*Note this story is in Bicol Naga
Kaidtong panahon may sarong aking lalaki na dai tataong magtultol. Saro siyang pasaway na aki. Ginigibo niya pirmi an kabaliktadan kan mga sinasabi kan saiyang mga magurang asin sa aroaldaw pirming nakakakua nin mga paagi an aking lalaki para tawanan kulog payo an saiyang pamilya.
Alagad an saiyang mga nguhod na tugang, pig-iidolo siya. Sa paghuna ninda, an saindang kuya iyo an pinakamaurag asin matibay sa kinaban.
Sarong aldaw, dinara kan aking lalaki an saiyang mga tugang sa kadlagan tangarig maglakaw-lakaw, kun sain nanuparan ninda an sarong lungib (kuweba). “Tabi apo, Tabi apo” sabi kan saiyang mga nguhod na tugang. Tigtukduan sinda kan saindang mga magurang na pirming magtaong galang kun kinakaipuhan.
An matuang lalaki o saindang kuya nangtutuya-tuya. “Anong ginigibo nindo?” Hapot niya sa saiyang mga nguhod na tugang. ‘’Nagtatao kaming galang sa mga saradit na tawo sa lungib,” an sabi ninda.
‘’Mayo man arog kaiyan.” Nakakasuyang simbag kan matuang lalaki sa nadangog na mga pang-aki sana man na paliyon. ‘’Nahiling na nindo? Mayo lamang ibang tawo sa laog kan lungib. Pumurundo kamo, garo kamo mga aki na dai nakakaaram sa totoong kinaban.”
‘’Alagad kuya, baka aksidente ta sindang matumakan.” Simbag na dai pag-uyon kan mga nguhod na tugang.
An saindang kuya, nagparagpadag kan saiyang bitis sa laog kan lungib. Takuton na pighiling kan mga nguhod na tugang an saindang matuang tugang sa saiyang ginigibo.
Makalihis an pirang minuto, mayo man nangyari. “Hilinga? Sinabi ko na saindo. Tistingan man nindong gibuhon ini.”
An matuang lalaking tugang pinirit na gibuhon man kan mga tugang niya an saiyang ginibo, hasta saro, asin gabos na sinda napiritan na maggibo kaini. ‘’Kuya, mga tugang, dai ko aram kun marhay ining ginigibo ta.” Sabi niya.
An mga magtururugang dai nadangog an saiyang sinasabi mantang sinda mariribukon na nagpaparadag-padag.
Oras na an nakaagi, an mga aki nagkakarawat sa laog kan kuweba. Nagdesisyon sindang magpuli na sa harong ta oras na nin pamanggihan.
Sarong tingog an nagsabi sa huri, “Tabi apo” bago sinda nagharali.
Kan an mga aki pasiring na sa saindang harong, sarong sanga an biglang nahulog asin tinamaan an sarong tugang sa payo. An tugang na matuang lalaki dai na aram an gigibuhon ta aram niyang siya an mababasol huli sa nangyari sa saindang mga tugang.
“Dali na, an saro saindo maghagad nin tabang!” tigmanduhan an saiyang mga tugang.
Kan an mga aki naghihiridali, nagkadarapla sinda sa kada saro asin nagkarulugadan asin nagkarurungasan. Nagpuon sindang maghiribi.
“Dai kamo magparahibi!” An matuang lalaki nagkurahaw. An saiyang tingog nakalakop sa kadlagan asin nakapurisaw sa sarong layas na upon (baboy-ramo). Tighiling kan upon an mga aki asin nag-atungal ini.
An matuang lalaki, aram na kaipuhan niyang protehiran an saiyang mga tugang na mawot lapagon kan upon, alagad sa mayong ano-ano, an upon nakahiling lang sa mga aki.
Marhay na sana, an sarong tugang na lalaki nagrani sa upon. ‘’Patawara kami ta tigparatumakan mi ika” sabi kaini. ‘’Hagad mi na mapatawad mo kami.”
An upon nagsimbag nin atungal. Sa puntong ito, nahiling kan mga magtururugang na nabolong na an saindang mga lugad asin rungas.
Nagkaurugma an mga aki asin hinapot an saindang tugang kun ano an nangyari.
“An dapat ta lang gibuhon, pirming magtataong galang” an saiyang simbag.
Nagin marahay na an gabos asin naghapot sa inosentihon na tingog an sarong nguhod na tugang.
“Nahiling nindo si kuya?”
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English Version
Once upon a time there was a little boy that didn’t know how to behave. He was a most troublesome child. He would always do the opposite of what his parents would tell him and every day the boy would find a new way to give headaches to his family.
His younger brothers idolized him though. They thought that their kuya was the bravest and most clever boy in the world.
One day, the boy took his little brothers out for a stroll in the woods, where they came upon a cave. “Tabi tabi po” said the younger brothers. They had been taught well by their parents and always sought to give respect where it was due.
The older brother laughed. “What are you doing?” he asked his little brothers. “We are giving respect to the small man in the cave,” they replied.
“There is no such thing,” the older brother scoffed at what he thought was a childish superstition. “See? No one is in the cave. You should stop being such babies and learn the truth about the real world.”
“But kuya, we might accidentally step on them!” The younger brothers protested.
The older brother stamped his feet around the cave without care. The younger brothers stared in horror as their kuya willfully defied the spirits.
After a few minutes, nothing happened. “See? I told you so. You all should try this.”
The older brother tried to make his younger siblings repeat what he did, until all but one relented. “Kuya, brothers, I really don’t think that this is a good idea,” he said.
His brothers couldn’t hear him over all the stomping they were doing.
Hours passed and the children were all playing in the cave, save one. They decided to go home for it was almost dinnertime.
One voice said a final “Tabi tabi po” before leaving.
As the children were making their way back home, a tree branch fell and hit one of the children in the head. The older brother was panicking for he knew he was going to be held responsible for his sibling.
“Hurry, one of you go and get help!” he ordered his brothers.
As the children rushed to follow the command, they tripped over one another causing bruises and scrapes. They started crying.
“Stop crying!” The older brother shouted. His voice echoed through the woods and attracted a wild boar.
The boar stared at the children and gave out a large grunt.
The older brother, knowing that he had to protect his siblings tried to get the boar to chase him, but to no avail. The beast just stood looming in front of the children.
Finally, one of the brothers approached the beast.
“I’m sorry that we stepped on you,” he said. “I hope you will forgive us.”
The boar grunted in reply. At that moment the other brothers realized that their wounds were suddenly healed.
The children rejoice and asked their brother what happened.
“All I did was give respect where respect was due,” he answered.
And all was well until one of the brothers asked an innocent question.
“Have any of you seen kuya?”
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*Central Bicol, commonly called Bicol Naga, is the most-spoken language in the Bicol Region of southern Luzon, Philippines. It is spoken in the northern and western part of Camarines Sur, second congressional district of Camarines Norte, eastern part of Albay, northeastern part of Sorsogon, San Pascual town in Masbate, and southwestern part of Catanduanes. Central Bicol speakers can be found in all provinces of Bicol and it is a majority language in Camarines Sur.
Written by Karl Gaverza
Bicol Translation by Adrian Bulalacao
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Adrian Bulalacao
Story inspired by Dwende entry in Myth Museum. Medina. 2015.
Dwende Illustration by Leandro Geniston from Aklat ng mga Anito
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