Legend
Filipino Legend
Fruit Legend

The Legend of the Pineapple (Alamat Ng Pinya)

Pineapple grows abundantly in the Philippines and as popular as the banana.

This is a Filipino legend about the pineapple based on a book of legends by F. Landa Jocano.

Anyway our legend goes…..

Once upon a time, in the town of Arevalo in Iloilo province, there lived a widow named Kerok. She had a beautiful daughter whom she spoiled to no end. The daughter was called Pinay. Whatever Pinay wanted, she got. Thus, Pinay grew up into a very lazy, spoiled girl.

One day Kerok got sick. She asked her daughter to do the cooking for once. Young Pinay with much displeasure washed a handful of rice and placed it into a pot to cook. She then run off to play. When Pinay returned, she found that the rice had burnt. Kerok was annoyed and yet she comforted herself by the thought that at least Pinay did do what she was told.

Kerok continued to be bedridden which forced the resentful Pinay to do the housework. She would ask her mother for the minutest, most inconsequential things. Poor Kerok could not get a moment’s peace or a proper rest.

One evening, whilst cooking in the kitchen, Pinay noticed that the ladle was missing. Pinay did try to look for the ladle everywhere but she could not find it so she went to her mother to demand the whereabout of the ladle.

Kerok was at the end of her tether with Pinay. She cried out: “I wish you had many eyes so that you could find at once what you are looking for.” Pinay, rather shameful, did not answer and just went downstairs to look for the ladle once more.

Night fell. Kerok waited and waited for Pinay but she did not come up. She was not in the kitchen either. Kerok called out but no one answered.

After a few more days Kerok got better. Still thinking that Pinay was probably sulking somewhere and would not come home, Kerok went to her neighbours to ask them if they had seen Pinay. No one had seen Pinay. Kerok was inconsolable with grief.

One day while sweeping the yard, Kerok saw an unusual plant growing near a wall. The leaves were slender and pointed. She watered the plant everyday for something to do to alleviate her sorrow and worry about the missing Pinay. After a few days, the plant started to bear a fruit with many holes resembling eyes.

She remembered Pinay and realised that the plant must be her daughter. She cried and cried until she heard the plant talking. “I am Pinay, your daughter, who the gods transformed into a plant when you wished it. You may weep and weep, but I can never again return to you. Take the fruit however and eat it. This way you will remember me.”

Ever since, the plant was called Pinya in honour of Pinay – the girl who was turned into a plant that bears fruit with many eyes.

Moral: Be careful of what you wish for!!!