The Legend of Sikalak and Sikabay Nuong unang panahon, may dalawang bathala na namamahay sa langit, si Kaptan at si Maguayan. Napa-ibig si Kaptan kay Maguayan at sila ay nag-asawa. Isang araw, tulad sa nangyayari sa mga mag-asawa pagkatapos ng unang pagsasama, nag-away si Kaptan at si Maguayan. Sa bugso ng galit ni Kaptan, pinalayas niya ang kanyang asawa. Malaki ang paghihinagpis na umalis si Maguayan. Nang wala na ang diyosa, ang diyos na Kaptan ay inabot ng lumbay. Nabagabag siya ng kamaliang ipinataw niya sa kanyang asawa. Subalit huli na upang humingi siya ng patawad. Hinalughog niya ang buong kalangitan, subalit hindi niya natagpuan si Maguayan. Tulad sa usok naglaho ang diyosa. Upang mahupa ang kanyang lumbay, ang namimighating diyos ay lumikha ng daigdig at nagtanim ng kawayan sa halaman na pinangalanang Kahilwayan. Nagtanim din siya ng palay, mais at tubo. Sa lahat ng mga tanim, ang kawayan ang unang umusbong. Tumubo itong maganda puno na malambot ang mga sanga at mga dahon na parang balahibong kumakaway sa daloy ng hangin. Nang makita ang ganda ng kanyang nilikha, napuno ng ligaya ang kaluoban ni Kaptan. “h,! buntong hininga niya, “kung narito lamang si Maguayan, malulugod siyang masdan itong magandang tanawin sa gitna ng simoy ng hangin at kiskisan ng mga dahon"! #atuloy ang pagtubo ng kawayan. ng halamanan ay lalong gumaganda araw-araw. Isang dapit-hapon, habang si Kaptan ay nanunuod ng kaway-kaway ng mga dahon sa simoy ng hangin, isang sapantaha ang nabuo sa kanyang isip at, bago pa niya namalayan kung ano ang nangyayari, binulong na niya sa kanyang sarili, “$ilikha ako ng mga mag-aalaga nitong mga halaman.! gad-agad, gad-agad, ang kawayan kawayan ay nahati nahati sa % kabiyak. Mula sa isang bahagi, bahagi, lumitaw lumitaw ang unang tao. #inangalan ni Kaptan ang tao ng Sikalak, pangalang nangangahulugan “ang matipunong nilikha.! t mula nga nuon, ang mga katulad ni Sikalak ay tinawag na lalak, o sa palayaw na lalaki.! #agkatapos, mula sa kabilang bahagi ng biyak na kawayan lumitaw ang pangalawang nilikha. &ininyagan siya ng diyos ng Sikabay, pangalang ibig sabihin ay “katulong ng nilalang na malakas.! Mula nuon, ang kanyang mga katulad ay tinawag na sibabay' o babay', sa palayaw. Magkasama, ang dalawang nilikha ay nagtanim sa halamanan at inalagaan ang mga pananim. Sa kabilang dako, si Kaptan ay nagpunta sa malayo upang hanapin si Maguayan. Isang araw, pagka-alis ng diyos, niyaya ni Sikalak si Sikabay na magpakasal sa kanya. Subalit ang baba' ay tumanggi. “Hindi ba magkapatid tayo(! pinagalitan niya ang lalaki. “Tutuo ang sinabi mo. Subalit walang ibang tao dito sa halamanan,! nangatwiran si Sikalak. “t kailangan natin ang mga anak na tutulong mag-alaga dito sa napaka-laking lupa para sa ating panginoon.!
Hindi natinag ang baba'. “lam ko,! sagot niya, “subalit ikay ay aking kapatid. Kapwa tayo isinilang sa iisang puno ng kawayan, at kaisa-isang biyas ang nagkabit sa ating dalawa.! #agtagal-tagal, matapos ng mahabang pagtatalo, humingi sila ng payo sa mga isda sa dagat, at sa mga ibon sa himpapawid. Ipinayo ng mga isda at ng mga ibon na magpakasal sila. Hindi pa rin nahimok, sumangguni si Sikabay sa lindol, na sang-ayon din sa kanilang pag-aasawa. “Kailangang mag-asawa kayo,! sabi ng lindol, “upang magka-tao sa daigdig.! Kaya nag-asawa sina Sikalak at Sikabay. ng una nilang anak ay isang lalaki, na pinangalanan nilang Sibu. #agkatapos, nagka-anak sila ng isang baba', na tinawag nilang Samar.
English Version:
In th' old'n days, th'r' li)'d in th' sky two gods, Kaptan and Maguayan. Kaptan *'ll in lo)' with Maguayan and th'y w'r' marri'd. +n' day, Kaptan and Maguayan uarr'l'd as many oupl's do a*t'r hon'ymoon. In a *it o* ang'r, Kaptan told his wi*' to go away. ith a h'a)y h'art, Maguayan l'*t. h'n th' godd'ss was gon', th' god Kaptan *'lt )'ry lon'ly. H' kn'w that h' had don' his wi*' wrong/ h' had mad' an un0usti*iably hasty d'ision and this thought both'r'd him. How')'r, it was too lat' *or him to ask to b' *orgi)'n. H' tri'd to sour th' ski's but his '**orts w'r' in )ain/ Maguayan was nowh'r' to b' *ound as sh' had )anish'd lik' smok' into thin air. So to whil' away his sorrows, th' r'p'ntant god r'at'd th' 'arth and plant'd a bamboo in a gard'n all'd kahilwayan. H' also plant'd oth'r plants lik' ri', orn and sugaran'. mong th's' plants, how')'r, th' bamboo sprout'd ah'ad. It gr'w to b' a b'auti*ul tr'' with pliant branh's and *'ath'ry l'a)'s daning to th' rhythmi wa*ting o* th' br''1'. &'holding th' spl'ndor o* his r'ation, th' gr'at Kaptan was *ill'd with happin'ss. “h,! h' sigh'd,! w'r' Maguayan h'r', sh' would 'n0oy this b'auti*ul sight and list'n to th' sighs o* th' br''1' and th' rustl' o* th' l'a)'s bl'nding into a strang' und'rton' o* hop' and 0oy"! Th' bamboo ontinu'd to grow. Th' gard'n b'am' mor' b'auti*ul 'ah day. Th'n on' lat' a*t'rnoon, whil' Kaptan was wathing th' bamboo l'a)'s play in th' br''1', a thought am' to him, and, b'*or' h' r'ali1'd what it was all about, h' was murmuring to hims'l*, !I will mak' r'atur's to tak' ar' o* th's' plants *or m'.!
No soon'r had h' spok'n th's' words than th' bamboo brok' into two s'tions. 2rom hal* a split bamboo nod' st'pp'd out th' *irst man and woman. To th' man, Kaptan ga)' th' nam' Sikalak, m'aning th' “th' sturdy on'.! nd that is th' r'ason why m'n *rom that tim' on ha)' b''n all'd si lalak or lalaki *or short. 2rom th' oth'r hal* o* th' nod' st'pp'd out a woman. Th' god all'd h'r Sikabay, m'aning “partn'r o* th' stury on'/! and, th'n'*orth, th' wom'n ha)' b''n all'd si babay' or babay' *or short. Tog'th'r, th' two r'atur's wath'd th' gard'n and took ar' o* th' plants. M'anwhil', Kaptan l'*t *or a *araway pla' to look *or Maguayan. +n' day, wh'n th' god had l'*t, Sikalak ask'd Sikabay to marry him. Th' woman, how')'r, r'*us'd. “3on4t you know that you ar' my broth'r(! sh' r'pro)'d th' man st'rnly. “I know. &ut th'r' ar' no oth'r p'opl' in this gard'n,! Sikalak argu'd. “nd w' n''d hildr'n to h'lp us tak' ar' o* this wid' pla' *or our lord and mast'r.! Th' woman was unmo)'d. “I know,! sh' r'pli'd, “but you ar' my broth'r. ' ar' born o* th' sam' bamboo nod', with only on' knot binding us. 2inally, a*t'r muh argum'nt, th'y d'id'd to ask th' ad)i' o* th' tuna *ish o* th' s'a and th' do)'s o* th' air. Th' *ish and th' do)'s appro)'d o* th' marriag'. Still unon)in'd, Sikabay onsult'd th' 'arthuak', who also appro)'d o* th' marriag'. “It is n''ssary,! th' 'arthuak' said, “that you marry so that th' 'arth will b' p'opl'd.! So Sikalak and Sikabay w'r' marri'd. Th'ir *irst hild was a boy whom th'y nam'd Sibu. Th'n a daught'r and th'y nam'd h'r Samar.
The White Horse of Alih by Emigdio "Mig" Alvarez Enriquez
5Th' hit' Hors' o* lih5 t'lls th' story o* young alih, and his old'r broth'r +mar, as th'y try to r'd''m th'ms'l)'s *rom th' sham' o* b'ing robb'd o* all o* th'ir pri1'd poss'ssions. lih and +mar d'id' that th' only way to strip th'ms'l)'s o* th'ir sham' is to l'ans' th'ir body, pr'par' th'ms'l)'s *or burial, and kill som'on'. &y killing som' random p'rson 6and in turn b'ing kill'd by th' authoriti's7, +mar b'li')'s, that lla will s'nd 'ponymous whit' hors's *or th'm to arri'd to paradis'. It was during th' 2ourth o* 8uly #arad' at th' pla1a. &'*or' th' atual plan was arri'd o**, lih r'minis's about thr'' wom'n who ha)' mad' inr'dibl' impats in his li*'9 $uy, an m'rian girl h' m't wh'n h' was in 2irst :rad'/ 2'rmina, a ;hristian b'rmaid h' drunk'nly *lirt'd with b'*or' h' was s'nt'n'd to 0ail *or si< months/ and th' girl *rom &al't' to whom h' lost his )irginity. s h' om's to r'ality, h' s''s girl atop a *loat at th' bak o* th' parad'. s th' *loat am' los'r, h' starts to ompar' th' girl to th' girl *rom &al't' h' sl'pt with. Sudd'nly, a drunk'n +mar rampag's around th' pla1a, int'nt on killing anyon' who stands in his way. s +mar om's los'r to th' parad' girl, lih runs in a *lash to sa)' th' girl, r'm'mb'ring $uy, 2'rmina and th' :irl *rom &al't'. In th' 'nd, lih kills +mar and is arr'st'd by th' authoriti's. Setting Th' story happ'n'd on 8uly =th in a ity with a parad' o* p'opl'. Conflict lih did not want to kill but th' *'ar h' had *or his broth'r whil' h' was growing urg'd him to th' killings and also b'aus' his broth'r taught him that killing will b' th'ir way to wash away th'ir sham' and gain r'sp't *or th'ir *ath'r, who had di'd in th' hands o* m'rian soldi'rs without any r'ason. Rising Action H' saw a *loat with a girl whom h' thought o* as 2'rmina. H' w'nt n'ar th' *loat and assist'd th' girl to go down to th' ground and *ound out that it is 2'rmina wh'n h' saw th' littl' blak mol' on th' orn'r o* th' girl4s mouth. Climax s h' was about to hold h'r ompl't'ly, +mar am' but to his surpris', h' was drunk and tipsy. ll along, h' r'ali1'd that +mar had b''n drinking tuba. +mar was about to kill 2'rmina. Falling Action lih kills his broth'r d'spit' th'ir plans to gain th' whit' hors' *or him to prot't 2'rmina.
Resolution *t'r th' inid'nt, many sp'ulations was mad' o* what happ'n'd. Som' said lih b'am' insan' that is why h' kill'd his broth'r. Som' said h' had always hat'd his broth'r. &ut th' thing is lih didn>t want his whit' hors' anymor'. Theme Th' short story is all about th' tradition, b'li'*s and *aith o* 2ilipinos.
Comprehension uestions 1. Why does Alih, who has brown complexion lie !he res! o !he people in !he !own, eel an alien and does no! belong# I think its b'aus' th'y ha)' di**'r'nt r'ligion than th' most o* th' p'opl' in th' town and mayb' that>s th' on' o* th' r'ason p'opl' tr'at th'm lik' that, lik' th'y don>t b'long in that town.
$. Wha! are some common misconcep!ions abou! !he Moros# Why do you !hin we have !hese misconcep!ions abou! !hem# Som' p'opl' think Moros ar' arrogant and ha)' this di**'r'nt kind o* *aith and b'li'*s. #'opl' think most o* Moros ar' pro t'rrorists and lik' to t'rrori1' towns or ountry.
%. &escribe Alih's rela!ionship wi!h his bro!her, (mar. lih and +mars r'lationship ar' ins'parabl', th'y ha)' a gr'at broth'rhood r'lationship. &ut sadly in th' 'nd th'y 'nd'd up killing 'ah oth'r. &ut th'ir r'lationship was strong lik' no oth'r.
). Explain !he !i!le. Wha! is !he signiicance*symbol o !he whi!e horse in Alih's lie# Its b'aus' th'y b'li')' that wh'n th'y slaught'r som' p'opl' mayb' llah will s'nd a whit' hors' to l'ans' th'ir body souls and hop'*ully guid' th'm to th' paradis'.
+. Wha! is !he original plan o (mar and Alih or !ha! )!h o uly American parade# Wha! are reasons behind i!# lih and +mar plann'd to kill sp'ially th' authoriti's b'aus' th'y want to try to r'd''m th'ms'l)'s *rom th' sham' o* b'ing robb'd o* all o* th'ir pri1'd poss'ssions.
Letter to Rosa! "orean Citi#en $%sang&
Many !hings has changed in our li!!le old province since !he day you le! and !ry !o live in ano!her coun!ry. -he river here !oday is no! !he same as !he old crys!al clear, i! !urned !o blac was!e and garbage disposal. -he rice ields is now a subdivision, we had a good memory !here. We used !o play and do some ac!ivi!ies and us! having un all day and now i!s gone i!s no! !he same anymore. / also missed !he !ime when we sa! down and enoy !he view o !he ield where you can see dieren! inds o animals, !he beau!iul songs o birds, !he peaceul place where you can relaxed yoursel. / missed you, / missed my bes! riend.
