Philippine Folk-Tales

by Clara Kern Bayliss

"Philippine Folk-Tales" by Clara Kern Bayliss, Berton L. Maxfield, Fletcher Gardner, Laura Watson Benedict, and W. H. Millington is a collection of traditional stories compiled in the early 20th century. The book features a rich tapestry of folklore from the Philippines, including tales from various regions such as Visayan and Tagalog lore, celebrating themes of morality, wit, and the human experience intertwined with nature and mythical creatures. The opening of the collection introduces readers to several light-hearted tales beginning with "The Monkey and the Turtle," which presents a fable about friendship, betrayal, and retribution between two animals. The Monkey, who becomes greedy after finding bananas, neglects his friend the Turtle, leading to a series of retaliatory tricks that culminate in the Monkey's downfall. Following this, there’s a story about a farmer who, after losing his crops, gains a magical stone that provides him the power to become invisible, allowing him to steal riches to save his family. These initial stories set the tone for the collection, merging humor with valuable moral lessons reflective of Filipino culture.