The Monkey and the Turtle

One day a Monkey met a Turtle on the road, and asked, "Where are you going?"

"I am going to find something to eat, for I have had no food for three whole days," said the Turtle.

"I too am hungry," said the Monkey; "and since we are both hungry, let us go together and hunt food for
our stomachs' sake."

They soon became good friends and chatted along the way, so that the time passed quickly. Before they
had gone far, the Monkey saw a large bunch of yellow bananas on a tree at a distance.

"Oh, what a good sight that is!" cried he. "Don't you see the bananas hanging on that banana-tree?
[pointing with his first finger toward the tree]. They are fine! I can taste them already."

But the Turtle was short-sighted and could not see them. By and by they came near the tree, and then
he saw them. The two friends were very glad. The mere sight of the ripe, yellow fruit seemed to assuage
their hunger.

But the Turtle could not climb the tree, so he agreed that the Monkey should go up alone and should
throw some of the fruit down to him. The Monkey was up in a flash; and, seating himself comfortably,
he began to eat the finest of the fruit, and forgot to drop any down to the Turtle waiting below. The
Turtle called for some, but the Monkey pretended not to hear. He ate even the peelings, and refused to
drop a bit to his friend, who was patiently begging under the tree.

At last the Turtle became angry, very angry indeed: "so he thought he would revenge" (as my informant
puts it). While the Monkey was having a good time, and filling his stomach, the Turtle gathered sharp,
broken pieces of glass, and stuck them, one by one, all around the banana-tree. Then he hid himself
under a cocoanut-shell not far away. This shell had a hole in the top to allow the air to enter. That was
why the Turtle chose it for his hiding-place.

The Monkey could not eat all the bananas, for there were enough to last a good-sized family several
days; "but he ate all what he can," and by and by came down the tree with great difficulty, for the glass
was so sharp that it cut even the tough hand of the Monkey. He had a hard time, and his hands were cut
in many places. The Turtle thought he had his revenge, and was not so angry as before.

But the Monkey was now very angry at the trick that had been played upon him, and began looking for
the Turtle, intending to kill him. For some time he could not find his foe, and, being very tired, he sat
down on the cocoanut-shell near by. His weariness increased his anger at the Turtle very much.

He sat on the shell for a long time, suffering from his wounds, and wondering where to find the Turtle,--
his former friend, but now his enemy. Because of the disturbance of the shell, the Turtle inside could not
help making a noise. This the Monkey heard; and he was surprised, for he could not determine whence
the sound came. At last he lifted his stool, and there found his foe the Turtle.

"Ha! Here you are!" he cried. "Pray now, for it is the end of your life."

He picked up the Turtle by the neck and carried him near the riverbank, where he meant to kill him. He
took a mortar and pestle, and built a big fire, intending to pound him to powder or burn him to death.
When everything was ready, he told the Turtle to choose whether he should die in the fire or be
"grounded" in the mortar. The Turtle begged for his life; but when he found it was in vain, he prayed to
be thrown into the fire or ground in the mortar,--anything except be thrown into the water. On hearing
this, the Monkey picked the Turtle up in his bleeding fingers, and with all his might threw him into the
middle of the stream.

Then the Turtle was very glad. He chuckled at his own wit, and laughed at the foolishness of the
Monkey. He came up to the surface of the water and mocked at the Monkey, saying, "This is my home.
The water is my home."

This made the Monkey so angry that he lost his self-possession entirely. He jumped into the middle of
the river after the Turtle, and was drowned.

Since that day monkeys and turtles have been bitter enemies.

Why The Fish Has Scales

A farmer and his wife were blessed with a beautiful baby girl. They pampered her and
refused to let her do any farm work. They showered her with attention. Too much
attention.

She grew up into a beautiful maiden. And she knew it. That's why she would often go to
the clear streams to admire her own beauty.

One day, the king of the crabs saw her by the side of the stream, and he approached
her saying he wanted to be her friend.

She found him ugly and told him she did not want to be friends with such a horrid-
looking creature. So he jumped on her face and made several painful scratches.

She splashed some water on her wounds, but these hardened into scales. To top it off,
the king crab placed a spell on her and turned her into a fish filled with scales.
Nowadays, if you happen to look into clear streams, you'll find scaly fish swimming and
moving in a strange manner. They quickly jerk away when they sometimes see their
reflection which reminds them of the "beauty" they lost long ago.

The Legend of the Pineapple: A Filipino Folk Tale

Once upon a time, there was a woman who lived with her daughter
Pina in a tiny hut in the village. They were poor, and the mother worked day and night to make
both ends meet. No matter how hard she worked, though, she never got any help from her
daughter. Pina was a lazy, spoiled kid who liked to play in the backyard all day. Whenever her
mother asked for help around the house or tried to send her on an errand, she would always find
an excuse by saying she can’t find the object that was needed to complete that task. If her mother
asked her to sweep the house, for example, she would say she cannot find the broom, even if it
was right there in front of her. Needless to say, her mother always ended up doing the work
herself.

      One day, her mother became very ill. She called out to Pina, who as usual was playing in the
backyard.

      “Pina! Pina! Come over here, anak. I am very sick. Can you cook some porridge for me
please? I am too weak to get up.”

      Pina ignored her mother and continued to play.

      “Pina, come over here this very instant, or else!” Pina’s mother mustered all her strength just
to say this, but it worked. Pina grudgingly stopped playing and went inside the house. She poked
her head inside her mother’s room.

      “What do you want, Nanay (mother)? You really expect me to cook for you? That’s too
hard,” protested Pina, pouting and stomping her feet.

      “Pina, it is very simple. Just put some rice in a pot and add water. Once the water boils, let it
simmer for awhile. Stir it occasionally with a ladle. Everything you need should be right there in
the kitchen.”

      Pina reluctantly left and went to the kitchen. Her mother could hear her banging the drawers
and cabinets. Then her mother heard her open the back door and sneak out into the backyard. Her
mother waited and waited. Finally, she called out to Pina again.
      “Pina, did you cook like I told you to?”

      “No,” was the defiant response.

      “And why not?” was her mom’s exasperated response.

      “Because I could not find the ladle,” was her flippant reply.

      “Oh, you lazy child! You probably did not even bother to look for it! What am I going to do
with you?  Here I am, sick, and I cannot even count on you!” 

      Her mother wept bitterly. In her anger, she shouted, “I wish you would grow a thousand eyes
all over your head! Then you can find what you’re looking for. Maybe then you won’t have any
more excuses.” 

      As soon as she said this, there was complete silence. Her mother thought, “She is trying to be
quiet so I will forget about asking her again.” She sighed.

      She waited a little bit to see if Pina would come back. Realizing the wait was futile, she
wearily got up to do the cooking herself. When she looked out into the backyard, Pina was
nowhere to be found. She sighed again and said to herself,  “That lazy kid probably went to a
friend’s house so she did not have to do any more errands for me.”

      Exhausted from the exertion, she soon went back to her room for a much-needed rest. Weak
as she was, she just tried to do everything by herself, having given up on any help from Pina.
Hours passed by, and then days. Still no sign of her wayward daughter. With a heavy heart, she
thought that Pina had ran away for sure. 

      When she finally recovered from her illness, the first thing she did was look for Pina. No one
had seen or heard from her. It was like she disappeared into thin air. Months passed and still no
sign of her. The mother felt bad for her angry outburst, and she feared that she might probably
never see her daughter again.

       One day, she was sweeping the backyard where Pina used to play. For months now, she had
noticed this strange plant growing on the very spot where she last saw Pina. By this time, the
leaves of the plant had fully opened. Inside, she saw this strange yellow fruit that resembled a
child’s head with a thousand eyes. A thousand eyes…

      She suddenly remembered the spiteful words she used that fateful day. With
horror, she realized that in the same way her mother’s love had spoiled her daughter, so did her
anger  unwittingly curse her.  Somehow, her daughter had been turned into this plant.

      To honor the memory of her beloved daughter, she named the fruit Pina. She took such
loving care of it like it was her own daughter. The fruit flourished so well that it bore more and
more fruits, and became popular among the village and the entire country. Its name later evolved
to pinya, or pineapple in English. That’s how the pineapple came to be, according to folklore,
named after a spoiled child who was cursed with a thousand eyes…

The Frogs’ New King: A Filipino Folk Tale

Kokak! Kokak! croaked the frogs early

one morning.

“What is the reason for all this noise? ” God asked the frogs.

“Kokak! Kokak! Our king is dead. We want a new one. ”

“Very well. Tomorrow, I will proclaim a new king from among you. ”

“Kokak! Kokak! We don’t want a king like us. We want someone different. We want someone
who is big and strong. Then all the other creatures in the pond will be afraid of us. ”

God replied ,”Very well. I will see what I can do. ”

The next day, the frogs woke up to see a big carabao swimming in their pond.
“Unggga! Unggga!” said the big, black creature. The frogs were overjoyed. Here was a king who
was big and powerful. For sure, one look at those big horns and powerful tail, and all their
enemies in the pond will tremble with fear.

At first, the other creatures in the pond were afraid of this big and fearsome king. But pretty
soon, they realized that, despite his size, he was as harmless as a fly. In fact, they noticed that he
was even helpless against the flies that landed on his face and his body. All he could do was flick
his tail at them and moan “Unggga! Unggga !” Big and fearsome king indeed! The frogs soon
became the laughingstock of the entire pond.

The frogs were very unhappy with this

development. Instead of being feared and respected by the others, they were mocked and laughed
at instead because of this big and helpless king.

“Kokak! Kokak!” cried the frogs  the next day.

“What is wrong now?” asked God of the noisy frogs.

“We want a new king! The one you gave us is big and ugly. All he does is swim around all day
and cry “Unggga !” Even the flies are not afraid of him! We want a king who looks good but
who can also protect us from our enemies. ”

So God said, “Very well. Tomorrow, you are getting a new king.”

The frogs were excited.

 The next day, they awoke to see a magnificent creature in
the pond. It was a white bird with long, slender legs and an impressive beak. It looked regal
indeed. The other creatures in the pond looked at the frogs and their king with envy. Why
couldn’t they have a king as elegant and as beautiful as that?

The frogs rejoiced at their new king. Finally, here was one they could be proud of. Not only was
it beautiful, it was also fearsome with its long beak and sharp claws.

The frogs were beside themselves with joy. They jumped up and down. They swam to and fro.
They croaked to their hearts’ content. “Kokak! Kokak! ”

Pretty soon, the frogs got bolder. They started to clamber up their king’s long legs and up his
feathery winged body. Some even dared climb that long, elegant neck. This was a triumphant
moment indeed. The frogs croaked away noisily but happily.
All of a sudden, the heron, for such was the new king, reached into the pond and grabbed a fish.
Next, it reached again into the pond, catching a frog this time, and swallowed it

whole. 

This was not how the frogs imagined it to be. The king was supposed to protect them, not eat
them! At this point, the frogs, and everyone else in the pond, realized that if they did not
scramble out of the way, they would be next on the menu. All the joyous noise earlier was now
replaced by frantic croaking. The heron continued to feast on everything in sight and within
reach. The day of rejoicing had turned into a day of sorrow for the frogs.

The next day, the pond was quiet and empty. The frogs had either been eaten up by the heron, or
escaped into a nearby pond. Those frogs never did ask God again for another king. 

So if you ever hear frogs croaking non-stop, don’t be surprised. They are just telling their story
to anyone who cares to listen. Their story also comes with a warning: Be careful what you wish
for: You just might get it!
Philippine Myth: Origin of the Moon and Stars

A long, long time ago, some Filipinos thought the moon was a silver crescent comb and the stars
were necklaces of diamonds. The sky was said to be a mere arm-stretch away overhead. The
Philippine myth goes this way.

The myth says that once, a small community lived in the middle of a rice field. They focused on
rice and corn agriculture and they brought in abundant harvest each year. One of the families in
the community was Maria’s family. The myth continues that people in the community were so
close that they knew each other well. Maria was know there as a pretty girl.

Particularly, she was known for caring too much for her long, silky hair. The myth says it was
her pride, and lots of other girls in the neighborhood envied her for it. And Maria loved it. She
fancied herself the star of her village. So, the myth goes that she worked double time on her
beauty, especially her long, jet black hair.

Maria cared so much for her hair. The myth says, aside from daily comprehensive herbal rituals,
she regularly brushed her hair with a special silver crescent-shape comb. The myth says she let
nothing touch her hair except the best material around. Even as she went about her daily chore
she wore a coiled string of jewels and diamonds (supposedly common as ordinary rocks that
time) to crown her hair—that’s aside from the jeweled necklace she wore.

One day, according to the myth, as she was pounding grains of corn and palay (rice stalks) in a
native wooden pestle with a wooden mortar, her mother noticed the jeweled string around her
head , the silver comb stuck in her hair, and the jeweled lace round her neck. She scolded her and
told her to lay aside everything while working. So, continues the myth, Maria hanged the comb
and jewelry on the sky above her. Wanting to finish her work in a hurry, she pounded the grains
hard by raising the mortar really high. She didn’t notice hitting the sky which went up higher as
she hit it with her pounding. Soon the sky went all the way up, along with her comb and jewelry.
And they became the moon and the stars, according to his Philippine myth.

https://kami.com.ph/82556-7-philippine-folktales-stories-legends-kids.html#82556

How the First Head Was Taken

Igorot
One day the Moon, who was a woman named Kabigat, sat out in the yard making a large copper pot.
The copper was still soft and pliable like clay, and the woman squatted on the ground with the heavy pot
against her knees while she patted and shaped it.
Now while she was working a son of Cal-chal, the Sun, came by and stopped to watch her mold
the form. Against the inside of the jar she pressed a stone, while on the outside with a wooden
paddle dripping with water she pounded and slapped until she had worked down the bulges and
formed a smooth surface.

The boy was greatly interested in seeing the jar grow larger, more beautiful, and smoother with
each stroke, and he stood still for some time. Suddenly the Moon looked up and saw him
watching her. Instantly she struck him with her paddle, cutting off his head.

Now the Sun was not near, but he knew as soon as the Moon had cut off his son's head. And
hurrying to the spot, he put the boy's head back on, and he was alive again.

Then the Sun said to the Moon, "You cut off my son's head, and because you did this, ever after
on the earth people will cut off each other's heads.

 Source: Mabel Cook Cole, Philippine Folk Tales (Chicago: A. C. McClurg and Company, 1916),
pp.111-112.
 The term "Igorot" is applied, somewhat loosely, to the indigenous peoples of the four mountain
provinces of Luzon: Benguet, Mountain Province, Ifugao, and Kalinga-Apayao.

The Man with the Coconuts

Tinguian
One day a man who had been to gather his coconuts loaded his horse heavily with the fruit. On the way
home he met a boy whom he asked how long it would take to reach the house.

"If you go slowly," said the boy, looking at the load on the horse, "you will arrive very soon; but
if you go fast, it will take you all day."

The man could not believe this strange speech, so he hurried his horse. But the coconuts fell off
and he had to stop to pick them up. Then he hurried his horse all the more to make up for lost
time, but the coconuts fell off again. Many time he did this, and it was night when he reached
home.

 Source: Mabel Cook Cole, Philippine Folk Tales (Chicago: A. C. McClurg, 1916), p. 88.
The Boy Who Became a Stone
Tinguian
One day a little boy named Elonen sat out in the yard making a bird snare, and as he worked, a little bird
called to him: "Tik-tik-lo-den" (come and catch me).

"I am making a snare for you," said the boy; but the bird continued to call until the snare was
finished.

Then Elonen ran and threw the snare over the bird and caught it, and he put it in a jar in his
house while he went with the other boys to swim.

While he was away, his grandmother grew hungry, so she ate the bird, and when Elonen returned
and found that his bird was gone, he was so sad that he wished he might go away and never
come back. He went out into the forest and walked a long distance, until finally he came to a big
stone and said: "Stone, open your mouth and eat me." And the stone opened its mouth and
swallowed the boy.

When his grandmother missed the boy, she went out and looked everywhere, hoping to find him.
Finally she passed near the stone and it cried out: "Here he is." Then the old woman tried to open
the stone but she could not, so she called the horses to come and help her. They came and kicked
it, but it would not break. Then she called the carabao and they hooked it, but they only broke
their horns. She called the chickens, which pecked it, and the thunder, which shook it, but
nothing could open it, and she had to go home without the boy.

 Source: Mabel Cook Cole, Philippine Folk Tales (Chicago: A. C. McClurg, 1916), pp. 84-85.

Dogedog
Tinguian
Dogedog had always been very lazy, and now that his father and mother were dead and he had no one
to care for him, he lived very poorly. He had little to eat. His house was old and small and so poor that it
had not even a floor. Still he would rather sit all day and idle away his time than to work and have more
things.
One day, however, when the rainy season was near at hand, Dogedog began thinking how cold
he would be when the storms came, and he felt so sorry for himself that he decided to make a
floor in his house.

Wrapping some rice in a banana leaf for his dinner, he took his long knife and went to the forest
to cut some bamboo. He hung the bundle of rice in a tree until he should need it; but while he
was working a cat came and ate it. When the hungry man came for his dinner, there was none
left. Dogedog went back to his miserable little house which looked forlorn to him even, now that
he had decided to have a floor.

The next day he went again to the forest and hung his rice in the tree as he did before, but again
the cat came and ate it. So the man had to go home without any dinner.

The third day he took the rice, but this time he fixed a trap in the tree, and when the cat came it
was caught.

"Now I have you!" cried the man when he found the cat; "and I shall kill you for stealing my
rice."

"Oh, do not kill me," pleaded the cat, "and I will be of some use to you."

So Dogedog decided to spare the cat's life, and he took it home and tied it near the door to guard
the house.

Some time later when he went to look at it, he was very much surprised to find that it had
become a cock.

"Now I can go to the cock-fight at Magsingal," cried the man. And he was very happy, for he had
much rather do that than work.

Thinking no more of getting wood for his floor, he started out at once for Magsingal with the
cock under his arm.

As he was crossing a river he met an alligator which called out to him: "Where are you going,
"Dogedog?"

"To the cock-fight at Magsingal," replied the man as he fondly stroked the rooster.

"Wait, and I will go with you," said the alligator; and he drew himself out of the water.

The two walking together soon entered a forest where they met a deer and it asked: "Where are
you going, Dogedog?"

"To the cock-fight at Magsingal," said the man.

"Wait and I will go with you," said the deer; and he also joined them.
By and by they met a mound of earth that had been raised by the ants, and they would have
passed without noticing it had it not inquired: "Where are you going, Dogedog?"

"To the cock-fight at Magsingal," said the man once more; and the mound of earth joined them.

The company then hurried on, and just as they were leaving the forest, they passed a big tree in
which was a monkey. "Where are you going, Dogedog?" shrieked the monkey. And without
waiting for an answer, he scrambled down the tree and followed them.

As the party walked along they talked together, and the alligator said to Dogedog: "If any man
wants to dive into the water, I can stay under longer than he."

Then the deer, not to be outdone, said: "If any man wants to run, I can run faster."

The mound of earth, anxious to show its strength, said: "If any man wants to wrestle, I can beat
him."

And the monkey said: "If any man wants to climb, I can go higher."

They reached Magsingal in good time and the people were ready for the fight to begin. When
Dogedog put his rooster, which had been a cat, into the pit, it killed the other cock at once, for it
used its claws like a cat.

The people brought more roosters and wagered much money, but Dogedog's cock killed all the
others until there was not one left in Magsingal, and Dogedog won much money. Then they went
outside the town and brought all the cocks they could find, but not one could win over that of
Dogedog.

When the cocks were all dead, the people wanted some other sport, so they brought a man who
could stay under water for a long time, and Dogedog made him compete with the alligator. But
after a while the man had to come up first. Then they brought a swift runner and he raced with
the deer, but the man was left far behind. Next they looked around until they found a very large
man who was willing to contend with the mound of earth, but after a hard struggle the man was
thrown. Finally they brought a man who could climb higher than anyone else, but the monkey
went far above him, and he had to give up.

All these contests had brought much money to Dogedog, and now he had to buy two horses to
carry his sacks of silver. As soon as he reached home, he bought the house of a very rich man
and went to live in it. And he was very happy, for he did not have to work any more.

 Source: Mabel Cook Cole, Philippine Folk Tales (Chicago: A. C. McClurg, 1916), pp. 91-94.
 This tale is similar to Aarne-Thompson type 513.
  Note by Cole: "The story shows the influence of the Christianized native, among whom cock-
fighting is a very popular sport. It is found only among those Tinguian who come into contact
with this class."
 Addendum by Ashliman: Cock-fighting remains a very popular sport in the Philippines.

The Carabao and the Shell

Tinguian
One very hot day, when a carabao went into the river to bathe, he met a shell and they began talking
together.

"You are very slow," said the carabao to the shell.

"Oh, no," replied the shell. "I can beat you in a race."

"Then let us try and see," said the carabao.

So they went out on the bank and started to run.

After the carabao had gone a long distance he stopped and called, "Shell!"

And another shell lying by the river answered, "Here I am!"

Then the carabao, thinking that it was the same shell with which he was racing, ran on.

By and by he stopped again and called, "Shell!"

And another shell answered, "Here I am!"

The carabao was surprised that the shell could keep up with him. But he ran on and on, and every
time he stopped to call, another shell answered him. But he was determined that the shell should
not beat him, so he ran until he dropped dead.

 Source: Mabel Cook Cole, Philippine Folk Tales (Chicago: A. C. McClurg, 1916), p. 89.
 Note by Cole: "Another version of this tale is found in the British North Borneo in the story of
the plandok and the crab."
 Addendum by Ashliman: Variants of this fable (Aarne-Thompson type 275A*) are found
throughout Europe.