Legend of Pineapple

The Legend of Pineapple

A long time ago, in a far away village, lived a little girl name Filipina but most people call her Pina. Pina was still young when her parents died so her Aunt Marta adopted so she can have a place to live in.

Pina is a kind, hard-working and enduring while her Aunt Martha is lazy, mean and easygoing. When Pina was still young, she got sick but her Aunt Martha did not let her see a doctor and be treated. It became a reason for her eyes to be hazy. She was forced to quit school because she can’t seem to read the lecturesanymore. She simply satisfied herself by doing house chores and playing with other children.

Months has passed, Pina’s eyes became even more blurry. She was almost blind. Most of the time, while they were playing hide and seek, the naughty kids do not find places to hide at all. Instead, they just stand near Pina. Because she can’t clearly see them anymore, the naughty kids were pinching her body while calling her names. Pina was just enduring all the nasty treatment everyone is giving her.

One day while Pina was playing outside her Aunt Martha called angrily. “Pina,wash the dishes in the kitchen! You are such a lazy kid!” cried Aunt Martha. “After you clean the dishes make sure to wash the clothes!”

Quickly, Pina left the things she was playing with and went to the kitchen to wash the dishes. Because of her sight, she accidentally tipped the other glasses and dishes over causing it to break. When Aunt Martha saw the mess she became furious. She took the broom and bashed it on Pina’s legs.

“You are so stupid! Your head should be surrounded by eyes so you can see everything near you!” yelled Aunt Martha while she still kept on bashing Pina with a broom.

“Aunt Martha, please forgive me. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to do that” cried Pina. But Aunt Martha doesn’t seem to hear. She even bashed Pina with greater intense than before.

When Pina could not tolerate the pain anymore, she ran outside while crying and went to the near woods. It was already dawn yet Pina hasn’t returned. “I bet she’ll come back if she’s hungry” said Aunt Martha to herself.

The next day came and Pina was not yet home. Aunt Martha suddenly became worried so she asked the help of the other children to come and look for Pina. But she was nowhere to be found. Some thought that she was kept by the fairy in the woods that pitied her.

Few more days had passed but Pina never returned. One morning, every body was surprised to see a plant grew at the front of Aunt Martha’s house. It has a head-shaped fruit and surrounded by something that resembles to the appearance of the eyes. Aunt Martha remembered what she said to Pina before she scolded her: “! Your head should be surrounded by eyes so you can see everything near you!”

“It is Pina!” one neighbor mumbled.

One of the naughty kids curiously went near the plant. But when he tried to touch it, he was pricked by the thorns at the end of the leaves. They recalled the nasty treatment they gave Pina. “It really is Pina,” said the naughty kid.

”She doesn’t want anyone to get near her. We used to pinch Pina, now she’s getting back at us!” said by the other children.

“It is her Pina! It is her Pina!” everybody shouted loudly while they were all pointing at Aunt Martha.

Since then, when neighbors pass by the plant and the fruit that shapes like a head with lots of eyes in it, they can’t help but say Pina’s name. Eventually, the name evolved into the word Pinya – Philippine’s local word for pineapple.