“She was so beautiful.”
Sisoy sat in the forest and dwelt on his mistakes. He knew that he had to make things right.
He remembered the first time he laid eyes on her, how she was taking a bath with two other lovely women. Their wings and dresses were on the stones by the wayside and Sisoy could not help but take a pair of wings because of their beauty. That was his first mistake.
He thought back to the tears that fell on her gentle face, how when she told Sisoy she could not go back because she couldn’t find her wings, Sisoy had asked her to be his wife.
Having no other option, she said yes. That was his second.
She had found her wings eventually and left him, one day while putting their baby to sleep. He searched everywhere for his wife until he ended up in the forest, thinking back on the wrongs he had done.
Just then, an eagle swopped in front of him. With nothing to lose, he asked the eagle for help in finding his wife. The eagle flew him to the skies and set him off at a large house in the heavens.
The father of his wife met him at the door. Sisoy told him his story, how he wanted to repent for the wrong he had done to his wife. “You cannot have what you want unless you obey my three commands,” said the father.
Sisoy was a man in love and he would do anything to see his wife again.
“Bring all these grains of corn to another house in just one day.” Was the first command. Sisoy was at a loss, the mountain of corn was impossible to move by himself.
The king of ants came near him and helped him transport all the corn, Sisoy was grateful to the ant-king and set on to the next task.
“Bring all the rice to another house in just one day.” The second command was as difficult as the first, but Sisoy had a benefactor as well. The king of rats helped him finish the work in one day.
“Cut down all the trees in this forest in one day” The command was difficult, as the forest stretched as far as the eye could see. Sisoy asked the help of the king of wild pigs who called on all his followers to cut down the trees with their sharp teeth.
The father of his wife then agreed to have her return to earth with Sisoy.
The wife looked at him with new eyes. She could not forget what he had done to her, but she was able to forgive.
She was impressed by her husband’s dedication to make things right, something she thought their child could learn from.
They took each other hand in hand and then returned to earth.
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Written by Karl Gaverza
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Adapted from ‘Sisoy and his Enchanted Wife’ in Negros Oriental and Siquijor Island Legends, Beliefs and Folkways. Aldecoa-Rodriguez. 2000.
Engkantada Illustration and Watercolor by Marc Magpantay
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