Rizal

Ang Pagong at Matsing

The original story of Ang Pagong at Ang Matsing" is about a Filipino animal tale about a gentle turtle and a wily monkey who plant halves of a banana tree. Thinking that the upper part with leaves would bear fruit soon, the greedy monkey plants the upper half but it withers. The turtle on the other hand, gets the ugly-looking lower portion with the roots, but it flourishes and soon is laden with fruits. Since the turtle cannot climb the tree to gather the fruits, the monkey volunteers to harvest them. However, he eats all the bananas while he is up on the tree, throwing the skin down on the tortoise. Angry, the turtle plants some pointed snails around the tree and hides under a coconut shell. The monkey comes down and gets his just desserts. Wounded, he searches and finds the turtle. As punishment, he gives the turtle two choices: to be pounded with a mortar or be thrown into the water. The clever tortoise chooses the mortar and deceives the monkey into thinking that he is afraid of drowning. The monkey throws the turtle in the water, where the latter soon surfaces laughing.

Tagalog Version:

Sina Pagong at Matsing ay matalik na magkaibigan. Mabait at matulungin si Pagong, subalit si Matsing ay tuso at palabiro. Isang araw sila ay binigyan ni Aling Muning ng isang supot ng pansit. "Halika Matsing, kainin natin ang pansit" nag-aayang sabi ni Pagong

"Naku baka panis na yan"sabi ni Matsing

"Ang nabuti pa, hayaan mo muna akong kumain n'yan para masiguro natin na walang lason ang pagkain" dagdag pa nito.

"Hindi naman amoy panis Matsing at saka hindi naman magbibigay ng panis na pagkain si Aling Muning" sabi ni Pagong

"Kahit na, ako muna ang kakain" pagmamatigas ni Matsing

Walang nagawa ang kawawang Pagong kundi pagbigyan ang makulit na kaibigan. Naubos ni Matsing ang pansit at walang natira para kay Pagong.

"Pasensya ka na kaibigan, napasarap ang kain ko ng pansit kaya wala ng natira. Sa susunod ka na lang kumain"...