The Biggest Competition Ever 2017 - Volume 2 (Weeks 6-10)

A Tale from the Isle (AmbergrisJane) (8)

A Tale from the Isle

Once upon a time

In an isle upon the sea

A fisherman lived

With his young family

He plied the seas at sun down

While she dived the depths for pearls

This was how they made a living

With their new born baby girl.

One night that he was fishing,

A strange fish caught the line

It was huge, shaped like a melon

And had multicolored spines

He feared the fish for how it looked

So he threw it to back to sea,

But not before he snagged a spine

And got his finger pricked.

He quickly felt his head spin

Thick bile rose up his throat

The strange fish must be venomous

He must make way for home.

With labored strokes, he finally reached

His house upon the shore

His wife then waved him welcome

But knew something was terribly wrong.

She quickly helped him to their home

And asked him what occured.

He told his wife about the fish

And of the poisoned wound.

With that he fell unconscious,

But she knew what must be done.

She went to see old Noro,

The village medicine man.

"The fish that stung your husband,

Is not as what it seems.

It is a Guardian of the tides

A spirit of the sea."

Old Noro then instructed her

On how to solve her plight.

"You must dive for a golden pearl

On a cloudless, moonless night."

"The pearl must then be offered

To the rock where oceans meet,

Call out the slighted spirit,

And humbly say to him:

"Magiting na kawal ng karagatan,

Aking panalangi'y iyong pakinggan.

'Di namin sadyang ikaw ay saktan

Tanging hiling ko'y iyong kapatawaran."

Three restless nights, the young wife waits,

For a clear and moonless sky,

At the fourth night she was ready,

She quickly went to dive.

She battled currents, freezing cold,

The darkness spelled despair.

She was about to give up hope

When a voice rang in her ears.

It was the sweet and mournful voice

Of a mermaid swimming by.

"I know you do this out of love,

I'll help you with your plight."

The mermaid took a shiny scale

And gave it to the wife,

"With this scale you'll see as I see,

You'll find that pearl tonight."

The mermaid wished her all the luck

And left her all alone.

But her vision's changed as promised

And no longer felt the cold.

She found the pearl and made her way

To rock where oceans meet.

The Guardian Spirit heard her prayer,

And swam up at her feet.

"Im sorry my dear Guardian,

We meant no harm on you

Would you accept this golden pearl

An offering for what's due?"

The Guardian looked her eye to eye

And knew she was sincere.

It slowly opened up its mouth,

In which she placed the pearl.

The sea glowed blue, that's when she knew,

Her husband's now awake.

She gave thanks to the Guardian,

A bow upon its wake.

She made her way into their home

As the sun rose from the sky

And upon the steps, there waited,

Were the true loves of her life.