Princess of the Air: The Legend of Termites, Rust, and Fire

 by Mark John C. Solinap

 On the mountains of Sierra Madre there lived the King of the sky Nap and his daughter, Princess of the air Estella. On her 18th birthday, the king decided to give his daughter’s hand to a prince that could pass the challenge he prepared. The decree had been announced to the entire kingdom and reported to every palace on the land. King Nap brought Princess Estella to a place called Banahaw. There, she will wait for the right person to arrive and bring her back to the kingdom of Guiwan. During the first sunset, Prince Pangil, prince of La Laguna visited the palace and asked for the king’s daughter’s hand. The king urgently asked the kingdom’s enchantress to hand a magical wooden box to the prince. And he said, “I challenge you to bring my daughter back in the palace. Journey to Banahaw without food nor water. The box is magical, one thing that I ask you is not to open it by yourself. Wait until you reach the princess’ whereabouts and together you must open it. No hunger, thirst, interest, or curiosity should drive you from uncovering it. No fear should distract you from your purpose.” And the prince answered, “I will keep that in my head, my King.” “Installed in that box is a wooden compass; it will help you find the way,” the king added. Prince Pangil journeyed to Banahaw for three sunsets and felt hungry and thirsty. He opened the box, and a ray of light took off from the box then, wingless sterile insects appeared from the box and started eating wood which included the wooden compass. From that time, the prince was nowhere to be found. The king saw the light in the sky and knew that the prince failed. On the fifth sunset, another prince stepped on the palace to ask for the princess’ hand. He was Prince Pakil of Kumintang, brother of Prince Pangil. The king gave the same challenge to the prince but instead of giving him a wooden box, he was given a metal one and uttered, “In that box installed a metal compass, it will help you find the way.” The prince was so strong and zealous but he became curious, so he uncovered the box. Again, a ray of light sprang from the metal box then it was slowly coated by a reddishbrown flaky substance. The prince continued his travel when he encountered a monstrous sharp-toothed beast along the way. He pulled his sword and found out that it was also 8 Remember covered by the substance the box has. He swayed the sword but it was so blunt and powerless. The prince was killed by the beast. On the seventh sunset, a purposeful prince came to the palace and asked for the king’s daughter’s hand. He was Prince Fuego of Taraw. The same order was given by the king then handed him a red box made of wood and metal, installed with a glass compass. Prince Fuego, hungry and thirsty, interested and curious, remained controlled until he reached the princess’ dwelling. When the prince arrived at the palace in Banahaw, he found a huge, fearsome creature. It says, “What are you doing in the princess’ dwelling? Are you here to bring the princess back at Guiwan? Fearfully, the prince ran and the box opened and there sprang a ray of light. Suddenly, the place started to blaze. The creature transformed into a beautiful princess then strong winds wiped all the burning in the place. The three princes failed to obey the order of the king. He was so disappointed, considering that they were all princes. Their shortcomings and disobedience brought the kingdom infestations. The insects from the wooden box of Prince Pangil that fed on lumbers, and caused a lot of damages to wooden structures were called termites. The reddish-brown substance which coated the box and the sword of Prince Pakil damaged all metals it covered. It was called rust. Moreover, the blaze that covered the place where Prince Fuego and Princess Estela met turned to be extremely devastating. It burned everything it touched. It was called fire. From then on, the king believed that men are weak and untrustworthy. The princess returned to Guiwan and ever since that day, termites, rust, and fire plague the earth.