.♥. Ang Langgam at ang Tipaklong (the Ant and the Grasshopper) .♥. (FOLKTALE)

The story started in a harvest time in the countryside. The grasshopper was very happy singing and jumping and went on celebrating the whole day because of the abundance of food that day, while the ant was busy collecting and keeping foods in its house. The grasshopper asked the ant why it needs to work hard to collect and keep foods with the fact that they have lots of supply because its harvest time. The ant said that it is a preparation for the rainy season. The grasshopper thought that it was a stupid thing to do so it went on dancing and singing while the ant went on gathering foods to be saved...
Rainy season came and the grasshopper has nothing to eat and can not go out to look for food because everything is wet. The ant, on the other hand, has no problem at all because everything is fine in its house and it has lots of food supplies saved even before the rainy season.
The grasshopper wanted to ask for food fom the ant but it can not go to the ants house so the grasshopper died wishing..."if only i had listened to the ant."
The lesson is that, we should not waste our resources today. We should save for the future. The present generation, political leaders and all leaders of the world, please do not exploit the resources of the earth for our children and our children''s children...i beg you, please listen to the ant.


http://www.shvoong.com/books/children-and-youth/1777530-ang-langgam-ang-tipaklong-ant/

.♥.How the Angels Built Lake Lanao.♥. (Folktale)

Long ago there was no lake in Lanao.  On the place where it is now situated, there flourished a mighty sultanate called Mantapoli.  During the reign of Sultan Abdara Radawi, the greater grandfather of Radia Indarapatra (mythological hero of the Lanao Muslims), this realm expanded by military conquests and by dynastic marriages so that in time its fame spread far and wide.

The population of Mantapoli was numerous and fast increasing.  At that time the world was divided into two regions: Sebangan (East) and Sedpan (West).   The mighty sultanate of Mantapoli belonged to Sebangan.  Because this sultanate rapidly increased in power and population as well, the equilibrium between Sebangan and Sedpan was broken.

This dis-equilibrium soon came to the attention of Archangel Diabarail (Gabriel to the Christians).  Like a flash of sunlight, Diabarail flew to the Eighth heaven and told Allah, "My Lord, why have you permitted the unbalance of the earth?   Because of the power of Mantapoli, Sebangan is now larger than Sedpan."

"Why, Diabarail," replied the Sohara (Voice of Allah), "what is wrong with that?"

"My Lord, Mantapoli has a vast population countless as the particles of dust.  If we will allow this sultanate to remain in Sebangan, I fear that the world would turn upside down, since Sebangan is heavier than Sedpan."

"Your words show great wisdom, Diabarail," commented the Sohara.

"What must we do, my Lord, to avert the impending catastrophe?"

To this query, the Sohara replied, "Go right away to the Seven-Regions-Beneath-the-Earth and to the Seven-Regions-in-the-Sky and gather all the angels.  I will cause a barahana (solar eclipse) and in the darkness let the angels remove Mantapoli and transfer it to the center of the earth."

Upon receiving the mandate of Allah, Archangel Diabarail, traveling faster than lightning, rallied the millions of angels from the Seven-Regions-Beneath-the-Earth and the Seven-Regions-in-the-Sky.  With this formidable army, he presented himself to Allah, saying, "My Lord, we are ready to obey Your command."

The Sohara spoke, "Go to Sebangan, and lift the land of Mantapoli."

Diabarail, leading his army of angels, flew to the east.  In the twinkle of an eye, the sun vanished and a terrible darkness as black as the blackest velvet shrouded the universe.  The angels sped faster than arrows.  They swooped on Mantapoli, lifting it with great care and carried it (including its people, houses, crops and animals) through the air as if it were a carpet.  They brought it down at the center of the earth, in accordance with the command of Allah.  The very spot vacated by the sultanate of Mantapoli became a huge basin of deep, blue water-the present Lanao Lake.

The waters coming from the deep bowels of the earth rose higher and higher.  Archangel Diabarail, seeing the rising tides immediately returned to the Eighth Heaven and reported to Allah, "My Lord, the earth is now balanced.  But the place where we removed Mantapoli is becoming an ocean.  The waters are rising fast, and unless an outlet for them can be found, I fear that they might inundate Sebangan and drown all Your people."

In response, the Sohara said, "You are right, Diabarail.  Go out, then, and summon the Four Winds of the World: Angin Taupan, Angin Besar, Angin Darat, and Angin Sarsar.  Tell them to blow and make an outlet for the overflowing waters."

Obeying the Master's command, the faithful messenger summoned the Four Winds.  "By the Will of Allah," he told them, "blow your best, and make an outlet for the rising waters of the new lake."

The four winds of the world blew, and a turbulence swept the whole eastern half of the earth.  The surging waters rolled swiftly towards the shores of Tilok Bay to the southeastern direction.  But the towering ranges impeded their onrush.   The Four Winds blew, hurling the waves against the rocky slopes but in vain; no outlet could be cut through the mountain barrier.

Changing direction, this time eastward, the Four Winds blew harder driving the raging waters towards the shores of Sugud Bay (situated east of Dansalan, now Marawi City).  Once again, the attempt to create an outlet failed because the bay was too far from the sea.

For the third time, the Four Winds changed direction and blew their hardest.  The waves, plunging with ferocity, rolled towards Marawi.  Day and night, the Winds blew as the waters lashed against the shoreline of Marawi.  This time the attempt succeeded.  An outlet now called Agus River was made, and through the outlet, that water of Lake Lanao poured out to the sea, thereby saving Sebangan from a deluge.

It came to past that there was a high cliff at the outlet, and over the cliff the waters cascaded in majestic volume.  Thus, arose the beautiful falls which, aeons later, was named Maria Cristina, after a famous queen of Spain.

http://www.seasite.niu.edu/Tagalog/folktales/Maranao/how_the_angels_built_lake_lanao.htm

..♫ PARU-PARONG BUKID (FOLK SONG ) ♫..

..♫ FOLK SONG ♫..

..+ PARU-PARONG BUKID +..

Paruparong bukid na lilipad-lipad
Butterfly (referring to a young lass) that flutters about

Sa gitna ng daa'y papagapagaspas
It waves its wings in the middle of the road

Isang bara ang tapis
Wearing a 9 meter-long rectangular cloth over her skirt

Isang dangkal ang manggas
Sleeves, a handspan long

Ang sayang de kola
Her skirt that's shaped like a grand piano

Isang piyesa ang sayad
has a train that's as long as an entire rack of cloth

May payneta pa siya -- uy!
She has a decorative hairpin -- wow!

May suklay pa mandin -- uy!
And even a comb

Nagwas de-ohetes ang palalabasin
She displays her embroidered half-slip (the cloth under the skirt)

Haharap sa altar at mananalamin
She faces the altar, then looks into her mirror

At saka lalakad na pakendeng-kendeng.
Then she walks and sways her hips.

http://www.viloria.com/secondthoughts/archives/00001336.html

..♥ The Origin of the Moon and Stars ♥.. (MYTH)

A long, long time ago, some Filipinos thought the moon was a silver crescent comb and the stars were necklaces of diamonds. The sky was said to be a mere arm-stretch away overhead. The Philippine myth goes this way.
The myth says that once, a small community lived in the middle of a rice field. They focused on rice and corn agriculture and they brought in abundant harvest each year. One of the families in the community was Maria’s family. The myth continues that people in the community were so close that they knew each other well. Maria was know there as a pretty girl.
Particularly, she was known for caring too much for her long, silky hair. The myth says it was her pride, and lots of other girls in the neighborhood envied her for it. And Maria loved it. She fancied herself the star of her village. So, the myth goes that she worked double time on her beauty, especially her long, jet black hair.
Maria cared so much for her hair. The myth says, aside from daily comprehensive herbal rituals, she regularly brushed her hair with a special silver crescent-shape comb. The myth says she let nothing touch her hair except the best material around. Even as she went about her daily chore she wore a coiled string of jewels and diamonds (supposedly common as ordinary rocks that time) to crown her hair—that’s aside from the jeweled necklace she wore.
One day, according to the myth, as she was pounding grains of corn and palay (rice stalks) in a native wooden pestle with a wooden mortar, her mother noticed the jeweled string around her head , the silver comb stuck in her hair, and the jeweled lace round her neck. She scolded her and told her to lay aside everything while working. So, continues the myth, Maria hanged the comb and jewelry on the sky above her. Wanting to finish her work in a hurry, she pounded the grains hard by raising the mortar really high. She didn’t notice hitting the sky which went up higher as she hit it with her pounding. Soon the sky went all the way up, along with her comb and jewelry. And they became the moon and the stars, according to his Philippine myth.
The myth’s lesson? Don’t be too preoccupied with vain personal beauty. Work always comes first. Too much self indulgence is bound to compromise on things that really count.

.The Strong and The Beautiful.

This is a very popular folk tale in the country and has varied details in different provinces all over the Philipines. Nevertheless, i would like to share the essence of the story to all those who want to read and go back to the stories of our yesteryears. This story was made by ancient filipinos in order to explain the mystery of the origin of humankind. According to this folk tale, there was nothing in the world but the sea, the sky, a piece of land, a bamboo tree, and a bird. The bird was on the bamboo and heard sounds in a couple of bamboo trees so it tried to break the bamboo trees through its beak. After sometime, the bamboo trees broke and a man and a woman came out. The man was called Malakas, and the woman, Maganda. They then started a family and produced children who filled the archipelago.The name Malakas and Maganda also denote a deeper meaning and truth about Filipino culture. Filipinos consider women to be maganda or beautiful,sweet, and soft; while men as malakas or strong and sturdy human being to whom the family can depend on at all times especially in times of trouble and disasters in life...

http://www.shvoong.com/books/mythology-ancient-literature/1777503-si-malakas-si-maganda-strong/

♥ Assignement No. 1 : Riddles

♥ Riddles is a statement or question or phrase having a double or veiled meaning, put forth as a puzzle to be solved.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riddle)

♥ Riddle No. 1
Q: What goes round the house and in the house but never touches the house?
A: The Sun
(http://thinks.com/riddles/a1-riddles.htm)

♥ Riddle No. 2
Q:I have a little house in which I live all alone. It has no doors or windows, and if I want to go out I must break through the wall.
A: A chicken in an egg
(http://thinks.com/riddles/a1-riddles.htm)

♥ Riddle No. 3
Q: What fastens two people yet touches only one?
A: Wedding Ring
(http://thinks.com/riddles/a1-riddles.htm)

♥ Riddle No. 4
Q:What building has the most stories?
A: Library
(http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Ten_example_of_riddles)

♥ Riddles No. 5
Q:Three eyes have I, all in a row; when the red one opens, all freeze.
A: Traffic Light
(http://www.yourdictionary.com/grammar/examples/examples-of-riddles.html) 

 Riddles are important not only it is a brain teaser. But also it represents the tradition of one country and can give enjoyment for us.