Myth and Legends

The Hawk and the Hen

Big hawk and Hen were very good friends before. They trusted each other and even shared secrets. One day, the Hen thought of borrowing the ring on his big toe.

“You have a pretty ring.

Can I borrow it for one day?

I want to show it to my husband."

Trusting the care of the ring to her friend, big Hawk removed the ring from her big toe and handed it to her friend Hen.

Big Hawk then excused herself for she had to look for food for her brood. Quickly the Hen placed the ring on her toe and went to see her husband, the rooster. When the rooster saw the ring on her toe, he too wanted to wear it. He asked his wife if he could try it on.

Hen agreed and gave the ring to him. At once the rooster slipped it on his right toe, and began to admire how pretty it looked on his feet. Boastful as he was, the rooster pleaded his wife, saying, “Let me keep the ring for just a day. Please. I want to show it off to my friends.”

Hen could not refuse him for she didn’t want to disappoint her handsome husband. Unfortunately, by some explained reasons, the ring got lost. Handsome rooster looked everywhere for it but could not find it. When hen learned about it, she also looked everywhere but it seemed the ring was lost forever.

When big Hawk returned the next day and learned that her ring was lost, she got very angry and reprimanded both of them. “How could you lose my ring? It’s the only one I got. I am sorry but you have to go and look for my ring. If you don’t find it, I’m going to catch and eat your little chicks.”

Fearful for the lives of their chicks, Hen and her handsome husband went everywhere looking for the ring once again. They scratched the ground but never found the ring. Meanwhile, the angry hawk had her revenge. She swooped down on their chicks every time she was hungry and carried them away to eat them up.

Up to now, we see the hen and the rooster scratching everywhere on the ground still looking for the lost ring. Even the little chicks go scratching everywhere to try and help find the ring. They had little choice because their lives remained at stake for as long as the ring is not found and returned.