April 11, 2011

Why the Sun Follows the Moon...

Folk tales from Philippines, loved these two :)

The Legend of the First Rainbow
A farmer noticed that a wall he built keeps getting knocked down. He waits one evening and surprises three star maidens. Two are able to escape while one is left behind because the farmer hid her magic wings. They get married and have a son.
One day, the star maiden finds her missing wings hidden near their house, wears them and takes her son up to her skyworld.
The gods take pity on the farmer and so they built a rainbow so that the mortal can sometimes climb up to the sky to visit his wife and son.


Why the Sun Follows the Moon
The Sun and the Moon used to be married and shared the sky. One day the Moon had to gather vegetables in the forest and asked the Sun to watch over their children. She warned him not to get too near the sleeping kids because they might get burned.
He watches the kids from a distance but, because he wanted to kiss them, forgot his wife's warning. He bends over near his children and, horrified, sees them melt. He hides in the forest. His wife, the Moon, returns to find her children all melted. After some time, the Sun shows himself to the Moon. They fight: He throws the vegetables to her face and she leaves him.
On a clear night, when the Moon is full, you will see traces of vegetable leaves on her face. Their children have turned into stars, while the Sun keeps chasing after the Moon in an attempt to reconcile.

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