Title: The Great Flood Humitau Restores the World

Author: Monina A. Mercado

Characters: Aponi-tolau
Tau-mariu
Humitau
Settings: Cordillera Mountains
Tower Rock
Plot:
One day Aponi-tolau ran away from the mountain peak. He followed the course
of a river until it brought him to the sea. There on the horizon, stood Tower Rock, home
of Tau-mariu, Lord of the Sea. Nine beautiful maidens danced on the shallows at the
base of Tower Rock. Aponi-tolau asked the maidens where he was and who was the
Lord of the rock. He was then ignored by the maidens. Aponi-tolau was furious; he took
a charmed hook from his belt and hit the youngest and the most beautiful among the
maidens. Her name was Humitau, the favorite of Tau-mariu. The cry of the other
maidens has been heard by Tau-mariu but he was too late. Tau-mariu called the waves
of and the armies of tuna fish to throw Aponi-tolau in the deep and to push the raft
back to Tower Rock. The waves and the armies of tuna fish did what they are told.
Aponi-tolau called his mother for help. Laangan sent down the strongest wind in her
domain to sail Aponi-tulaos raft safely ashore, away from the lashing of the waves and
the surging strength of the armies of tuna fish.
Aponi-tulao carried Humitao home with him. He asked her to be his wife.
Humitau soon learned to love Aponi-tulao and was happy to make her home with him
on the mountain peak.
At Tower Rock, Tau-mariu grew even more furious when he learned that Aponi-
tulao had escaped with Humitau. He called the deities of the sea and the ocean and all
the waters on the earth to call their mightiest force: the flood.
From the sky, Laangan learned of the plot of revenge. Swiftly she sent the North
Wind to tell her son to hurry with his wife and household to the highest peak of the
Cordillera Mountains. The flood came not long after Aponi-tulao and his household
reached the peak. At dawn, Aponi-tulao rose and saw that the waters had reached the
peak of the Cordillera, leaving dry only the place where he stood. As the waters touched
Humitau, she screamed with fear. She had lost all her sea powers because she ate
mountain herbs. She could no longer swim or live in the water.
From the peak she cried out to Tau-mariu, and the winds of Laangan carried her
voice to Tower Rock. Tau-marui heard her and was moved. He ordered the waves to
stop rising. He did it all for Humitau. When the waters had at last left all the land and
the sun had dried the fields, Aponi-tulao and Humitau descended from the Cordillera
and replaced everything that had perished from Tau-marius rage.

Theme: The unending love and care of a parent to his/her child.