THE STORY OF MALAKAS AND MAGANDA

(ENGLISH VERSION OF “ANG ALAMAT NI MALAKAS AT MAGANDA”)

A LONG TIME AGO, THE HOUSE OF GOD WAS A FATHOMLESS VAST OF EMPTINESS.

HE WAS SADDENED BECAUSE HE CAN’T SEE NOR HEAR ANYTHING.

THE SUN ROSE, BRIGHT AS A GOLD AND THE HEAVENS WERE EMBELLISHED WITH CLEAR BLUE SKIES. IN A DISTANCE THE FULL MOON PEEKED AMIDST THE DARKNESS WITH THOUSANDS OF SPARKLING AND TWINKLING STARS.

GOD GRACEFULLY LIFTED HIS POWERFUL HANDS AND IN JUST A SNAP, THE EARTH WAS CREATED. TREES AND GRASSES SPROUTED FROM THE LANDS AND FRAGRANT FLOWERS CAME INTO BLOOM.

OCEANS WAVED AND SURGED; RIVERS OUTRAGEOUSLY FLOWED. BIRDS FLEW FREELY IN THE SKIES AND THEY REST TO SING FOR A WHILE.

GOD THEN CREATED THE WORLD. IT WAS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL AND PLEASURE PARADISE TO BEHOLD!

ONE DAY, THE KING OF BIRDS FLEW AND EXPLORED THE WILD BLUE YONDER.HE PROUDLY SPREAD HIS STURDY MASSIVE WINGS AND FLEW TO THE FOREST.

FROM A DISTANCE, HE SAW A LOFTY BAMBOO BENDING FROM ITS WAIST AS A GENTLE BLOW OF WIND TOUCHED IT.

HE HURRIED THROUGH THE BAMBOO AND STOPPED FOR A SHORT REST.

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

HE FELT A RESOUNDING KNOCK COMING FROM THE TALL BAMBOO. HE WAS SURE HE HEARD A VOICE!

“SET ME FREE, O, STALWART KING OF BIRDS!”, WAS THE PLEAD. “PECK HARDER! I CAN’T BREATHE. IT’S A CONFINEMENT!”

“IT MIGHT BE A TRAP!”, THE BIRD THOUGHT. AFTER A WHILE, A LIZARD CRAWLED UP TO THE BAMBOO. THE STARVING BIRD TRIED TO GRAB THE CRAWLING LIZARD.

HE HARDLY PECKED THE BAMBOO IN HIS ATTEMPT TO CATCH THE LIZARD.

ALL OF A SUDDEN, THE TALL BAMBOO BROKE. TO THE BIRD’S SURPRISE, A HANDSOME MAN EMERGED FROM THE BAMBOO.

“THANKS, O, GREAT KING OF THE BIRDS! MY NAME IS MALAKAS. PLEASE CONTINUE PECKING THE BAMBOO. RELEASE MY PARTNER WITH YOUR GRACE AND POWER!”

ONCE AGAIN, THE BIRD PECKED THE BAMBOO.

A MODEST AND BEAUTIFUL WOMAN CAME OUT FROM THE BAMBOO. “SHE IS MY WIFE. HER NAME IS MAGANDA. YOU FREED US, O, KING OF THE BIRDS! YOU MUST LIVE WITH US FOREVER!”

“I CAN’T”, REPLIED THE BIRD. “I AM BUT ONE BIRD AND MY HOME IS THE IMMENSE BLUE SKIES. I TRAVEL WITH THE WIND. MY WINGS WERE INTENDED FOR FLIGHT. BUT, I WOULD ALWAYS SING FOR YOU. EVEN IF WHEN I’M GONE, MY NESTLINGS WOULD ALSO SING FOR YOU. WITH THEIR RHYTHMIC VOICES, THEY WOULD SING THE SONG I SANG FOR THE BOTH OF YOU!”

“COME! RIDE IN MY MASSIVE WINGS. I WOULD BRING YOU TO THE LAND OF THE MORNING. THERE YOU MUST LIVE AND STAY!”

MALAKAS AND MAGANDA REACHED THE LAND OF GREEN ISLANDS. IT SHONE WITH THE BRIGHTNESS OF GOLDEN SUN. THE WHOLE LAND WAS A VAST OF GLISTENING PEARLS OF THE EAST!

THERE, IN THE LAND OF THE MORNING, MALAKAS AND MAGANDA LIVED TOGETHER – THE FIRST PARENTS OF THE FILIPINO RACE.

SOURCES: ANGEL (2016). RETRIEVED FROM https://itscamilleangela.wordpress.com/2015/09/01/the-legend-of-malakas-and-maganda-english-version-of-ang-alamat-ni-malakas-at-maganda/