WhytheMacaquehasbigeyes.

Onceuponatime,inthefarawayislandLuzonofPhilippines,ababymacaquenamedNavea wasborn.Shewasaverybeautifulmacaque.Becauseherfurwassofterthancottonandlighter thanthegoldensun.Hereyesbluerthanthesky.Butshewasdifferent.Shewasspecial,and shenevertoldanyoneaboutthisfault.Shecouldn'tseeinthedark,liketheothers.Inthenight, whentheskywasivoryblack,hereyesglowed,butallshecouldseewasblackness.Oneday, whenNaveaandherbestfriendVenowerehighupinthebranchesoftheirfavoritehideouttree, marvelingatthesmalllittlemetalbirds,flyinghighandfast.Whensuddenly,theirsmallhome, greenandnewlydeweyfromthemorningwateryfoam,wasattackedbytheadulteagles,calling outinhunger.Theirmeagerstomachsweretighterthandrums,andtheirnumbershad decreasedviolently. Whatshappening!?Venoasksinhisbabyishsmallvoice,eventhoughhewasaboutayear olderthanNavea. Idontknow!Look!Theirattackingalltheyoungerones!Naveacriedinhorrorasshewatched. Oneeagle,muchyoungerthantherest,stillstrongerlookingthantheotherslookedupatthem screeching,asNaveathoughtHesprobablytheirleader!Theyoungereaglestartedflappinghis wings,soaringhigherandhigherwitheachflap.Shewatchedashisbrownwingsliftedhimoff theground,curvingflexibly.Hisclawstightened,flexingandunflexing.Hisgreyeyesclosedfora splitsecond,andhisorangebeakopened,showingoffhissharpbeak.Shecouldalmost imaginethepainwhenthatbeakwouldcloseonher.Sheheardthesharpcrackwhenhisbeak closed,andsherealized,itwasbelowher.Sheopenedhereyes,andalmostcriedoutinjoy. Theywereflying. Higherthantheycouldimagine.Offthetipsofthetrees.Thewindblowingtheireyestothesize oftennisballs,fightingfortheirbreathastheairbecamethinnerandthinner.Andsuddenly, thosehugeclawsthathadsoftlytakenholdofthescruffsoftheirnecks,thathadfinallystartedto feelcomforting,letgo. Likeameteortheytumbleddown.Asmallerbird,thesameastheonethathadsavedthem, probablyayoungfemale,swoopeddown,andpluckedthemfromtheairliketherewasnohurry atall.Theyweregracefullyledbytheyoungwhitebird,withablackbeak,downtoalake,where theyweresoftlyplumpeddown.Theywatchedinwonder,fear,andexcitementasthefragile lookingswanwaddledbacktothewater,sweetlydippingintothewater,makinghardlyaripplein thewater.

Tootiredtomove,theycurledupnexttoeachotherandlaythere,collectingwarmthfromeach other.Theysleptfortwodaysandtwonights,stillshakenfromthehorriblefatethathadfallen overtheirfriendsandfamilies.Finally,Naveawoke,andshetookhertimebeforeremembering

whathadhappenedandwhereshewas.ThenVenowokeupandgotscaredwhenhecouldnt findNavea.Shefinallyreturnedanhourlater,herfurslightlywetanddripping.Shehadjustgone andwashedherself.Theytalkedaboutwhathadhappened,anddecidedtogoandtalktothe youngswanandtheseeminglystubborn,elderhawk.Theylistenedalittletotheconversation thatthehawkandswanwerehaving. Weshouldhaveleftthemthere!Thateaglewasalreadyaimingforthem!Theywonthelpus withanything!theelderonecried. Theywerebeingattacked!Didntyousee?! Yes!Buttheyareoutcasts!Theonlyonesleftoftheirkind.Isaywewaitforthemtofallasleep andthenweleavethem.Theycantakecareofthemselves. No!Ifyouleave,Iwillneverforgiveyou!Whydidyouhelpmethen?Why?Whydidyouhelpme, takecareofme?Andnotthem?Theyarentanydifferent! ThatWASdifferent!Youneededme Welltheyneedus!Maybenottoyou,buttome!Iknowwhatitfeelsliketobealone. Yes,but ItsnotYes,but!Gothen!Theydontneedyou!Youhavenoideawhatitsliketobealone,the onlyonewhosurvived. Fine!Iwillleave! Okay!Goodbye!Ihopeillneverseeyouagain!Besides,IhaveDrick! Goodbye.

...

Whathavewedone?NaveawhisperedtoVeno. Idontknow,Heanswered. Heleftus!herinsidesscreamed,Whatifshehadleft?Whatwouldwehavedone? Soonthevelvetyblanketsofnightfoldeditsthick,darkarmsaroundthem.Naveawascomforted bytheideathatatleastthegentleniceswanwasstaying.Theonethathadshowedherso much,buthadmysticallydisappearedandappearedwhenevershewanted.Shefellasleep wonderingwhothismysticDrickwas.

... TELLME!TELLMEAGAIN!PAPPA!TELL!

YESYES!TELLUSAGAIN!sangachorusoflittleMacaques. Okay,okayhesaid.AndPappabegantotellthestoryofhisgreatadventures.Andamidstall ofthem,wasthelittleproudgirl,Navea.Blondefurandclearbluestaredintohisgreyishbrown ones.Hewatchedashisjoyfuldaughtersprangaboutwiththeotherkids,OOHingandAHing ateveryscarythinghesaid.NavealovedPappa. .. Nightmare!Naveajumpedup,breathedheavily,tryingtocalmherselfdown.Butshecouldnt soshestartedtoscurryaroundthelake,tryingtomakeherselftired.Butalsosothatnothing couldcatchhertail.Manydayspassed,andNaveaonlysawTyraafewtimes.Tyraseemedto beonlyafewyearsolder,yetheractionstoldotherwise.Shecouldbefunny,yetextremely serious.Atlast,NaveaandVenometDrick. Hewasalsoaswan.Hiswhitefeathers,andhewasalmosthalfthesizebiggerthanTyra.His longwingscouldbringhimhigherthanTyrainoneflap.Manymoreweeksfollowed,andTyra toldthemtheyweregoingtostartsearchingforanyotherMacaquesorrelativesoftheirs. Theylefttheirhomebythelakeandwanderedfordays.Theytookturnsridingontheswans backs,sinceitwouldgofaster.SinceNaveawasslightlylighterthough,shewasoftenonTyras back.Theywouldtalklateintothenightsometimes,andsometimesbesoexhaustedtheyfell asleepwheretheylay. Almosthalfayearhadpassed,andNaveahadstartedtonoticehowshewasbecomingsmaller andsmallercomparedtoVeno.Hisbabyishvoicehadgone,andithadbeenreplacedbyanew one.Hisfurhadgrowndarker,asignofgrowing. SheandVenogrewup,withstillnosightofanyrelatives.Intheendtheygaveup.Eightmonths laterandtheyhadntfoundanything.Allthattalkofdistantrelatives.Nothing.Juststories.They finallystoppedmoving,andfoundaniceplacewithalakeandtalltreessurroundingit everywhere.TyraandNaveabecamefirmfriends,andsoonbecameknowwithalltheother animals.ButthepastalwayshauntedNavea. Sometimesshewouldfindherselfwishingthatitwasalljustanightmarewhenshewashelping Tyrawithherducklings.Theyhadjustturnedtwomonthsold,andTyrastwinsonsandonly daughterweremorethanjustahandful.Tyrahadstartedgoingonabouthowshehadafeeling

thatVenowasinlovewithNavea,anditsoonprovedtobetrue. Naveamayhavebeenlivingahappylife,orsoitseemed,buthermindwouldnotletgoofthe past.Sleeplessnightswouldleavehereyesbiggerthansomeone'sfist,andwouldtakeafew daystogobacktonormal.Strangesoundswouldoftenbringbackthosehugeeyes,and sometimesnotevensoothingsoundsfromVenoorevenTyrawasenough.Navealaterhadher ownson,andhewastheappleofhereye. But,herpasthauntedhimaswell,inahappygoodwaythough.Thosebulgingeyes.Hehad inheritedthosebulgingeyesofherpast,andnowthosesleeplessnightswerereplacedby sleepyones.Oneday,whenallthechildrenwereplaying,NaveaandTyraheardTHUMP THUMPTHUMPSCURRYSCURRYSCURRY WhensheandTyralookedoutfrombehindtherock,Naveaseyeswidenedforthelasttime. Andthistime,thosehugeeyeswerestaying.There,scurryingtowardsthem,families,elders, andyoungones,wasawholelittlecommunityofbigeyedMacaques.Andthen,thebiggest surpriseevercame. Hewasback.Thehawk.Hewasleadingthem!Tyraranupandhuggedhim.Helaterexplained hisstoryandhow,whenherealizedhismistakehadturnedback,buthadn'tfoundthem.So whenheheardweretheywere,andwhenhehadstumbledontoanotherpackofmacaqueshe ledthemthere.HeapologizedtoNaveaforhismistake,andwasquicklyaccepted.Naveas communityhadbeenspecial,andnowtherewasonlyVenoleftoftheirkind.Butwhenhecame backaswell,hiseyeswerealsoreplacedbythehugeeyes.Andso,thatisthestoryofhowthe macaquehasbigeyes.