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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Written by Karl Gaverza
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Story inspired by Dwende entry in Myth Museum. Medina. 2015.
Dwende Illustration by Leandro Geniston from Aklat ng mga Anito
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