Alamat ng Ampalaya | Augie D. Rivera | Audio Book | Kwentong Pinoy

Summary

In a vibrant town where vegetables live, a bitter gourd named Ampalaya becomes consumed by envy and greed. Lacking the colors, flavors, and beauty of other vegetables, Ampalaya steals these traits from his fellow vegetables. However, his actions lead to his downfall when he is caught and judged by the town’s mystical guardians. In the end, Ampalaya is punished, losing the stolen traits and becoming bitter, wrinkled, and unappealing. The story teaches a moral lesson about the consequences of envy and the value of accepting one's true nature.

Takeaways

• 😀 The story is set in a village where all types of vegetables live and interact with each other.
• 😀 Ampalaya (bitter melon) is portrayed as a discontented and jealous vegetable due to its lack of flavor, color, and beauty compared to others.
• 😀 Ampalaya becomes increasingly irritable and isolates itself from the other vegetables, pushing them away when they try to approach.
• 😀 One night, Ampalaya plots to steal the tastes, colors, and beauty of other vegetables to become more desirable.
• 😀 Ampalaya secretly steals the sweetness of kalabasa (squash), the sourness of kamatis (tomato), the spiciness of luya (ginger), and the beauty of other vegetables.
• 😀 The next day, the vegetables discover the theft and gather to discuss the situation.
• 😀 A foreign vegetable arrives with the ability to change its taste and appearance, making the other vegetables suspicious of it.
• 😀 Kamatis and the other vegetables investigate the foreign vegetable, only to discover that it is Ampalaya, disguised using the stolen traits.
• 😀 Ampalaya is put on trial before the vegetable court, which is presided over by the elemental fairies of Earth, Water, Air, and Sun.
• 😀 Ampalaya is found guilty of violating the laws of nature and stealing the qualities of other vegetables, and is punished by having the stolen traits returned to their rightful owners.
• 😀 After the punishment, Ampalaya’s color turns darker, its skin becomes wrinkled, and its taste becomes bitter, making it less appealing to others, though it retains its nutritional value.

Q & A

What is the main plot of the story?

The story follows Ampalaya, a vegetable who is dissatisfied with its appearance and taste compared to other vegetables. Ampalaya steals the traits (taste, color, and beauty) of other vegetables, but in the end, faces consequences for his actions, leading to his transformation into a bitter and unattractive vegetable.

Why did Ampalaya become bitter and angry?

Ampalaya became bitter and angry because he was insecure about his lack of color, taste, and beauty compared to other vegetables. This insecurity led him to steal these traits from other vegetables in an attempt to become more appealing.

What did Ampalaya do to the other vegetables in the story?

Ampalaya stole the flavors, colors, and beauty of various vegetables like Kalabasa, Kamatis, Labanos, Talong, Mustasa, and others, putting them in a bayong (bag) as part of his plan to make himself more desirable.

How did the other vegetables react to Ampalaya's actions?

The other vegetables were shocked and devastated upon discovering that their traits were stolen by Ampalaya. They later gathered to confront him, seeking justice for his actions.

What was the role of the diwatas in the story?

The diwatas (nature spirits of the sun, earth, water, and air) acted as judges in the trial of Ampalaya, where they decided on his punishment for violating the natural laws and stealing the traits of the other vegetables.

What was Ampalaya’s punishment?

Ampalaya's punishment was that all the stolen traits (taste, color, and beauty) were returned to the vegetables, and he was left with his original appearance—bitter, wrinkled, and unattractive. His transformation made him less popular and sought after.

What does the transformation of Ampalaya symbolize?

Ampalaya's transformation symbolizes the consequences of envy and the desire to be something you're not. His bitterness represents the internal ugliness that can result from trying to emulate others instead of embracing one's true self.

What lesson can be learned from Ampalaya's story?

The story teaches the importance of self-acceptance and the dangers of comparing oneself to others. It also highlights the consequences of greed and envy, and how attempting to take what belongs to others can lead to personal downfall.

Why was Kamatis suspicious of the foreign vegetable?

Kamatis was suspicious of the foreign vegetable because its ability to change colors and flavors was unusual and unfamiliar, making it seem potentially deceptive or threatening to the natural order of the vegetables.

How did the story end for Ampalaya?

In the end, Ampalaya was left to live with his original, bitter form. Although he had stolen the other vegetables' traits, his actions led to his isolation and regret. The story concludes with the message of the importance of being true to oneself.