PALENG AND HER 100 SONGS

It’s 5 o’clock and the sky is covered in pink, orange and red sheets of clouds. Paleng’s family trembled in unison as the bell tower in the heart of the university sings out familiar tunes. Paleng’s family is the smallest of 46 bells and no matter how vigorous she dances, she can never hear herself amidst her family’s din and peels.

One day, she gets tired of being the smallest bell with the tiniest voice and said goodbye to her family.

She wobbled out of the window and rolled on green grass until she bumped into a grey stone, out in the field.

“Oooofff!” the old stone complained. “Where are you off to, little bell?” he asked.

“I want to hear my voice and I want people to hear my 100 songs!” the little bell said.

“But how will you do it down here in the ground when there is no wind?”

The little bell suddenly missed the wind, her gentle caress, her playful push. She decided to go up high where the wind lives.

She rolled up and down 7 hills and finally reached a cliff. She called her friend Amihan but Bagyo heard her song. Bagyo is a nasty bully who brings his friends, Kidlat and Kulog. Together, they hurl Paleng to the sea where she is rocked by waves playing catch.

But Paleng, no matter how small and terrified, tried to be brave. She sang the songs she used to toll with her family every sunset. She sang her 100 songs. But the songs were drowned in the storm. Paleng was washed ashore, into a small fishing village. Half-covered in sand, she can no longer sing. She misses her family and wished she was back home, up and safe in the bell tower.

Suddenly, little feet appeared in the sand. Little hands uncovered Paleng and brushed off the sand. They dug her up, carried her and put her on a wooden post beside the school's flagpole.

Today, Paleng sings proud and loud amid young voices. She sings of bright mornings, of sharing snacks, of stories waiting to be told at home. She sings of family’s love, of friendship, of storms and of making dreams come true.