LONG, long time ago Gods ruled a kingdom of islands called Rizalland. They lived in huge caves which were illumined by the rays of the sun during daylight and by the light of the moon during the night.

To the Gods traveling the seven thousand plus islands that were separated by large bodies of seawater wasn't a tall order. With their enormous legs they could leap quite easily from one island to another to visit fellow Gods and Goddesses. Bridges, roads, railways, jet planes, cars, busses and jeepneys were unheard of and were of no use to them then.

The Gods as well as their feminine counterparts- the Goddesses- were of perfect physique. The men were tough and strong; their bodies were well-built like Samson and Hercules. The women were incomparable in beauty and wisdom. They were truly objects of envy. Of silken hair and eyes glowing with life, these white-skinned rulers commanded respect from all their subjects. Whenever they talk they earth shook for their voices rumbled like thunderbolts. When in gay mood their laughters reached up to high heavens echoing through the mountains. Gods and Goddesses do cry and their tears would come like heavy rain filling up brooks and rivers to capacity.

Edible fruits, meat and fish and juices and honey from beehives were their staple food. At their beck and call, animals and fowls by flock would come rushing to their sides, laden with the choicest food for their masters' hungry stomach.

Of the island-kingdom, Samarland was the God's favorite. Here God Robas established his abode as God's supreme commander. Though looking ruthless and fierce because of his unkempt and flowing hair, beard and mustache, bulging biceps, firm and strong thighs and clothe wiith only a bahag to cover his sex organ, God Robas was- however, rational and kind. In the sun-caressed beaches of Samarland, he would take great delight in seeing his kind took their bath and romp around to their hearts content. Here the Gods dwelt unmolested for a number of moons.

One day while the sun was about to hide in the west, a boatload of two-legged creatures dropped anchor at Paranasland, one of the finest beaches of Samarland. The creatures came from nowhere and didn't bother to ask permission from the Gods. But God Robas didn't move a hand to question the presence of the intruders . He left them alone to fend for themselves. He saw in them a noble motive for coming. He tagged them Brown Men for they were color brown in complexion.

God Robas befriended the Brown Men. He found pleasure in playing with them. He would stoop down to pick up one or two of the Brown Men and put them on the palm of his hands. He was aghast to discover their innate intelligence. From them, God Robas learned how to handle the bow and arrow and how to cut things with their sharp-edged kampilan.

On the other hand, the Brown Men took advantage of the relationship. God Robas and his ilk would gladly oblige when asked to carry heavy load for them. In helping them cross bodies of water from one island to another, God Robas would just stretch a leg and thereupon Brown Men would climb and use it as bridge, free from the hungry crocodiles below. Their good reciprocal friendship lasted for several moons.

Upon their arrival in Paranasland, Brown Men built payags one after the other for shelter from the sun, rain and cold. They felled trees to make clearings for maize, rice and camote. The Gods noticed all of their activities and found them good. They even had a taste of the boiled maize, rice and camote and found them truly delicious. Good! Good!, the Gods and Goddesses nodded in unison while eating.

Many moons come and go. Brown Men multiplied in number. With their kampilans and axes, they cut and cut trees in great number to make way for wider clearings for planting other crops unknown to the Gods. They cut and burn trees here. They cut and burn trees there. Their kampilans and axes now became obsolete. The advent of modern machinery and tools was timely. So they adapted power saw and trucks instead to cut and haul trees. They were very, very glad the machines could bring trees down in minutes in large number.

Brown Men cut trees no longer to improve their payags but for profit- for more and more profits. Selfishly, they even shipped for sale truckloads and boatloads of illegal logs to adjacent islands. In a few moons nothing was left of the once lush and virgin forests and woodlands of Paranasland because of the selfishness and greed for money of the Brown Men.

The forest devastation of Paranasland didn't escape the attention of the Gods and Goddesses. The ruins filled their hearts with.scorn. So God Robas told the Brown Men to stop their kaingin and logging activities, if not they will suffer bitter consequencies. He advised them to replant trees. However, Brown Men didn't heed the counsel of God Robas. They even tried to bribe the God's supreme commander with the choicest and sweetest of lanzones from Moroland. In vain. Indeed the profit motive of their illegal activities blinded their eyes. . Despite the warning, Brown Men kept on cutting trees with their powerful machines, unmindful of the soon-to-come punishment.

Fuming with wrath, God Robas, in agreement with his council of giant Gods, summoned the rainmakers. Very soon clouds of awesome magnitude hovered over the environs and skies of Paranasland. In a wink of an eye, pandemonium broke loose.. Ear-splitting thunderbolt crisscrossed the skies and downpour ensued with all its fury. It rained and rained and rained for days and nights. Rampaging floods filled river banks to over capacity.

Brown Men of Paranasland panicked and knew nowhere to seek refuge. The raging flood swelled several arms length over the rooftops. Trees were uprooted. The deluge wrought the worst devastation Paranasland has ever seen. It caused the drowning of Brown Men and animals by the thousands. It caused the loss of untold damages in terms of properties and crops. What was sickening was the pile of drowned Brown Men and animals. The dead littered the environs of Paranasland. And the smell of decaying flesh stinks for days.