Why the pineapple has a thousand eyes

A long time ago, there lived a woman named Aling Nena. Aling Nena had a daughter named Pina. Pina was a rotten little girl, who was rude, selfish, and had a bad temper. But Aling Nena loved Pina very much. In fact, Aling Nena spoiled her little girl: Pina was spared of any house work, even though Aling Nena was getting old.

Not once did Pina sweep the floor, not once did she cook the rice, not once did she wash the dishes. So Pina would sit around the house all day while her mother worked.

Now, one day, Aling Nena got sick with a fever, and had to lie on her bed all day. So, when the sun was getting high in the sky, Aling Nena called her daughter. "Pina," she said, "I am sick today, and have to lie down on my bed. Please make some lugaw for me."

"But I don't know how to cook lugaw," said Pina.

"It's easy," said Aling Nena, "all you have to do is boil some water in a pot, and add some rice."

So Pina went to the kitchen to cook the rice porridge. "Inay," Pina called out, "I cannot find the pot."

"It's inside the cabinet." said her mother.

Then Pina called out again, "Inay, I cannot find the spoon." "It's in the drawer, said Aling Nena."

Then Pina asked again, "Inay, I cannot find the rice!"

Aling Nena said, "Oh you lazy girl! I wish you would grow a thousand eyes so you can find the rice!"

Pina did not call out again, so Aling Nena thought that Pina found the rice. But when a long time passed and Pina did not return Aling Nena called to her. "Pina, Pina, come to my room. Where are you my beloved daughter?" But Pina did not come.

Aling Nena's neighbors heard the old lady shouting and crying, went to her house. They nursed her back to health. The people of the town looked and looked for Pina, but never found her.

One day, as Aling Nena was sweeping her back yard, she saw a strange plant growing. Some time later, a fruit grew out of the plant. When Aling Nena saw that the fruit had a thousand eyes, she realized that she has accidentally cursed her daughter.

When the fruit ripened, Aling Nena shared the fruit with her neighbors. Thus, in her own way, Pina had become generous. To this day, Filipinos still call the pineapple "Piña".