Ibong Adarna

Ibong Adarna is an epic on the character of the same name thought to be created by a Filipino author named José de la Cruz.^{[unreliable source?][verification needed]} This bird is said to be found in Mt. Tabor, where it perches on the shimmering Piedras Platas at night. During the daytime, the bird goes off somewhere but it comes back at night to roost, and it sings before it sleeps.

Description

The Adarna bird has a very long fancy tail, with numerous shiny metallic colors. It knows a total of seven songs that are believed to lull anyone to sleep as well as cure any type of afflictions; it changes its feathers into more colorful hues and shades after each song. After the last song, it excretes waste, then finally, sleeps with its eyes wide open. When it is sad, it is very ugly like a hopeless bird. Its droppings can turn any living organism into stone.

In the story, Don Fernando, the ruler of the Kingdom of Berbanya, fell ill after having a bad dream about Don Juan, his favorite son, being attacked by two people before being thrown down a well. None of the healers in the kingdom could cure him, and his condition worsened. One day, an old doctor arrived in the Berbania and said that the illness of Don Fernando, which was brought about by a nightmare, may be cured only by the song of the Adarna bird. The old doctor warned that the bird is actually an enchantress, but it must be brought back to Berbanya to save Don Fernando from sickness. All his sons were very sad. Even Reyna Valeriana was there, Don Fernando's wife.

Don Fernando sent out his eldest son, Don Pedro, to search for this Ibong Adarna on a "magical tree in Piedra Platas" (mahiwagang puno ng Piedras Platas in Filipino).

Don Pedro took a horse with him but his horse died suddenly. After 3 months He saw the tree and waited for the Ibong Adarna. But he waited for so long that the bird did not come in daylight. So he slept and hoped that he will catch it the next day. While he slept, the Ibong Adarna suddenly came. It sang seven songs while Don Pedro was asleep. After the seven songs, the Adarna has to defecate. So Don Pedro was unfortunately dropped upon and turned into stone.

After those months, Berbanya was completely in chaos. So Don Fernando sent his second son, Don Diego.

Don Diego's horse died too after days of searching. After 5 months he accomplished in finding the tree. Don Diego did not see the stone of his brother. He was alert at that time. When the Ibong Adarna came, he was very sure that it will be captured by his hand. But unfortunately, the Ibong Adarna sang seven songs which made him sleep. And also by lack of luck, the Ibong Adarna defecated on him and made him, like his brother, a stone.

When Don Diego failed to return, Don Juan pleaded to Haring Fernando to send him. Haring Fernando refused as Don Juan was his favorite son, but Don Juan persisted.. and eventually got he's permission.

After 4 months of searching, he stumbled upon a hut, found a hermit there and gave him some food. The hermit advised Don Juan to stay awake to avoid its droppings, which could turn him into a stone figure just like what happened to his two brothers, Don Pedro and Don Diego. He also gave Don Juan a knife and a fruit of lemon to keep himself awake during the Ibong Adarna's seven songs and a golden cord to tie the bird after it falls asleep and two pails of water to pour over his petrified brothers. To avoid stupor, Don Juan cut his palm with the knife and poured the juice of the lemon the hermit gave him on the wound, the acid intensifying the pain. When the bird finished its seven songs, Don Juan climbed the tree and used a golden cord to bind its legs so that it could not escape. After capturing the bird, he then poured holy water on the stone figures of his brothers under the tree.

After the two brothers were saved, Don Pedro, out of jealousy, plotted to kill Don Juan and involved Don Diego in his plan. Don Diego, who was less brutal, convinced his brother that beating him was sufficient enough. They left Juan lifeless and brought the bird to their king. The bird refused to sing in the absence of Don Juan. Fortunately for Don Juan, the hermit who guided him to the Adarna found him helpless on the road and cured him of his wounds. The prince thanked the hermit, then traveled back to his father's palace. After returning to his father, the Adarna, out of contentment, sang the truth about Don Juan's absence. The king got angry at the traitors but Don Juan asked for forgiveness for his two brothers.

Don Juan took the responsibility of taking an eye of the bird while his two brothers betrayed him once again by planning to free the bird and let the king point out Don Juan as the reason to why the bird had escaped. Don Juan, ashamed of what he thought was his fault, crept out of the palace and stayed in a group of mountains called Armenia for days to search for the Adarna. After a long wait, he saw his two brothers on the distance, stating that they liked it there and would like to join their brother. While exploring the mountain range, they sighted a magnificent well. Don Pedro tried to enter it but immediately returned pale with fear because it was very dark there. Don Diego tried the same thing but failed like his brother. Don Juan then tried the same thing and succeeded. Under the well, he found a magnificent kingdom that shined like the stars. While he was exploring the kingdom, he saw Donya Juana and they immediately fell in love with each other. when Don Juan tried to make the princess come with him she refused, telling Don Juan that a giant was guarding her but Don Juan persisted and eventually the giant did come. Then Don Juan succeeded in killing the giant and told Donya Juana about it, but still Donya Juana refused to go, since her younger sister Donya Leonora was still in the kingdom, so Don Juan explored the kingdom further, then he finally saw Donya Leonora, and, like her sister, she immediately fell in love. But this time, the monter guarding her is much more difficult to kill than the giant, it's a seven-headed serpent. He eventually succeeded in killing it with the help of Donya Leonora. Don Juan with Donya Leonora and Donya Juana went up the well to his amazed brothers.

But Donya Leonora forgot something, A ring that was given to her by her parents. So Don Juan attempted to find the ring. However while Don Juan was climbing down, his brothers betrayed him once again by cutting the rope down and letting Don Juan plunge to his death. But secretly Donya Leonora instructs her mahiwagang lobo "Magical wolf" to save Don Juan, and it does so. But while Don Juan was returning to Berbanya, he sees the Ibong Adarna again. but the Ibong Adarna magic made Don Juan forget about Donya Leonora, and then the Ibong Adarna told Don Juan to go to a distant kingdom called Reino de los Cristal "Kingdom of crystals" to meet a beautiful girl named Donya Maria

After a series of meeting hermits and asking their help Don Juan manages to go to Reino de los Cristal, and met Donya Maria in her bathing room. but before that happened, Don Juan stole Donya Maria's clothes and kissed it. when they met they immediately fell in love. But before they could wed, Don Juan was required to pass seven tasks made by Haring salermo, with Donya Maria's Mahika blanca "white magic" Don juan succeeded in doing all the tasks, but the king was persistent. He would still not allow Donya Maria to marry Don Juan, so the two decided to escape, they did escape, to a plateau named ermepolis. And then Don Juan decided to leave Donya Maria there so he could prepare a grand celebration for her, but before leaving Donya Maria warned Don Juan not to approach any girl.

But unfortunately when he returned his former love, Donya Leonora immediately approached and hugged him, so the curse took effect and Don Juan forgot about Donya Maria. After 3 days Donya Maria went to Berbanya and saw the wedding preparations for Don Juan and Donya Leonora, she got angry and threatened to flood Berbanya. Then Don Juan's memories returned. A double wedding then occurred between Don Juan and Donya Maria - Don Pedro and Donya Leonora, then Donya leonora and Don Pedro lives in berbanya and Don Juan and Donya leonora lives in reino de los crystal an all of them died.

References

Ibong Adarna: Isang Korido by Efren R. Abueg , Magdalena C. Sayas