Tuesday, November 10, 2020

The Mango Tree by Outhine Bounyavong

 

Othine Bounyavong's collections of Folktales show us the universal desire of the people to create a better world. It shows us that the desire for unity, justice, and acceptance is so universal that it reflects the aspirations of the different tales around the world. 

The Mango tree for instance, shows us how greed kills not to mention ignorance. The Earth gifts us with natural wonder and thus we have no power to abuse it not take it as our own. 


The Mango Tree

 

Once upon a time a fine mango tree grew in the jungle near the village. Every year when the fruit was ripe the village children ran into the jungle and picked the fruit. One day, however, when the children went to the tree, they found a fence all around it. At the side of the fence there were two huge, fierce dogs. A stranger came out of the jungle. "Go away!" he shouted loudly. "This is my tree now." "No, it is not," the children cried. "You don't own the jungle. The tree is everybody's tree. Anyone can have the fruit."

The children were telling the truth but the stranger did not listen to them. He made his dogs chase the children back to the village. The children went to the village headman and told him what had happened. The village headman was very wise and, after some thought, he worked out a clever trick to play on the nasty stranger. The next day one of the girls of the village went to the tree again. She threw two pieces of meat to the dogs and climbed over the fence. Then she took a mango from the tree and began to eat it. Again, the stranger ran out of the jungle and he shouted at her: "Stop! You cannot take my mangoes. Go away." The girl took another bite from the mango. Suddenly she screamed out loud and fell to the ground. At that moment, the headman came by and asked: "What have you done to that girl?" "Nothing!" the man answered. "She took one of my mangoes and fell to the ground."

"The headman looked sadly at the little girl."She has mango sickness," he said. "Once every ten years, this mango tree has poisonous fruit. This must be the tenth year for this tree. You must not eat the mangoes on it this year." Then he picked up the girl and carried her back to the village. The next morning, the village headman took the children into the jungle to the mango tree. The stranger had gone, and he had taken his fence and his huge dogs with him. Once again, the children picked up the fruit, and carried them back to the village, laughing and singing because the tree was everybody's tree once more.

The Magic White Swan

The farmer went fishing one day.  He had a long fishing net.  Like other farmers, he wore a piece of cloth around his head.  He cast his net, but he got nothing.  He did it again and again, but he got nothing.  There was not a single fish.  He cast his net once, twice, thrice, but he got nothing.  He cast his net for the last time and pulled up the net.  He pulled and he pulled. "Oh, it is so heavy."

Then, he found a white pebble in his net.  It was the most beautiful pebble that he had ever seen.  So, he took the pebble home and placed it on the altar above his head.  After dinner, he went to sleep.  The next day, the white pebble had turned into a white swan.  The swan approached the farmer and said, "I will take you to a place, a beautiful place, full of flowers.  You can take whatever you like."

So the swan began flapping its wings and flew off to the garden with the farmer sitting on its back.

Once there the farmer enjoyed the garden. He picked one flower and felt that it was heavy.  He picked the second one and it got heavier.  He picked the third one and it was even heavier. 

"Oh, I don't think I should pick any more flowers.  It will be too heavy for the swan to fly and take me home."

So, the swan took the farmer back home and disappeared.  The flowers were turned into gold!  So, the farmer became a rich man.

The news of his wealth reached the ears of his friend, who came to ask the farmer right away about how he had acquired his wealth.  The farmer told his friend everything.

The next day, his friend went to fish in the river with his long net.  

He cast his net, but he got nothing.   He cast his net once, twice, thrice, but he got nothing.  He cast his net for the last time and pulled up the net.   Then, he found a white pebble in his net.  He took the pebble home and placed it in his room.

The pebble became the beautiful white swan who said to the second farmer:

"I will take you somewhere today, to a flower garden."

So, the man jumped on the swan's back and the swan took off to the flower garden.   Once there the man picked the flowers, one, two, three. 

"Oh, I have to pick a lot since I have come here already,"  he said.

So he picked two arms' full of flowers and went to the swan.

"Take me home now.  I will put these away and I will come back for more."

So he jumped on the swan's back.  It was so heavy.  The swan almost could not fly.  He flew, swaying left and right with weight.  But he was able to take the man to his house with difficulty.

The man jumped off the swan's back and said, "Now, wait here.  Don't go away.   I will go back to the garden to pick more flowers." 

Then he took the flowers into his room.  When he came back, the swan disappeared.   He returned to his room, but he found . . .

only ordinary flowers, no gold.  And that's the story.

1)     What a Beauty

What a Beauty was first published in 1978. It describes the relationship of Lao women to the revolution. In this type of story, a Lao woman oppressed by the corrupt capitalist society of pre-revolutionary Laos ultimately finds respect and romance from the revolutionary cadres. The story’s heroine, a young woman named Phaengkham, is unpopular because she is poor. During the Lao lamuong dance described in the story’s opening scene, she cannot find a dance partner because her clothes are not fashionable and she does not know how to dance in western style. Eventually, however, one man shows an interest in her and explains to her privately that he understands the true value of poor people, farmers, peasants, and laborers. Only after the revolution does Phaengkham learn that her admirer is a member of the Lao People’s Army. As for the wealthier women who had been her competition on the pre-revolutionary dance floor, after the communist victory they all have either fled the country or been sent away "to one of those Women’s Islands to be re-educated."

 

These are some of the stories written by Outhine Bounyavong, There are other stories, folktales, essays written by other Lao writers deposited in literature-rich Laos waiting to be translated and for the world to read.

 From: Mother’s Beloved: Stories from Laos


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Monday, October 12, 2020

Dyer Nanay

 Dyer Nanay

by John Hingco 

Dyer Nanay by John Hingco shows the desire of every woman to help their family. This particular Kinaray-a poem though has described the heartbreaking status of some women in postcolonial countries. Due to poverty and ignorance , due to lack of education, women are forced to sell their body, as the reports on human trafficking tells us, often this women are promised better life for their family and themselves only to find themselves enslaved in foreign places with no one to turn to. 

A more profound discussion can be seen in the link below. 



https://youtu.be/F7gqq6Xi2bY

Dyer Nanay

by John Hingco

 

Dyer Nanay, kumusta ron tinyo

nahidlaw ron takon

kaninyo nga tanan.

 

"Nay,

luyag ko run kuntani nga magpauli

indi ron takon

kantus kangakon

obra rigya sa Japan.

Kuon kagrekruitment edyensi

kultural danser kuno

ang obra namo rigya.

Mura dia

nagapa por kilo

tamon rigya

hamak ro ra, "NAy?

Tatki-isa

mayad timo ra?

 

"Nay,

kun-an mo gali si Neneng

nga indi ron mag-ambisyon

nga magdanser rigya sa Japan,

nga daaan wara pa ran eksperyens

neber bin tats, neber bin kist

 

'Nay,

kun-an mo dulang tana

nga magtanum kamote

kag alugbati

kag magsagud kang idik.

 

"Nay, "nay,

indi ron takon kaagwanta

indi ron takon kaagwanta

 

Lab, Inday


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Sunday, October 11, 2020

Guardia de Honor by Nick Joaquin

Guardia de Honor

by Nick Joaquin 

Natalia Godoy is a young woman of 18 who is excited to join the Feast of the Virgin of Manila as one of the guardias for the first time. The feast is celebrated every October, where a breath the North stirs Manila, blowing summer dust and doves from the tile roofs, freshening the moss of old walls, as the city festoons itself with arches and paper lanterns for its great votive feast. This feast, in honor of Our Lady of La Naval de Manila is held every 2nd week of October. Historically, the Virgin is believed to have guarded Manila against different battles. As it is, the eyes that, long ago, had gazed up anxiously, invoking the virgin, had feared a grimmer rain--- of fire and metal; for pirate crat crowded the horizon. Our Lady of La Naval de Manila was declared a “National Cultural Treasure” in RA 10066 or the NCCA Heritage Act of 2009.

But for Natalia, the feast had become emeralds from her father. She would wear the emeralds to the procession. The jewels are a set – a ring, a necklace a brooch, a comb to crown the veil with, and pendulous earring shaped like chandeliers. She was all set and was awaiting her ride to the rendezvous of the procession when her father Don had approached her for a conversation regarding her two suitors; Esteban and Mario. In this conversation, she had discussed with her father that she has already chosen the man that he loves, but that she would be riding with the man she has not chosen. Her father found this arrangement curious commenting “How you girls love to kill with kindness!” This was the time as well when the good Don had finally realized that his little girl is finally a young lady whose heart was captured by a young man. She had asked for his blessings which he had given. In this brief exchange of thoughts and feelings as well between the father and daughter that the good Don learned that, Elisa, Natalia’s aunt, is in love with Andong Ferrero. When her father was to go downstairs, she requested him to tell Mario that she would be riding with Esteban, a gesture which during their time is considered to be the woman’s way of telling the suitors who was chosen, only in this case this practice is not observed. When her father has left, Aunt Elisa had come to see Natalia asking her to hurry as they would be late. Along the conversation of these two women who are in love, Natalia had thought of just riding with the man she loves after seeing a vision of violence and death  thus she asked her aunt to see Mario and tell him that would be riding with him. Unfortunately, Elisa did not see Mario who came to confront Natalia of her choice insisting that it was him whom Natalia loves. Irritated by his gesture and unwillingness to listen, she challenged him saying he has no right to dictate nor question her choices. For a moment’s whim, she decided to right with Esteban instead forgetting the omen that has forewarned her of the turn of events. This angered Mario badly leading his to race them, and for the first time Esteban took control of the horses’ reign and raced with Mario as if racing to the heart of the woman they both loved.  This race had led to the death of Elena and Esteban. In this accident caused by jealousy and passion, as well as childish whims, Natalia lost her jewels save a piece of the emerald chandelier earring, which from then on is worn with grace and pride by the generations of guardia de honor after her. In the end, when all has settled down, Natalia ended marrying Andong while Mario, aggrieved at the same time guilty of the wrong judgement he had committed that day had decided to serve the God by becoming a man of God.

Andong and Natalia had good and happy life together, grateful that Elena has been a way of them finding each other.

 

These events unfolded in the present time as Josie looks into the mirror in her childhood room. She had seen what had happened and what was supposed to happen to Natalia and Mario, the ony event he did not see was the death of Elena and Esteban.  Read the rest of the short story to see how this tale reflects and warns us against impulsive decisions.










Source: Joaquin, N. (2017). The woman who had two navels and tales od the tropical gothic. New York: Penguin Books.

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