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THE ORIGIN OF THE RICEBIRDS
THE ORIGIN OF THE RICEBIRDS There once lived a girl named Uning, Pitiful was she-so young and thin. She was the daughter of Saki-ing and stepdaughter of Cotiling. She once lived at Daliping. Pitiful really was this young Uning She who faithfully guarded against ricebirds In their rice fields at Daliping. For whenever food was brought by Cotiling, She would bring only bits of burned cake rice On which she would sprinkle three dried insects. [Cotiling was selfish and indifferent to Uning. Cotiling always would come late with the meager ration. This aggravated the daily mis- ery of Uning. One day, as harvest neared, tired, hungry, and disgruntled, Uning sang her lam- entation thus:] “Young, weak, pitiful me, Hunger I suffer always Ricebird I had better be I am forsaken anyway.” “Miserable I am this day, Motherless, forsaken, lonely, Even my own father has forgotten me, For he cares not how Cotiling treats me” This is what Uning had to say During her miserable day. (The day after she sang her said song, Uning failed to arrive home.) Came the next morning She became thoughtful, remorseful, This stepmother Cotiling, Prepare she did the best of everything; The very best food for Uning, Yes, for the harvest was nearing. But when Cotiling arrived in the fields And repeatedly called out Uning was nowhere to be found. So Cotiling began looking around. A shelter back-basket nearby she lifted; Whence out flew a ricebird. “Alas! Bless me Moon-god, For Uning has turned to be a ricebird!” Perching itself on top a spear of grass The rice bird began singing thus: “King-king, palay you’ll lose from now on, My thin body has changed Due to my misery and hunger pro- longed, “Biding” I have turned to be. Meat you will eat without me. So Cotiling, you can see The outcome of your cruelty.
There was a girl named Uning, who was young and skinny. She was Saki-ing's daughter and Cotiling's stepdaughter. She lived in Daliping and watched over the rice fields to keep away ricebirds. Whenever Cotiling brought food, it was just burnt rice cakes with bugs. Cotiling was selfish and didn't care, always late with little food. This made Uning's life hard. Near harvest, tired and hungry, she sang: "I'm young, weak, and always hungry. I might as well be a ricebird since I'm left alone." "I'm sad today, without a mother, lonely, even my father has forgotten me. He doesn't care how Cotiling treats me," Uning said during her sad day. The day after her song, Uning didn't come home. The next morning, Cotiling felt sorry and made the best food for Uning. But when she got to the fields and called for Uning, she wasn't there. Cotiling looked around and lifted a basket, and a ricebird flew out. "Oh no! Bless me, Moon-god, Uning has turned into a ricebird!" The ricebird sat on grass and sang: "You will lose rice now, my body changed from sadness and hunger. I've become a 'biding'. You'll eat meat without me. Cotiling, see what your unkindness has done."