Reading Notes: Filipino Tales Part A

     

Black Opal (photo by James St. John on Flickr)

The story that stood out to me was the tale of the Three Brothers of Fortune. I think it stood out because it reminded me so much of the deathly hallows tale from Harry Potter. Perhaps Rowling took inspiration from this story.

Plot

    A wealthy man sends his three sons off to school. They party and don't learn anything while there. The three sons are ashamed of this and refuse to go home. Instead, they wander through towns seeking their fortune. They come upon an old lady who offers them a magic resurrection book for purchase. The first brother purchases it. They next come upon an old lady offering up a magic mat that can transport you wherever. The second brother purchases it. They come upon a set of magic stones that can be used to reassemble things. The third brother takes this. Happy with each of their magic charms, they continue wandering. They happen upon a crowd grieving over a dead body. The first brother offers to revive her for a fee. The parents of the girl agree and the brother does so. Then, the brothers grab the girl and the second brother whisks them away to a beach using his mat. From there, they board a ship but the ship wrecks. The third brother repairs the ship with his stones. The brothers land and argue who the woman belongs to. They bring their argument to the king who cuts the woman equally into thirds. The first two brothers discard their third. The third brother takes them and repairs the woman with his stones. They live happily ever after.

Characters

There's really nothing to say for characters in this story. They're all shallow, selfish young men. They're the epitome of sexist, asshole frat boys.

Bibliograpy. Three Brothers of Fortune from Filipino Popular Tales by Dean S. Fansler

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