Juan and the bamboo shoots

Juan and the bamboo shoots story

Juan left home and went to another town. He lost his way and could not find his relative’s house. As it was past midday, a kind old man invited Juan into his house for lunch. There was a dish of young bamboo shoots on the table. Juan had never seen such food before. He tasted it. It was delicious. Soon Juan had finished it without leaving any for the old man.

“That was a very tasty dish,” Juan said. “What kind of food was it?”

“Oh, it’s only bamboo,” the old man replied. He was surprised Juan did not know what it was.

When Juan returned home, he ask his mother for his sharp bolo or knife.

“What are you going to do?” she asked.

“I’m going to make some vegetable salad with bamboo,” Juan answered. He then pulled down the bamboo ladder from the front of the house. He cut it into small pieces. Then he asked his mother to fetch him a big pot of boiling water. He placed the pieces of bamboo in it and boiled them.

Although he boiled the bamboo pieces for hours and hours they never became soft enough to eat.

When his neighbours heard what had happened, they laughed at him and said how silly he was.