Philippine Folklore Stories | Page 7

the sea. After a time he
succeeded in calming the angry Captan. Together they wept at the loss
of their grandchildren, especially the gentle and beautiful Lisuga; but
with all their power they could not restore the dead to life. However,
they gave to each body a beautiful light that will shine forever.
And so it was that golden Liadlao became the sun and copper Libulan
the moon, while the thousands of pieces of silver Lisuga shine as the
stars of heaven. To wicked Licalibutan the gods gave no light, but
resolved to make his body support a new race of people. So Captan
gave Maguayan a seed and he planted it on the land, which, as you will
remember, was part of Licalibutan's huge body. Soon a bamboo tree
grew up, and from the hollow of one of its branches a man and a
woman came out. The man's name was Sicalac, and the woman was
called Sicabay. They were the parents of the human race. Their first
child was a son whom they called Libo; afterwards they had a daughter
who was known as Saman. Pandaguan was a younger son and he had a
son called Arion.
Pandaguan was very clever and invented a trap to catch fish. The very

first thing he caught was a huge shark. When he brought it to land, it
looked so great and fierce that he thought it was surely a god, and he at
once ordered his people to worship it. Soon all gathered around and
began to sing and pray to the shark. Suddenly the sky and sea opened,
and the gods came out and ordered Pandaguan to throw the shark back
into the sea and to worship none but them.
All were afraid except Pandaguan. He grew very bold and answered
that the shark was as big as the gods, and that since he had been able to
overpower it he would also be able to conquer the gods. Then Captan,
hearing this, struck Pandaguan with a small thunderbolt, for he did not
wish to kill him but merely to teach him a lesson. Then he and
Maguayan decided to punish these people by scattering them over the
earth, so they carried some to one land and some to another. Many
children were afterwards born, and thus the earth became inhabited in
all parts.
Pandaguan did not die. After lying on the ground for thirty days he
regained his strength, but his body was blackened from the lightning,
and all his descendants ever since that day have been black.
His first son, Arion, was taken north, but as he had been born before his
father's punishment he did not lose his color, and all his people
therefore are white.
Libo and Saman were carried south, where the hot sun scorched their
bodies and caused all their descendants to be of a brown color.
A son of Saman and a daughter of Sicalac were carried east, where the
land at first was so lacking in food that they were compelled to eat clay.
On this account their children and their children's children have always
been yellow in color.
And so the world came to be made and peopled. The sun and moon
shine in the sky and the beautiful stars light up the night. All over the
land, on the body of the envious Licalibutan, the children of Sicalac
and Sicabay have grown great in numbers. May they live forever in
peace and brotherly love!

The Silver Shower
Every night in Manila, when the bells of the city boom out the Angelus
and lights begin to appear in the windows, the walks are filled with
people hurrying toward the bay. In the streets hundreds of carriages,

their lamps twinkling like fireflies, speed quickly by, as the cocheros
urge on the little Filipino ponies. All are bound for the Luneta to hear
the evening concert.
A pretty place is the Luneta, the garden spot of the city. It is laid out in
elliptical form and its green lawns are covered with benches for the
people. A broad driveway surrounds it and hundreds of electric lights
transform the night into day.
A band stand is located at each end of the oval, and at night concerts
are given by the military bands.
Thousands of people gather to listen to the music. The bright uniforms
of officers and men, the white dresses of American ladies, the black
mantillas of the dark-eyed señoritas, and the gayly colored camisas of
the Filipino girls show that the beauty and chivalry of Manila have
assembled at the concert.
The band plays many beautiful selections and finally closes with the
"Star-Spangled Banner." At once every head is bared and all stand at
rigid attention till the glorious old song