There once lived an old woman who tended a fine flower garden by the shore of a lake. The fisherfolk who lived in a nearby village loved her dearly, and would often visit her to exchange their fish for lovely flowers.
They somehow knew there was something magical about her, for her house seemed mysteriously bright at night (no, she didn't have any electricity), and some even saw a few dwarfs assisting what appeared to be a beautiful young woman... but only at night, never during the day.
Noong unang panahon ang mga tao ay walang palay. Ang kanilang kinakain ay gulay, bungang-kahoy, isda at mga hayop. Sila ay nangangaso sa gubat at nangunguha ng bungang-kahoy sa parang. Sila ay maligaya noon.
Nawala na ang mba hayop sa gubat at iilan na ang mga bungang-kahoy. Ang mga tao ay nalungkot.
Ang mga lalaki ay nangaso sa bundok. Sila'y pagod na pagod at gutom na gutom. Sila'y nagpahinga nang dumating ang magagandang dalaga. Ang mga ito ay enkantada. Sila ay makapangyarihan subalit magagalang. Ang mga mangangaso ay kinumbida nag mga enkantada.
A farmer and his wife were blessed with a beautiful baby girl. They pampered her and refused to let her do any farmwork. They showered her with attention. Too much attention. She grew up into a beautiful maiden. And she knew it. That's why she would often go to the clear streams to admire her own beauty. One day, the king of the crabs saw her by the side of the stream, and he approached her saying he wanted to be her friend. She found him ugly and told him she did not want to be friends with such a horrid-looking creature. So he jumped on her face and made several painful scratches. She splashed some water on her wounds, but these hardened into scales. To top it off, the king crab placed a spell on her and turned her into a fish filled with scales. Nowadays, if you happen to look into clear streams, you'll find scaly fish swimming and moving in a strange manner. They quickly jerk away when they sometimes see their reflection which reminds them of the "beauty" they lost long ago.
http://folktales.webmanila.com)
