*Note this story is in Maguindanaon

Si Sulayman, a mindadalayag sa kawladan nu lagat a nakabpun sa sedepan a mga dalpa ka namuno kanu pat-timan a alimaw siya sa kalupan nu Mindanao.

Su Kurita, isa sa mga alimaw a baguyag sa lawas na ig endu kalupan, naminasa kanu kapalawan endu kadamakayuan na ratan.

Minangay si Sulayman sa kapalawan sa siya minukit kanu kawang-kawangan. Nailay nin i dala nasama ang mga taw endu kawyagan. Su mga dalpa endu malinawag na sangat na malugkog i gatamanan.

Pakauliyang sekanin sa lat na ginawa sabap kanu kinapaminasa nu mga alimaw, na timekaw embuwat si Kurita ebpun sa didalem na lupa endu kinambang nin si Sulayman.

Kagina katawan nin i nya ba alimaw i naminasakan sa dalpa na binuno nin su entu a Binatang. Iniliw nin su sundang nin enggagan.

Dala makineg a uni kanu tu ba a gay. Mawli den a nakineg na su uni nu Kurita sabap sa masakit a natamanan nin kani Sulayman sa kapalawan. Tinimo den nin ni Sulayman su sundang nin ka timalus den sekanin sa kaped pan a dalpa endu kapalawan.

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English Version

His name was Sulayman, called from far across the sea in the land of the golden sunset to save the land of Mindanao from the wrath of four terrible creatures.

The first was Kurita, a creature of both land and sea, it chose to cause destruction on the mountain where the rattan grew.

Sulayman traveled through the air to the mountain and saw nothing alive. The villages and forests were silent.

As he cried out in sorrow at the devastation, Kurita rose from the ground and clawed at Sulayman.

Knowing that this was the creature that massacred the villages, Sulayman wasted no time in doing battle. He drew his sword.

The mountain was not silent that day. The Kurita’s final roar echoed through the empty forests.

Sulayman sheathed his sword and continued on to the next mountain.

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**Maguindanao or Maguindanaon is an Austronesian language spoken by majority of the population of Maguindanao province in the Philippines. It is also spoken by sizable minorities in different parts of Mindanao such as the cities of Zamboanga, Davao, and General Santos, and the provinces of North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, South Cotabato, Sarangani, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay, as well as Metro Manila. This was the language of the historic Sultanate of Maguindanao, which existed before and during the Spanish colonial period from 1500–1888.

Written by Karl Gaverza
Traslation by Norhana Maguid
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Norhana Maguid

Written by Karl Gaverza
Copyright © Karl Gaverza

Story adapted from:
‘Mythology of Mindanao’ in
Philippine Folklore Stories by Mabel Cook Cole. 1916.

Kurita Illustration by Leandro Geniston from Aklat ng mga Anito
FB: That Guy With A Pen