Lesson 2 (Week 2-3):

PHILIPPINE FOLK NARRATIVES

The learner demonstrates understanding of pre-colonial Philippine
Content Standard
literature as a means of connecting to the past.

Performance The learner transfers learning by: showing appreciation for the literature
Standard of the past.

Learning The learner… Codes

Competencies
1) Discover literature as a means of EN7LT-I-e-1
connecting to a significant past.

Specific Learning At the end of the lesson, the learners will be able to:
Outcomes 1) explain why fables, legends, and folktales created;
2) state the moral lesson of each narrative using the diagram; and
3) draw three (3) symbols that best describes each narrative.

INTRODUCTION
Understanding Philippine Folk Narratives

Folk narratives are stories from the remote past handed down by word of
mouth from one generation to the next, reflecting the people’s tradition, feelings,
beliefs, and judgments.
Myths are stories that explain about actions of the gods, exploits of heroes, or
the elements of nature’s origins. Being part of the oral tradition, myths are composed
orally and passed down through generations by word of mouth.
Folktales are about the origins of the world. They are not factual but are told for
entertainment. The characters in folktales are ordinary humans or animals that act like
humans. Often, the humans are peasants or people of the lower class who have better
values than the rich and powerful.
Fables are short stories that have animal characters. They intend to teach
lessons or moral values, which are usually stated at the end of the fable. The story of
The Monkey and the Turtle is a fable that highlights a lesson on greed and its harms.
Legends are widely told stories about the past. They are considered factual by
those who tell them, and many have some basis in historical fact. Legends often
include elements of magic and the supernatural.

PRE-ACTIVITY
Learning Task 1:

Recall on your most favorite folk narratives. Then, complete the story map below.

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 STORY
Title: MAP
Setting:

Characters:

Problem:

Event 1:

Event 2:

Event 3:

Event 4:

Solution:

ANALYSIS
Learning Task 2:

What do folk narratives reveal about people’s lives and culture in the ancient past? (5pts.)
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

DISCUSSION

Examples of Philippine Folk Narratives:

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 How Ilang-ilang Got its Name
(Quezon Myth)

Ilang was the prettiest woman in the town of Tayabas. She was idolized by her suitors who
promised to give her all the comforts of life; but she gave her heart to a poor farmer named Edo.
Ilang’s parents did not like Edo. And so they forbade her to see Edo. They ordered her to choose
a husband from among her rich suitors.
However, Ilang and Edo devised a way to see each other. They secretly met at the edge of the
forest when Ilang fetched water from the stream. At these meetings, the lovers vowed to love each other
come what may.
At home, Ilang remained silent whenever her parents talked about her other suitors. Her silence
ma
de her father suspicious that she still loved Edo. One day, her father followed her when she went to fetch
water. He saw Edo waiting near the stream.
That was the last time Ilang and Edo saw each other. Ilang’s parents never allowed her to leave
the house. Ilang felt sad and miserable. She refused to eat. She would rather die than marry any one of
her rich suitors.
She became sick and got weaker and weaker. She thought only of Edo. Before she died, she
begged her parents to bury her at the edge of the forest near the stream.
Edo tended her grave every day. He never married and always yearned for Ilang. Then one day,
he saw a little plant growing over her grave. He concluded that it was Ilang’s spirit.
Edo focused all his life and love tending the plant until it grew into a tall, graceful tree. He spent
all his time caressing and talking to it day in and day out.
One morning, the people woke up to a lovely fragrance in the air. They went looking where the
scent came from and found the strange, leaf like blossoms of the tree from the edge of the forest near the
stream. There, they also found Edo lying at the foot of the tree, crying, “Ilang… Ilang… Ilang…”
Edo died that same morning. The people remembered his last words and from then called that
tree and its fragrant flowers ilang-ilang.

Source: http://www.scribd.com/doc/151995868/Short-Stories-3

The Boastful Turtle

(Tagalog Legend)

There was once a turtle who talked so much that no creature could bear to be near him. He talked
about anything and everything, and his favorite topics were flying and himself. He always talked how he
would fly like the geese when the cold season comes and how it must be wonderful to be up so high.
Older and wiser creatures advised him to speak less and be more content with his lot, but the turtle
would listen to no one.
He wanted to fly. He called out to a goose in flight, once, as she was flying off to meet her flock.
“Teach me how to fly,” the turtle said.
“I can’t right now,” the goose answered. “My flock is migrating for the cold season.”
“But I want to fly!” the turtle cried. “And I want to fly NOW!”
“We’ll have to ask my flock,” the gentle goose said.
So the goose and the turtle came to the flock, and asked if anyone could help the turtle out.
“He could bite sideways on a thick, strong stick, while two of us would hold either end of the
stick in our beaks,” someone volunteered. “But he should not speak while biting the stick, or else he will
fall and we could do nothing about it.”
In truth, the flock did not like the idea of having the turtle fly with them in such a manner. They
knew how boastful he was, and besides that, they thought he belonged better on the ground. But the
turtle bullied the geese into taking him along.
“Mind you, never open your mouth while we are above ground!” they reminded the turtle, as
they started to lift themselves off the ground.
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 So, biting a stick held horizontally by two strong geese, the boastful turtle became the very first
of his kind to experience flight. Far below him he saw the most wondrous things: trees shrinking until
they were the size of mere mushrooms, fields looking like small patches of grass, rivers turning into
silver snakes. But, most of all, he saw the other earthbound creatures of the world looking up at him,
watching him, and he was deeply affected by their silent awe.
“They must think I am a magnificent creature, to have come so high above,” the turtle thought.
“Well, I really am so marvelous! I feel like am the greatest turtle in the world!
The turtle became so caught up in this delusion that, while looking down on his earthbound
brothers, he opened his mouth to boast. The poor being’s mindless conceit made him plunge to his
untimely death.

Source: http://www.philsites.net/folklore/stories/fable1.html

The Blind Man and the Hunchback

(Tagalog Folktale)

There was once a blind man and a hunchback who were the best of friends. One day, these two
came upon a tall coconut tree.
“I think I suddenly have a craving for coconut,” the hunchback declared.
“Huh? What are you talking about?” said the blind man. He did not see the tree, or the luscious
fruits high above.
“Just wait here,” said the hunchback. “There is a coconut tree nearby. I am going to try and
climb up to the very top. As you cannot catch the fruits, I will have to throw down, just wait here and
count aloud the number of fruits you hear falling to the ground. After I get all the fruits from the tree,
we will share.”
The blind man agreed. The hunchback climbed up the coconut tree, but the hump on his
shoulders was dragging him down, and once he got halfway up the tree his grip loosened and he fell to
the ground.
The hump on his shoulders touched the ground with a loud THUD! The blind man, grinning at
what he thought was his friend’s good fortune at being able to pick an unusually heavy coconut, shouted
“One!”
The hunchback was irritated, but he said nothing. He climbed up the tree again. But, like before,
he got halfway up the tree and fell back down.
“Two!” the blind man shouted gleefully.
The hunchback was getting rather frustrated, and annoyed at what he thought was stupidity on
the part of his best friend. But he said nothing. In a final, angry effort, he hitched himself up the tree,
and almost got to the top this time, but didn’t quite make it.
Down, down the hunchback went, and never before had the blind man heard such a loud THUD!
from a coconut.
“Three!” the blind man shouted, and was astonished to suddenly feel his face being bashed in.
The blind man staggered back. He did not notice it, but the hunchback had hit him in the face so
hard that his sight had returned. He only hit back by kicking his friend on the back so strongly that the
hump was suddenly pushed back in! When the two recovered from their fits and realized that they had
cured themselves, they became friends again, and resolved immediately that they did not care that much
for coconut anyway.

Source: Introduction to Philippine Folklore

http://www.philsites.net/folklore/stories/laughter4.html

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 APPLICATION
Learning Task 3:

Answer the following questions: (10pts.)

1. In “How Ilang-ilang Got Its Name”

a. What made Ilang sick? Do you believe in that?

_____________________________________________________________________

b. Did Ilang’s parents make the right decision for her and Edo? Why or why not?

_____________________________________________________________________

c. What kind of person is Ilang?

_____________________________________________________________________

d. How do you describe Ilang’s parents?

_____________________________________________________________________

e. Do the characters control their own fate or by some outside force? Why or why not?

_____________________________________________________________________

2. In “The Boastful Turtle”:

a. Has the turtle changed his attitude at the end of the story?

_____________________________________________________________________

b. What are the costs of being boastful?

_____________________________________________________________________

c. Why do you think the turtle wants to fly?

_____________________________________________________________________

d. Does the story teach a lesson or poke fun at human weakness?

_____________________________________________________________________

3. In “The Blind Man and the Hunchback”:

a. In terms of character, how are the blind man and the hunchback different?

_____________________________________________________________________

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Learning Task 4:

State the moral lesson that best fit each narrative you have just read using the diagram below

HOW ILANG-ILANG GOT ITS NAME

THE BOASTFUL TURTLE

THE BLIND MAN

AND THE
HUNCHBACK

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 SUMMARY
Folk narratives are stories from the remote past handed down by word of mouth from one
generation to the next, reflecting the people’s tradition, feelings, beliefs, and judgments.

Different Kinds of Folk Narratives

1. Myths are stories that explain about actions of the gods, exploits of heroes, or the
elements of nature’s origins. Being part of the oral tradition, myths are composed orally
and passed down through generations by word of mouth.
Example: “How Ilang-ilang Got Its Name”

2. Folktales are about the origins of the world. They are not factual but are told for
entertainment. The characters in folktales are ordinary humans or animals that act like
humans. Often, the humans are peasants or people of the lower class who have better
values than the rich and powerful.
Example: “The Blind Man and the Hunchback”

3. Fables are short stories that have animal characters. They intend to teach lessons or
moral values, which are usually stated at the end of the fable.
Example: “The Monkey and the Turtle”

4. Legends are widely told stories about the past. They are considered factual by those who
tell them, and many have some basis in historical fact. Legends often include elements of
magic and the supernatural.
Example: “The Boastful Turtle”

POST-ACTIVITY
Learning Task 5:

Fill in the chart to name and describe the characters in each folk narrative you have just read.
(10pts.)

Main/Minor Character His/Her Character Type

Learning Task 6: Draw three (3) symbols that best describes each narrative. (15pts.)
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Learning Task 7:

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 Explain the following: (10pts.)

1. Why are fables, legends, and folktales created?

2. Why do we need to study Philippine folk literature? What do we learn from folk narratives?

REFERENCE

Essential English
Worktext in Literature and Language
2017 Edition Enhanced Version