FABLES

The Fox and The Crow

A Fox once saw a Crow fly off with a piece of
cheese in its beak and settle on a branch of
a tree.
"That's for me, as I am a Fox," said
Master Reynard, and he walked up to the
foot of the tree.
"Good day, Mistress Crow," he cried.
"How well you are looking today: how glossy
your feathers; how bright your eye. I feel
sure your voice must surpass that of other birds, just as your figure does; let me
hear but one song from you that I may greet you as the Queen of Birds."
The Crow lifted up her head and began to caw her best, but the moment she
opened her mouth the piece of cheese fell to the ground, only to be snapped up
by Master Fox.
"That will do," said he. "That was all I wanted. In exchange for your cheese I
will give you a piece of advice for the future: "Do not trust flatterers."
The Eagle, the Cat, and the Wild Sow
AN EAGLE made her nest at the
top of a lofty oak; a Cat, having found a
convenient hole, moved into the middle
of the trunk; and a Wild Sow, with her
young, took shelter in a hollow at its
foot.
The Cat cunningly resolved to
destroy this chance-made colony.
To
carry out her design, she climbed to the
nest of the Eagle, and said, "Destruction is preparing for you, and for me too,
unfortunately. The Wild Sow, whom you see daily digging up the earth, wishes to
uproot the oak, so she may on its fall seize our families as food for her young."
Having thus frightened the Eagle out of her senses, she crept down to the cave
of the Sow, and said, "Your children are in great danger; for as soon as you go
out with your litter to find food, the Eagle is prepared to pounce upon one of
your little pigs." Having instilled these fears into the Sow, she went and
pretended to hide herself in the hollow of the tree. When night came she went
forth with silent foot and obtained food for herself and her kittens, but feigning
to be afraid, she kept a lookout all through the day. Meanwhile, the Eagle, full of
fear of the Sow, sat still on the branches, and the Sow, terrified by the Eagle, did

not dare to go out from her cave. And thus they both, along with their families,
perished from hunger, and afforded ample provision for the Cat and her kittens.
Moral: Gossips are to be seen and not heard.

The Dog and the Shadow Fable

It happened that a Dog had got a piece of meat and was
carrying it home in his mouth to eat it in peace.
Now on his way home he had to cross a plank lying
across a running brook.
As he crossed, he looked down and saw his
own shadow reflected in the water beneath.
Thinking it was another dog with another piece
of meat, he made up his mind to have that also.
So he made a snap at the shadow in the water, but as he opened
his mouth the piece of meat fell out, dropped into the water and was never seen
more.
Moral: "Beware lest you lose the substance by grasping at the shadow"
The Fox and the Goat
Once a fox was roaming around in
the dark. Unfortunately, he fell into a well.
He tried his level best to come out but all
in vain. So, he had no other alternative
but to remain there till the next morning.
The next day, a goat came that way. She
peeped into the well and saw the fox
there. The goat asked what are you doing
there, Mr. Fox?
The sly fox replied, I came here to drink water. It is the best I have ever
tasted. Come and see for yourself. Without thinking even for a while, the goat
jumped into the well, quenched her thirst and looked for a way to get out. But
just like the fox, she also found herself helpless to come out.
Then the fox said, I have an idea. You stand on your hind legs. Ill climb on
your head and get out. Then I shall help you come out too. The goat was
innocent enough to understand the shrewdness of the fox and did as the fox said
and helped him get out of the well.

While walking away, the fox said, Had you been intelligent enough, you
would never have got in without seeing how to get out.
Moral: Look before you leap.
thinking.

Do not just blindly walk in to anything without

The Sick Lion

A Lion, unable from old age and infirmities
to provide himself with food by force,
resolved to do so by artifice. He returned to
his den, and lying down there, pretended to
be sick, taking care that his sickness should
be publicly known. The beasts expressed
their sorrow, and came one by one to his
den, where the Lion devoured them. After
many of the beasts had thus disappeared, the
Fox discovered the trick and presenting
himself to the Lion, stood on the outside of
the cave, at a respectful distance, and
asked him how he was. "I am very
middling," replied the Lion, "but why do you
stand without? Pray enter within to talk with me." "No, thank you," said the Fox.
"I notice that there are many prints of feet entering your cave, but I see no trace
of any returning."
He is wise who is warned by the misfortunes of others.

LEGENDS
Legend of the Coconut Tree
Long
The
One day
the juice
she
and died.

ago there was a Chamorro family belonging to the Achote tribe.

family had a beautiful young daughter who was
admired by everyone in the tribe.
the girl became very thirsty. She wanted to drink
from a special fruit. Everyone tried to find the fruit
described but to no avail. Soon the girl became very ill
The father buried the girl on a hill overlooking the village. He
placed a beautiful headstone on her grave and the people
covered it with many beautiful flowers.

One day the villagers noticed a strange plant growing on the girl's grave. They
thought it was magic and built a shelter to protect it.
Five years after the plant appeared, it had grown 20 feet tall, strange looking
fruits appeared. One of the fruits dropped to the ground and cracked open.
The chief called on the father of the dead girl to eat the strange fruit but he
refused. He called his wife to eat the fruit. She said it was sweet and chewy and
called it coconut. It remains one of the main foods eaten by the Chamorro
people.
Legend of the Guava
A long time ago, there was a king who ruled
a rich, prosperous island. He had all the
things a king could ever ask for: the power,
the wealth, and all the delicious foods.The
king's name was King Barabas.
The king was fat and rude, and his
castle was starting to become filthy. He
would spend most of his time sitting and eating
with
his
bare hands. As he ate, he dripped food on
the floor and smiled mockingly at the people around him.
People from the kingdom would approach with requests for his help, but he
would always refuse. As he neglected his kingdom, people started to complain
and starve.
After a time, a hunched old beggar woman showed up at the castle while
the king was eating. The old lady asked for food as she was starving.
"Go away! I don't have anything to give to you. Can't you see I'm eating?"
said the king.
"Please, my king, " said the old woman. "I'm asking for anything, anything
you could give me as I am so hungry. Even a little piece of bread or fruit would
do."
"Get out at once! You disgust me," the king belittled the old beggar.
The old woman stood up straight, casting aside her stooped posture. "I've
heard much about you and how your kingdom is suffering." The tone of her voice
had changed. It was no longer the voice of a weak, old woman. "I asked for help,
and you shoved me away. You have a lot for yourself, but when I only asked for a
little food, you belittled me. You are selfish. No one loves you and no one will
remember you when you are gone."
And the beggar disappeared.
After a few more days, the king slowly weakened and became sick. No one
knew what was wrong with him. He weakened and weakened and lost much
weight. He looked older than his age. Soon after that, the king died. As

unfortunate and unexpected as it was, no one cried and nobody showed up at

the king's burial. He died alone.
And where the king was buried, his people noticed a strange plant
growing, a plant they had never seen before. The plant soon grew into a tree,
which bore rounded fruits that turned yellowish when ripe.
They also noticed that the fruit seemed to have a crown, which reminded
them of their selfish, arrogant king. The flesh of the fruit tasted a bit sour, just
like the sour personality of the king towards them.
The people learned to eat the fruit, which helped them overcome their
hunger. And because the tree was from the grave of their King Barabas and it
has crown just like their king, they named the tree after him: barabas, which in
time they called bayabas.

Legend of the Makahiya

Long time ago, there was a couple in Barangay Masagana (Pampanga
today) who wanted a daughter. Their wish was granted and the wife gave birth
to a baby girl. They called her Maria. Maria was very beautiful but very shy that
she wouldn't go out from their house.
Weeks later, Spaniards came to their town. The Spaniards were very cruel
that they get everything they wanted. They rob houses and kill everyone who
gets in their way and who refuses to give what they wanted.
The couple was very frightened to lose their daughter so, they hid Maria in
the bushes so the Spaniards couldn't find her.
After the Spaniards left their town, the couple tried to look for Maria but
they couldn't find her even in the bushes where they hid her, instead they found
a little plant that is very sensitive that when you touch it, it would immediately
close.
So they thought it was their daughter, Maria. They called the plant
"Makahiya" that means "touch me not," like their daughter who was very shy.

MYTHS
Myth of Narcissus
Narcissus, an exceedingly handsome young boy, was the son of a blue
nymph and a river god. While hunting in the forest he heard footsteps; but, he
did not see a nymph named Echo. When he asked who was there, Echo's reply
was the same as what he asked. When she embraced Narcissus, he pulled away
abruptly and walked away. She felt crushed and heartbroken. She prayed to
Venus, the love goddess, to avenge Narcissus' rejection. As punishment, Venus
made Naricssus fall in love only with himself.

Myth of Pandora's Box

FOLKTALES
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.