Filipino Myths: Why do Hawks Eat up Little Chicks?

Big Hawk and Rooster were very good friends before. They trusted each other and even shared secrets. One day, the Rooster thought of borrowing the ring of Big Hawk. Big Hawk always wear the ring on his big tow.

"You have a pretty ring. Can I borrow it for one day? I want to show it to my wife."

Trusting the care of the ring to his friend, Big Hawk removed the ring from his big toe and handed it to his friend Rooster. Big Hawk then excused himself for he had to look for food for his brood. Quickly the Rooster placed the ring on his toe and went off to see his wife, the hen.

When the hen saw the ring on his toe, she too, wanted to wear it. She asked her husband if she could try it on. Rooster agreed and gave the ring to her. At once, the hen slipped it on her left toe, and began to admire how pretty it looked on her feet. Boastful as she was, the hen pleaded to her husband, saying, "Let me keep the ring for just a day. Please! I want to show it off to my friends."

Rooster could not refuse her for he didn't want to disappoint his pretty wife. Unfortunately, by some unexplained reasons, the ring got lost. Pretty hen looked everywhere for it but could not find it. When Rooster learned about it, he also looked everywhere but it seemed the ring was lost forever.

When Big Hawk returned the next day and learned that his ring was lost, he 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, Rooster and his pretty wife went everywhere looking for the ring once again. They scratched the ground but never found the ring.

Meanwhile, the angry hawk had his revenge. He swooped down on their chicks every time he was hungry and carried them away to eat them up.

Up to now, we see the rooster and the hen scratching everywhere on the ground still looking for the lost ring. Even the little chicks go scratching everywhere to 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.


Reference:
APA: Astorias, N.P. "Myths and Legends3: Take a journey back in time"