Reading Notes: Week 9 Filipino Popular Tales A

(Image Information: Image by Andre Mouton)

The Clever Husband and Wife

Pedro lived as a servant in a doctor's house for nine years. He wanted to have a wife, but no way to support them. He was sad. His master noticed and learned what was wrong. The doctor said not to worry about money, and he would allow him to marry.

The next day, the wedding was held. The doctor let the couple live in a cottage not far from his hacienda, and gave them two hundred pieces of gold. When they received the money, they didn't know what to do with it as Pedro had never had any business. His wife asked what they should do with the money.

Years passed and the couple didn't have a cent to buy food. So Pedro went to the doctor and asked for some money. The doctor had always been kind gave him twenty pieces of gold, but these didn't last long. Pedro went to the doctor's house weeping. He said his wife had died. The doctor heard Pedro's and pitied him. He asked how long the wife was sick.

Pedro said two days. The doctor was shocked and asked why he didn't come to get him. The doctor gave him money to bury her.

Pedro returned home in good spirits. He found his wife, Marta, waiting for him at the door. They were happy, but in a month they were starving. Now. the doctor had a married sister who Pedro and his had worked for off and after their marriage. Pedro told his wife to go to the doctor's sister and tell he was dead and need money for the burial. She did as told and asked for money.

However, that evening the doctor visited his sister. His sister told him what had happened. He said no it was the wife who died. They argued and sent a servant to see which was dead

Pedro saw the servant coming and told his wife to lie stiff in the bed as if she were dead. The servant returned and told the doctor and his sister Marta was dead, but the sister wouldn't believe him. So, they sent another servant and this time Marta made her husband lie down stiff in the bed. The servant saw he was dead and told the doctor and his sister.

Now neither knew what to believe. The next morning they went together and found both lying dead. After examining them, the doctor realized they were feigning death. He was so pleased by the joke and to know they were both alive. He took them home and made them stay at his house.

The Enchanted Prince

A rich king lived in a beautiful city, but it was home to many witches. He had a son named Ucay who fell in love with a young witch. She was the daughter of the king's enemy.

When Ucay could marry his was told to select a woman from the city, but he refused and hadn't mentioned his witch. The king ordered his soldiers to bring all the beautiful women to the palace, but none of the women suited the prince.

So the king chose for his girl for his son, and Ucay consented out of fear. However, the witch was angry. She changed the city into a forest and the prince into a monkey. He would never recover his human form until five centuries passed and a charming girl would love him. She also changed the king's subjects into other animals.

Four centuries passed and the city had been forgotten and people had built houses in the enchanted city without knowing. The monkey-prince always watched for a beautiful girl who could break his spell.

A church was built where he lived. He captured two ladies, but they had died of fear. Then finally five centuries had come. One Sunday morning before mass was over, a young woman who was the daughter of a poor man left the church and sat near the monkey-prince's tree. She was disappointed in her rich lover who left her for a rich woman. She wished to die.

The monkey-prince saw her sitting there alone, took her by the hand, and carried her tp the top pf the tree. If she hadn't seen the sympathy in his eyes, she would've died of fright like the other women.  For days, she lived with the monkey and ate fruit. Slowly, she fell in love with the monkey. On the tenth day, she was surprised to herself with a prince in a decorated room. It wasn't a dream. The prince woke up, kissed her, and told her the truth.

The next day, she was married to him and crowned his queen.

Bibliography: 

The Clever Husband Wife by Dean S. Fansler (1921).
The Enchanted Prince by Dean S. Fansler (1921).