THE LEGEND OF THE SAMPALOC LAKE

San Pablo, a picturesque and progressive city in Southeastern Luzon, is sometimes know as the city of seven lakes. All the seven lakes are rich with tales about their respective origin. A favorite story is that of Sampaloc Lake - the largest and most beautiful of the seven lakes.



Once upon a time there lives in the northern side of San pablo a well-to-do but childless couple. They has a large garden of tamarind (sampaloc in Tagalog) trees which bore the sweetest fruits in all the land. many people from far and wide heard of the tamarind trees. And many of them wanted to taste the sweet tamarind fruits.

The couple felt very proud of their rich possession. They built a fence around their yard so that no strangers would pic any of the tamarond fruits. Just to make sure no one could enter their yard, they placed a big watchdog to guard it.

God wanted to test the hospotality of the couple. And so, one day a fairy, disguised as an old beggar bent and wrinkled by age, approached the couple's garden and begged for some fruit.

"Please give me some tamarind fruit. I am hungry!" The old woman pleaded.

The couple did not even look at the old woman.

"Begone! We don't want to give any of our tamarind fruit away!" replied the couple angrily.

"Please, I am so hungry, and a fruit or two will satisfy me," the old beggar insisted. "I know your tamarind trees are laden with most delicious fruits."

Then, without further ado, the old woman came near one of the large trees. She stretched out her wrinkled, skinny hand to pluck a curly thick pod hanging from one of the lower branches.

Upon seeing what the old beggar had done, the couple grew angry. They became so angry that they hurried back to their house, let their dog loose, and set it on the poor woman. Alas, the poor old woman was badly bitten.

Patiently, the old woman bore her pain. But before turning away from the inhospitable spot, she touched the tamarind tree and, looking at the couple, said, "You shall be punished for your selfishness." Then she went slowly on her way.

Even before the woman was out of sight, the sky became overcast. In a short while a terrible storm broke out, and heavy rain fell through the night.

The following morning all was peaceful. The man and his wife went out for the daily round as usual. They had hardly taken a few steps when, to their surprise, instead of the tall green tamarind trees, there stretched before their unbelieving eyes a vast expanse of water shining in the morning sun.

Still unconvinced about what had happened, the couple went forward up to the bank of what now appeared to be a natural lake. And wonder of wonders, they saw through the transparent water the dark amass o tamarind trees still rooted to the sunken ground!

From that day on, the place became know as "Sampaloc Lake" - sampaloc being the Tagalog word for tamarind. Nowadays Sampaloc Lake is a tourist spot to which many lovers of nature, bith young and old, go in order to admire the splendor and beauty that it offers.

More stories to come...


Dawnlorraine
Monday 17th of July 2006 11:53:58 AM
THe Makahiya

Once there lived a rich couple, Mang Dondong and Aling Iska. They had a twelve-year-old daughter whose name was Maria. They loved their daughter so dearly.

Maria was a dutiful and obedient daughter. Industrious and kind, she made herself endeared to everybody.

But shyness was also one of maria's distinct characteristics. She was also shy that talking to people posed a great burden to her. In order to avoid encountering people, she usually locked herself in the room.

Maria had a flower garden. The flowers were beautiful and known all over the town. She took care of the plants patiently and tenderly. For the flower plants were her source of enjoyment and happiness.

One day a group of bandits raided a nearby village. The bandits killed every man they found at took the money of the residents. 

The next day the bandits came to the village where Mang Dondong and Aling Iska and their daughter Maria lived. Mang Dondong noticed at once the arrival of the bandits Fearing for Maria's safety, he decided to hide Maria in the garden, which he did.

Aling Iska hid herself in the house. She trembled with fear when she heard the bandits forcing their way to the gate. Then she prayed, preparing for whatever would happen.

"Oh my God!" prayed Aling Iska. "Save my daughter."

Suddenly the door opened. The bandits enered the house and hit Mang Dondong on the head. Mang Dondong lost consciousness and fell on the floor. Aling Iska tried to escape but was also hit in the head.

The bandits ransacked every place in the house. After taking the money and jewelry, they searched for Maria. But Maria was nowehere to be found. So the bandits left th house to plunder another village.

When Mang Dondong and Aling Iska regained consciousness, the bandits had left already. THey quickly ran to the garden to look for Maria. But maria was not there. Again and again, they searched every corner in the garden but poor Maria could not be found.

"My poor daughter! They took my poor daughter!" wept Aling Iska.

All of a sudden felt something that pricked his feet. To his surprise, he saw a tiny plant quickly closing its leaves. It was the first time he saw that kind of plant. He knelt on his knees and took a close look at the plant. Aling Iska did the same. After looking at the plant for a long time, the couple came to the belief that the plant was Maria. For indeed Maria has been transformed by God into a plant to save her from the bandits.

Aling Iska wept uncontrollably and to Mang Dondong's amazement, every tear was transformed into a small and rosy flower of the new plant they found in the garden.

Since then Mang Dondong and Aling Iska tended the plant with utmost care. They knew what the plant was, in reality, their child Maria. And, like their child, the plant was very shy. So they called the plant "makahiya" because it showed it showed an important characteristic of Maria -shyness - which in Tagalog means "makahiya".