The Monkey and the Tortoise / Ang Buhay ni Matsing at ni Pagong - Page 4 of 6

Illustrated by José Rizal

(Tagalog translation by Federico B. Sebastian) Bilingual (English-Tagalog) version with sketches

As soon as the monkey saw the bright yellow fruits hanging between the large green leaves, he climbed up and began

Nang makita ng matsing ang mga bungang hinog na nangagbitin sa pagitan ng malalaki’t luntiang dahon, siya ay umakyat,

Facsimile #4 - The Story of the Monkey and the Tortoise by Jose Rizal

plundering, munching and gobbling, as quick as he could.

matuling namitas, at kumain nang kumain.

But give me some, too, said the tortoise, seeing that the monkey did not take the slightest notice of her.

Bigyan mo naman ako ng mga ilan, ang wika ng pagong nang makitang hindi man lamang siya pinapansin ng matsing.

Not even a bit of skin, if it is eatable, rejoined the monkey, both his cheeks crammed with bananas.

Hindi kita bibigyan kahit balat kung iyon ay makakain, ang sabi ng matsing na ang dalawang pisngi’y namimintog sa saging.

The tortoise meditated revenge.  She went to the river, picked up some pointed snails[1] planted them around the banana tree, and hid herself under a cocoa-nut shell.  When the monkey came down, he hurt himself and began to bleed.

Nag-isip gumanti ang pagong.  Nagtungo siya sa ilog at nanguha ng matutulis na susó.  Itinusok niya ng mga susó sa paligid ng katawan ng punong saging at saka matuling nagtago sa ilalim ng bao ng niyog.  Nasaktang lubha ang matsing at nasugatan ang katawan nang bumaba.

[1] A kind of spiral periwinkle, called susó in Tagal.

Learn this Filipino word:

matalas ang ulo