PERFORMANCE TASK ENGLISH 7
Journey through
Philippine Folklore
Submitted by:
Talena R. Bautista
VII – SAN LORENZO
The Boy who Became a Stone
AUTHOR: JOSE RIZAL
A monkey, looking very sad and dejected, was walking along the
bank of the river one day when he met a turtle.
“How are you?” asked the turtle, noticing that he looked sad.
The monkey replied, “Oh, my friend, I am very hungry. The squash
of Mr. Farmer were all taken by the other monkeys, and now I am
about to die from want of food.”
“Do not be discouraged,” said the turtle; “take a bolo and follow me
and we will steal some banana plants.”
So they walked along together until they found some nice plants
which they dug up, and then they looked for a place to set them.
Finally the monkey climbed a tree and planted his in it, but as the
turtle could not climb he dug a hole in the ground and set his there.
When their work was finished they went away, planning what they
should do with their crop. The monkey said:
“When my tree bears fruit, I shall sell it and have a great deal of
money.”
And the turtle said: “When my tree bears fruit, I shall sell it and buy
three varas of cloth to wear in place of this cracked shell.”
A few weeks later they went back to the place to see their plants
and found that that of the monkey was dead, for its roots had had
no soil in the tree, but that of the turtle was tall and bearing fruit.
“I will climb to the top so that we can get the fruit,” said the
monkey. And he sprang up the tree, leaving the poor turtle on the
ground alone.
“Please give me some to eat,” called the turtle, but the monkey
threw him only a green one and ate all the ripe ones himself.
When he had eaten all the good bananas, the monkey stretched his
arms around the tree and went to sleep. The turtle, seeing this, was
very angry and considered how he might punish the thief. Having
decided on a scheme, he gathered some sharp bamboo which he
stuck all around under the tree, and then he exclaimed:
“Crocodile is coming! Crocodile is coming!”
The monkey was so startled at the cry that he fell upon the sharp
bamboo and was killed.
Then the turtle cut the dead monkey into pieces, put salt on it, and
dried it in the sun. The next day, he went to the mountains and sold
his meat to other monkeys who gladly gave him squash in return.
As he was leaving them he called back:
“Lazy fellows, you are now eating your own body; you are now
eating your own body.”
Then the monkeys ran and caught him and carried him to their own
home.
“Let us take a hatchet,” said one old monkey, “and cut him into
very small pieces.”
But the turtle laughed and said: “That is just what I like, I have
been struck with a hatchet many times. Do you not see the black
scars on my shell?”
Then one of the other monkeys said: “Let us throw him into the
water,”
At this the turtle cried and begged them to spare his life, but they
paid no heed to his pleadings and threw him into the water. He
sank to the bottom, but very soon came up with a lobster. The
monkeys were greatly surprised at this and begged him to tell them
how to catch lobsters.
“I tied one end of a string around my waist,” said the turtle. “To
the other end of the string I tied a stone so that I would sink.”
The monkeys immediately tied strings around themselves as the
turtle said, and when all was ready they plunged into the water
never to come up again.
And to this day monkeys do not like to eat meat, because they
remember the ancient story.
History and Origin of the Story
The Monkey and the Turtle is considered the first children’s folktale in the
Philippines. Its author unknown but its story has been passed around the
Philippines for centuries, according to Rizal. He even illustrated a cover for the
story.
Summary of the Story
One of Jose Rizal's popular tale of the monkey and the turtle after taking their
halves of a banana tree. The monkey took the upper half and the turtle, the lower
half. What follows One is a classic fable of cunning and greed that escalates into a
battle of wits and, ultimately, a fight for survival.
The Genre, The Purpose and Intended Audience of the
Story
The weak but the cunning can be alot stronger than the powerful. One shouldn't be
daunted by the apparent strength of a stronger foe, and instead, use ones intellect
and unity.
The Moral of the Story
The moral lesson of the story is that you are not greedy. Don't be greedy, better to give
than to retrieve, we need to share what we have with others, and God will bless us
more. Do not be egotistical.
Short Reflection About the Story
The story “The Monkey and the Turtle” is to not be selfish. The story shows
consequences of selfishness can lead on breaking the trust.
