Filipino Children's Favorite Stories. Liana Romulo

that’s why mosquitoes buzz around our ears.

      The Terrible Giant

      “Please don’t hurt me!” Tutubi the Dragonfly said, trembling.

      But Lupit, the mean, ugly giant only laughed. “Ha, ha, ha, ha!”

      He was as tall as the tallest coconut tree, and he was holding Tutubi up close to his hairy face, her delicate tail caught between his thumb and forefinger.

      She looked into one of his big black eyes. “I beg you,” she said, shaking with fear. “Please leave me alone.”

      Lupit laughed once again, the deep sound of his voice thundering over the rolling green hills. “You have such pretty wings,” he said. “You don’t need two of them, do you?” With that, he plucked off one of her transparent wings.

      “Aaaah!” she screamed.

      Then suddenly she felt herself tumbling through the air and into the grass. The giant had tossed her aside, and now he was heading for his house at the top of the hill. He had a big house, but he lived all by himself because all the creatures in the countryside hated him. Lupit liked to cut off lizards’ tails, stomp on anthills, and trap butterflies in plastic bags, for no reason at all.

      Soon Ahas the Snake slithered by and found Tutubi trapped among the tall weeds. Crying, she told him what Lupit had done. Ahas grew very angry. “He must be punished,” he said. “I have had enough of his cruelty!”

      Tutubi nodded silently. “We would be much happier without him,” she said. “He is a mean and terrible giant.”

      Ahas took Tutubi home on his back, and then he began thinking of a plan. I will ask Tuko, Paparo, and Goyam to help me, he decided. Together we can punish that giant.

      Early the next morning, Ahas told the others of his plan.

      Tuko the Lizard said, “Of course I will help.”

      Paparo the Butterfly fluttered her wings excitedly. “Yes!” she said. Let’s go today.”

      Goyam the Ant also agreed to help. “I will do anything you say to get rid of that horrible Lupit,” he said.

      The four friends climbed into half a coconut shell and crossed the river to get to Lupit’s house. They waited until the giant left for the afternoon, and then they sneaked into his cold, empty house.

      “Tuko,” Ahas said, “you go into his bathroom. And you, Goyam, wait in his rocking chair.” Tuko and Goyam did as they were told.

      “I know what to do,” said Paparo, who knew the plan very well. “I’ll wait in the kitchen.”

      Silently Paparo, Goyam, Ahas, and Tuko waited for the giant’s return. Before long, Lupit came crashing through the front door. He put his knife down on the table, then went straight to his rocking chair, just as he did every day. Hiding in the chair’s wooden backrest, Goyam the Ant was waiting for him.

      Lupit sighed loudly as he settled into the chair.

      “Ouch!” he said, as Goyam bit him hard on his neck.

      “Owww!” he screamed again.

      Lupit leaped out of the chair, madly scratching at his fat neck, which was growing redder and redder.

      By this time, Goyam had crawled up to the giant’s chin.

      “Eeeeyow!” he yelled, when Goyam took a big bite of his lip.

      Goyam then crawled down Lupit’s thick arms and dropped to the floor. He had done his job well.

      With a scowl on his face, Lupit went into the kitchen. He pulled a pot out of the cupboard, just as he always did, filled it with water, and put it on the woodstove. But just as he was about to light the fire, Paparo the Butterfly began flapping her wings as hard as she could, blowing ashes into the giant’s eyes.

      “Whaaa!” Lupit said, dropping the match and rubbing at his eyes. He stumbled backward into the living room. His lip had swelled up like a big red balloon, and he couldn’t see, but somehow he groped his way into the bathroom.

      Lupit tore off his shirt, and bent over to unlace his shoes. Tuko the Lizard immediately sprang into action. As swiftly as he could, he ran down the wall and leaped onto Lupit’s naked back.

      “Aaaah!” the giant shouted in surprise. He danced around trying to shake the lizard off his back, but Tuko clung to the giant’s flesh with his suctioned feet.

      “Get off me!” Lupit boomed.

      His big, thick arms circled his body every which way, desperately trying to grab the lizard. But Tuko stuck to him stubbornly, in the middle of his back, where he was safely beyond reach.

      Ahas slipped out of his hiding place while Lupit was thrashing about. Then, quietly, just at the right moment, he wrapped himself around the giant’s big toe, and with a “s s s, hiss, s s s …”, gave it a quick nip.

      SPLASH!

      Lupit fell into the tub, banging his head on its edge before hitting the water face down.

      Then everything was silent. At long last, the mean and terrible giant was dead.

      The Hermit and the Two Worms

      Long ago, there lived a hermit with a long white beard. He was a holy man who spent all his time praying and meditating in the dark cave where he lived. One morning he left his cave to gather some fruit in the rainforest.

      “Watch out!” he heard a voice call out.

      Puzzled, the hermit looked around, but there was no one there. He went on dropping fruit into his small basket, when he heard the sound of leaves rustling.

      “Stop right there!” the voice said. “You’re going to step on us.”

      The old hermit squatted down on his haunches and studied the plants in front of him. He pushed aside some dry leaves and small rocks.

      “We’re right here,” said the voice. “Under the rock.”

      Taking the rock in both hands, the hermit carefully lifted it out of the moist soil. Underneath he found two fat, wriggling worms. “Uh, hello,” the hermit said to them. “Are you caught under this rock?”

      “Not at all,” one of the worms said. “The rock won’t hurt us, but you might.”

      “I won’t hurt you,” the hermit said gently. “I’ll just step over you and be on my way.”

      “Oh, that’s right,” said the worm angrily. “On your way to crush other poor creatures under your feet.”

      The hermit scratched his beard. “Huh?”