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// Zecora's Myth of the Tikbalang 
// Story: Letters to Luna 
// by Minds Eye 
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Dear princess Luna, Miss Cheerilee told us you wanted to hear stories from everypony, and just last weekend we went camping with Zecora and she told us a pretty scary legend from where she grew up, and we think you'd like it a lot. 

It went something like this:




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Hear my tale of a creature of the night,
Born on an eve of brilliant moon’s bright.

Fathered by the cunning, the crafty
The old trickster spirit Coyote.

An old giraffe was the mother,
which made the child quite peculiar.

With skin like bark and breath of rot,
Inherited from old Co’Yot.

Forelegs of mother, hind legs not, 
The father quite a laughter got.

On the eve of birth it was named,
Tikbalang, Tikbalang.
By the jungle frogs it remained
And for its sleep they sang.

Mother would soon pass and father run;
Raising a child alone was no fun.

Tikbalang lived, and even grew,
eating leaves and morning dew.

But of kindness he never knew,
and so his mischief did grow too.

He made a game he liked to play,
called ‘lead the travelers astray’

On the paths he would make noises,
and odd shadows in odd poses.

"Why walk in boring lines,
when you can swing from vines?"

"Why fear the jungles black and poison leaves,
when pranks they give with ease?"

"Fun and play is just a step away,
so come now friend, follow me astray!"

And so he would say and think,
Inviting coldly with a wink.

Confused, upset and afraid,
Travelers would be waylaid.

Yet there came one very fortunate day
A rich merchant, a peddler you could say.

Tikbalang’s tricks exacting their cost,
the merchant became hopelessly lost.

But in his haste to run away;
To escape Tikbalang’s snares,
He did not notice in dismay,
That he had dropped one of his wares.

Tikbalang saw and picked it up;
it was a tiny jeweled cup.

“What is this beauty that you bring,
Of joy and wonder does it sing!”

Tikbalang had never seen
shiny objects so pristine
and to get more he was keen.

The peddler said: “I’ve more to give,
if you would only let me live!”

“If you guide me back to the road, 
I shall give you this golden toad!”

Tikbalang soon accepted
for the gold he coveted.

Led to safety on shaking hooves, 
the merchant made his promise real.
Relieved, he was quite quick to move,
truly happy with his good deal.

To his village he made haste,
and his wife he soon embraced.

He told the tale of his escape,
and strongly swore it was no jape.

His fellows spread in great detail,
the useful lesson of his tale.

Today, many scores and years later,
it is common sense for travelers

To carry gold or fancy jewels
so that the beast be made less cruel.

And far from home or on long treks,
I wear these trinkets ‘round my neck

So that alone or with a friend,
From Tikbalang I can defend

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We hope you liked it, it was hard to remember all those rhymes. 

Signed, the Cutie Mark Crusaders

P.S. Scootaloo says it wasn't that scary.