Short Story
STORY OF MAYKAPAL
In the beginning, the sky was very low; it was possible to touch it with a long bamboo pole. Because of this proximity, everything on earth was burnt by the intense heat of the sun. The rivers and the seas were boiling tremendously.
Then suddenly from nowhere, a huge man appeared on earth. This enormous being was called Maykapal. Some of the ancient Tagalogs, said that Maykapal was the Lord of the universe who came down to earth to correct some mistakes in his work. However, unable to get rest from the intense heat, Maykapal got mad one day. With his hands, he raised the sky to is present height.
In spite of this change, however, the heat from the sun was still unbearable. In those days, it was said that the sun had two eyes and the heat it gave was twice as much as we have now. In his disgust, Maykapal took his bolo and pierced one of the sun’s eyes. As a result of this incident, the old folks say, the sun became one-eyed and it was for this reason that, since then, it generated just enough light to sustain life on earth. But despite this well-regulated heat from the sun, Maykapal was not contented with his handiwork. The sight of the cold and barren earth made him feel lonely. So one day, he took some curious looking seeds from his pocket and sowed them. Then he tore the clouds and the first rain came. A few days later, the earth was covered with plants and flowers.
With these innovations completed, Maykapal decided to furnish the world with light. The enveloping darkness at night made him feel insecure. He knew he was alone but he could not understand his own feelings. So he picked up some queer-looking and glittering shells from the beach, willed that they should have light, and hung them in the sky. These bacame the stars and the moon. Contented now, he returned to his adobe by way of Mount
In the beginning, the sky was very low; it was possible to touch it with a long bamboo pole. Because of this proximity, everything on earth was burnt by the intense heat of the sun. The rivers and the seas were boiling tremendously.
Then suddenly from nowhere, a huge man appeared on earth. This enormous being was called Maykapal. Some of the ancient Tagalogs, said that Maykapal was the Lord of the universe who came down to earth to correct some mistakes in his work. However, unable to get rest from the intense heat, Maykapal got mad one day. With his hands, he raised the sky to is present height.
In spite of this change, however, the heat from the sun was still unbearable. In those days, it was said that the sun had two eyes and the heat it gave was twice as much as we have now. In his disgust, Maykapal took his bolo and pierced one of the sun’s eyes. As a result of this incident, the old folks say, the sun became one-eyed and it was for this reason that, since then, it generated just enough light to sustain life on earth. But despite this well-regulated heat from the sun, Maykapal was not contented with his handiwork. The sight of the cold and barren earth made him feel lonely. So one day, he took some curious looking seeds from his pocket and sowed them. Then he tore the clouds and the first rain came. A few days later, the earth was covered with plants and flowers.
With these innovations completed, Maykapal decided to furnish the world with light. The enveloping darkness at night made him feel insecure. He knew he was alone but he could not understand his own feelings. So he picked up some queer-looking and glittering shells from the beach, willed that they should have light, and hung them in the sky. These bacame the stars and the moon. Contented now, he returned to his adobe by way of Mount