_Mandaya_ (_Mindanao_)
The Sun and the Moon were married, but the Sun was very ugly and
quarrelsome. One day he became angry at the Moon and started to chase
her. She ran very fast until she was some distance ahead of him, when
she grew tired and he almost caught her. Ever since he has been chasing
her, at times almost reaching her, and again falling far behind.
The first child of the Sun and Moon was a large star, and he was like
a man. One time the Sun, becoming angry at the star, cut him up into
small pieces and scattered him over the whole sky just as a woman
scatters rice, and ever since there have been many stars.
Another child of the Sun and Moon was a gigantic crab. [135] He still
lives and is so powerful that every time he opens and closes his eyes
there is a flash of lightning. Most of the time the crab lives in
a large hole in the bottom of the sea, and when he is there we have
high tide; but when he leaves the hole, the waters rush in and there
is low tide. His moving about also causes great waves on the surface
of the sea.
The crab is quarrelsome like his father; and he sometimes becomes so
angry with his mother, the Moon, that he tries to swallow her. [136]
When the people on earth, who are fond of the Moon, see the crab near
her, they run out of doors and shout and beat on gongs until he is
frightened away, and thus the Moon is saved.