*Note this story is in Tagalog
Kinapitang mahigpit ni Maria ang kaniyang rosaryo. Mataimtim siyang nagdarasal sa harap ng rebulto ng Birheng Maria.
Ipinagdarasal niya ang kaluluwa ni Juan, ang kanilang alipin na nagsabing may babaeng may gintong buhok na inanyaya siyang magpalipas silang dalawa ng gabi na magkasama.
May ilang mga kuwento katulad noon na narinig si Maria rati; ang mga tao ng gubat, mga masasamang nilalang na galamay ng demonyo.
Halos tumigil na ang mga tunog nang wikain niya ang kaniyang pangwalumpung Ave Maria. Mayroong sanhi kung bakit inulan ng bato ang kaniyang bahay. Alam niyang ang babaeng iyon ang may kagagawan.
Inutusan ni Pedro ang ibang mga tauhan na hanapin kung sinoman ang nagbato ng mga bato pero wala silang mahahanap. Ang siyang walang karunungang makitungo ng mga tao ng gubat ay siya ring kaduwagan nila. Magtatago sila sa kanilang mga puno at maghihintay ng susunod na pagkakataon na makuha nila ang nais nila.
Hindi lubusang gusto ni Maria si Juan. Mas bata si Juan sa ibang mga alipin at malamya minsan, pero siya ay isang babae ng pananampalataya at hindi nya hahayaang magnakaw ng kaluluwa mula sa kaniyang mga tauhan ang mga nilalaang na iyon.
Nag-utos siyang ikulong si Juan sa isang silid at huwag hahayaang pumunta sa hardin. Umasa siyang mawawalan na ng pagnais ang babaeng iyon at maghanap na lamang ng ibang kaluluwang pagdurusahin.
Nakabubusog na menudo at kanin ang hapunan noong gabing iyon. Matapos magdasal si Maria, nakaramdam siya ng kakaibang ihip ng hangin. Bago pa man siya o ang kahit sino man sa hapag-kainan makaimik, tumalsik ang tumpok na tae ng kabayo sa mesa. Walang makakain sa gabing iyon dahil nabalutan ng dumi ang pagkain.
Halos masuka na si Maria sa nakakapang-ikot sikmurang larawan at malapit niyang hawak ang kaniyang rosaryo. Mukhang hindi agarang matatapos ang laban na ito ngunit disidido siyang malampasan ito sa tulong ng Dios.
Sa pang-apat na gabi, dalawang gwardiya sibil and inatasan ni Pedro na magbantay kay Juan. Sa isang iglap, nawala ang binatilyo. Kinatatakutan na ni Maria ang pinakamalubhang mangyayari, inutusan niya ang bawat matipuno at malakas na tauhan na hanapin si Juan.
Sa wakas, natagpuan nila siya sa malaking kaing na ginagamit ng mga inahin bilang pugad. Walang saysay ang mga salitang binibigkas ni Juan. Isinaad niya na nagsayaw siya sana kagabi kung alam niya lang kung paano at akala niya na mga perlas ang mga itlog na nasa loob ng kaing.
Masyado ito para kay Maria. Alam niyang kinakailangang humingi ng gabay ng binatilyo kung hindi ay mawawala ang kaluluwa nito habambuhay. Pinadala niya si Juan sa simbahan, pinagkumpisal at pinagtanggap ng komunyon.
Sumunod na umaga sinamahan mismo ni Maria si Juan upang makadinig ng misa. Lubusang taimtim na nagdarasal si Maria na yumuko ang pintuan ng langit sa kaniyang maaalab na panalangin.
Ipinagdasal niya ang kaluluwa ng binatilyo na nahuli nasa pagitan ng Panginoon at mga paganong espirito. Ipinagdasal niya ang kaniyang asawa, si Pedro, na hindi na siya magdusa sa isa pang gabi na mayroong mga batong nahuhulog. Ipinagdasal niya ang kaniyang sarili na maging matatag sa harap ng pagsubok na ibinigay sa kaniya ng Panginoon.
Matapos ang misa, walang ibang magagawa kung hindi ang maghintay.
Naghintay sila ng isang araw at wala nang mga bato na umulan sa kanilang bahay.
Naghintay sila ng isang linggo at hindi muling naglaho na parang bula si Juan.
Naghintay sila ng isang buwan at ang babaeng may gintong buhok ay hindi na nakita muli.
Nagpasalamat si Maria sa Panginoon para sa himalang ibinigay Niya sa kanilang pamamahay. Hindi na sila kailanman ipinagdusa ng mga kaluluwa ng gubat.
Lumuhod siya sa harap ng rebulto ng Birheng Maria at ipinagpatuloy ang kaniyang mga dasal, nalulugod sa gawa ng Dios.
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English Version
Maria clutched her rosary tight. She said her prayers in front of the statue of the Virgin Mary with an almost manic fervor.
She prayed for the soul of Juan, their servant who said that a lady with golden hair invited him to spend the night with her.
Maria had heard stories of them before; the people of the forest, evil beings that were agents of the devil.
The sounds had almost stopped when she said her 80th Hail Mary. Something was causing a rain of stones to fall upon her house. She knew it was the woman.
Pedro would tell the other servants to go and look for whoever threw the stones, but they would find nothing. The people of the forest were as cowardly as they were tactless. They would hide in their trees and wait for another chance to get what they want.
Maria didn’t particularly like Juan, he was younger than most of the servants and a bit clumsy at times, but she was a woman of faith and she would not let those creatures steal a soul from under her.
She ordered Juan to be shut in a room and not be allowed to go into the garden. She hoped that the woman would lose interest and find another poor soul to torment.
That night’s supper was a hearty meal of menudo and rice. After they said their prayers Maria felt something wrong in the air. Before she, or anyone at the table, could react a mass of horse manure splattered across the table. No one would eat that night for the food was covered in the dung.
Maria almost vomited at the revolting sight and she held her rosary close. It seemed that this fight would not end soon and she was determined to see it through with the grace of God.
On the fourth night two guardia civiles were called by Pedro to sit with Juan. In a heartbeat the boy disappeared. Fearing the worst Maria ordered every able bodied servant to look for Juan.
They finally found him in a large basket used by hens as their nest. Juan’s words were pure nonsense. He talked about how he would have danced last night if he knew how and he thought the eggs in the basket were pearls.
This was too much for Maria. She knew that the boy would have to seek guidance lest his soul be lost forever. She sent Juan to the church and made him confess his sins and receive communion.
The next morning Maria accompanied Juan personally to hear mass. She prayed so hard the gates of heaven bent at her missives.
She prayed for the soul of the boy, caught between the lord and the heathen spirits. She prayed for her husband Pedro that he would not have to suffer through another night of falling stones. She prayed for herself that she would be strong enough to face the challenge that God had set upon her.
After the mass was over there was nothing to do but wait.
They waited a day and no stones showered over their house.
They waited a week and Juan did not vanish into thin air.
They waited a month and the woman with the golden hair was nowhere to be seen.
Maria thanked God for the miracle He had given their household. No longer would they be tormented by the spirits of the forest.
She knelt in front of the statue of the Virgin Mary and continued her prayers, contented with the Lord’s work.
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Adapted from ‘Juan and the Engkantada.’ in Philippine Folk Literature: The Legends. Eugenio. 2002.
Engkantada Illustration by Armand Dayoha
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