Republic of the Philippines
Department of Education
Region III
LYCEUM OF WESTERN LUZON ZAMBALES, INC.
Batonlapoc, Botolan, Zambales
Quarter 3—Week 3—Module 3
Learning Competencies:
a. Familiarize with fables, folktales, legends, and myths of Philippine literature;
21st Century Literature from the Philippines and the World Page 2 of 8
MARIE AILEEN M. SANTOS
SHS Teacher
JOSSETTE Y. PEREZ-DAES, RN
School Principal
LESSON 3: FABLES, FOLKTALES, LEGENDS, AND MYTHS OF PHILIPPINE
LITERATURE
Fables
A fable is a fictional narrative meant to teach a moral lesson. The characters in a fable are
usually animals whose words and actions reflect human behavior.
Amomongo at Iput-Iput
(The Ape and the Firefly)
A Visayan Fable
One evening the firefly was on his way to the house of
a friend, and as he passed by the ape’s house, the latter
asked him: My, Firefly, why do you carry a light?
The firefly replied: Because I am afraid of the
mosquitoes.
“Oh, then you are a coward, are you?” said the ape.
No, I am not, was the answer.
If you are not afraid, asked the ape, why do you always carry a lantern?
I carry a lantern so that when the mosquitoes come to bite me I can see them and defend
myself, replied the firefly.
Then the ape laughed aloud, and on the next day he told all his neighbors that the firefly
carried a light at night because he was a coward.
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When the firefly heard the ape had said, he went to his house. It was night and the ape
was asleep, but the firefly flashed his light onto his face and awakened him. The firefly
was very angry and said: Why did you spread the report that I was a coward? If you wish
to prove which of us is the braver, I will fight you on the plaza next Sunday evening.
The ape inquired: Have you any companions?
No, replied the firefly, I will come alone.
Then the ape laughed at the idea of such a little creature presuming to fight with him, but
the firefly continued: I shall be expecting you on the plaza about six o’clock next Sunday
afternoon.
The ape replied: You had better bring someone to help you, as I shall bring my whole
company, about a thousand apes, each as big as myself. This he said, thinking to frighten
the strange little insect, who seemed to him to be crazy. But the firefly answered: I shall
not need any companions, but will come alone. Good-bye.
When the firefly had gone, the ape called together his company, and told them about the
proposed fight. He ordered them to get each one a club about three feet long and to be on
the plaza at six o’clock the next Sunday evening. His companions were greatly amazed,
but as they were used to obeying their captain, they promised to be ready at the appointed
time and place.
On Sunday evening, just before six o’clock, they assembled on the plaza and found the
firefly already waiting for them. Just then the church bells rang the Angelus, so the
firefly proposed that they should all pray. Immediately after the prayer, the firefly
signified the he was ready to begin. The ape had drawn up his company in line, with
himself at the head.
Suddenly the firefly lighted upon the ape’s nose. The ape next in line struck at the firefly
but succeeded only in striking the captain such a terrible blow on the nose as to kill him.
The firefly meanwhile, seeing the blow coming, had jumped upon the nose of the second
ape, who was killed by the next in line just as the captain had been killed; and so on down
the whole line, until there was but one ape left. He threw down his club and begged the
firefly to spare him. The firefly graciously allowed him to live, but since that time the
apes have been in mortal terror of the fireflies.
Folktales
A folktale is an old story that's been told again and again, often for generations.
If you're interested in learning more about your heritage, you
might read some folktales from the country in which your
great-great-grandparents grew up. Folktales are stories in the
oral tradition, or tales that people tell each other out loud,
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rather than stories in written form. They're closely related to many storytelling traditions,
including fables, myths, and fairy tales.
The Hawk and the Hen
A hawk flying about in the sky one day decided that he would like to marry a hen whom
he often saw on earth. He flew down and searched until he found her, and then asked her
to become his wife. She at once gave her consent on the condition that he would wait
until she could grow wings like his, so that she might also fly high. The hawk agreed to
this and flew away, after giving her a ring as an engagement present and telling her to
take good care of it.
The hen was very proud of the ring and placed it around her neck. The next day, however,
she met the cock who looked at her astonishment and said:
“Where did you get that ring? Do you not know that you promised to be my wife? You
must not wear the ring of anybody else. Throw it away.”
And the hen threw away the beautiful ring.
Not long after this the hawk came down bringing beautiful feathers to dress the hen.
When she saw him coming, she was frightened and ran to hide behind the door, but the
hawk called to her to come and see the beautiful dress he had brought her.
The hen came out, and the hawk at once saw that the ring was gone.
“Where is the ring I gave you?” he asked. “Why do you not wear it?”
The hen was frightened and ashamed to tell the truth so she answered:
“Oh, sir, yesterday when I was walking in the garden, I met a large snake and he
frightened me so that I ran as fast as I could to the house. Then I missed the ring and I
searched everywhere but could not find it.”
The hawk looked sharply at the hen, and he knew that she was deceiving him. The he said
to her:
“I did not believe that you could behave so badly. When you have found the ring, I will
come down again and make you, my wife. But as punishment for breaking your promise,
you must always scratch the ground to look for the ring. And every chicken of yours that
I find, I shall snatch away.”
Then he flew away, and ever since all the hens throughout the world have been scratching
to find the hawk's ring.
Legends
Legend is a traditional story or group of stories about a particular person or place
from the past that is believed by many people but cannot be proved to be true.
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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 [Link] 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, especially 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
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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.
Myths
Myths are stories that are based on tradition. Some may have factual origins, while others
are completely fictional. Myths are sacred tales that explain the world and man's
experience.
The Creation Story
(Tagalog Version)
When the world first began there was no land, but only the
stea and the sky, and between them was a kite. One day the
bird which had nowhere to light grew tired of flying about,
so she stirred up the sea until it threw its waters against the
sky. The sky, in order to restrain the sea, showered upon it
many islands until it could no longer rise, but ran back and
forth. Then the sky ordered the kite to light on one of the
islands to build her nest, and to leave the sea and the sky in
peace.
Now at this time the land breeze and the sea breeze were
married, and they had a child which was a bamboo. One
day when this bamboo was floating about on the water, it
struck the feet of the kite which was on the beach. The
bird, angry that anything should strike it, pecked at the bamboo, and out of one section
came a man and from the other a woman.
Then the earthquake called on all the birds and fish to see what should be done with these
two, and it was decided that they should marry. Many children were born to the couple,
and from them came all the different races of people.
After a while the parents grew very tired of having so many idle and useless children
around, and they wished to be rid of them, but they knew of no place to send them to.
Time went on and the children became so numerous that the parents enjoyed no peace.
One day, in desperation, the father seized a stick and began beating them on all sides.
This so frightened the children that they fled in different directions, seeking hidden rooms
in the house—some concealed themselves in the walls, some ran outside, while others hid
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in the fireplace, and several fled to the sea.
Now it happened that those who went into the hidden rooms of the house later became
the chiefs of the Islands; and those who concealed themselves in the walls became slaves.
Those who ran outside were free men; and those who hid in the fireplace became
negroes; while those who fled to the sea were gone many years, and when their children
came back, they were the white people.
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21st CENTURY LITERATURE FROM THE PHILPPINES AND
THE WORLD
ANSWER SHEET (QUARTER 3 – MODULE 3)
Name:__________________________________________________Score:_________________
Grade&Section: __________________________________________Date: _________________
I. Answer the following questions briefly. Write your answers on the space provided
below.
1. What is fable?
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2. What is folktale?
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3. Differentiate legend from a myth.
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_____________________________________________________________________
4. If you were a writer, how would you make your own version of the creation?
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Chapter 1. Early Philippine Literature from Pre-Colonial to
Post-war Period