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 farmwork. 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.

Moral Lesson: Don’t judge too quickly. True beauty is not seen on the physical

appearance but in the heart.

 Mi Ultimo Adios (My Final Farewell)

Farewell, dear Fatherland, clime of the sun caress'd

Pearl of the Orient seas, our Eden lost!,
Gladly now I go to give thee this faded life's best,
And were it brighter, fresher, or more blest
Still would I give it thee, nor count the cost.

On the field of battle, 'mid the frenzy of fight,

Others have given their lives, without doubt or heed;
The place matters not-cypress or laurel or lily white,
Scaffold or open plain, combat or martyrdom's plight,
T is ever the same, to serve our home and country's need.

I die just when I see the dawn break,

Through the gloom of night, to herald the day;
And if color is lacking my blood thou shalt take,
Pour'd out at need for thy dear sake
To dye with its crimson the waking ray.

My dreams, when life first opened to me,

My dreams, when the hopes of youth beat high,
Were to see thy lov'd face, O gem of the Orient sea
From gloom and grief, from care and sorrow free;
No blush on thy brow, no tear in thine eye.

Dream of my life, my living and burning desire,

All hail ! cries the soul that is now to take flight;
All hail ! And sweet it is for thee to expire ;
To die for thy sake, that thou mayst aspire;
And sleep in thy bosom eternity's long night.

If over my grave some day thou seest grow,

In the grassy sod, a humble flower,
Draw it to thy lips and kiss my soul so,
While I may feel on my brow in the cold tomb below
The touch of thy tenderness, thy breath's warm power.

Let the moon beam over me soft and serene,

Let the dawn shed over me its radiant flashes,
Let the wind with sad lament over me keen ;
And if on my cross a bird should be seen,
Let it trill there its hymn of peace to my ashes.
Let the sun draw the vapors up to the sky,
And heavenward in purity bear my tardy protest
Let some kind soul o 'er my untimely fate sigh,
And in the still evening a prayer be lifted on high
From thee, 0 my country, that in God I may rest.

Pray for all those that hapless have died,

 For all who have suffered the unmeasur'd pain;
For our mothers that bitterly their woes have cried,
For widows and orphans, for captives by torture tried
And then for thyself that redemption thou mayst gain.

And when the dark night wraps the graveyard around

With only the dead in their vigil to see
Break not my repose or the mystery profound
And perchance thou mayst hear a sad hymn resound
'T is I, O my country, raising a song unto thee.

And even my grave is remembered no more

Unmark'd by never a cross nor a stone
Let the plow sweep through it, the spade turn it o'er
That my ashes may carpet earthly floor,
Before into nothingness at last they are blown.

Then will oblivion bring to me no care

As over thy vales and plains I sweep;
Throbbing and cleansed in thy space and air
With color and light, with song and lament I fare,
Ever repeating the faith that I keep.

My Fatherland ador'd, that sadness to my sorrow lends

Beloved Filipinas, hear now my last good-by!
I give thee all: parents and kindred and friends
For I go where no slave before the oppressor bends,
Where faith can never kill, and God reigns e'er on high!

Farewell to you all, from my soul torn away,

Friends of my childhood in the home dispossessed !
Give thanks that I rest from the wearisome day !
Farewell to thee, too, sweet friend that lightened my way;
Beloved creatures all, farewell! In death there is rest!
 Pag-ibig sa Tinubuang Lupa

Aling pag-ibig pa ang hihigit kaya

Sa pagkadalisay at pagkadakila
Gaya ng pag-ibig sa Tinubuang lupa?
Aling pag-ibig pa? Wala na nga, wala.

Ulit-ulitin mang basahin sa isip

at isa-isahing talastasing pilit
ang salita't buhay na limbag at titik
ng isang katauhan ito'y namamasid

Banal na pag-ibig pag ikaw ang nukal

sa tapat na puso ng sino’t alinman,
imbis at taong gubat, maralita’t
mangmang nagiging dakila at iginagalang.

Pagpupuring lubos ang palaging hangad

Sa bayan ng taong may dangal na ingat,
Umawit, tumula, kumanta't sumulat,
Kalakhan din niya'y isinisiwalat.

Walang mahalagang hindi inihandog

Ng may pusong mahal sa Bayang nagkupkop,
Dugo, yaman, dunong, katiisa't pagod,
Buhay ma'y abuting magkalagut-lagot.

Bakit? Alin ito na sakdal ng laki,

Na hinahandugan ng buong pagkasi,
Na sa lalong mahal nakapangyayari,
At ginugulan ng buhay na iwi?

Ay! Ito'y ang Inang Bayang tinubuan,

Siya'y ina't tangi sa kinamulatan
Ng kawili-wiling liwanang ng araw
Na nagbigay-init sa buong katawan.

Sa kanya’y utang ang unang pagtanggol

ng simoy ng hanging nagbigay lunas,
sa inis na puso na sisinghap-singhap,
sa balong malalim ng siphayo’t hirap.

Kalakip din nito'y pag-ibig sa Bayan,

Ang lahat ng lalong sa gunita'y mahal,
Mula sa masaya'y gasong kasanggulan
Hanggang sa katawa'y mapasa-libingan.

Ang na nga kapanahon ng aliw

ang inaasahang araw na darating
ng pagka-timawa ng mga alipin
 liban po ba sa bayang tatanghalin?

At ang balang kahoy at ang balang sanga

na parangniya’t gubat na kaayaaya
sukat ang makita’t sa alaala
ang ina’t ang giliw lampas sa saya

Tubig niyang malinaw sa anak'y bulog

bukal sa barisang nagkalat sa bundok
malambot na buni ng matuling agos
na naka-aliw sa pusong may lungkot

Sa kaba ng abang mawalay sa bayan!

Gunita ma'y laging sakbibi ng lumbay,
Walang alaala't inaasa-asam
Kundi ang makita'y lupang tinubuan.

Pati na'ng magdusa't sampung kamatayan

Wari ay masarap kung dahil sa bayan
At lalong mahirap. Oh, himalang bagay!
Lalong pag-irog pa ang sa kanya'y alay.

Kung ang bayang ito'y masasa-panganib

At siya ay dapat na ipagtangkilik,
Ang anak, asawa, magulang, kapatid;
Isang tawag niya'y tatalikdang pilit.

Datapwat kung ang bayan ng katagalugan

ay linalapastangan at niyuyurakan
katuiran puri niyat kamahalan
ng sama ng lilong taga ibang bayan.

Di gaano kaya ang paghihinagpis

ng pusong Tagalog sa puring na lait
at aling kalooban na lalong tahimik
ang di pupukawin sa panghihimagsik?

Saan magbubuhat ang paghihinay

sa paghihiganti't gumugol ng buhay
kung wala ding iba na kasasadlakan
kung di ang lugami sa ka-alipinan?

Kung ang pagka-baon niya't pagka-busabos

sa lusak ng daya'y tunay na pag-ayop
supli ang pang-hampas tanikalang gapos
at luha na lamang ang pinaa-agos.

Sa kaniyang anyo'y sino ang tutunghay

na di-aakain sa gawang magdamdam
pusong naglilipak sa pagka-sukaban
 na hindi gumagalang ng dugo at buhay.

Mangyayari kayang ito'y masulyap

ng mga Tagalog at hindi lumingap
sa naghihingalong Inang nasa yapak
ng kasuklamsuklam na Castilang hamak.

Nasaan ang dangal ng mga Tagalog

nasaan ang dugong dapat na ibuhos?
bayan ay inaapi bakit di kumikilos?
at natitilihang ito'y mapanood.

Hayo na nga kayo, kayo ngang buhay

sa pag-asang lubos na kaginhawahan
at walang tinamo kundi kapaitan,
kaya nga't ibigin ang naaabang bayan

Kayong antayan na sa kapapasakit

ng dakilang hangad sa batis ng dibdib
muling pabalungit tunay na pag-ibig
kusang ibulalas sa bayang piniit

Kayong nalagasan ng bunga't bulaklak

ng kahoy ng buhay na nilanta't sukat,
ng bala-balaki't makapal na hirap,
muling manariwa't sa baya'y lumiyag.

Kayong mga pusong kusang pugal

ng dagat at bagsik ng ganid sa asal
ngayon magbango't baya'y itanghal
agawin sa kuko ng mga sukaban

Kayong mga dukhang walang tanging lasap

kundi ang mabuhay sa dalita't hirap,
ampunin ang bayan kung nasa ay lunas
sapagkat ang ginhawa niya ay sa lahat

Ipahandog-handog ang buong pag-ibig

At hanggang may dugo'y ubusing itigis;
kung sa pagtatanggol, buhay ay mapatid,

Ito'y kapalaran at tunay na langit!