ACTIVITY 1.

1
Literature started with fables and legends made by the ancient Filipinos long before the
arrival of the Spanish influence. For your first activity read these sample fables and
answer the given questions put your answer in Microsoft Word and attach it here.

THE MONKEY AND THE TURTLE

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 bob 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 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 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 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 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.
·Who are the characters in the story?
·What is the theme of the story?
·What part of the story did you like most in the monkey and the turtle?
·What is the moral lesson of the story?
·What do you think is the purpose of fables?