A Story "going bananas"

 A Story "going bananas"

Many, may years ago, there lived a beautiful princes called Mariang Maganda, which means “the beautiful one”.

She lived near a large forest, wherein grew the most beautiful, colourful, and fragrant plants and flowers. Everyday the princess would walk trough the forest in order to pick beautiful flowers, which she would then put together into a long garland. She would then wrap this chain of many beautiful colors in her hair, around her neck, and over her body. These flowers only accentuated the princess’ already considerable beauty.

One day, while the princess was in the forest collecting flowers for a new garland, she came upon a hansome young man. As soon as they looked into one another’s eyes, there was an immediate feeling of mutual affection between them.

Everyday from that day onward, they met in the forest where they would walk together through the flowers, hand in hand. They were  very, very much in love with one another.

One day, as they walked through the carpet of beautiful flowers in the forest, the princess commented on how particularly beautiful the flowers looked on this day.

The young man smiled at the princess. “These flowers are indedd beautiful,” he said, “but they are not as beautiful as the flowers you will find in my world.” As soon as the words had left his lips, the young amn realized that he should have not said them.

“what do you mean?” asked the puzzled princess. “are you not from this world?”

The young man was now forced to tell the beautiful princess the truth. “No,” he replied “I am from another world”. The world of the gods, I am not a mortal.”

The princess was stunned. But before she could comprehend what the young man has just said, he began to leave. But the princess  grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back toward her, “wait! Do not go!” said the princess.

The young man look toward the hiorizon, where the sun was setting fast. “I must return to my world before the sun goes down at the end of the day,” he explained. Otherwise I will never be allowed to return here to see you.”

“Then let me come to you to your world,” pleaded the princess. “no!” answered the young man emphatically. “It is strictly forbidden for mortals to enter the world of the gods”. Now please let me go, Mariang Maganda, before the sun disappears.”

But the princess did not want the man to go and clung onto his arm with a ll her might. “no, please don’t leave me!” she begged. “I want to hold on to you forever!” but the young man struggled to free himself from the soobing princes and ran toward the horizon, where the sun had already set. He had left it too late and would never be able to return to visit the princess in her world ever again. “I loveyou, Mariang MAganda!”. “He shouted, as he disappeared over the horizon, never to be seen again”. The sobbing pricess could not bear to watch her lover as he ran from her. But as she slowly opened her tear- stained eyes, she was amazed to see that she was holding his arms in her hands.

The princess decided to burry the young man’s arm in the middle of the beautiful flowers which she adored so much. For several days, the princess could not bring herself to visit the woods for fear of bringing back painful memeries of the young amn she hinside her ad loved and lost forver.

Instead she stayed inside laying in bed, crying and sobbing. After a few days, the princess once more pluck up the courage to visit the forest and see and smell the beautiful flowers, which she loved so much.

When she enetered the  forest and walked through the carpet of flowers, she was amazed to see that a new and unusual plant had grown on the spot where she had buried her lovers dismembered arms a few days earlier.

The astounded princess examined the plant, which had wide, green leaves, but no branches. From that moment onward the princess rush to the forest every morning to water this unusual plant and whispered tender words into its large leaves, to encourage it to grow. The princess tender, loving care did the trick. The unusual plant soon began to bear large flowers. And before long, these flowers turned into long, yellow fruits, which look like large fingers.

It was almost as though the fingers of her lover, were reaching out to touch her.

Over the years, this unusual plant spawned many more, all with fruit like long, curved, human fingers. Today we call this fruit the Banana.