The Legend of Mt. Arayat

Once upon a time, there were two giants who met in the central part of Luzon. Each boasted of his own strength, and each tried to show that he was stronger than the other. One of the two said. “Can you do this”? and pulled out a mountain near the town of Candaba, Pampanga, and transferred it to the site near the town of Arayat. That mountain since then has been called Mt. Arayat. The hollow ground from which it was removed became known as the Candaba Swamps. The other giant could not do something like that which made him mad. And so, he went home to Zambales mountains, hating his competitor.

The

The Legend of Mt. Arayat

Then one day, the Arayat giant met the Zambales giant again, and quarrel between them started. They threw huge stones at each other. The Arayat giant hurled several boulders at the Zambales giant mountains which broke it into many parts. The Zambales was able to throw only two big rocks. One hit the top of Mr. Arayat which flattened it; the other hit the summit and broke into the sides. Mr. Arayat’s once beautiful round form was made irregular and ugly to look at.

An old man live on top of Mr. Arayat. His name was Sinukuan. He had three daughters who took care of their home which was made of white rock. His daughters would sometimes go down to the lowlands to exchange rice bran for rice. The neighbors laughed at the man for such a foolish act. But the next morning the poor man discovered that the rice bran was converted to gold.

Sinukuan was greatly love by the hunters and woodsmen. Whenever the hunters lost their way in the mountains of Arayat, Sinukuan and his daughters would conduct them to their home and entertain them with abundant food. Aside from the food the tired hunters would be given precious gifts made of gold upon their departures.

Today some people along the mountain sides of Arayat believe that Sinukuan still lives in the mountains. Those who climb Mt. Arayat do not point to any bird, insect, flower, animal, or tree for they believe by doing so will offend Sinukuan they are very careful when they are hunting or when they are cutting trees, for they do not want to disturb the peace of the old man, Sinukuan.

Exercise 1

Look at the pictures below and study it very well. Think of possible questions people would ask the President in “Magtanong Sa Pangulo.” Use the different interrogatives to begin the questions.

Exercise 4

Work with a partner. Study the picture very carefully. Then, agree on questions that you want to ask about the picture. Make sure to begin with the different interrogatives. Write the questions down on a piece of paper.

Using Homonyms Correctly

A.Encircle the correct word to complete each line of the stanza.

It isn’t the thing you do, (deer, dear)It’s the thing you (leave, live) undoneThat gives you a (bit, beat)of headacheAt the setting of the (son, sun)The tender words forgottenThe letter you di not (write, right)The flower you did not send, dear,Are your (hunting, haunting) ghost tonight.

B.Choose the correct word in the parenthesis.1.When goods are on (sail, sale) they are usually

cheaper.2.Let us wait for the (reign, rain) to stop.3.We always (wrap, rap) our gifts.4.I (red, read) many stories when I was young.5.A young unmarried woman is something called a

(made, maid).6.The (sea, sea) is a body of water.7.Sometimes, we (stair, stare) at people who we

find attractive.8.Prayer is good for the (sole, soul)9.Little girls love to have long (hair, hare)10. The way a man walks is called (gait, gate)

Read the dialog.

Marigold: Hello, Jaime.

Jaime: Hi, Marigold.

Marigold: How are you?

Jaime: Just fine, thank you. How about you?

Marigold: I’m fine too.

Jaime: Where are you going?

Marigold: I’m going to the mall.

Jaime: I’m going to the mall, too.

Shall we go together?

Marigold: Sure, let’s go.

THE LITTLE HERDSBOY

There once live a little herdsboy, name Ticoy in a barrio two kilometers away from town. One morning as he was tending his caraboas near a ricefield, a car stopped near the road. The man the in the car stepped out and approached Ticoy.

“How far is the town from here?” asked the man.

“Its about two kilometers, Sir,” answered Ticoy politely.

“Will you ride with me to town?” answered the man. I’m in a hurry and I can’t afford to lose my way. I’ll pay you well, my boy.

“I’m sorry, Sir,” said Ticoy. “But I cannot leave my carabaos. I’m Responsible to my father for these carabaos.”

“Then get someone to get me town or someone to look after the carabao for you,” said the man.

But Ticoy shook his head.

“Don’t you trust me, boy?” asked the man.

“How do I know that you will keep your word, Sir?”

Ticoy asked. “Didn’t you try to make me break my word to my father?”

The man laughed. Just then two men riding in a jeep came.

“There you are, Sir,” they said. “We thought you were lost.”

The man was a government official.

After some years, a man came to see Ticoy. He asked Ticoy to go with him. The government official had sent for Ticoy. He offered Ticoy a job because he knew Ticoy could be trursted.

Ticoy worked for the man and was happy in his job. Never once did he forget what he believed in since he was still a little herdsboy of his father’s carabaos.

He was always honest in whatever he did and his employere trusted him.

Not long after, Ticoy was promoted as manager of the company he worked in. But he remained trustworthy even whe he already occupied a high position. This was the legacy he left to his children when he was gone.

Read each question then clap once if the question is asked with rising intonation and clap twice if it is asked with falling intonation.

_______ 1. When did Magellan discover the Philippines?_______ 2. How many ships were able to return to Spain?_______ 3. Did Humabon and his family easily accept the

Spanish?_______ 4. Where was the first mass in the country held?_______ 5. Was Magellan a Portuguese?

Read the sentences and identify the meaning of the underlined words.

1.The hollow ground from which the Mt. Arayat was removed became known as the Candaba Swamps.a.dull c. unfilled b.useless d. rounded

2.The beautiful round form of Mt. Arayat was made irregular and ugly to look at.a.improper c. commonb.clown d. vicious

3.An old enchanter who lived at the top of the mountains gave food and gifts to hunters and woodsmen who lost their way.a.magician c. prophetb.clown d. fairy

4.The old enchanter’s daugthers were disguised as poor girls.a.despised c. protectedb.concealed d. distinguished

5.Amazingly, the old man’s rice bran were converted into gold.a.dissolved c. addedb.cooked d. changed

6.Sinukuan’s daughters would conduct lost hunters and woodsmen to the safety of their home. a.behave c. deceiveb.guide d. persuade

7.They would entertain them with abundant food that these men have more than enough to eat.a.plenty c. deliciousb.scant d. nutritious