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Oral TraditionOf

Literature 

Name: Danielle Dunn

Class: 9D

Subject: Literature

 Teacher’s Name: Mrs. Dunkley 

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 Table of Contents Topics Page Number

MYTHS  3

Creation of the World 4-5

 The myth of the Spider 6-7

LEGENDS  8

 The legend of Makahiya 9

Lady White and Lady Yellow 10

FOLK TALES  11 

 The Bear Prince 12-14

 The Small-Tooth Dog 15-17

FABLES  18

 The Ant and the Grasshopper 19

 The Boy Who Cried Wolf 20

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Creation of the World

In the beginning there was only chaos. Then out of the void appeared Erebus, theunknowable place where death dwells, and Night. All else was empty, silent, endless,

darkness. Then somehow Love was born bringing a start of order. From Love cameLight and Day. Once there was Light and Day, Gaea, the earth appeared. 

 Then Erebus slept with Night, who gave birth to Ether, the heavenly light, and to Day the earthly light. Then Night alone produced Doom, Fate, Death, Sleep,Dreams, Nemesis, and others that come to man out of darkness.

Meanwhile Gaea alone gave birth to Uranus, the heavens. Uranus became Gaea's matecovering her on all sides. Together they produced the three Cyclopes, thethree Hecatoncheires, and twelve Titans. 

However, Uranus was a bad father and husband. He hated the Hecatoncheires. Heimprisoned them by pushing them into the hidden places of the earth, Gaea's womb.

 This angered Gaea and she plotted against Uranus. She made a flint sickle and tried to gether children to attack Uranus. All were too afraid except, the youngest Titan, Cronus. 

Gaea and Cronus set up an ambush of Uranus as he lay with Gaea at night. Cronusgrabbed his father and castrated him, with the stone sickle, throwing the severed genitalsinto the ocean. The fate of Uranus is not clear. He either, died, withdrew from the earth,or exiled himself to Italy. As he departed he promised that Cronus and the Titans would

be punished. From his spilt blood came the Giants, the Ash Tree Nymphs, andthe Erinnyes. From the sea foam where his genitals fell, came Aphrodite. 

Cronus became the next ruler. He imprisoned the Cyclopes and the Hecatoncheiresin Tartarus. He married his sister Rhea, under his rule the Titans had many offspring. Heruled for many ages. However, Gaea and Uranus both had prophesied that he would beoverthrown by a son. To avoid this Cronus swallowed each of his children as they wereborn. Rhea was angry at the treatment of the children and plotted against Cronus. Whenit came time to give birth to her sixth child, Rhea hid herself, then she left the child to beraised by nymphs. To conceal her act she wrapped a stone in swaddling clothes andpassed it off as the baby to Cronus, who swallowed it.

 This child was Zeus. He grew into a handsome youth on Crete. He consulted Metis onhow to defeat Cronus. She prepared a drink for Cronus design to make him vomit up theother children. Rhea convinced Cronus to accept his son and Zeus was allowed to returnto Mount Olympus as Cronus's cupbearer. This gave Zeus the opportunity to slip Cronusthe specially prepared drink. This worked as planned and the other five children were

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 vomited up. Being gods they were unharmed. They were thankful to Zeus and made himtheir leader.

Cronus was yet to be defeated. He and the Titans, except Prometheus, Epimetheus, and Oceanus, fought to retain their power. Atlas became their leader in battle and it

looked for some time as though they would win and put the young gods down. However,Zeus was cunning. He went down to Tartarus and freed the Cyclopes and theHecatoncheires. Prometheus joined Zeus as well. He returned to battle with his new allies. The Cyclopes provided Zeus with lightning bolts for weapons. The Hecatoncheireshe set in ambush armed with boulders. With the time right, Zeus retreated drawing the

 Titans into the Hecatoncheires's ambush. The Hecatoncheires rained down hundreds of boulders with such a fury the Titans thought the mountains were falling on them. They broke and ran giving Zeus victory.

Zeus exiled the Titans who had fought against him into Tartarus. Except for Atlas, who

 was singled out for the special punishment of holding the world on his shoulders.

However, even after this victory Zeus was not safe. Gaea angry that her children hadbeen imprisoned gave birth to a last offspring, Typhoeus. Typhoeus was so fearsome thatmost of the gods fled. However, Zeus faced the monster and flinging his lightning bolts

 was able to kill it. Typhoeus was buried under Mount Etna in Sicily.

Much later a final challenge to Zeus rule was made by the Giants. They went so far as toattempt to invade Mount Olympus, piling mountain upon mountain in an effort to reachthe top. But, the gods had grown strong and with the help of  Heracles the Giants were

subdued or killed.

 J.M.Hunt

Originated from Greece

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 The Myth of the Spider

Once upon a time, there was a temple to which many people went to pray to the Buddha. A spider made a net on the beams. As time went by, the spider was edified and received wisdom.

 All of a sudden, one day, the Buddha came to the temple. Inadvertently he saw thespider. He asked her:" You have lived here and thought for one thousand years, I want toask you a question." The spider was glad that the Buddha would speak to her, so shepromised to reply. The Buddha said: "What do you think is the most precious thing?"

 The spider answered: “I think the most precious thing is what I can't get and what I havelost." The Buddha left without a word.

 After a thousand years, the Buddha came and asked the spider the same question. Thespider gave the same answer also.

 The Buddha said: "You can have a profound think, and I will come back to you someday."

One day after a millennium, a sudden gale rolled a drop of dew up to the net. The dew  was glistening and translucent, spider liked it very much and she was happy looking at thedrop of dew every day. But after a few days, the wind rolled the dew away from her. The

spider felt lost. Then the Buddha came again. He asked:" Have you had a profound think about that question?"

 The spider thought of the dew, so she said: “What I can't get and have lost is the mostprecious thing in the world for me." Buddha said: "That being the case, I will let youbecome a person.

So the spider became a beautiful girl of a rich family in the capital city. One day, theemperor rewarded the champion of the country who was named Dew. All of the girls inthe capital were attracted to Dew. But Spider believed that Dew will fall in love with herbecause of the Buddha.

But Dew had no impression of Spider, and didn't like Spider. Spider was sad. A few months later, the emperor announced that Dew would marry the Princess Wind andSpider would marry Prince Grass.

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She knew this and was extremely disappointed. She didn't have anything to eat for severaldays and was going to die.

 Then Prince Grass came hurriedly, and talked about his feeling of love for Spider. Hesaid:" If you die, I will go with you!" He was ready to die.

 Just then, the Buddha came. He said to Spider:" Have you ever thought about who bringsDew to you? The Wind does this. And at last, the Wind will take it back. Dew belongs to

 Wind, not to you. But have you thought of Grass? He was the grass living in front of thetemple. He was looking at you for three thousand years and loving you for threethousand years, but you never took any notice of him. Now, Spider, what do you think isthe most precious in the world?"

Spider understood the Buddha's meaning at once. She woke up, stopped Grass and gaveGrass a deep hug. She said to the Buddha:" Now I know the most precious thing is the

happiness I can have right now."

By Spider Man

Originated in China

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 The Legend of Makahiya

Long time ago, there was a couple in Barangay Masagana (Pampanga today) who wanteda daughter. Their wish was granted and the wife gave birth to a baby girl. They called herMaria. Maria was very beautiful but very shy that she wouldn't go out from their house.

 Weeks later, Spaniards came to their town. The Spaniards were very cruel that they geteverything they wanted. They rob houses and kill everyone who gets in their way and

 who refuses to give what they wanted.

 The couple was very frightened to lose their daughter so, they hid Maria in the bushes sothe Spaniards couldn't find her.

 After the Spaniards left their town, the couple tried to look for Maria but they couldn'tfind her even in the bushes where they hid her, instead they found a little plant that is

 very sensitive that when you touch it, it would immediately close.

So they thought it was their daughter, Maria. They called the plant "Makahiya" thatmeans "touch me not," like their daughter who was very shy.

By Zinnia Marniel Bendayon

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LADY WHITE AND LADY YELLOW

 There once were two chrysanthemums growing side by side in a field, one white, oneyellow. One day a gardener came and took a liking to the yellow flower. He offered to

take her to his home and make her far more beautiful then she was now. The yellow flower jumped at this chance and waved to her sister as she was carried away in the gentlehands of the gardener.

 The yellow flower's petals grew long and soft and she looked perfect. Although the lady yellow was living a luxurious, leisurely life, she sometimes thought of her white sisteralone in the field with no one to talk to. But then she forgot about it once the gardenercame to work on her beauty.

One day a man came saying he was looking for a flower to put on the lord's crest. The

gardener showed the man his best flower, the yellow chrysanthemum. But the man shook his head saying that the flower had too much style and that he wanted something moresimple. They yellow flower was disappointed but tried not to dwell on it.

 The man crossed the field with the white chrysanthemum. He came up to her andsaid,"How would you like to be the object on my lord's crest. We would make sure youhave a very nice life." The white flower agreed and was soon planted in a small planter by herself on a windowsill in the lord's mansion. The lord and his family agreed it wasperfect for their crest. So artisans came and painted the flower on all of the family'sbelongings.

 The white flower no longer need a mirror for she saw her face on lacquer boxes, robes,and the family's most prized possessions. As for the yellow chrysanthemum, her luxury 

 was short lived. One day she felt a terrible feeling coming through her leaves and thenshe fell over and lay dead on the ground.

 The white flower was carefully conserved and constantly tended to,but the gardeners were careful not to disrupt her simple beauty for they knew that was why the family hadchosen her instead of the fancy yellow one, who was now dead in a gardener's garden.

Originated in Japan

 Anonymous

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 The Bear Prince

Switzerland

 A merchant once wanted to go to market. He asked his three daughters what he shouldbring home for them.

 The oldest one said, "I would like pearls and precious stones."

"You can buy a sky-blue dress for me," said the middle one.

But the youngest one said, "Nothing in the world would be dearer to me than a grape."

Once at the market, the merchant saw as many pearls and precious stones as he couldpossibly want. And he soon purchased a sky-blue dress as well. But as for a grape, hecould not find one anywhere at the market. This saddened him greatly, because he lovedhis youngest daughter most of all.

Buried thus in his thoughts, he was making his way toward home when a little dwarf stepped before him. He asked, "Why are you so sad?"

"Oh," answered the merchant, "I was supposed to bring home a grape for my youngestdaughter, but I was not able to find one anywhere at the market."

 The dwarf said, "Just take a few steps into that meadow down there, and you will cometo a large vineyard. A white bear will be there. He will growl fiercely when you approach,but don't let that frighten you. You'll get a grape after all."

So the merchant went down into the meadow, and it happened just as the dwarf had said. A white bear was keeping guard at the vineyard, and he growled at the merchant when he was still a long way off.

"What do you want here?"

"Be so good," said the merchant, "and let me take a grape for my youngest daughter, justa single one."

"You cannot have one," said the bear, "unless you promise to give me that which willfirst greet you upon your arrival home."

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 The merchant did not think long about this before accepting the bear's terms. Then he was permitted to take a grape, and he happily made his way toward home.

Upon his arrival home, the youngest daughter ran out to meet him, for she -- more thananyone else -- had missed him, and she could hardly wait to see him. Seeing the grape in

his hand, she threw her arms around his neck and could scarcely contain herself for joy.

But the father was overcome with sorrow, and he could not tell anyone why. Every day he expected the white bear to come and demand from him his dearest child.

 When exactly one year had passed since he taken the grape from the vineyard, the beardid indeed trot up, confronted the merchant, and said, "Now give me that which firstgreeted you upon your arrival home, or I'll eat you."

 The merchant had not lost all of his senses, and he said, "Take my dog. He jumped right

out the door when he saw me coming."

But the bear began to growl loudly and said, "He is not the right one. If you don't keepyour promise, I'll eat you."

 Then the merchant said, "So just take the apple tree in front of the house. That was thefirst thing that I met."

But the bear growled even stronger and said, "That is not the right one. If you don't keepyour promise immediately, I'll eat you."

Nothing more would help. The merchant had to surrender his youngest daughter. Whenshe came out, a coach drove up. The bear led her inside, sat down next to her, and away they went.

 After a while the coach stopped in the courtyard of a castle, and the bear led the daughterinto the castle and welcomed her. This was his home, he said, and from now on she

 would be his wife. He gave her everything that her heart could desire, so that with time itno longer occurred to her that her husband was a bear. There were just two things thatseemed strange to her: Why did the bear insist on having no lights at nighttime, and why did he always feel so cold?

 After she had been with him for some time he asked her, "Do you know how long youhave been here?"

"No," she said, "I haven't been thinking about time at all."

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"All the better," said the bear. "It's been exactly one year. Get ready for a journey, for wemust visit your father once again."

She did so with great joy, and after arriving at her father's she told him all about her lifein the castle. Afterward, when she was taking leave from him, he secretly gave her some

matches that the bear was not supposed to see. But the bear did see them, and hegrowled angrily, "Stop that, or I'll eat you."

 Then he took his wife back to the castle, and they lived there together as before.

Some time later the bear said, "Do you know how long you have been here?"

"No," she said, "I don't notice the time."

"All the better," said the bear. "You have been here exactly two years. Get ready for a

journey. It is time for us to visit your father once again."

She did it once again, and everything happened as the first time. But when she visited herfather the third time, the bear failed to see that her father secretly gave her some matches.

 After arriving back at the castle, she could hardly wait for night to come when the bear was sleeping next to her in bed. Silently she struck a light and was startled withamazement and joy, for next to her was lying a handsome youth with a golden crown onhis head.

He smiled at her and said, "Many thanks for redeeming me. You were the wife of an

enchanted prince. Now we can celebrate our wedding properly, for now I am the king of this land." With that the entire castle came alive. Servants and attendants came from allsides, wishing good luck to the king and the queen.

Source: Otto Sutermeister

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 The Small-Tooth Dog

England

Once upon a time there was a merchant who traveled about the world a great deal. Onone of his journeys thieves attacked him, and they would have taken both his life and hismoney if a large dog had not come to his rescue and driven the thieves away.

 When the dog had driven the thieves away he took the merchant to his house, which wasa very handsome one, and dressed his wounds and nursed him till he was well.

 As soon as he was able to travel the merchant began his journey home, but beforestarting he told the dog how grateful he was for his kindness, and asked him what rewardhe could offer in return, and he said he would not refuse to give the most precious thing 

he had.

 And so the merchant said to the dog, "Will you accept a fish I have that can speak twelvelanguages?"

"No," said the dog, "I will not."

"Or a goose that lays golden eggs?"

"No," said the dog, "I will not."

"Or a mirror in which you can see what anybody is thinking about?"

"No," said the dog, "I will not."

"Then what will you have?" said the merchant.

"I will have none of such presents," said the dog; "but let me fetch your daughter, andbring her to my house."

 When the merchant heard this he was grieved, but what he had promised had to be done,

so he said to the dog, "You can come and fetch my daughter after I have been home fora week."

So at the end of the week, the dog came to the merchant's house to fetch his daughter,but when he got there he stayed outside the door, and would not go in.

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But the merchant's daughter did as her father told her, and came out of the housedressed for a journey and ready to go with the dog.

 When the dog saw her he looked pleased, and said, "Jump on my back, and I will takeyou away to my house."

So she mounted on the dog's back, and away they went at a great pace, until they reachedthe dog's house, which was many miles off.

But after she had been a month at the dog's house she began to mope and cry.

"What are you crying for?" said the dog.

"Because I want to go back to my father," she said.

 The dog said, "If you will promise me that you will not stay there more than three days I will take you there. But first of all," said he, "what do you call me?"

"A great, foul, small-tooth dog," said she.

"Then," said he, "I will not let you go."

But she cried so pitifully that he promised again to take her home.

"But before we start," he said, "tell me what you call me."

"Oh," she said, "your name is Sweet-as-a-Honeycomb."

"Jump on my back," said he, "and I'll take you home."

So he trotted away with her on his back for forty miles, when they came to a stile.

"And what do you call me?" said he, before they got over the stile.

 Thinking she was safe on her way, the girl said, "A great, foul, small-tooth dog."

But when she said this, he did not jump over the stile, but turned right round again atonce, and galloped back to his own house with the girl on his back.

 Another week went by, and again the girl wept so bitterly that the dog promised to takeher to her father's house.

So the girl got on the dog's back again, and they reached the first stile, as before, and thedog stopped and said, "And what do you call me?"

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"Sweet-as-a-Honeycomb," she replied.

So the dog leaped over the stile, and they went on for twenty miles until they came toanother stile.

"And what do you call me?" said the dog with a wag of his tail.

She was thinking more of her father and her own house than of the dog, so sheanswered, "A great, foul, small-tooth dog."

 Then the dog was in a great rage, and he turned right round about, and galloped back tohis own house as before.

 After she had cried for another week, the dog promised again to take her back to herfather's house. So she mounted upon his back once more, and when they got to the first

stile, the dog said, "And what do you call me?"

"Sweet-as-a-Honeycomb," she said.

So the dog jumped over the stile, and away they went -- for now the girl made up hermind to say the most loving things she could think of -- until they reached her father'shouse.

 When they got to the door of the merchant's house, the dog said, "And what do you callme?"

 Just at that moment the girl forgot the loving things she meant to say and began, "A great--," but the dog began to turn, and she got fast hold of the door latch, and was going tosay "foul," when she saw how grieved the dog looked and remembered how good andpatient he had been with her, so she said, "Sweeter-than-a-Honeycomb."

 When she had said this she thought the dog would have been content and have gallopedaway, but instead of that he suddenly stood upon his hind legs, and with his forelegs hepulled off his dog's head and tossed it high in the air. His hairy coat dropped off, andthere stood the handsomest young man in the world, with the finest and smallest teethyou ever saw.

Of course they were married, and lived together happily.

Source: Sidney Oldall Addy

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 The Ant and the Grasshopper

In a field one summer's day a Grasshopper was hopping about, chirping and singing toits heart's content. An Ant passed by, bearing along with great toil an ear of corn he was

taking to the nest.

"Why not come and chat with me," said the Grasshopper, "instead of toiling andmoiling in that way?"

"I am helping to lay up food for the winter," said the Ant, "and recommend you to dothe same."

"Why bother about winter?" said the Grasshopper; "We have got plenty of food atpresent." But the Ant went on its way and continued its toil.

 When the winter came the Grasshopper had no food and found itself dying of hunger- while it saw the ants distributing every day corn and grain from the stores they hadcollected in the summer. Then the Grasshopper knew: It is best to prepare for days of need.

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 The Boy Who Cried Wolf 

 A shepherd-boy, who watched a flock of sheep near a village, brought out the villagersthree or four times by crying out, "Wolf! Wolf!" and when his neighbors came to help

him, laughed at them for their pains.

 The Wolf, however, did truly come at last. The Shepherd-boy, now really alarmed,shouted in an agony of terror: "Pray, do come and help me; the Wolf is killing thesheep"; but no one paid any heed to his cries, nor rendered any assistance. The Wolf,having no cause of fear, at his leisure lacerated or destroyed the whole flock.

 There is no believing a liar, even when he speaks the truth.

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Bibliography

 www.americanfolklore.net 

 www.merceronline.com 

 www.dragonstrike.com 

 www.pitt.edu 

 www.storyit.com