RULES TO FOLLOW

The Grade Six pupils decided to make their

room clean, orderly and beautiful. Here are some
of the rules everyone needs to follow:
Wipe your shoes on the doormat before
entering the room.
Put the wastepaper, fruit peelings and candy
wrappers in the waste basket.
Keep the walls, desks and tables free from
pencil and chalk marks and scratches.
Put the cleaning materials in a box.
Arrange the furniture properly.
Put away your pencils, books, notebooks after
using them.
Hang umbrellas and raincoats in one corner of
a room.
Keep books clean and well-covered.
 DAPHNE
Daphne was a beautiful nymph. The son
God, Apollo, fell in love with her but she
rejected him. Once, Apollo saw her and
pursued her. Daphne sought shelter behind a
big tree. She was out of breath from running.
Now, as she leaned on the tree, she looked
back with frightened eyes. Was Apollo still
running after her? She threw herself upon
her knees and prayed to be saved from her
pursuer. She rose with outstretched arms.
Then her fingers fluttered gently, as if blown
by a gentle breeze. Little by little she was
changed from a beautiful nymph to a laurel
tree. Slowly she broke into a smile. Now, she
was safe. Apollo could not carry her away
anymore.
 HOW THE ROMANS COOKED
THEIR FOOD
Long ago the Romans used to cook their
food just as the way hunters today
sometimes do. They dug out an oven in the
ground, lined it with stones and made a fire
in it. When the improvised oven was well
heated, they raked out the ashes, put in the
food and covered it. We learned it from
excavations in the city of Pompeii. Pompeii
was destroyed and buried during the
eruption of a volcano hundreds of years
ago. When the city was excavated, ovens
with wood and ashes were found around
the ruins. It is believed that just as the
cooks were about to bake, the fiery volcano
rained out ashes and boiling lava and
burned down the city.
 FIRST NIGHT IN THE CITY
It was Lynn’s first night in the city.
she woke up with a stun and then she
remembered where she was. She had
never spent the night in a city before.
She lay still and listened. Cars and
jeepers seemed to race like ants
heading straight towards her. A new
house was being built next to her
aunt’s house and the cement mixer
was roaring angrily. Downstairs, in the
kitchen, she heard the cluttering of
pans. Then, she heard the chime of
the big clock. She turned over and
asleep again.
 THE FACE IN THE POOL
Narcissus was out of breath from running
when he came to a clear pool. He stopped
to drink. Just as he was about to sip the
cool water, he saw a face in the pool. It was
handsome and he was attracted to it.
“Who are you?” he asked.
“Who are you?” echoed someone.
“Why are you mocking me?” asked
Narcissus.
“Mocking me,” said the voice.
Narcissus was puzzled. He wanted to talk
with the face in the pool but it would not
answer. He tried to catch it but no to avail.
At last, he lost hope and plunged into the
pool hoping to see the owner of the face.
 CAMPING
Rene was tired from the day’s tramp.
He rolled himself in his scout blanket
and laid still. It was very quiet in the
woods. Then he heard some queer
noises. There was a flapping of wings. A
night owl was on its way to hunt. Tiny
raindrops started to fall on the leaves.
The shower was over though, in a
moment. The cicadas and other insects
started their night songs which ended
into a forest symphony. “Those queer
night sounds in the forest is a good
lullaby,” Rene thought as he drowsed
off to a sound sleep.
 A WISE BUYER
“I have good news today,
Mother,” said Norma as she put
down the big basket she was
carrying.
“What’s your news, Norma?”
asked Mother.
“Look at my basket,” said Norma
excitedly. “I bought many things
today: meat, sugar, fish, vegetables
and fruits. She, I still have a change
left.”
“But why?” Asked Mother
puzzled.
 HOW TO PREPARE TOMATO
CATCHUP
Select some ripe tomatoes. Wash them
thoroughly. Cut them crosswise into
halves. Then separate the pulp from the
seeds. Cook the pulp in an enameled
kettle, stirring it occasionally until the thin
peelings separate and rolled up. Remove
the pulp from the fire. Pass the pulp
through a wire strainer and get the juice.
Mix the juice with the pulp. Add some
vinegar. Put onion juice, powdered
cinnamon, pepper, cloves of garlic and
spices in a small cloth bag and dip it into
the mixture. Cook the mixture until it is
thick. Take out the bag of spices. Bottle
the cooked pulp and seal.
 BOOKS
Those who cannot read are pitiful
because they cannot enjoy books. Books
tell us about the wonderful things in the
world. They tell us the interesting things
people do. Books can answer the “whys”
and “hows” of things that puzzles us. They
can take us faraway places through
imagination. They can show us, too, the
things happened a long time ago as well
as those happening at present. Books tell
us about the children in other lands. They
hold the key to the greatest treasures in
the world. A wise man once said that he
would rather be a poor boy in a cellar
surrounded with books than a prince who
had no chance to read.
 THE DIVER
A skillful diver can see clearly what
lies underneath a vast body of water.
He sees swaying seaweeds, acres of
sea plants that have large, bright
colored leaves. He finds countless
giant crabs and lobsters. A diver also
encounters sea snakes, sea horses,
fierce sharks and other wild fishes. He
takes delight in watching the different
species of fish, splendid in their
brilliant colors. To a diver, the life
underworld is full of thrilling
adventures.
 THE BLIND GIRL
A group of students were chatting and
laughing excitedly near the sidewalk.
They seemed to be talking at the same
time when suddenly they became silent.
They stared spellbound to a blind girl
groping along the wall, and feel her way
about. Though her eyes were open, they
could tell that she could not see. In her
right hand was a bunch of flowers which
she smelled now and then. She
continued walking till the end of the
street. When she was out of sight the
students gave a sigh of relief. Were they
not lucky to have two eyes?
 FEEDING TIME AT THE ZOO
It was time for the zookeeper to
feed the animals. Judging from the
noise, the beasts were hungry. The
lions open their mouths and gave
the people in the zoo a frightful
sample of the howl of the king of
beasts. The little monkey squeaked
as they tumbled over each other to
reach the cage bars. The monkeys
shook the iron bars till they rattled,
and parrots jumped up and down
shrieking excitedly.
 AN AIRPLANE RIDE
The strangest thing about my airplane
ride was that I seemed not to be
moving at all since the plane assumed a
certain attitude. As I looked down, the
earth below seemed like a wonderful
map in lovely colors. Everything was a
miniature. The houses, the trees, the
buildings appeared like playthings. The
vast rice fields were restful to the eyes
to look at. The ocean was but a shallow
stream of clear, blue water.
Indeed, anybody’s first plane ride is a
pleasant experience.
 PLANT PESTS
In addition to different kinds of plants
diseases, there are great numbers of
plant pests that can destroy or stop the
growth of plants. Insects carry fungi and
bacterial diseases from plant to plant.
The potato beetle carries the potato rot.
Some insects even eat plants. Certain
grasshoppers and biting insects strip a
plant of its leaves, thus killing the plant.
The most destructive kinds of insects are
the scale insects, mealy bugs, plant lice
and leaf hoppers. They consume the sap
of plant tissues thus causing the
withering of the plant itself.
 THE ATOMIC ENERGY
With the establishment of a Nuclear
Center, we will engage in the
production of radio isotopes for use in
agriculture, industry and medicine.
This is a landmark in our scientific
progress as it opens up for our youth
the field of nuclear science and
ultimately harnesses the mightiest
industrial power known to man. It will
greatly help fight poverty. With the
use of the atomic energy, we will have
the power to run more industries.
 THE DUTCH
The Dutch are the people from Holland.
They are considered serious and
hardworking. They are the cleanest
people in the world. The Dutch are fond of
eating, drinking and attending parties.
Have you seen a picture of a Dutch girl?
She wears big wooden shoes called
klompers. Men wear baggy trousers while
women wear flowing skirts, white apron
and starched cloth caps. Dutch children
are healthy for they drink plenty of milk
and take big amounts of butter. Boys are
trained to steer the boat and take charge
of the windmill. Water sports are popular
with the Dutch children.
 PLANT FOR LIFE
Nestor looked happily at his rows of
vegetable plants with their green, fresh and
healthy leaves. There were rows of lettuce,
tomatoes, eggplants and pechay. On one side
of the yard were trellises of patola, squash and
amorgoso. Nestor remembered that their
backyard was once a dumping place of
garbage, empty cans and trash. Then the
government launched the “Plant for Life”
project. With the help of his father, they
cleaned the backyard and dug the stumps and
roots of old trees. They cultivated the soil, got
vegetable seeds from the Bureau of Plants and
planted them in their backyard. Now all are
ready for harvest. The vegetables are more
than what they need so Nestor will take some
to the market. That will be extra money for the
family.
 THE RAT
The rat belongs to the mouse family
although it is larger than a mouse. It has
also more scales on its tail than a mouse.
There are rats of different sizes and colors.
The brown Norway rat is the most
destructive and powerful. Black rat can still
be found and in cities with warm climate.
Rats travel aboard ships and eat almost
anything. If they are hungry they attach
animals, even men. Rats breed rapidly,
producing 20 to 50 offspring a year. A rat
can start breeding at six months old. Wild
rats are special problem to man because
they spread bubonic plague, rat fever and
they destroy crops.
 THE SCHOOL LUNCH COUNTER
A school canteen or lunch counter is
established in every school to improve
children’s eating habits and preferences. Native,
nutritious dishes such as goto, pancit and lumpia
are prepared by a teacher with the help of some
children. Sandwiches are sold for those who
prefer a light merienda. A good lunch counter as
milk as a regular item for sale. Teachers
encourage their pupils to include milk in their
daily food intake.
The canteen is part of a school. It protects
from sickness by discouraging them to buy from
food peddlers and unsanitary, nearby stores.
Pupils are asked to patronize the canteen for
their own health. The low prices of food serve as
an encouragement for the children to buy the
from the school canteen.
 JOSE RIZAL’S MOTHER
God’s best gift to Jose Rizal was his mother, Dona
Teodora Alonzo. Teodora was brought up by her mother
in a home full of love and understanding. She was
educated at Santa Rosa College. Her excellent education,
her goodness of heart and her other virtues prepared
her to be the mother of our national hero. To Jose Rizal,
next to God, a mother means every- thing to a man.
Dona Teodora was a devout Catholic. It was her teaching
that made her son, Jose, love the Christian way of life. He
was still a baby when his mother began teaching him the
alphabet and the simple prayers as was the custom of
the Filipino Family.
Dona Teodora was fond of telling a stories of her
little son, Jose. The word “story” meant something new
and wonderful to Jose. He would sit down to listen, full
of interest and wonder, when his mother called him for
the regular story time.
He loved the stories his mother told him. He
remembered the moral lesson each story conveyed and
made it a part of his education and training.
 TRAVEL MADE EASY
“How was your trip, Wally?” asked Grandma
Wally kissed her hands.
“It was fine, Grandma,” answered Wally,
yawning while stretching his arms, and shaking his
legs. “I slept almost throughout the way”.
“Why you lazy boy!” exclaimed Grandma. “Then
you didn’t see the beautiful scenery on the
countryside”.
“It was so nice riding on the bus,” explained
Wally. “The roads now are very smooth, unlike the
first time Father and I visited you after the flood. A
week had passed after that visit, yet my body was
still aching all over. We were like mashed fruits after
our ride over those pot marked roads.
“It did not take long for the government to have
all the damaged roads repaired,” agreed Grandma.
“Thanks to our government, things are back to
normal again.”
 HOME FOR THE AGED
“It will not be long from now and Tandang Sela will
not go begging anymore, Mel told his sister Shiela.
“Why did you say that?” asked Shiela.
“Didn’t you know?” Mel asked. “The government
has decided to help the beggars, young and old.”
“But how?” asked Shiela, still puzzled.
“There are hundreds of beggars around.
“How can the government help them all?”
“It is like this,” explained Mel. “The young ones
will be placed in the care of their relatives if they have
any. The others will be sent to the provinces where
they came from. The children who do not have
anybody to look after they will be placed in
orphanages. The old ones who have will be housed in
the Home for the Aged. They will be taken care of by
the government.
“How nice,” Sheila said. “It is really a pity to see
these beggars, especially the old ones.”
 BEAUTY
Beauty is seen
In the sunlight
The trees, the birds
Corn growing, people working
Or praying for a good harvest.

Beauty is heard all around

Wind sighing,
Rain falling or a singing humming
An old folk song.

Beauty is in yourself
Good deeds, happy thoughts reflected
In your dreams
In your work,
During peaceful rest.
THE ANIMAL’S WISH
We beg no fancy garb
To keep us cozily warm
Nor softer bed to rest
Though it should be less hard.

We wish not our liberty

For to serve is our fate
We live as servants forever
To work early and late

To talk is a silly dream

For us doomed mute to remain
But we hear, see and feel
Please to us be a bit kinder.

Be kind a little bit more

And be unkind ten times less
We are poor dump creatures
And we have but few needs.
 LUNETA AND MANILA BAY
Do you know that Manila Bay is the finest
harbor in the Philippines? It is also famous
for its beautiful sunset. Tourists observe
that
Manila Bay has one of the most glowing
sunsets in the world. Roxas Boulevard,
formerly Dewey Boulevard, runs along the
shores of Manila Bay. There are many
beautiful buildings along the street, mostly
hotels and restaurants. Luneta, a big park
with fountains and ornamental plants,
faces the bay. People can be seen strolling
daily and enjoying the cool breeze from the
bay. On Sundays, people go to the Luneta
to listen to band concerts and to view
performances at the open theater.
 BEING ON TIME
Arturo was the president of the Grade Six class
organization. They agreed to celebrate Arbor Day
with a program and mass planting of fruit trees.
“At what time will the program start?” asked
Miss Diaz, their teacher.
“It will start at 7:00 o’clock in the morning,
Miss Diaz.” answered Arturo.
“That’s good,” observed Miss Diaz. “It will not
be too hot for planting of trees. I only hope it will
begin on schedule.”
“That’s sure, Miss Diaz,” Arturo said. “It will be
a new Filipino time concept.”
“I admire you, Arturo, for saying ‘Filipino time’,
which means on time,” Said Miss Diaz laughing.
“It is really time for us to observed
punctuality,” explained Arturo. “So instead of
saying being on time is ‘American time’, we shall
call it ‘Filipino time’”
 THE TRUE FILIPINO
President Quezon’s counsel to the Filipino
was: “Make the Filipinos true citizens of the
Philippines. They should be made aware of
things connected with their country and
people including their culture and
civilizations.”
What did President Quezon want to convey
to his countrymen? In his opinion, we
deserved to be called a true Filipino if we
have our country’s welfare at heart.
Knowledge and appreciation of our country’s
history, civilization and culture are to be
required from each individual. Every citizen
must be concerned with the progress of the
nation, in making the country known to other
parts of the world and in achieving peace for
the land of his birth.
 OUR MALAYAN BROTHERS
In some ways we, Filipinos, are similar to our
Malayan brothers. This is so because our ancestors
include the Malays and the Indonesians. The Malays
and the Filipinos are similar in height, in complexion
and in looks. Philippines aborigines such as the
Ifugaos, Subanuns and Tagbanuas live in much the
same way as the Malaysians and Indonesians. The
clothes, the houses, weapons and art of the Filipino
Muslims are similar to those of the Malaysians and
Indonesians.
The Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia have the
same industries and products. The languages used in
the Philippines include many Malayan words. Like
the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia were former
territories of western countries. Like the Filipinos,
the people of Malaysia and Indonesia struggled hard
also for independence. The former MAPHILINDO
composed of Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia
was organized for mutual protection against
belligerent countries.
 TWO PAINTERS
When Jose Rizal and Juan Luna studying in
Madrid, they live together in boarding house.
They used to play jokes on one another.
Juan Luna woke up early one morning and
saw Rizal was still asleep. He hid one of
Rizal’s slippers and drew exactly one like it
on a card, board. When Jose woke up, he
tried to put on his slippers but he found out
that one was made out of cardboard. “I know
who painted this. It is nicely done,” he said.
One day, Juan Luna went out with his
friends. Jose decided to draw the contents of
Juan’s room on the closed door with the
permission of their landlady. When Luna
arrived, he went directly to his room. He
bumped his head on the closed door. “You
are a good painter,” Juan Luna told Rizal.
 THE FLOWER OF LOVE
Once there lived a chieftain who had a beautiful
daughter named Liwayway. One day Liwayway went
into the woods to gather fruits and flowers but
unfortunately lost her way. She became unconscious
when a wild beast ran after her. He was the son of
another chieftain. When they parted, each one knew
they were in love with each other.
One day the young man was going away to fight
the white men who had invaded their land. The
lovers promised never to forget each other saying
“Sumpa kita.” but the warrior never came back. In
sorrow, the maiden killed herself. Sometime later,
shrubs with fragrant flowers grew on her grave.
People believed that Liwayway’s love grew and
bloomed. It became a custom for young lovers taken
of their faithful love. They whispered “I promise”
(Sumpa kita) to each other. In time, the flowers
became known as sampaguita. It is adopted as our
national flower because of its fragrance and
simplicity.
FOOD AND DRINKS OF THE ANCIENT
FILIPINOS
Rice was the staple food of the ancient Filipinos.
They cooked it in pots and in bamboos. Our
forefathers’ diet included also various species of fish
caught in rivers and lakes; meat from carabaos, deer,
hogs, chickens and edible birds; vegetables, tubers
like sweet potato, spices like pepper and garlic; and
fruits like bananas, oranges, guavas and mangoes.
There were also many kinds of wine and drinks on
the islands. The tuba which was taken from the
coconut palms was the champagne of the early
Filipinos. Among the popular wines were the Visayan
pangasi, fermented from rice; the Visayan gauilang
distilled from sugar cane and the igorot tapuy, taken
from rice.
Although the early Filipinos were heavy drinkers,
they seldom lost their senses when drunk. They only
became lively, talkative and witty when intoxicated.
Even after a heavy drink, their hands never trembled
and they could manage to weigh their gold correct!
 SUPERSTITIONS
“Please tell us about some of our superstitious
beliefs, Grandmother,” pleaded Elvi as she saw the old
woman sitting by the window.”We will discuss them in
the class tomorrow.”
“Listen and I will tell you about man’s three friends.
These are three superstitious beliefs about animals,”
Grandma answered, putting down the shorts she was
mending.
“Tell us about them,” said Elvi excitedly.
“One of them is the rooster who is up before dawn
and crows on the rooftops,” said Grandmother. “It is
the biddings its master to get up and go forth to earn
his living.
“The second one is the cat who announces the
coming of visitor by washing its face so it may look
presentable to its master’s guests.”
“And the third is the dog that can smell danger and
death. It barks to warn its master of the presence of
any stranger who might do him harm. When a dog
howls with sorrow it is said that it smells death coming
its master’s way.
 TELL THE TRUTH
Don’t be afraid, Little Johnny, my boy,
Open the door and go in;
The longer you wait before telling your fault
The harder it is to begin.

No wonder you stand with a pitiful face

And fear the confession to make;
For you know when you’re naughty the worst of it all
Is making your mother’s heart ache.

Have courage, dear boy, never mind if your shoes

Are muddy and wet, and all that;
Never mind if your clothes have been terribly torn
And you have ruined your pretty new hat.

Go in like man, and tell Mother the truth

Like a brave little lad, and you’ll see
How happy a boy who confesses his fault,
And is truthful and honest as can be.
 THE LEGEND OF LAKE BUHI
Grandmother was relating the story of Lake Buhi to
her grandchildren. According to her, Buhi was a town
at bottom of the lake.
Once upon a time the people of this enchanted
town lived in abundance. But as the people became
wealthy they forgot all the about God and so God
punished them. Their town sank beneath the earth
overnight and in its place there rose a beautiful lake.
When the weather was warm and clear as a
mirror, it is said that one can look down into the
bottom of the lake. The people can be seen doing
their everyday tasks. Some are cultivating their lands,
others are building houses and smoke can be seen
coming from the kitchen as woman cook the family
meals.
It is also said that the tiniest fish in the world,
found in Lake Buhi, are trimmings of abaca fiber as
the people in the Lake continue to make hats out of
abaca for which the town was once famous.
 DAY OF FREEDOM
For more than three hundred years, Spain ruled
our land. The Spanish flag flew in our and to show
that the Philippines was Spain’s territory. Then, the
Americans came. They freed us from Spanish rule.
For fifty years we were governed by the Americans.
Our flag was allowed to fly side by side with the
American flag. We were permitted to establish our
own government but under the control and
supervision of the Americans.
In 1941, the Japanese invaded the Philippines.
Under the Japanese, we suffered three years of
hunger, fear and misery. With the help of the
Americans, our country was freed from the Japanese
invaders.
Once more, peace came to our country. The fourth
of July, now known as the Fil-American Friendship
Day, marked the completion of Philippine
Independence from foreign rule. It was on the fourth
of July that we were granted total freedom.
AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN
An American soldier called Gregorio del Pilar was
an officer and a gentleman. Del Pilar was the
youngest general of the Philippine revolution. When
the revolution broke out he was only seventeen. He
was brave and gallant soldier. He was only twenty
four years old when he died fighting at Tirad Pass.
Gregorio del Pilar was born in Bulacan, Bulacan. He
was a nephew of Marcelo H. del Pilar. He became the
favorite of General Emilio Aguinaldo who took the
very young soldier with him wherever he went.
When the fighting between the Americans and the
Filipinos became intense, General Emilio Aguinaldo
had to retreat to the mountains. General del Pilar
and his sixty men stood at Tirad Pass to cover the
retreat. The narrow pass was in Palanan, Isabela.
Three hundred American soldiers fought against del
Pilar’s sixty men. But del Pilar and his men fought
bravely until a bullet stuck him dead.
ABELENS, A NEW MOUNTAIN
TRIBE
The Abelens are small people, almost of
pygmy size. The average height of a grown
up girls four feet and a young man about
four feet and eight inches. They are entirely
different from the Negritoes among whom
they have lived for a thousands of years.
Abelens have long straight hair, not curly
like that of the Negritoes. Their complexion
is light brown much lighter than the dark
distinct red tint on their hair. Their eyes are
brown. Their features are fine. They are
quite a savage people. they used to make
drinking cups from skulls of their enemies.
Although they know the Negrito language,
the Abelens have a language of their own.
 THE HOMING PIGEONS
During the first World War, both the army and
the navy felt a great need for some way to send
messages back to their headquarters. Sometimes
a tornadoed ship needed to send wireless
message to land. Men in a sinking ship were lost
unless a passing ship chanced upon them.
Batallions sent out on scouting trips were
sometimes gunned down by enemies. A soldier
sent with a message for help was oftentimes
caught. Even messengers in airplanes were not
safe. The enemy usually shot the planes and kept
the messengers as prisoners. So, pigeons were
trained as messengers. They have strong love for
their homes. Most of the birds move from one
home to another but the pigeons have one home
to which they always return. Pigeons even when
taken away far from home, always fly swiftly
back to their habitations.
 THE LOBSTER AND THE CRAB
One day Lobster and Crab met.
“I have ten claws,” boasted Crab. “I am the
great Crab which the land people like best
to eat. We, crabs are covered with head
shield.
“We are knight belonging to the Order of
the Crustacea,” cried lobster.
“What does that mean?” asked Crab.
“Crustacea means covered with a crust or
shell,” explained Lobster.
“It is the same with us” said Crab. “Our
claws and bodies are made of rings of shell
joined together by sockets. We use our
claws for walking and for tearing our food.”
“Land people like to eat us,” said Lobster.
“When we are cooked, we turn into a bright
red color but in the water, we are green.
 A LETTER OF INVITATION

26 del Pilar Street

Sampaloc, Manila
March 15, 2004
Dear Nina,
My parents are going to give a party on the
evening of my graduation, March 29. It will be held
in our house on del Pilar Street. Please come and
bring along your brother, Milo, and your sister,
Ester. My father has prepared some very exciting
parlor games which I am sure you and your sister
and brother will enjoy. There will be also a
program prepared by my elder sister, Nora. The
party starts at six o’clock. You can go home at nine
so you will have plenty of time to enjoy the party.
We are hoping to see you all.

Your friend,
Gina