The Sun and the Moon

_Mandaya_ (_Mindanao_)

The Sun and the Moon were married, but the Sun was very ugly and

quarrelsome. One day he became angry at the Moon and started to chase

her. She ran very fast until she was some distance ahead of him, when

she grew tired and he almost caught her. Ever since he has been chasing

her, at times almost reaching her, and again falling far behind.

The first child of the Sun and Moon was a large star, and he was like

a man. One time the Sun, becoming angry at the star, cut him up into

small pieces and scattered him over the whole sky just as a woman

scatters rice, and ever since there have been many stars.

Another child of the Sun and Moon was a gigantic crab. [135] He still

lives and is so powerful that every time he opens and closes his eyes

there is a flash of lightning. Most of the time the crab lives in

a large hole in the bottom of the sea, and when he is there we have

high tide; but when he leaves the hole, the waters rush in and there

is low tide. His moving about also causes great waves on the surface

of the sea.

The crab is quarrelsome like his father; and he sometimes becomes so

angry with his mother, the Moon, that he tries to swallow her. [136]

When the people on earth, who are fond of the Moon, see the crab near

her, they run out of doors and shout and beat on gongs until he is

frightened away, and thus the Moon is saved.

The Children of the Limokon

_Mandaya_ (_Mindanao_)

In the very early days before there were any people on the earth,

the limokon (a kind of dove) [134] were very powerful and could talk

like men though they looked like birds. One limokon laid two eggs, one

at the mouth of the Mayo River and one farther up its course. After

some time these eggs hatched, and the one at the mouth of the river

became a man, while the other became a woman.

The man lived alone on the bank of the river for a long time, but

he was very lonely and wished many times for a companion. One day

when he was crossing the river something was swept against his legs

with such force that it nearly caused him to drown. On examining it,

he found that it was a hair, and he determined to go up the river and

find whence it came. He traveled up the stream, looking on both banks,

until finally he found the woman, and he was very happy to think that

at last he could have a companion.

They were married and had many children, who are the Mandaya still

living along the Mayo River.