Folk Tales/The Fire of Wisdom

"The Fire of Wisdom" is a folk tale heard on Viva’s path in the game Secret Paths to the Sea. It is narrated by Esperanza Catubig. The story illustrates for Viva that she may not immediately understand why her parents are behaving counter to her own wishes, but that they ultimately have her best interests at heart.

The setting is the island of Mindanao in the Philippines.

The Story
The Fire of Wisdom

Many generations ago on the island of Mindanao, there lived a young girl named Niko. Niko and her grandmother [Liloy] lived atop a mountain that overlooked a tiny village.

One day, Niko returned from a trip to the village with some very strange news. “Grandmother,” she cried as she burst into the hut. “Grandmother, the sea is disappearing! The sea is leaving the land!”

Liloy immediately set down her weaving. “Describe to me what you have seen child and do not forget any details.” Niko told her grandmother everything about the water that traveled backwards, about the beaches that were becoming dry.

Liloy slowly rose. “Child, run to the work hut, grab every torch you can find and bring them to me, quickly. Quickly! They do not know,” whispered Liloy, “but I do. I remember.”

When Niko returned with the bundles, Liloy began thrusting them into their need-fire. “Follow me and do exactly as I do.”

Niko’s throat tightened in fear. Suddenly, deliberately, Liloy thrust her burning torches into the dry stalks of rice. “Grandmother,” Niko cried, “Stop! I don’t understand.” The girl was sure that her aged grandmother had finally lost her mind.

Down the mountain villagers saw the smoke. Word spread like the fire itself. “To the mountain! To the mountain!” cried the villagers. “To save Liloy and Niko.” The people ran up the mountain prepared to fight the flames, but Liloy put out her arm. “No, let it burn.”

“My grandmother has gone mad,” Niko sobbed. “She is burning our food on purpose.”

Liloy waited until the last villager popped up the hill then she gathered them all together at the edge of the mountain. Liloy pointed to the dried beach below. “Look!” To the villagers’ amazement a dark wall of water thundered toward them.

“Friends, there has been an earthquake at sea,” the wise woman said. “It happened once when I was a girl. First the sea is pulled back, but soon it returns.”

No sooner had Liloy spoken but the terrible wave crashed against the island. The ground shook beneath their feet. Their huts and boats were splintered like dry stalks of rice. Liloy had saved their lives!

“You see now why I burned my crops,” Liloy said. Niko wiped away her tears and bowed her head in respect.

Everyone worked together to extinguish Liloy’s fire, and Niko found a few stalks of rice that had been spared by the flames. “May I help you plant the fields again?” Niko said reaching out for her Liloy’s strong, brown hand.