There once lived a boy with his widowed mother in a hut near the woods.The poor woman earned their meager living by tending a vegetable patch,digging root crops,and garthering firewood.
But the boy was so lazy that he did nothing the whole day but lie under the tree hoping that some ripe fruit would fall.On rainy days he would wade in the mud,throwing stones at the frogs and fish in the water. He was known as Juan Tamad,meaning "Lazy Juan"
His mother could not get him to work ,except to send him on errands now and then. One day Juan was given a coin to buy something in the market.Not knowing the value of money, he dropped it in passing over a creek.
"Foolish boy," his mother said,"You should have put the coin inside your pocket,"I'll do so another time,"was the boy's reply.
The next day he was sent to borrow a pickax from neighbor,Juan took the pickax and inserted in his pocket,tearing his entire short."You silly fellow,"said the old woman,"You should have dragged it along."
"I'll do so another time,"Juan said.
The following day,his mother sent him to a butcher to get a piece of carabao meat in exchange for some firewood.Remembering his mother's advice, he tied the chuck of meat with a length of rope and dragged it along the dirty road,By the time he reached home,the meat was covered with dust and completely spoiled.The mother was exasperated.She said,"You should have carried it in your arms or on your head"
"I'll do so next time," juan promised.One day,while Juan was wandering in the woods,he came upon an animal bleating mournfully,"Me-e,me-e-e,m-e-e-eh!"Taking pity on the beas,he decided to bring it home.With great effort,he tried to hoist the kid on his shoulder and then on his head.The poor goat struggled and kicked him in the face and neck.
Now pn his way,Juan passed by a big house where a rich farmer lived with his only daughter.She was beautiful but was deaf and mute,And she had never laugh since childhood.The village (herbolariou) quack doctors said that she would never speak again until she could laugh."I"ll give my daughter's hand in marriage to whoever can make her laugh," the rich farmer announced.Many young swains tried but failed.
It happened that this girl looking out in the window when Juan was passing by.The sight of the boy struggling to hold the goat which was kicking violently and bleating with all its might was so ludicrous,that suddenly the girl burst into a great fit of laughter.She laughed loud and long until her sides almost split.And lo! She recovered her speech and hearing.
Overjoyed,the father,sent for the boy with the goat.He fulfilled his promise and the marriage was celebrated with much feasting and merriment.
Juan and his wife took the old woman to live with them in the big house.The mother of Juan Tamad never knew what it was to be hungry again.And they lived happily with Juan and his wife,who bore him many children.