A hawk proposes to a hen, who accepts on the condition of growing wings like his. She receives an engagement ring but later discards it under pressure from a jealous cock. When the hawk returns, he discovers the ring missing. Angered by her deceit, he vows to return only if she finds it, punishing hens to eternally scratch the ground, searching for the lost ring.
Source
Philippine Folk Tales
compiled and annotated by
Mabel Cook Cole
A.C. McClurg & Co., Chicago, 1916
► Themes of the story
Forbidden Love: The hen’s acceptance of the hawk’s proposal goes against societal expectations, especially considering her prior promise to the cock.
Cunning and Deception: The hen deceives the hawk about the fate of the ring, leading to consequences for her actions.
Transformation through Love: The hen’s interactions with the hawk and the cock lead to a transformation in her behavior, symbolized by the eternal scratching for the lost ring.
► From the same Region or People
Learn more about Philippines peoples
A hawk flying about in the sky one day decided that he would like to marry a hen whom he often saw on earth. He flew down and searched until he found her, and then asked her to become his wife. She at once gave her consent on the condition that he would wait until she could grow wings like his, so that she might also fly high. The hawk agreed and flew away, after giving her a ring as an engagement present and telling her to take good care of it.
The hen was very proud of the ring and placed it around her neck. The next day, however, she met the cock who looked at her in astonishment and said:
► Continue reading…
“Where did you get that ring? Do you not know that you promised to be my wife? You must not wear the ring of anyone else. Throw it away.”
And the hen threw away the beautiful ring.
Not long after this the hawk came down bringing beautiful feathers to dress the hen. When she saw him coming she was frightened and ran to hide behind the door, but the hawk called to her to come and see the beautiful dress he had brought her.
The hen came out, and the hawk at once saw that the ring was gone.
“Where is the ring I gave you?” he asked. “Why do you not wear it?”
The hen was frightened and ashamed to tell the truth so she answered:
“Oh, sir, yesterday when I was walking in the garden, I met a large snake and he frightened me so that I ran as fast as I could to the house. Then I missed the ring and I searched everywhere but could not find it.”
The hawk looked sharply at the hen, and he knew that she was deceiving him. Then he said to her:
“I did not believe that you could behave so badly. When you have found the ring I will come down again and make you my wife. But as a punishment for breaking your promise, you must always scratch the ground to look for the ring. And every chicken of yours that I find, I shall snatch away.”
Then he flew away, and ever since all the hens throughout the world have been scratching to find the hawk’s ring.
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