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"On a cloudless night, one looks
up into heaven and finds the sky beautifully studded with brilliant
twinkling stars. On that part of the sky were one sees three stars
lined together, these, it is said, are the three sisters and not so
far away is a lone star, brighter, bigger, which is the star maiden.
"The elders say that long, long ago,
there was a rich young man who owned a large sugar plantation not far from
his house. Beside this plantation was a lake of clearest blue water that
sparkled in the distance. The man was proud of these possessions and was
the envy of the village. Rich as he was he did not seek help when he
tended his fields. He gave all the care and love to his plants, for from
it came the best fayas in the whole mountain region.
"But one morning when he made his usual visitation, he saw litters
of sugar cane husk everywhere, a good portion of sugar cane gone, and the
lake turbid. Angry, he went to the council of elders to investigate and to
punish the culprits. An inquiry was made but they could not find anyone
who would dare violate the pachipad. They decided then that he
would catch the culprits himself and so that night he put up a shed near
his field and kept vigil.
As the night deepened, he fell into a deep slumber and woke up to find
a worse situation than the previous night. He swore to sleep during the
day and really stay awake the following night. So that night as the world
slept, he sat watching and waiting, and soon he could hear voices,
laughter and running feet. He peeped through a parted growth and much to
his surprise saw beautiful maidens cutting canes, while others swam in the
lake. In a trance he watched and just before the break of dawn he got back
his wits and so was able to snatch a white cloth that lay nearest to his
hiding place. Soon the maidens after having their fun, dressed and flew
back to the heavens to flicker their last ray before the approach of dawn,
except one who could not find her white robe.
"Carefully hiding the clothes he took, he approached the maiden
and carried her to his home. There they lived as man and wife, never to be
disturbed by other star maidens.
"As the years passed, they were blessed with three lovely
daughters. And every night from then on, the woman never slept another
night, she just wove and wove long white robes. Until one night as the man
slept with the world, they wore the roves and were gone.
"The man woke up and found an empty house and a cold hearth, and
he was sad. He could hardly wait for the night to come so that he may gaze
up to the skies to see his beloved ones."
* D.S. Fansler, FPT, No. 70, pp.404-05. A Tagalog Story
narrated by Francisco M. Africa.
This legend was taken directly out of:
"Philippine Folk Literature: The Myths"
Compiled & edited by Damiana L. Eugenio
Published by the University of the Philippines Press,
copyright 1993.
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