The Shrimps

There were an old man and wife without a child. Every time they go to church, they ask God to give them a child that they said even a shrimp will do. .
Time came, the old woman got pregnant. But when she gave birth, when the child came out, it was a shrimp. The old woman hated the child but the old man told her, “This is our child because it is that which we have asked from God.” And he took care of Agdaw. .
One time, when the old man was not around, the old woman threw Agdaw into the river because of her anger. He was carried downriver but was soon able to get out of the water. When the old man arrived home, he looked for Agdaw but was anable to find him so he asked his wife but the old woman responded angrily, “My goodness! He’s a shrimp!” He searched for him and found him. The father fed Agdaw well and he grew. .
One time, Agdaw said he is going to a place. Because his father loves him, he cooked bread for Agdaw to take to his journey. The father even went with Agdaw because he loves Agdaw. But while the father and son were getting prepared to leave, the old woman was getting angry and was even cursing. While they were leaving the house, the old woman, while getting angrier, the earth where she was standing opened up slowly and swallowed her. .
They traveled far so they rested. Agdaw told his father that he will go ahead so he can prepare a place for them to sleep. His father followed behind. When he arrived, he saw that good was the tree that Agdaw made into a tree house. Agdaw gave a seed and ask his father to plant near their house. In the morning, the old man saw that the tree he planted grew and bearing fruits. Every time the old man harvests each fruit and put them in a bottle, it turns into different foods like sardines (hehe), meat, bread and others. .
One day, Agdaw told his father that he wants to get married. The father went to the house of the priest who has three daughters. He asked the first girl named Catalina but she laughed saying, “Why would i marry a shrimp? Why? It’s something you eat!” The second daughter named Donia expressed the same. But Sta. Maria, the third daughter of the priest, she said “yes” so she went with the old man with policemen as her guards as instructed by her father. And they got married. They butchered many cows and other animals during their wedding. .
One day, Agdaw and Sta. Maria agreed to take a bath in the river. Shrimp went downriver and took a bath there. When he came to Sta Maria, it was no longer a shrimp but a handsome man. When he asked his clothes from Sta Maria, she won’t give him because she knew that her husband was a shrimp. But Agdaw showed his scales and Sta Maria believed that he was truly Agdaw, her husband. .
When they arrived home, the two older sisters of Sta. Maria regretted because if only they knew that Agdaw will turn into a handsome man, they would have said yes when Agdaw’s father asked them to marry him. .
Agdaw and Sta. Maria became rich and all their wealth comes from the fruits of the tree which Agdaw’s father had planted.

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