave the bag to Larina and told her to give a seed
to her sister every hour until she returned. She then went away and left
the girls alone.
Larina watched her sister, but did not give her a single seed. Instead,
she hid them in her own long hair and paid no attention to Mangita's
moans of pain.
The poor girl's cries grew weaker and weaker, but not a seed would her
cruel sister give her. In fact, Larina was so jealous that she wished her
sister to die.
When at last the old woman returned, poor Mangita was at the point of
death. The visitor bent over the sick girl and then asked her sister if she
had given Mangita the