The Legend of Pineapple – Ang Alamat ng Pinya

A long time ago when pineapple was not yet known to anyone. In a faraway village, there lived a mother and daughter. Aling Rosa and her daughter named Pinang. Pinang is ten years old. Her father died when she was young. Aling Rosa wants her to grow up obedient and hardworking. So she is teaching her life lessons at a very early age. She would teach her household chores but Pinang easily gets tired. Because they were the only two left living together, Aling Rosa most of the time will just let it go.

One day Aling Rosa was not feeling well and was bedridden. She cannot do household chores so she asks Pinang to cook for them. And like before, Pinang’s enthusiasm for doing the chores is bland, in her mind she would rather want to play instead.

Pinang has no choice but forced to follow her mother being on the bed and having hard time getting up but before she even starts to cook, she asked her mother where is the cooking ladle. A minute later and she came back asking where are the other cooking utensils. And not a bit after – she came back again asking for another utensil.

Out of anger, Aling Rosa – weak and lying on the bed unable to control her composure shouted Pinang and tell her to look using her eyes and not her mouth and swearing she wished she could have as many eyes to help her find anything she is looking.

Pinang keeps herself quiet for the whole day and never bothers her mother again. By noon, her mother was feeling better and able to carry herself. She gets up looking for Pinang inside their house but can’t find her. She went outside and still couldn’t find Pinang, and then she found her slippers near a plant she never saw before. There are many eyes around it or at least looks like eyes. And she remembers what she said to Pinang that she wished she has more eyes for her to see thing she’s looking.

Aling Rosa was saddened that her words came true. She took care of the plant like it was her daughter and named it Pinang – in memory of her daughter. Years later and the plants multiplied. Her neighbors started calling the plant “pinya” and to these days.. We call it Pinya.