Philippine Legend Of Calamba: In War And Peace By Demetrio L. Hilberio Essay

An excerpt from Calamba – In War and Peace by Demetrio L. Hilberio tells us of the legend of the name of Calamba. This legend is inscribed on a stone marker that can found at the base of the giant claypot and can be read as : The authentic legend goes that at about the turn of 16th century, two Spanish soldiers came to a village by the shore of Laguna de Bay. Attracted by the vast plain with verdant greeneries that spread up to a majestic mountain, the strangers became curious to learn the name of the place. Soon there came a native young lady carrying an earthen jar by her waist. She was to fetch water from the lake. Seizing the opportunity, the two soldiers inquired in Spanish from the young lady the name of the place. | Frightened with the sight of white strangers in colorful uniforms, the native damsel got confused. Thinking that the soldiers were asking what she was carrying, she answered nervously â€Å"Kalamba†¦Kalamba..† referring to the earthen jar she was clasping by her waist. There upon the girl scurried away until she was lost in the nearby forest. Themselves surprised, the two Spanish soldiers were left muttering â€Å"Kalamba†¦Kalamba† Since then the small village on a vast plain close to the Laguna de Bay has been known by the name of Kalamba. Legend of coconut Long ago there was a Chamorro family belonging to the Achote tribe. The family had a beautiful young daughter who was admired by everyone in the tribe. One day the girl became very thirsty. She wanted to drink the juice from a special fruit. Everyone tried to find the fruit she described but to no avail. Soon the girl became very ill and died. The father buried the girl on a hill over looking 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 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 refused to give what they wanted.The couple was very frightened to lose their daughter so, they they hid Maria in the bushes so that the Spaniard coud’nt 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 immidietlyclose. So they thought it was their daughter, Maria. They called the plant â€Å"Makahiya† that means â€Å"touch me not,† li ke their daughter who was very shy. LEGEND OF BANANA Long ago, before Philippines was invaded by other countries, the only religion Filipinos know is Paganism. They know no God until it was invaded by the Spaniards and killed everyone who refuses to give their riches. In the town of Vigan (in Philippines), one rich family planned to hide their beautiful daughter named Corazon because they heard that the Spaniard captain wanted their child. Corazon was one of the most beautiful maiden in their town. Every man there wants to have her hand in marriage.One day, when a group of Spaniard soldiers tried again to gather all the riches and properties and everything people have in every house, the parents of Corazon panicked knowing their daughter is missing. Corazon was helping other families to escape from the Spaniard soldiers because the soldiers where trying to kill them.When Corazon headed back to her parents, a Spaniard eventually caught her and brought her to their captain. The captain want Corazon as his bride but Corazon refused and the captain ordered to kill her and throw her body on the street. When her parents heard the news that their daughter was slaughtered, they gave Corazon a funeral. Because there were no coffin in their time, the townspeople buried Corazon’s body underground. The next day, the second ceremony is about to start, when the graveyard where Corazon was buried was very crowded. When the parents of Corazon arrived, they saw a plant growing from the soil. They were curious with the plant because they haven’t seen such plant. As the days pass, the plant grew and grew until a fruit came out. The people didn’t know exactly if it is a fruit or not because it was very unusual to them. The parents of Corazon concluded that it is their daughter and called the plant, Banana. When the Spaniard heard about unusual happening, they fled the town hurriedly. They were scared to death because they thought it was a curse or something. The thing that the invaders don’t know is, Banana was formed with pure heart. The townspeople don’t know why the parents of Corazon named it that way. But wise men of the town came to a conclusion why the plant was named Banana, it’s because the letters â€Å"ana† in the word Banana means â€Å"his/her or ownership of an individual† and the heart shaped fruit that came out from the plant was Corazon; and Corazon means â€Å"heart†. That’s why Banana was translated as â€Å"Her Heart† LEGEND OF butterfly The legend of the first butterflies say that there was upon a time in a village, an old woman used to have a beautiful flower garden by the shore of a lake. The fishermen from around the nearby villages were in love with her and used to come to her and exchange their fishes from flowers.Everyone in the village noticed something magical about her, because at night her house had a magical glow and once in a while some dwarfs were seen helping a beautiful young woman work in the garden. One day a young couple, very proud I must add, visited the village were the old woman lived, and while walking around, noticed the old woman’s beautiful flower garden.The couple decided to get inside the garden and grab some bouquets, when the old woman sees this, walks out of her house and ask the couple to leave, when they turn around to see who was talking to them, they make fun of her and ignore her. Then the old woman, insulted, touches the couple with her cane saying:†Since you love beautiful things, you will live from now on as beautiful insects†And that day was created the butterflies came to be, who always are found near beautiful flowers.And this is how the Butterflies came to be. FABLES The lion and the mouse Lion was sleeping peacefully when he was woken by something running up and down his back and over his face.Pretending to be still asleep, the Lion slowly opened one eye and saw that it was a little mouse.With lightening speed the Lion reached out and caught the little mouse in one of his large paws. He dangled it by its tail and roared, â€Å"I’m the King of Beasts! You’ll pay with your life for showing me such disrespect.†The Lion held the little mouse over his huge open jaws and prepared to swallow it.â€Å"Please, please don’t eat me, Mr King of Beasts, Sir,† squeaked the mouse. â€Å"If you forgive me this time and let me go I’ll never, never forget it.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"I may be able to do you a good turn in the future to repay your kindness,† it squeaked.â€Å"You, do me a favour!† roared the Lion with laughter. â€Å"That is the funniest thing I’ve ever heard.†Still laughing, the Lion put the mouse down on the ground and said; â€Å"You’ve made me laugh so much I can’t eat you now. Go on, off you go before I change my mind.†The little mouse scurried away as fast as its little legs could go.Not long after this the Lion was caught in a trap by some hunters. They tied him to a tree with rope while they went to get their wagon.The little mouse was nearby and came when he heard the mighty Lion’s roar for help.The mouse gnawed the rope with his sharp teeth and set the Lion free.â€Å"I know you didn’t believe me, but I told you I could help you one day,† squeaked the little mouse. â€Å"Even a little mouse like me can help some one as big and strong as you.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Thank you my little friend. I won’t forget that lesson,† said the Lion as he ran away before the hunters returned. The fox and the crow One bright morning as the Fox was following his sharp nose through the wood in search of a bite to eat, he saw a Crow on the limb of a tree overhead. This was by no means the first Crow the Fox had ever seen. What caught his attention this time and made him stop for a second look, was that the lucky Crow held a bit of cheese in her beak. â€Å"No need to search any farther,† thought sly Master Fox. â€Å"Here is a dainty bite for my breakfast.† Up he trotted to the foot of the tree in which the Crow was sitting, and looking up admiringly, he cried, â€Å"Good-morning, beautiful creature!† The Crow, her head cocked on one side, watched the Fox suspiciously. But she kept her beak tightly closed on the cheese and did not return his greeting. â€Å"What a charming creature she is!† said the Fox. â€Å"How her feathers shine! What a beautiful form and what splendid wings! Such a wonderful Bird should have a very lovely voice, since everything else about her is so perfect. Could she sing just one song, I know I should hail her Queen of Birds.† Listening to these flattering words, the Crow forgot all her suspicion, and also her breakfast. She wanted very much to be called Queen of Birds. So she opened her beak wide to utter her loudest caw, and down fell the cheese straight into the Fox’s open mouth. â€Å"Thank you,† said Master Fox sweetly, as he walked off. â€Å"Though it is cracked, you have a voice sure enough. But where are your wits?† The Donkey And The Lapdog A MAN had a Donkey, and a Maltese Lapdog, a very great beauty. The Donkey was left in a stable and had plenty of oats and hay to eat, just as any other Donkey would. The Lapdog knew many tricks and was a great favorite with his master, who often fondled him and seldom went out to dine without bringing him home some tidbit to eat. The Donkey, on the contrary, had much work to do in grinding the corn-mill and in carrying wood from the forest or burdens from the farm. He often lamented his own hard fate and contrasted it with the luxury and idleness of the Lapdog, till at last one day he broke his cords and halter, and galloped into his master’s house, kicking up his heels without measure, and frisking and fawning as well as he could. He next tried to jump about his master as he had seen the Lapdog do, but he broke the table and smashed all the dishes upon it to atoms. He then attempted to lick his master, and jumped upon his back. The servants, hearing the strange hubbub and perceiving the danger of their master, quickly relieved him, and drove out The Donkey to his stable with kicks and clubs and cuffs. The Donkey, as he returned to his stall beaten nearly to death, thus lamented: â€Å"I have brought it all on myself! Why could I not have been contented to labor with my companions, and not wish to be idle all the day like that useless little Lapdog!† THE CAT AND THE MOUSE A cat and a mouse wanted to live together and keep house as a partnership. They prepared for winter by buying a pot of fat, and because they had no safer spot for it, they placed it under the alter in the church until such time that they would need it. However, one day the cat took a longing for it, and approached the mouse. â€Å"Listen, little mouse, my cousin has invited me to serve as godfather. She has given birth to a brown and white spotted little son, and I am supposed to carry him to his baptism. Is it all right for me to leave you home alone with the housework today?†Ã¢â‚¬ Go ahead,† said the mouse, â€Å"and if they serve you something good, just think of me. I would certainly welcome a drop of good red christening wine.† But the cat went straight to the church and ate the top off the fat and then went strolling about the town and did not return home until evening.†You must have had a good time,† said the mouse. â€Å"What name did they gi ve the child?†Ã¢â‚¬ Top-Off,† answered the cat.†Top-Off? That’s a strange name, one that I’ve not yet heard.†Soon afterward the cat took another longing, went to the mouse, and said, â€Å"I’ve been asked to serve as godfather once again. The child has a white ring around its body. I can’t say no. You’ll have to do me a favor and take care of the house by yourself today.†The mouse agreed, and the cat went and ate up half the fat. When she returned home, the mouse asked, â€Å"What name did this godchild receive?†Ã¢â‚¬ Half-Gone.†Half-Gone? What are you telling me? I’ve never heard that name. It certainly isn’t in the almanac.†Now the cat could not take his mind off the pot of fat. â€Å"I’ve been invited to serve as godfather for a third time,† he said. â€Å"The child is black and has white paws, but not another white hair on his entire body. That only happens once in a few years. You will let me go, won’t you?†Top-Off, Half-Gone,† said the mouse. â€Å"Those names are so curious that it makes me a bit suspicious, but go ahead.†The mouse took care of the house and cleaned up everything, while the cat finished off the pot of fat. Round and full, she did not return until nighttime.†What is the third child’s name?†Ã¢â‚¬ All-Gone.†Ã¢â‚¬ All-Gone! That is a worrisome name!† said the mouse. â€Å"All-Gone. Just what does this mean? I’ve never seen that name in print,† and she shook her head and went to bed. No one invited the cat to serve as godfather a fourth time. Winter soon came, and when they could no longer find anything to eat outside, the mouse said to the cat, â€Å"Let’s get the provisions that we’ve hid in the church under the altar.† They went there, but the pot was empty.†Now I see!† said the mouse. â€Å"You came here when you said you were invited to be a godfather. First came Top-Off, then it was Half-Gone, and then†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â‚¬ Be still,† said the cat. â€Å"I’ll eat you up, if you say another word.†Ã¢â‚¬ All-Gone† was already in the poor mouse’s mouth, and she had scarcely sai d it before the cat jumped on her and swallowed her down.