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| English Translation Below |
Nalungkot si Ilang-ilang sapagkat gusto rin niyang magkaroon ng mga bulaklak. Narinig niya ang kanyang mga katabing puno na pinagmamalaki ang kanilang mga magagandang bulaklak. Naging mayabang ang mga ito na kesyo mas maganda sila. Ang mga puno daw na hindi namumulaklak ay mas mabuting putulin na lamang upang gamitin sa paggawa ng bahay o di kaya’y gawing panggatong para may pakinabang.
Mas lalong nalungkot si Ilang-ilang. Sa gabi ito umiiyak upang sa gayon ay walang makarinig sa kanyang mga hikbi. Walang magawa si Ilang-ilang kaya’t hinayaan na lamang niya ang mga mayayabang na mga kapitbahay.
Isang araw, umulan ng malakas at tila babagyo pa ata. Ang lahat ng puno ay nagsipaghanda. Ang mga may bulaklak ay hinigpitan ang kapit upang hindi matangay ng hangin at ulan ang kanilang pinaka-iingatang mga bulaklak. Dahil sa wala namang bulaklak si Ilang-ilang, ito ay kampante na makakaraos sa bagyo.
Sa di kalayuan, dalawang higad ang naghahanap ng masisilungan mula sa ulan. Naka-ilang tanong na ang mga ito, nakikiusap sa mga puno na sila ay patuluyin pansamantalang may bagyo. Ngunit lahat ng mga puno ay tumanggi sa kanila, lalo na ang mga bulaklak. Siguradong ubos hindi lamang ang mga dahon kundi pati na rin ang kanilang mga bulaklak ani nila.
Walang magawa ang mga kawawang higad. Umalis sila na nangangamba na anomang oras ay tatangin sila ng baha.
Narinig ni Ilang-ilang ang pagpapalayas ng mga ibang puno sa dalawa kaya’t pasigaw nitong tinawag ang mga higad. Inialok nito na sa kanya na lamang tumuloy ang dalawa. Total, aniya, wala naman siyang mga bulaklak at di hamak na mas mahalaga ang buhay ng mga higad kaysa sa kanyang mga dahon. Kumain lang daw sila ng maski ilang dahon ang gusto nila.
Matagal bago natapos ang unos. Nang sumikat ang araw hinanap ni Ilang-ilang ang mga kaibigang higad ngunit wala na ang mga ito. Nalungkot siya na baka nahulog ang mga ito dahil sa malakas na hangin at ulan.
Sa halip, may nakita si Ilang-ilang na parang mga bulaklak na nakasabit sa kanyang mga sanga. Ito na nga ang dalawang higad na sa gitna ng unos ay naging mga ganap na paru-paro.
Nalaman ng mga diyosa ang kagitingang ginawa ni Ilang-ilang. Binisita nila ang puno na may dalang magandang balita. Pagkakalooban si Ilang-ilang ng pabuya dahil sa inisip muna niya ang kapakanan ng iba bago ang sarili.
Simula noon ay magkakaroon na siya ng mga bulaklak na katulad ng mga naka-tiklop na pakpak ng mga kinalinga niyang paru-paro. Hindi lamang yun, ang kanyang mga bulaklak ay magkakaroon ng bango na hahalimuyak sa buong kakahoyan. Natuwa si Ilang-ilang, sa wakas magkakaroon na rin siya ng bulaklak.
The Legend of the Ylang-Ylang Flower
Once upon a time, the ability of trees to bear flowers was assigned by the gods and goddesses. Some of the trees who were given this ability were calachuchi, adelfa, mango, etc. Ylang-Ylang was not among those given this gift.
Ylang-Ylang was sad because she was not able to bear flowers. She would hear the other trees bragging about how beautiful their flowers looked. The other trees would also say that it would be better for those who had no flowers to be cut down and made into firewood since they had no use.
At night, Ylang-Ylang would cry because of this. But because she knew that there was nothing she could do she let it go.
One time, a storm seemed to be brewing. The rain was falling hard and the wind was gusty. The other trees held tight to their flowers so that it would not fall down the ground. Ylang-Ylang was confident that she would make it through the storm. Since she had no flowers to hold on to, she was less worried than the others.
During the storm, there were two caterpillars that were looking for a place to stay in. The caterpillars had asked most of the trees to let them stay in until the storm is over. But the trees shooed them away, saying the caterpillars would surely eat not only their leaves but their flowers as well.
The caterpillars could do nothing but leave. They braced themselves for what could happen to them during the storm.
Ylang-Ylang heard everything that was said to the two caterpillars. She asked them to stay with her through the storm. Furthermore, she told them to eat all the leaves that they needed; their safety was far more important than anything else.
The storm proved to be strong and it lasted longer than anyone had anticipated. After the storm passed, Ylang-Ylang tried to look for the caterpillars but they were nowhere to be found. She was sad thinking that they were taken away by the rain and wind.
Instead of two caterpillars, Ylang-Ylang saw two strange things that looked like flowers hanging by her branch. Upon further inspection, it was the two caterpillars which had metamorphosized into butterflies.
The gods and goddesses learned of Ylang-Ylang’s heroic deed. They visited the tree to bring good news. Ylang-ylang was to be rewarded because she thought more for others’ sake than hers’.
Since then, Ylang-Ylang had flowers which looked like the wings of the two butterflies which she took in. furthermore, her flowers had a sweet smell which lingered through the woods. Ylang-Ylang was finally happy she now had sweet-smelling flowers.
Researched, Rewritten and Translated by Lovedy
