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Agkon, the Greedy Son

Agkon, the Greedy Son: Philippine Folktale from Richard M. DorsonIn this Philippine (Kalingga) folktale, a mother revives a rotting corpse to punish her only son for not sharing a meal. Not only is the punishment rather extreme, but when the poor lad is no more she regrets the decision… not because she loved the boy, but because she is lonely and has nobody else to help around the house. So, off to the river with some of his blood, a few magic words, and presto! He is back, having learned an important lesson about sharing. Unfortunately, there is no punishment for the mother’s cruelty and heartlessness! More…