Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1901-09-07
The BdnkiVo'S
Vengeance.
A LEGEND OF TlGlLM
BY Margharita
Arlina Hamm.

lie Deautl1HI DHnklNH was not always
the deadly bird it is nowadays. Neither
did it always live in the forest and jungle
and show itself to men for their dcstruc-
ton.
When the Tagals first came to Luzon,
the bird was kind and friendly. No one
ever hurt it or refused it food. This was
because they We're fond of the bird and
also because it was the favorte of the
Lord Of the Winds. Old men said that
there was magic spell over the hankiva
and that whoever broke it would bring
misfortune and ruin upon himself, on all
his kindred and on all his people. So
long as the TagaIs were poor they re-
membered what the old men said and
obeyed their commands. Out of this ODE
dience came prosperity and power. out
of the power came wealth and pride, and
out of the pride came sorrow and the
vengeance of the bankiva.
1t did not take place suddenly. First.
they begrudged the bankiva food and
called it lazy and gluttonous bird, yet
none hurt it or laid on it an unkind hand.
Then they drove it away from their
houses and the roofs and said that it rob-
bed the tame fowls of their rice. Some
hurt it with sticks and stones. The
ed and sang to the children as before.
A new generation grew up which for
got the sayings Of the wise men or re-
membered them as dreams. Another gen
Grafton came, which forgot the sayings
altogether, and a new sultan ruled over
southern Luzon.
He was warlike and cruel, selfish and
wicked He had gold and jewels. strong
Moro nd Ioln 10 had
cooks and many slaves. The food of his
fathers was not good enough for him,
and he had strange dishes prepared in
his palace. His people marvelcd at the
meats which were served There were
devilfshes and sea slugs, sharks tails and
tree cats. young antelopes and timarao
calves.
One day the sultan ordered his servants
to catch all the bankivas, and it was done.
They were still very tame and when the
men approached did not try to escape.
When captured, some were shut up in
the houses, and others were tethered with
cords to trees or posts. They were fed
with rice and water an entire moon, and
then the sultan decrecd catapusan, or
great feast. for three days, in which the
bankivas were to be killed, cooked and
eaten.
The decree was carried far and wide,
and the people came in from the country
TO take part in the festival. Hunters
and soldiers brought game of all sorts
from the forest and wild country: fisher
men brought live fish from the sea, rivers
and lakes. and farmers brought poultry
and cattle from the farms.
On the morning of the first day of the
fpn whom tho SnIton InoEiu,y of tbn
cooks as they started the great fires, an
old man whom none had ever seen came
before him, saying:
''Oh. your highncss, have come to beg
mercy for the bankivas you are about to
STAY for the feast. They are sacred to
the Lord of the Winds. and whose harms
them shall surely suffer-"
The sultan was astoniShcd at the old
mans boldness and called to his soldiers
to seize and behead the stranger. But
when they approached him he faded away
into the mir and was gone. A third of
the bankivas were killed and cooked, and
beautiful, indeed, they were when served
at the fenst. But when the people at
tempted to eat them they turned to black
Goals. Those who saw it wondered and
some remembered that their grandmoth
ers had told stories long before about the
bankiya. yet they could not remember
what the stories were. But the sultan
was filled with wrath. He swore yenge-
ance upon the old man and had several
slaves beaten with bamboos for no reason
whatever.
On tho morning OF the second day of
the feast, as the cooks were replenishing
the fires and the sultan and his wives
and courtiers were looking at the work,
the old man suddenly appeared before
them and again begged mercy for the
bankivas. Some of the people trembled.
because the stranger looked larger than
on the day before and because a terrible
light was in his eyes, but the sultan was
not troubled. The sight of the old man
doubled his wrath, and he again called
his guard to seize and behead the stran-
ger.
They drew their weapons and rushed
upon the old man. This time he did not
fade away. but turned and walked away.
The bolOs and creeses struck, but went
through him as if he had been air or wa
ter. Those who threw themselves upon
him fell down as if he had not been
there.
Another third of the bankivas were
Killed and cooked, and fine sight they
made when placed before the diners. Yet
when the people attempted to eat them
they turned to gray ashes. Those who
saw II wondered, and one now remember
cd what the grandmothers had said about
the bnnkiya. He told it to his neighbor
and soon all knew that the bird was
sacred to the Lord af the Winds and that
sorrow and suffering were bound to fol-
low. None dared to tell the sultan. who
grew more angry every moment. He
swore vengeance on the white haired
wretch and vowed that he would kill ev-
cry bankiva in Luzon. The feast that
night was not joyous, and many people
crept away TO their homes in the dark
ness.
On the morning of the third day, as
the cooks were rebuilding the fires and
the sultan was talking to his captains,