THE FIRST MONKEY
(Tagalog version)
There
was a boy named Juan who was very lazy. He found it difficult to do even the
simplest things, and he especially hated getting up in the morning. His mother
did not know what to do with such an insensitive child. She knew she was
spoiling him, but she did not know what else to do with him, as he was her
beloved only child.
Juan’s
mother did not know the limits of her own tolerance. One day, Juan was playing
outside the house, and she called him in for a very simple task.
"Juan!" she called out. "Come in here and find the ladle for
me!"
"I’m
coming, Mother!" Juan cried, but he did not bestir himself to even walk
two paces toward the house.
After
a while Juan’s mother grew suspicious, and when she saw that the boy was not
obeying her, she dragged him into the house. "You find that ladle! I want
you to hand it over to me by the time I get back from the marketplace!"
Then she stormed off, leaving the lazy little boy to make or break his fate.
Juan
did not try to find the ladle. He found instead a large wooden spoon that was
too shallow for anyone to use as a good ladle. He said to himself, "This
will have to do." He played again until his mother came home, and then he
gave her the spoon, saying "I can’t find the ladle, Mother. I’m too lazy.
This spoon will have to do!"
"Ooh,
you tardy brat!" his mother cried, and she proceeded to beat Juan with his
"makeshift ladle". Juan became so frightened that he ran out of the
house. Ah, but Juan’s mother would not let him go scot-free! She threw the
spoon at him, and it stuck to the base of his spine like a tail, to his
mother’s surprise. Then, instead of running any further, Juan swiftly climbed a
tree to escape his mother’s fury. Juan’s mother strode to the tree and cried
out to her naughty child:
"Come
down from there! I still have to punish you!"
But
Juan did not make any more complaints, or excuses. Only harsh chirping sounds
came from his throat. Hair had grown all over his little body and he could no
longer speak a word. Juan had become the very first monkey! Apparently, Juan’s
mother did not have to punish him. He had already brought the greatest
punishment upon himself.
THE FIRST MONKEY
(Iloko version)
Once
there lived an old woman and her grandson in a hut. The old woman worked hard
to feed her grandson and herself but her grandson was a lazy boy. He did not
help her in her work and took her money and spent it all on his friends.
One
day, he came home hungry. "Where is my food?" he demanded. Alas! The
food was not ready. He became angry and finding coconuts lying on the ground,
threw them at his grandmother. "Food! Food! Food!" he chanted
stamping his foot.
The
good behavior fairy was passing by. "I'll teach this boy manner!" she
thought. She waved her magic wand and whoosh . . . the boy turned into a furry
animal with a long tail. When his friends saw him they threw stones at him. Lo!
They too turned into animals. The people drove them out of the town.
The
boy and his friends then began living on trees and came to be known as monkeys.
THE FIRST MONKEY
(Maranao Version)
Long
ago in a thick forest, a young girl lived under the care of the goddess of
weaving. Here she lived happily and without care, for everything that she
wanted to eat was provided for her by her patroness.
One
day the goddess said to the girl, "Take this cotton, clean it, and make
out a dress for yourself out of it." Now, the girl knew nothing about
making cloth and weaving it, so she said to the goddess, "When the cotton
is cleaned, is it ready for use?" "No," answered the guardian,
"after it is cleaned, it must be beaten."
"Well,
after it is beaten, is it ready for use?" said the lazy girl. The goddess
said that before it could be used, it would have to be spun. "Well, after
it is spun, " persisted the saucy maiden, "is it ready for use?"
"No,
it must next be woven into cloth, cut, and sewn," answered the patient
goddess.
"Oh!"
said, the girl, "it will take a long time and much hard work to make
clothes that way. This leather hide which you have given me to beat the cotton
on, will make me better clothing, because it will wear longer." So she
covered herself with the leather. The goddess was so angry at the girl for her
laziness that she decided that the leather should not only be her dress but
also her very skin. Then the goddess took the stick for beating the cotton and
thrusting it between the maiden's buttocks said to her, "This stick will become
part of your body, and you will use it for climbing purposes. As a penalty for
laziness, henceforth you shall live in trees in the forest, and there you will
find your fruit."
Thus,
that's how originated the first monkey with a coat of leather and a tail.
No comments:
Post a Comment