Ugat ng Ginto (Golden Root)

Under dark, scary clouds, Noy Pait and his daughter Amaya started their day excited as they sailed on a small fishing boat from Cebu Island to the island of Bohol. But they soon became nervous when the clouds turned dark. Then the wind got so strong that gigantic waves flipped their boat over!

Amaya tumbled into the cold water, hearing her dad call her name. She tried to swim up, gasping for air, and when she looked around, she saw something shocking—a giant whale swallowed her dad! She yelled for help, but the thunder and crashing waves drowned out her voice. Lightning zigzagged across the sky, and the rain hit the water like a hundred drumsticks.

Amaya was freezing and scared. She thought she might not make it, but then something magical happened. Out of nowhere appeared a glowing white fish with wide fins, like wings, and a bright blue ring around its head. The fish looked like a water angel and told Amaya about a magical golden root hidden in an underwater cave. This root, called the Ugat ng Ginto, could bring her dad back. Amaya thanked the fish and knew she had to be brave.

But there was a problem—the golden root was guarded by a scary sea monster called the Berberoka. This monster could turn water into a weapon and change its shape to trick people. Amaya felt scared, but she loved her dad so much that she decided to try.

The fish led her to the cave where the golden root shone like treasure. Just as she reached for it, a whirlpool spun around her, pulling her down! She grabbed some rocks to keep steady.

Then the sea floor shook, and a large creature appeared—the Berberoka! Coral and seaweed covered its body, and its giant mouth looked like it could eat the entire ocean. It frightened Amaya, but she noticed something funny—the monster kept trying to move away from a tiny red crab scuttling near it. Could it be that the hideous creature was afraid of the tiny crab?

Quickly, Amaya picked up the crab and held it up like a shield. The Berberoka backed away, giving her a chance to grab the golden root from the cave. The monster tried to stop her with a big blast of water, but it pushed her back to the surface instead!

When she got to the top, she saw her dad safe on their boat! They hugged each other, so happy and grateful to be alive. Together, they sailed back to Cebu, feeling like the luckiest people in the world.

Because Amaya was brave and saved her dad, the magical Ugat ng Ginto rewarded them treasures and they lived happy lives, always remembering the amazing adventure and the secret of the Ugat ng Ginto.

The End.