The adventures of a beggar boy [series]

Title

Creator

Julio Cesar Pena

Year

1936

Subject

Children stories

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Abstract

[Chapter 12 of the series]

Fulltext

52 THE YOUNG CITIZEN March, 1986 Chapter Twelve RURAL EXPERIENCES M . ONTHS followed one another in quick succession. When Tonio first went to live in the Del Valle mansion, the rice seedlings were still in the seedbeds. From day to day, Tonio watched with anticipation the gradual lengthening of the light green stalks which later changed into a darker hue. He noted when the heads began to bend with the increasing weight of tilling grains. He watched with amazement the green heads turning to golden. To him it was a miracle, a convincing evidence of the love of God for His children. Before he realized it, the harvesting season had come. The once standing yellow stalks were bundled and piled up in tall stalks. In a few months Tonio learned a THE ADVENTURES OF A BEGGAR BOY by Julio Cesar Pena great deal about the world around him. What he saw in the fields from the wmdows of the speeding car were to him more interesting than all the wonderful man-made things in the City. One Saturday, Tonio went with his friends to a farm. The farmers were celebrating their thanksgfving season in the native way. Scores of guests from tne banios and ·towns were served "suman" and guinatan. The "guinatan pinipig" with rich coconut milk, was so delic10us that Tonio could not help whispering to one of his companions. "Andres, what makes this so delicious? I have eaten guinatan many times but noth. ing tasted so good as this." "You must have used old pinipig that had been softened only with water and green coloring." Chewing a mouthful of the soaked pinipig slowly, Tonio remarked, "Yes, that must Mnrch, trJ.Uj THE YOUNG CITIZEN 51 be the reason. This pimpig really tastes different. How is it made?" ·•rt is newly ripened rice, the kind that is called rnalagkit. The grains are roasted just long enough to make the hull crisp. They are pounded in a mortar with the oldfashioned pestle, the workers keeping double time to prevent the grains from cooking. They are winnowed in big shallow baskets to remove the hull. They are pounded again until all the grains are flattened into mnipig. The pinipig is sprinkled with the iuice of banana or areca nut leaves to give it this green color which makes it the more tempting-'.' There was merry-making all about them. Some young people danced the "fandango" to the strumming of a single guitar. The older men cracked jokes and teased the voung·er ones. Everybody was happy and thonkful for the plentiful harvest. n,., th0 ir w"v Joome late in the afternoon. the bm•s p"ssed the smB 11 cemeterv in the "''t•kirt• of the town. Men were 3Jre3cJv rlapnv.,tlrin· t.hi:i. rrr::ivPS ~s jt '''fl.8 the eve of A, 11-C'!:':lil'lh::~' n'lv_ 'rhj':lv ~.tw)llpiJ ,ho11t rinrl vied with one 3nothe1· in tellino: the most gruesome g:host stories. It was long- after dark when the boys left the cemetery. At first they whistled and crooned in high spirits. As they approached a long narrow path completely shaded by the thick branches of mangoes and the bent heads of bamboos, they gradually fell into an oppressive silence. For sometime, nothing was heard but the heavy thump of the boys' feet broke.n by the cracking of breaking sticks. The boys, without knowing why. fell into a running oace. The:v had a vague feeling_ that they were beinl!' followed, but n<ibodv would clore look hD.ck. Tonio, his teeth chattering, began to say a prayer, which the others caught and joined. The biggest boy whispered, "As we say Amen we shall all turn about face." They did so and confronted the thing that had been following them. it was a herdsman driving ~ome a carabao that had gone astray. · As they struck the main road to the town they heard the distant strains of some bamboo instruments. "That reminds me," one of the boys said. . "we must prepare our midnight lunch. (l'lwsr f11rn In 1m!Jr 7.?) .\/11n:h, /!l.J{; THE YOUNG CITIZEN A Faithful Dog Words and Musich!} Grade VI-A Pupils Nasugbu l:.lemenlary :>chool, Batangas A feilh-ful do~ an olJ m•n H'e. war .RJ .raO he could no~ had. c.-a~. r ;J I~ But one. eold dar\t. day Iha. old mon die.d, And Bur -ter w .. r ac. on - ly could w.alch fi,. ,...,..,_ ~er" qrave, Un~il- ~;\ .al d. - \one. 'co 1rieve he. d ;..,J of ~ro.{. THE RUINS OF GUADALUPE (Continue,/ from page 55) olutionic;t> were repulsed. On February !9, 1899. General King ordered the church and convent set on fire together w.ith all the houses in the village. Some Americans justified the burning as a military necessity and to pun"ish the barrio for irs obstinate resistance. Many thinking people, however, Americans and Filipinos alike. believe that at least the beautiful church as a place of Christian worship, should hav~ been spared. In. the fire. the magnificent altar, priceless images. among which was that of the Virgin of Guadalupe. valuable paraphernalia. and silver utensils for church service were totally destroyed. Only the hardwood image of San Nicolas was salvaged by one of General Paclano"s PEN AND PENCIL (Cc'ltfinue.d from page 67) ground is surrounded by a gum a· mela hedge which supply. us. with plenty of red flo.wers everyday. Out side the fence are oprn fields and green trees. Next tirrle .. I will .try to send you a picture of our school. Sincerely yours, Julia San Jose Grade IV-A Yo:i hau'.} des-:ribed your school w W'.!ll that a p:.cture 'is almost u11nf!ccssary. I belieu2 other children in othf!r schoo~s will have a. uery clear idea of th'! hind of school 6uilding yo:.i studr,; in. Not all o:· them are as lucky as _you are. From your ·description. l gathered that t;ou love your school and will do much to keep it beautif.u/. l will men who were reconnoitering th;: appnx'.ate any picture you may send place after the Americans had n.•- vs. treated to Makati. The image was Aunr Almt.1 in the stone-vaulted mortuary chamber behind the sacristy and it was not touched by the fire, That same image is now housed in the small chapel of the town. Luck; Saint Nicholas! cecded in taking to the City some of Guadah~pe's sonorous bells where they must have been melted for thei.r valuable copper. Of the several church bells only two have THE ADVENTURES OF (Conttm1ed fr.,m ptUlt? b3 J Anyway we shall not be abJe to sleep tonight. with the wandering souls chanting their way through the town." "I can get for you my grandfather's fighting cock ... anOther Offered. "It is tied in a corner of the kitchen behind a low table." "Oh. No, No." Tonio· cut in: "I have so1m" savings. My Lola said I could spend it for anything. It will be en6ugh for a big hen and some loaves of bread." w·ith the help of their Ka Jose's father, the boys succeeded in pre· paring a decent midnight lunch. Meanwhife the other boys lurhd in the deep shadows- of the trees and glided stealthily from :backyard to backyard in the hope of finding chickens in their ordinary roosts. In spite of the precautiOns i:he owners had taken in-lo::king up their chickens. there were.some wavward ones that rewarded the vigilance of the night prowlers. (To be continued) Chinese junkman carting two bells to Manila. and recognizing the bells as those froni the ruins. he ·ordered After the fire,. marauders and been sav;:d and are in active use- the -Celestial· to return the stolen souvenir hunters had a free hand. one at the Makati church, and the belle;. Th:! junkman refused, ·and Chinese junkmen from Manila got other. at th:? Guadalupe chapel. As to scare him away, the man dt'ew ' every iron scrap they could lay their the village was pr.:ictically desert..!d his bolo. The rascal. fearin~ for hands on. They pried up from the at that time. the j.unkmen and oth- his life, lost .00 time ·in n•nning to chlirch floors glazed and marble er marauders did their plundering the city without even looking bacJ. ... tiles. and from the stairway, hug(' husine.:;s unrr!olested. A villager. leaving bdls and all. Chinese g_ranite slabs. They sue- however. returning to town me~ a (P.'e~r 1· run• h p ·ge •-1)

pages

52-53, 73

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