The Monkey and the Tortoise / Ang Buhay ni Matsing at ni Pagong

Illustrated by José Rizal

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

The tortoise and the monkey found once a banana tree floating amidst the waves of a river.  It was a very fine tree, with large green leaves, and with roots, just as if it had been pulled off by a storm.  They took it ashore.  

Let us divide it, said the tortoiseand plant each its portion.

They cut it in the middle, and the monkey, as the stronger, took for himself the upper part of the tree, thinking that it would grow quicker, for it had leaves.  The tortoise, as the weaker, had the lower part, that looked ugly, although it had roots.

Isang araw, ang matsing at ang pagong ay nakakita ng punong saging na lumulutang sa maalong tubig ng ilog.  Ito’y isang magandang puno, may malalaki’t luntiang dahon, at may mga ugat pang wari’y kabubuwal lamang pagkatapos ng bagyo.  Iniahon nila sa pampang ang punong saging.  Ito ay hatiin natin, ang sabi ng pagong, at saka itanim.  Pinutol nila ang punong saging sa gitna.  Ang matsing ay higit na malakas kaysa pagong kaya naari niyang kunin ang gawing dulo, sa pag-aakalang ang may maraming dahon ang madaling tumubo.  Napasa-mahinang pagong ang gawing ibabang sa tingin ay pangit ngunit nagtataglay naman ng maraming ugat.

After some days they met.

Nagtagpo ang dalawa pagkaraan ng ilang panahon.

Hello, Mr. Monkey, said the tortoise, how are you getting on with your banana tree?

G. Matsing, ang sabi ng pagongkumusta ang iyong punong-saging?

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Learn this Filipino word:

maiklî ang pisì