Ibong Adarna

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The Adarna Eagle , or Ibong Adarna is a creature of Philippine legend. It is said that its song has the power to lull anyone to sleep and its droppings can turn anyone into stone. Its song is fabled to cure any type of affliction.

The Ibong Adarna is the subject of a Filipino epic of the same name. It tells the story of three brothers sent by their father the king to catch the bird, whose song can cure the king's illness.

[edit] Characters

Haring Fernando - King Ferdinand
Reyna Valeriana - Queen Valeriana
Don Pedro - Peter
Don Diego - Didacus
Don Juan - John
Ermitanyo - old hermit (there are 7 in the story)
Maria Blanca - (Princess of Reynos de los Cristales, marries Juan)
Donya Leonora - (Sister of Donya Juana, marries Pedro)
Donya Juana - (Sister of Donya Leonora, marries Diego)
Haring Salermo - father of Maria Blanca (King of reynos de los Cristales)

[edit] Plot

Once there was a kingdom named Berbanya. It was a peaceful kingdom. It is ruled by a king named Haring Fernando, and the queen was Reyna Valeriana. They had three sons. The eldest being Pedro, second was Diego, and the youngest was Juan. One night, while Haring Fernando was sleeping, he had a terrible nightmare and got sick. The nightmare was Juan was thrown into a very deep well by two men. The following morning, they called for all the doctors in Berbanya. Nobody could determine the ailment until a herb man was able to diagnose it and said that the cure is the sound of the Ibong Adarna singing, which is found in the tree of Piedras Platas on Bundok Tabor (Mt.Tabor). Fernando sent the two older brothers to search for the bird (Pedro succeeded by Diego) but both were unsuccessful. Fernando didn't want to send Juan for fear that his nightmare might come true, but Juan insisted and left. While Pedro and Diego were turned into stone, Juan left Berbanya to find the Ibong Adarna. On his way he met an old man who was very hungry. Juan, was nice to the old man and gave him his bread. Because of his generosity, the old man helped Juan in finding tha Ibong Adarna. He found the mystical bird and managed to save his brothers, who were turned into stone by the bird's droppings. On the way home his brother, Pedro was envious of Juan because he got the Ibong adarna. He told Diego about his plan to do away with Juan and he agreed. They injured Juan and left him half-dead while they took the Ibong Adarna back to Berbanya. The two brothers then brought it in, and yet it refused to sing, until Juan returned with divine aid and the bird burst into song. It slowly changed into seven different colours in the course of its song, and the King was healed. Haring Fernando wished to impose the death sentence on his two sons for trying to hurt their brother, but these were instead commuted to banishment from the kingdom. And so, the King was well, and Berbanya was at peace.