Ang Binibining Tumalo sa Mahal na Hari = The Maiden Who Defeated the King

Ang Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang ni Severino Reyes

by Severino Reyes, Christine S. Bellen-Ang, Elbert Or (Illustrator)

Hindi mapigilan ng datu ang pagkabighani ng kanyang anak sa maganda’t matalinong aliping si Sharay. Binigyan ng datu si Sharay ng mga pagsubok upang malaman kung karapat-dapat nga ba silang magpakasal. Makapasa kaya si Sharay?

The datu could not prevent his son from falling for the beautiful and smart servant Sharay. The datu gave Sharay challenges to see if the couple deserves to get married. Will Sharay prevail?

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Severino Reyes (1861–1942) was a Filipino writer, playwright, and director known as the "Father of Tagalog Plays" and the creator of the classic short story series, Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang. He was also one of the founders and served as editor-in-chief for Liwayway, a popular Tagalog magazine. The National Historical Commission of the Philippines placed a historical marker at his house, and a street in Manila was renamed in his honor. In 2022, Google honored him with a Doodle on his 161st birthday.

Reviews

[Krista Patanao]

Ang Binibining Tumalo sa Mahal na Hari
(Kuwento ni Lola Basyang, Muling Isinalaysay ni Christine Belen)

Tagapagsalita: Noon sa isang kaharian sa Tundo ay may isang dalagang maganda at matalino. Siya ay si Sharay, anak ng isang utusan ng hari. Maraming lalaking nanliligaw sa kanya, at isa rito ang prinsipeng anak ni Datu Abdul.

Bawal mag-asawa ang prinsipe at ang anak ng utusan. Ngunit hindi mapigilan ng datu ang prinsipe.

Prinsipe: Si Sharay ay hindi lamang maganda. Matalino pa siya at may mabuting ugali.

Tagapagsalita: Nagplano ang datu. Bibigyan niya ng pagsubok si Sharay. Inutusan niya si Lamukot, isang utusan na kaibigan ni Sharay.

Datu: Hindi ito dapat malaman ninuman.

Tagapagsalita: Malungkot na pumunta si Lamukot kay Sharay.

Lamukot : Nag-utos ang datu na lutuin mo ang pipit na ito ng labindalawang putahe. Kung hindi mo sinunod, kamatayan ang parusa.

Sharay: (magtanggal ng payneta): Pakisabi sa mahal na datu na gawin muna niyang labindalawang pinggan at sandok ang aking payneta upang mapaglagyan ng labindalawang putahe ng pipit.

Tagapagsalita : Sa kinabukasan, bumalik si Lamukot kay Sharay.

Lamukot: Nag-utos ang datu na ipagpalit mo ng ginto ang tupang ito, ngunit ibalik sa kanya ng buhay pagkatapos.

Tagapagsalita: Tinanggal ni Sharay ang balahibo ng tupa. Nagbenta siya ng balahito kapalit ng ginto. Pagkatpos, pumunta siya sa datu upang isauli ang tupa at ibigay ang ginto. Ngunit hindi pa tapos ang pagsubok.

Lamukot: May sakit ang datu. Kailangan niya ang gatas ng lalaking kalabaw. Hanapin mo ito.

Tagapagsalita : Samantala, sinabi ng datu sa buong kaharian na walang taong maliligo o maglalaba sa ilog sa kinabukasan dahil maliligo siya roon. Nang gabing iyon, pinatay ni Sharay ang alagang baboy sa banig ng kanyang tatay. Kinabukasan, pumunta siya sa ilog at naglaba siya ng banig na puno ng dugo. Galit na galit ang datu dahil nakita niya ang dugo sa ilog.

Datu : Bakit ka naglalaba ng banig? Hindi mo ba alam na ipinagbawal ko ito ngayon?

Sharay: Paumanhin po, mahal na datu. Ngunit nanganak ang aking tatay sa banig at kailangan kong ilaba ito.

Datu: Hindi maaaring manganak ang lalaki!

Sharay: Hindi rin maaaaring magkaroon ng gatas ang lalaking kalabaw.

Tagapagsalita: Hindi nakaimik ang datu. Pumalakpak si Lamukot. Pagkatapos, pinayagan na ng datu na magkasal ang prinsipe at si Sharay. Alam niyang matalino si Sharay at marunong mamuno ng bayan.

[K.D. Absolutely · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of the individual illustrated books that Anvil Publishing, Inc. released to make the reading of Reyes' masterpiece more appealing to children.

All these books have a standard prologue entitled "For Teachers and Parents" and this is what it says about these stories: "The themes (of the stories) are relevant to their (children) needs and from these can be drawn lessons, delight and pleasure, and other ways of appreciation of Philippine literature."

Let me see how this book fares (in my humble opinion):

Theme: Nobody has the monopoly of intelligence. Even kings can be smarted out.

Lessons:
1) Being smart can make you attractive.
2) Shaved fur of lamb can be exchanged for gold. Hah!

Delight and Pleasure:
Yes, in the second challenged to our main protagonist Sharay, the king orders that she exchange a live sheep for gold but the kings wants the sheep back so he could cook it. So, Sharay shaves the fur of the lamb and exchanges it for gold. Really? Is it because there were no lambs before in the Philippines?

Other Ways of Appreciation of Philippine Literature:
This is one of the few books in the series when the one who is trying to win the love of somebody is a woman. This is a feminist book and I am glad Severino Reyes was not a sexist like most of the writers during his time.

Overall: I liked this book for its feminism and the minimalist illustrations. Also, it is a testimony that Filipino women during the olden days are not related to secondary roles in the society nor sidelined as a weaker sex even in the brain's department.

[Nino C.]

This book is perfect for kids

[Roy Mugdan · Rating 4 out of 5]

cant read why?

[Charmaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

i like to red it

[Randy]

a