A
long, long time ago, Mindanao was covered with water, and the sea cover
all the lowlands so that nothing could be seen but the mountains
jutting from it. There were many people living in the country and all
the highlands were dotted with villages and settlements. For many years
the people prospered, living in peace and contentment. Suddenly there
appeared in the land four horrible monsters which, in short time has
devoured every human being they could find.
Kurita, a terrible
creature with many limbs, lived partly on the land and partly on sea,
but its favorite haunt was the mountain where the rattan palm grew; and
here it brought utter destruction on every living thing. The second
monster, Tarabusaw, an ugly creature in the form of a man, lived on Mt.
Matutum, and far and wide from that place he devoured the people, laying
waste the land. The third, an enormous bird called Pah, was so large
that, when on the wing, it covered the sun and brought darkness to the
earth. Its egg was as large as a house. Mt. Bita was its haunt; and
there the only people who escaped its voracity were those who hid in the
mountain caves. The fourth monster was also a dreadful bird, having
seven heads and the power to see in all directions at the same time. Mt.
Gurayan was its home and like the others, it wrought havoc to its
region.
So great was the death and destruction caused by these
terrible creatures that at length, the news spread even to the most
distant lands - and all nations grieved to hear the sad fate of
Mindanao.
Now far across the sea, in the land of the golden sunset,
was a city so great that to look at its many people would injure the
eyes of men. When tidings of these great disasters reached this distant
city, the heart of King Indarapatra was filled with compassion, and he
called his brother, Sulayman, and begged hem to save the land of
Mindanao from the monsters.
Sulayman listened to the story and as
heard it, was moved with pity. "I will go", zeal and enthusiasm adding
to his strength, "and the land shall be avenged," said he.
King
Indarapatra, proud of his brother's courage, gave him a ring and a sword
as he wished him success and safety. Then he placed a young sapling by
his window and said to Sulayman "By this tree I shall know your fate
from the hour you depart from here, for if you live, it will live; but
if you die, it will die also."
So Sulayman departed for Mindanao,
and he neither waded nor used a boat, but went through the air and
landed on the mountain where the rattan grew. There he stood on the
summit and gazed about on all sides. He looked on the land and the
villages, but he could see no living thing. And he was very sorrowful
and cried out: "Alas, how pitiful and dreadful is this devastation."
No sooner had Sulayman uttered those words than the whole mountain
began to move and then shook. Suddenly out of the ground came the
horrible creature Kurita. It sprung at the man and sank its claws at his
flesh. But, Sulayman knowing at once that this was the scourge of the
land, drew his sword and cut Kurita to pieces.
Encourage by his
first success, Sulayman went on to Mt. Matutum, where conditions were
even worse. As he stood on the heights viewing the great devastation,
there was a noise in the forest and a movement in the trees. With a loud
yell, Tarabusaw forth leaped. For the moment they looked at each other,
neither showing any sign of fear. Then Tarabusaw used all his powers to
try to devour Sulayman, who fought back. For a long time, the battle
continued, until at last, the monster fell exhausted to the ground and
Sulayman killed him with his sword.
The nest place visited by
Sulayman was Mt. Bita. Here havoc was present everywhere, and though he
passed by many homes, he saw that not a single soul was left. As he
walked, sudden darkness fell over the land, startling him. As he looked
toward the sky he beheaded a great bird that swooped upon him.
Immediately he struck, and the bird fell dead at his feet; but the wing
fell on Sulayman and he was crushed.
Now at this very time King Indarapatra was sitting at his window, and looking out he saw the little tree wither and dry up.
"Alas!" he cried, "my brother is dead" and he wept bitterly.
Then although he was very sad, he was filled with a desire for revenge.
Putting on his sword and belt, he started for Mindanao, in search for
his brother.
He, too, traveled through the air with great speed
until he came to the mountain where the rattan grew. There he looked
about, awed at the great destruction, and when she saw the bones of
Kurita he knew that his brother had been there. He went on till he came
to Matutum, and when he saw the bones of Tarabusaw, he knew that this,
too, was the work of Sulayman.
Still searching for his brother, he
arrived at Mt. Bita, where the dead bird lay on the ground, and when he
lifted the severed wing he beheld the bones of Sulayman with his sword
by his side. His grief now so overwhelmed Indarapatra that he wept for
some time. Upon looking up, he beheld a small jar of water by his side.
This, he knew had been sent from the heaven, and he poured the water
over the bones, and Sulayman, came to life again. They greeted each
other and talked animatedly for great length of time. Sulayman declared
that he had not been dead but asleep, and their hearts were full of joy.
After some time Sulayman returned his distant home, but
Indarapatra continued his journey to Mt. Gurayan where killed the
dreadful bird with the seven heads. After these monsters had all been
killed, peace and safety had been restored to the land: Indarapatra
began searching everywhere to see if some of the people who hid in the
earth were still alive.
One day, in the course of his search, he
caught sight of a beautiful woman at a distance. When he hastened toward
her she disappeared through a hole in the ground where she stood.
Disappointed and tried, he sat down on a rock to rest when, looking
about, he saw near him a pot uncooked rice with a big fire on the ground
in front of it. This revived him and he proceeded to cook the rice. As
he did so, however, he heard someone laugh near by, and turning he
beheld an old woman watching him. As he greeted her, she drew near and
talked to him while he ate the rice.
Of all the people in the land,
the woman told him, only few were left, and they hid in a cave in the
ground from whence they never ventured to come out. As for herself and
her old husband, she went on, they had hidden in a hollow tree, and this
they had never dared to leave until Sulayman killed the voracious bird
Pah.
At Indarapatra's request, the old woman led him to one such
cave. There he met the headmen with his family and some people. They all
gathered about the stranger, asking many questions, for this was the
first time they had heard about the death of the monsters. When they
found out what Indarapatra had done for them, the headman gave his
daughter to him in marriage, and she proved to be beautiful girl whom
Indarapatra had seen at the mouth of the cave.
Then the people all
came out of their hiding places and returned to their homes where they
lived in peace and happiness. And the sea withdrew from the land and
gave the lowlands to the people.
