The Legend Of Guava

A long time ago, there's 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 one could only imagine.The
king's name was King Barabas. King Barabas is a rude king and overweight, indulging himself to
all the foods available, hesitant to share. And his castle is starting to become filthy. He would
spend most of his time sitting and eating with his bare hands. As he eats, he drips food on the
floor and smile mockingly at the people around him, specially his servants.

People in 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 some time, an
old hunched-back woman showed up at the castle begging for food while the king was eating.
The old lady asked for food as she was starving. "Go away! I don't have anything to give. 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 knows what's
wrong with him. He got weaker and weaker 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. People also noticed that the fruit
seemed to have a crown as it develops, 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 with starvation. 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. The fruit is still called, as to this
day, bayabas. And although the guava may have came from the rude, selfish King Barabas,
guava fruit is one of the fruits that offers many health benefits when consumed, the fruit is a
good source of vitamin C. The leaves are made into tea and treats many diseases as well from a
simple toothache, to treating diarrhea, lowering blood sugar, and many more. And it is used
amongst young boys after their circumcision in the Philippines.
 The Legend Of Sampaguita

A long time ago, there were neighboring Baranggays named Balintawak and Gagalangin.
Between the two baranggay, is a very sturdy fence made up of dried bamboo. Every five years,
they destroy it and build a new fence. Sometimes, the guardsmen from Balintawak watch over
the fence, oftentimes the guardsmen from Gagalangin. Everything is working according to the
rules of each datu.

The datu of Barangay Balintawak has a daughter with incomparable beauty and kindness.
Her name is Rosita. Her mother died when she was young, however, she has four maids to assist
her every need. There are a lot of handsome young men who admires her. But the only man who
captured her heart is the son of Gagalangin’s datu, whose name is Delfin.

The conflict between their parents did not stopped Delfin and Rosita from loving each
other. At the end of the bamboo fence lies there secret lair. Every night when the moon is bright,
they meet at the end of the fence and stroll along with Rosita’s maids. Their relationship is
hidden from both of their datu parents.

One day, the datu of Gagalangin heard that the fence is being destroyed by the servants of
datu Balintawak so that they can build a new one. He asked one of his guards to watch at the said
fence-making. When the guard came back, he told the datu that the new fence was moved. He
was mad because the datu of Balintawak took five meters of their land. Immediately, he sent a
man to the datu of the neighboring baranggay. ”Tell the datu of Balintawak to put the fence back
where it is supposed to be. They are being unlawful and stealing one’s land is a crime!” said the
datu of Gagalangin.

When the datu of Balintawak heard about it, he became furious and asked the servant to
give a message to their datu. “Tell your datu that I never stole anything from him. I just placed
the bamboo fences at its right place according to the documents that I discovered, written by my
ancestors.” Delfin’s father was very much displeased with the other datu’s response. This kind of
conflicts usually results bloodshed among the two baranggays.

The datu of Gagalangin prepared his unit for the upcoming battle. He needs to get their
baranggay’s stolen land even by violent means.When the news reached the datu of Balintawak,
he eagerly prepared his battle unit as well. The two leaders are now ready for a never-ending
war. A few days before Gagalangins planned to attack the Balintawak, the datu got sick. He
became seriously ill that lead him to his death. The responsibility was then handed to Delfin. He
will be the one to lead the battle troops of baranggay Gagalangin.
 The female servants told Rosita what was about to happen and she started to become
frightened. Delfin is so young and does not have any experience when it comes to war. His
father, on the other hand, had been trained to fight since he was still a child. She worried too
much. She wanted to talk to Delfin and ask him to forfeit the war and simply talk to his father
and settle the conflict peacefully. However, they do not have time to converse anymore.
Tomorrow is the start of an endless battle between the two baranggays. Both parties lost so many
lives. Delfin was badly hurt and shed a lot of blood. He started to be blurry. He was half
conscious when he fell to the ground. Before his last breath, he told one of his comrades to bury
him near the end of the fence where he and Rosita used to secretly see each other.

Nobody can ever tell what really happened to the young lovers or the result of the war.
All they knew is that Rosita became seriously ill when she knew that Delfin died in the battle.
Her father called for so many doctors to make her feel well but neither one of them can treat
Rosita. When she was about to die, Rosita told her father to bury her near Delfin, at the end of
the bamboo fence. Though it is hard for the datu to do, she still obeyed her daughter’s last wish.

Many years had passed and the existence of baranggays gradually disappeared. Spaniards
came and the city of Manila was established. Balintawak and Gagalangin became populated. But
all the people living in these two places were having a mysterious experience. During the month
of May, especially when the moon is bright, they hear a mystical sweet voice of a lady saying
“Sumpa kita! ... Sumpa kita!” (I swear, I swear) but nobody can see from whom it is coming
from. It seems as if it comes from the bushes where little white flowers grow. Although the
flowers are so tiny, it bursts out a different kind of scent that everybody loves to smell. That’s
what usually happens every month of May, each year.

Because everyone was so curious about the voice, they all decided to dig up the spot and
uncover the mystery behind it. To their surprise, they found the roots of the bushes where the
lovely flower grows, comes from the mouth of the two bodies buried not so far from each other.
The elders remembered the memoir of the two lovers – Delfin and Rosita. The story spread fast.
The words “Sumpa kita” evolved as “Sampaguita” that signifies an everlasting love of Delfin
and Rosita.
 The 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 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.
 The Legend Of Banana

Once upon there was a girl named Raja.

She was the only friend of the fisherman named Galencio.
Sadly Galencio died because of heart disease.
Raja was so alone that she talked with animals even plants.

One day while Raja was talking to a bird, a rabbit came running.
She followed the rabbit till she reached a dirty cave.
At the cave she saw a spirit, she followed the spirit she stumbled and
find herself in a place full of gold, diamonds and silver. She began to
jump.

The spirit turned to flesh and kissed her, she slept and woke in a
beautiful golden bedroom.

The spirit man was Baanna, he married Raja and had a son. Baanna
know that it his time to return to the spirit world .. on that day he went
out and disappeared, all could Raja see was a bleeding heart. She picked
it and planted it and the plant grew and bore a golden fruit, as golden as
the golden bedroom - she named it banana as a honor to Baanna.
 The Legend Of Pineapple
Once upon a time, there was a woman who lived with her daughter Pina in a tiny hut in
the village. They were poor, and the mother worked day and night to make both ends meet. No
matter how hard she worked, though, she never got any help from her daughter. Pina was a lazy,
spoiled kid who liked to play in the backyard all day. Whenever her mother asked for help
around the house or tried to send her on an errand, she would always find an excuse by saying
she can’t find the object that was needed to complete that task. If her mother asked her to sweep
the house, for example, she would say she cannot find the broom, even if it was right there in
front of her. Needless to say, her mother always ended up doing the work herself.

One day, her mother became very ill. She called out to Pina, who as usual was playing in the
backyard.

“Pina! Pina! Come over here, anak. I am very sick. Can you cook some porridge for me
please? I am too weak to get up.”

Pina ignored her mother and continued to play.

“Pina, come over here this very instant, or else!” Pina’s mother mustered all her strength just
to say this, but it worked. Pina grudgingly stopped playing and went inside the house. She poked
her head inside her mother’s room.

“What do you want, Nanay (mother)? You really expect me to cook for you? That’s too
hard,” protested Pina, pouting and stomping her feet.

“Pina, it is very simple. Just put some rice in a pot and add water. Once the water boils, let it
simmer for awhile. Stir it occasionally with a ladle. Everything you need should be right there in
the kitchen.”

Pina reluctantly left and went to the kitchen. Her mother could hear her banging the drawers
and cabinets. Then her mother heard her open the back door and sneak out into the backyard. Her
mother waited and waited. Finally, she called out to Pina again.

“Pina, did you cook like I told you to?”

“No,” was the defiant response.

“And why not?” was her mom’s exasperated response.

“Because I could not find the ladle,” was her flippant reply.

“Oh, you lazy child! You probably did not even bother to look for it! What am I going to do
with you? Here I am, sick, and I cannot even count on you!”
 Her mother wept bitterly. In her anger, she shouted, “I wish you would grow a thousand eyes
all over your head! Then you can find what you’re looking for. Maybe then you won’t have any
more excuses.”

As soon as she said this, there was complete silence. Her mother thought, “She is trying to be
quiet so I will forget about asking her again.” She sighed.

She waited a little bit to see if Pina would come back. Realizing the wait was futile, she
wearily got up to do the cooking herself. When she looked out into the backyard, Pina was
nowhere to be found. She sighed again and said to herself, “That lazy kid probably went to a
friend’s house so she did not have to do any more errands for me.”

Exhausted from the exertion, she soon went back to her room for a much-needed rest. Weak
as she was, she just tried to do everything by herself, having given up on any help from Pina.
Hours passed by, and then days. Still no sign of her wayward daughter. With a heavy heart, she
thought that Pina had ran away for sure.

When she finally recovered from her illness, the first thing she did was look for Pina. No one
had seen or heard from her. It was like she disappeared into thin air. Months passed and still no
sign of her. The mother felt bad for her angry outburst, and she feared that she might probably
never see her daughter again.

One day, she was sweeping the backyard where Pina used to play. For months now, she had
noticed this strange plant growing on the very spot where she last saw Pina. By this time, the
leaves of the plant had fully opened. Inside, she saw this strange yellow fruit that resembled a
child’s head with a thousand eyes. A thousand eyes…

She suddenly remembered the spiteful words she used that fateful day. With
horror, she realized that in the same way her mother’s love had spoiled her daughter, so did her
anger unwittingly curse her. Somehow, her daughter had been turned into this plant.

To honor the memory of her beloved daughter, she named the fruit Pina. She took such
loving care of it like it was her own daughter. The fruit flourished so well that it bore more and
more fruits, and became popular among the village and the entire country. Its name later evolved
to pinya, or pineapple in English. That’s how the pineapple came to be, according to folklore,
named after a spoiled child who was cursed with a thousand eyes…
 The Legend Of Bitter Gourd

Once upon a time, There was a town named "Sariwa". All kind of vegetables with their
own characteristics live there.

The Kalabasa has sweetness, Kamatis is sour and has a silky skin, Luya is spicy, Labanos
has white skin, Talong is purple, Mustasa has green cheeks, Singkamas has its own crunchiness,
Sibuyas has thin skin and Patola has attractive rough skin.

But there is one vegetables that is peculiar. It is Ampalaya, with pale skin and unusual
taste. Every single day, Ampalaya did nothing but to compare and envy at other vegetables.
Thus, Ampalaya thought of something bad against them.

On evening, Ampalaya took and wore the characteristics of all vegetables. The pale-
skinned vegetable is overjoyed when it realized that the unpopular Ampalaya is now beautiful
and envied by other vegetables. But there is no secret that cannot be revealed. The other
vegetables that were robbed come together.

The decided to follow the strange but beautiful vegetable. The beautiful vegetable wear
off every characteristics that it stole. It surprised the other vegetables when they found out that it
was the pale-skinned Ampalaya. The vegetables around Ampalaya were angered and complained
to the Fairy of Land.

The Fairy punished Ampalaya by transferring all the characteristics of all vegetables on
town of Sariwa. Ampalaya is delighted on the outcome. But later on, Ampalaya's skin started to
darken and corrugate. Other than that, the taste of all vegetables jumbled inside Ampalaya's body
and thereafter, it resulted to unpleasant taste.

And that is the origin of bitter taste Ampalaya.

 The Legend Of Lanzones
It is mostly grown in the province of Laguna, particularly in Paete, a town which is also
noted for its woodcarving and papier-mache craft. For some people however, the sweetest
varieties are those in Camiguin.

Growing in clusters, the lanzones has a thin skin and succulent flesh. While the young
small fruit tends to be rather sour, and a little bitter, the ripe ones are often very sweet. There
was a time when the lanzones was hardly eaten, if at all, because people thought it poisonous.
They never bothered to touch, much less eat, this forbidden fruit.

How, then, did its succulent flesh become sweet and edible, and desired by many people
who come from faraway places just to taste the famous Laguna lanzones?

Legend has it that one day, the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary together with the child
Jesus disappeared from where it was prominently displayed in the old church of Paete.

This caused a great uproar among the townspeople, who immediately formed search
parties to look for the missing image. The people searched high and low, here and there, for the
sacred image of the Virgin Mary. But no one came close to a particular spot in the whole town
with a beautiful woman in a white dress carrying a child.

They approached a lanzones tree, some of whose fruits had fallen to the ground. The
child was thirsty, so he bent down to pick up a fruit. The mother said, “Don’t eat that lanzones,
it’s a poisonous fruit.”

The child replied, “I’m so thirsty I have to have its juice …”

Taking pity on her child, the mother took the fruit from him, gently pinched the flesh of
the lanzones, and gave it back to him.

“This is so sweet and delicious!” cried the child, so grateful to his mother.

And indeed it was. A mother’s love had transformed a fruit thought to be poisonous into
one of the sweetest and most delicious fruits known to man. Open up a lanzones fruit, and there
find a mark left by the fingers of the Blessed Mother.
 The Legend Of Mangoes

Once upon a time, there was a little boy named Ben who had a wonderful heart. He is the
son of Maria and Juan. Ben’s a kind and helpful young lad who was nurtured well by his parents
who have good hearts as well.

One day, Ben saw a very old beggar and he took pity on him. So, Ben decided to invite
the old beggar into their humble home and he cooked food and fed the old beggar until he could
not eat anymore. Ben was not a rich boy but that did not stop him from helping this old beggar
by serving him with the type of food that Ben’s family could only afford. After a sumptuous
meal, the beggar thanked the young lad and bade him farewell.

On another day, while Ben was looking for fire woods, he passed by an old man who was
also very hungry. Ben took pity on him once more and without a doubt in his mind, he invited
the old man back to their home and gave him food and some clothes that his father does not use
anymore. Ben’s parents were happy that they have a son who has a heart of gold like Ben.

Unfortunately, the time came that Ben suddenly got very ill. His parents were troubled
and didn’t know what to do. But despite that, they persisted to have their son treated but to no
avail, Ben died. His parents mourned over the loss of their only son. The next day, after Ben’s
death, a beautiful fairy came to Ben’s wake and talked to his parents. She asked them to give her
Ben’s heart. They agreed and gave it to her. The fairy then flew away and in a mountain, she dug
and buried Ben’s dead heart. It then turned into a fruit-bearing tree whose fruits were in the
shape of a heart and whose taste was so sweet. People were amazed upon discovering this new
type of fruit and when they tasted it they were happy as it’s the sweetest fruit they have ever
tasted.

From then till now, people enjoy the benefits of this wonderful fruit.
 The Legend Of Narra Tree

Once upon a time, there was a little boy named Ben who had a wonderful heart. He is the
son of Maria and Juan. Ben’s a kind and helpful young lad who was nurtured well by his parents
who have good hearts as well.

One day, Ben saw a very old beggar and he took pity on him. So, Ben decided to invite
the old beggar into their humble home and he cooked food and fed the old beggar until he could
not eat anymore. Ben was not a rich boy but that did not stop him from helping this old beggar
by serving him with the type of food that Ben’s family could only afford. After a sumptuous
meal, the beggar thanked the young lad and bade him farewell.

On another day, while Ben was looking for fire woods, he passed by an old man who was
also very hungry. Ben took pity on him once more and without a doubt in his mind, he invited
the old man back to their home and gave him food and some clothes that his father does not use
anymore. Ben’s parents were happy that they have a son who has a heart of gold like Ben.

Unfortunately, the time came that Ben suddenly got very ill. His parents were troubled
and didn’t know what to do. But despite that, they persisted to have their son treated but to no
avail, Ben died. His parents mourned over the loss of their only son. The next day, after Ben’s
death, a beautiful fairy came to Ben’s wake and talked to his parents. She asked them to give her
Ben’s heart. They agreed and gave it to her. The fairy then flew away and in a mountain, she dug
and buried Ben’s dead heart. It then turned into a fruit-bearing tree whose fruits were in the
shape of a heart and whose taste was so sweet. People were amazed upon discovering this new
type of fruit and when they tasted it they were happy as it’s the sweetest fruit they have ever
tasted.

From then till now, people enjoy the benefits of this wonderful fruit.
 The Legend of the Bamboo Tree

A very long time ago on a certain island there lived a family who was well-known and
highly respected by the people. They ruled the entire village and whatever law they made were
followed by the people. In fact, the villagers readily obeyed the laws that were just and fair
which made them very powerful. This power was enjoyed and passed on to all their descendants.
After a long period of time, there arose a new heir to the throne whose style of government
was a complete reversal of his predecessors. He was very cruel. His punishment was harsh and
he showed no respect for anyone.
One day, there came an old man into the palace. The old man came to beg and ask the king
to pity him and spare him any food to eat.
Rajah kawayan, which was the name of the king, got angry. He even shoved him away and
ordered him out of the palace.
“You’re lazy, shame on you for not wanting to work. All you ever did was beg and beg,”
shouted Rajah Kawayan who at the same time pushed away the pitiful old man from out of his
way.
At the king saying, “I pray you would change your mannerisms and learn to respect others,
especially to the old and weak.”
Upon hearing these words, the old man disappeared. Rajah Kawayan himself became
weak and sickly from then on. Not long afterwards, the king died. Nobody went to lament his
death because he treated everyone badly when he was still alive.
It did not take too long there grew a strange plant on the site of his grave. The plant became big.
It grew tall, but one thing noticeable about it was that it had a bending posture. It was always
bowing to the wind and everything around it which on lookers say reminded them of Rajah
Kawayan whom they say has finally learned his lesson of humility and respect for others.
The plant further grew into tree and was named “KAWAYAN”(=bamboo, in English) after
the cruel king’s name as we still refer it today.