It was sunrise at Nagrebcan.

The fine, bluish mist, low over the tobacco fields, was lifting and
thinning moment by moment. A ragged strip of mist, pulled away by the morning breeze, had caught
on the clumps of bamboo along the banks of the stream that flowed to one side of the barrio. Before
long the sun would top the Katayaghan hills, but as yet no people were around. In the grey shadow of
the hills, the barrio was gradually awaking. Roosters crowed and strutted on the ground while hens
hesitated on theri perches among the branches of the camanchile trees. Stray goats nibbled the
weeds on the sides of the road, and the bull carabaos tugged restively against their stakes.
In the early mornig the puppies lay curled up together between their mothers paws under the ladder
of the house. Four puupies were all white like the mother. They had pink noses and pink eyelids and
pink mouths. The skin between their toes and on the inside of their large, limp ears was pink. They
had short sleek hair, for the mother licked them often. The fifth puppy lay across the mothers neck.
On the puppys back was a big black spot like a saddle. The tips of its ears were black and so was a
pitch of hair on its chest.
The opening of the sawali door, its uneven bottom dragging noisily against the bamboo flooring,
aroused the mother dog and she got up and stretched and shook herself, scattering dust and loose
white hair. A rank doggy smell rose in the cool morning air. She took a quick leap forward, clearing
the puppies which had begun to whine about her, wanting to suckle. She trotted away and
disappeared beyond the house of a neighbor.
The puppies sat back on their rumps, whining. After a little while they lay down and went back to
sleep, the black-spotted puppy on top.
Baldo stood at the treshold and rubbed his sleep-heavy eyes with his fists. He must have been about
ten yeras old, small for his age, but compactly built, and he stood straight on his bony legs. He wore
one of his fathers discarded cotton undershirts.
The boy descended the ladder, leaning heavily on the single bamboo railing that served as a banister.
He sat on the lowest step of the ladder, yawning and rubbing his eyes one after the other. Bending
down, he reached between his legs for the blak-spotted puppy. He held it to him, stroking its soft,
warm body. He blew on its nose. The puppy stuck out a small red tongue,lapping the air. It whined
eagerly. Baldo laugheda low gurgle.
He rubbed his face against that of the dog. He said softly. My puppy. My puppy. He said it many
times. The puppy licked his ears, his cheeks. When it licked his mouth. Baldo straightened up, raised
the puppy on a level with his eyes. You are a foolish puppy he said, laughing. Foolish, foolish,
foolish, he said, rolling the puppy on his lap so that it howled.
The four other puppies awoke and came scrambling about Baldos legs. He put down the black-
spotted puppy and ran to the narrow foot bridge of women split-bamboo spanning the roadside
ditch. When it rained, water from the roadway flowed under the makeshift bridge, but it had not
rained for a long time and the ground was dry and sandy. Baldo sat on the bridge, digging his bare
feet into the sand, feeling the cool particles escaping between his toes. He whistled, a toneless whistle
with a curious trilling to it produced by placing the tongue against the lower teeth and then curving it
up and down. The whistle excited the puppies, they ran to the boy as fast theri unsteady legs could
carry them, barking choppy little barks.
It was sunrise at Nagrebcan. The fine, bluish mist, low over the tobacco fields, was lifting and
thinning moment by moment. A ragged strip of mist, pulled away by the morning breeze, had caught
on the clumps of bamboo along the banks of the stream that flowed to one side of the barrio. Before
long the sun would top the Katayaghan hills, but as yet no people were around. In the grey shadow of
the hills, the barrio was gradually awaking. Roosters crowed and strutted on the ground while hens
hesitated on theri perches among the branches of the camanchile trees. Stray goats nibbled the
weeds on the sides of the road, and the bull carabaos tugged restively against their stakes.
In the early mornig the puppies lay curled up together between their mothers paws under the ladder
of the house. Four puupies were all white like the mother. They had pink noses and pink eyelids and
pink mouths. The skin between their toes and on the inside of their large, limp ears was pink. They
had short sleek hair, for the mother licked them often. The fifth puppy lay across the mothers neck.
On the puppys back was a big black spot like a saddle. The tips of its ears were black and so was a
pitch of hair on its chest.
The opening of the sawali door, its uneven bottom dragging noisily against the bamboo flooring,
aroused the mother dog and she got up and stretched and shook herself, scattering dust and loose
white hair. A rank doggy smell rose in the cool morning air. She took a quick leap forward, clearing
the puppies which had begun to whine about her, wanting to suckle. She trotted away and
disappeared beyond the house of a neighbor.
The puppies sat back on their rumps, whining. After a little while they lay down and went back to
sleep, the black-spotted puppy on top.
Baldo stood at the treshold and rubbed his sleep-heavy eyes with his fists. He must have been about
ten yeras old, small for his age, but compactly built, and he stood straight on his bony legs. He wore
one of his fathers discarded cotton undershirts.
The boy descended the ladder, leaning heavily on the single bamboo railing that served as a banister.
He sat on the lowest step of the ladder, yawning and rubbing his eyes one after the other. Bending
down, he reached between his legs for the blak-spotted puppy. He held it to him, stroking its soft,
warm body. He blew on its nose. The puppy stuck out a small red tongue,lapping the air. It whined
eagerly. Baldo laugheda low gurgle.
He rubbed his face against that of the dog. He said softly. My puppy. My puppy. He said it many
times. The puppy licked his ears, his cheeks. When it licked his mouth. Baldo straightened up, raised
the puppy on a level with his eyes. You are a foolish puppy he said, laughing. Foolish, foolish,
foolish, he said, rolling the puppy on his lap so that it howled.
The four other puppies awoke and came scrambling about Baldos legs. He put down the black-
spotted puppy and ran to the narrow foot bridge of women split-bamboo spanning the roadside
ditch. When it rained, water from the roadway flowed under the makeshift bridge, but it had not
rained for a long time and the ground was dry and sandy. Baldo sat on the bridge, digging his bare
feet into the sand, feeling the cool particles escaping between his toes. He whistled, a toneless whistle
with a curious trilling to it produced by placing the tongue against the lower teeth and then curving it
up and down. The whistle excited the puppies, they ran to the boy as fast theri unsteady legs could
carry them, barking choppy little barks.

LIFE is always in morning when JESUS is with you
Reply
there ARE ALWAYS NEW EVERY MORNING AND GREAT IS GOD'S FAITHFULLNESS ON US
PLOT
It was sunrise in Nagrebcan, a barrio in the Katayaghan hills. The people where living in
a simple life that the technology are not highly applied. In this barrio, Baldo with his family are
living. They often played with their pets mother dog and its puppies. The black spotted puppy
was the favorite of Baldo.
Nana Elang, the mother of Baldo, now appeared in the doorway with a handful of rice
straw. She called Baldo and told him to get some live coals from their neighbor. She watched
him run toward Ca Ikos house where already smoke was rising through the nipa roofing into the
misty air. She turned from the doorway into the small, untidy kitchen, tying her hair. Then she
washed the rice and put it in a pot. Also she made ready the other pot for the mess of vegetables
and died fish.
There were already many people passed by going about to do their work. When Baldo
came home, her mother cooked their breakfast. Suddenly, he saw the east flamed reedy and he
told to his mother that God also cook his breakfast.
Ambo, his younger brother, had awakened. Nana Elang could patiently calling him to the
kitchen. Later he came down with a ripe banana in his hand and eat this without peeling it. Baldo
sway him to remove the skin but he didnt obey it. He sat beside Baldo and both played with the
puppies. Abruptly, ambo got tired of them and he wanted the black-spotted one. He pleases his
brother to give to him the puppy but Baldo refused it. Because of it, he tried to snatch the puppy
away. Baldo sent him sprawling in the dust with a deft push. Ambo did not cry and made
revenge. They fought until Nana Elang called out in her tired, patient voice that if they didnt
stop their noise, theyd wake up their father and hed whip them.
Baldo now left Ambo and ran with the back-spotted puppy which he caught up in his
arms, holding it against his throat. Ambo followed ad grabbed the tail of the puppy. The puppy
howled shrilly and fell to the ground. It turned around and snapped at the hand holding its tail. Its
sharp little teeth sank into the fleshy edge of Ambos palm.
At that moment their father, Tang Ciako, opened the window and poked out his head. He
saw the blood from the tooth marks of Ambos hand. He called them inarticulately and the two
brothers look up in surprise and fear. Ambo hid his wound while Baldo stooped to pick up the
black-spotted puppy, but Tang Ciako shouted hoarsely to him not to touch the dog. The dog has
gone mad. In the kitchen stove, he stooped to get a piece of firewood, throwing an angry look
and curse at Nanag Elang for letting their sons playing with the dogs. He hurried down the ladder
with an angry voice. Nana Elang ran to the doorway and stood there silently. Tang Ciako
approached them, the piece of firewood held firmly in one hand. He beat his children and
shouted to kill them because they are bastards. As Nana Elang ventured to remonstrate, he beat
them harder. Tang Ciako roared at them to to get away from the dog. Baldo laid a hand on Ambo
and moved back hastily. When the puppy attempt to follow them, Tang Ciako caught it with a
sweeping blow of the piece of firewood and did not stopped until the puppy was dying. Baldo
attempt to stop his father but Tang Ciako didnt listen to him, he shook him off with an oath and
Baldo fell on his face in the dust. He did not rise but cried and sobbed and tore his hair. Baldo
was deaf. Tang Ciako kicked him and strokes him with the piece of firewood and told him to get
up. Baldo tried to free himself. He fell to his knees, screaming for mercy and on his mother help.
Nana Elang came down. Ambo ran to her. Tang Ciako cried and stuck at the fleeing
Ambo. The piece of firewood caught him behind the knees and he fell on his face. Nana Elang
ran for the fallen boy while Tang Ciako pushed Baldo toward her. They go home and the oozy
neighbors returned to their work. Tang Ciako passing the dead puppy, he picked it and flung it
on the tall corn behind the house.
Tang Ciako Still angry. Nana Elang knelt and dusted her sons clothes. When the mother
dog returned, she sucked them without seem that that the black-spotted puppy was missing. Tang
Ciako gone to work and Nana Elang was busy in doing the household chores.
Afterward Baldo and Ambo searched for the dead bodt of the black-spotted puppy. When
they found it they buried it in the one corner of the field. Then they hurried up to the house. And
the sun had risen in the Negrebcan.

CHARACTERIZATION
Baldo, the older son of Tang Ciako and Nana Elang, who is a good son and brother but
sometimes become selfish.
Ambo, the youngest son, who want to get what he likes.
Nana Elang, a responsible and lovable parents and wife.
Tang Ciako, a responsible father because he work for his family but have metal-hands
because he hurt his children and wife.

SETTING
In the barrio Nagrebcan found in the Katayaghan hills.

THEME
Poverty and problems within the family members.

POIN OF VIEW
Author- Observer. The author relates what happens in an objective manner without
giving his own comments and without explaining what goes on in the mind of the
character.

SYMBOL
Love and anger

CONFLICT
Baldo dont want to share the back-spotted puppy on his brother Ambo.
REACTION
The story tells not only about the different unlikable traits inside the family member but
also those good characters. After I read it, I realize the moral lessons that the story want to show.
In the character of Ambo and Baldo, I have seen those unnoticed manner that sometimes the
cause of quarrel. And why some children are more close to their mother than to their father.
At first, I like the attitude of Baldo because he obey her mother but later I seen the dark side that
he have. Although he becomes selfish to her brother still at the end, he does his part as a good
brother to Ambo. Ambo as a younger brother, it is inappropriate to disobey the older one if it is
for your good only. For their mother Nana Elang, she has been an excellent parent for me
because he becomes a responsible for her family. Even tough she did nothing to help her sons in
the hand of her husband Tang Ciako. And the last, Tang Ciako, the father who has the metal-
hands, hurt them. In the other side, Tang Ciako also has a good character because he work for his
family.
I enjoyed reading the story. It awakened my latent spirit to change some of my unkind attitudes
with my sister because it does not give a better result and also to avoid quarrel. In general, the
lesson is not only for the son and daughter in the family but also to the mother and father. It
shows those unpleasant attitudes that we need to change for our own good. It is better to gain
love and respect rather to earn hatred within the family members.


We must have a theme, a goal, a purpose in our lives. If you dont know where youre aiming,
you dont have a goal. My goal is to live my life in such a way that when I die, someone can say,
she cared.
Reply

cieloMarch 6, 2011 at 5:35 AM
2. Happiness is like a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but, if you will
sit down quietly, may alight upon you.
Reply

cieloMarch 6, 2011 at 5:35 AM
3. A successful life is one that is lived through understanding and pursuing one's own path, not
chasing after the dreams of others.
Reply

cieloMarch 6, 2011 at 5:36 AM
4. Life is pleasant. Death is peaceful. It's the transition that's troublesome.
Reply

cieloMarch 6, 2011 at 5:36 AM
5. The lessons this life has planted in my heart pertain more to caring than crops, more to Golden
Rule than gold, more to the proper choice than to the popular choice.
Morning in Nagrebcan" is a story by Manuel E. Arguilla. This story is about the life of boy in the
Philippine countryside. His dog had puppies that he loved, cared for and protected. He and his younger
brother got into a fight over the puppies. The younger brother had snatched a puppy out of the older
brother's arms. While they were tussling they both fell on the puppy and it died. The children's father
beat the younger brother very badly. In the end, the two brothers buried the puppy and life went on as
usual.

Ambo rose to his feet. He looked longingly at the black-spotted puppy in Baldo's arms.
Suddently he bent down and tried to snatch the puppy away. But Baldo sent him sprawling in the
dust with a deft push. Ambo did not cry. He came up with a fistful of sand which he flung in his
brother's face. But as he started to run away, Baldo thrust out his leg and tripped him. in
complete silence, Ambo slowly got up from the dust, getting to his feet with both hands full of
sand which again he cast at his older brother. Baldo put down the puppy and leaped upon Ambo.
Seeing the black-spotted puppy waddling away, Ambo turned around and made a dive for it.
Baldo saw his intention in time and both fell on the puppy which began to howl loudly,
struggling to get away. Baldo cursed Ambo and screamed at him as they grappled and rolled in
the sand. Ambo kicked and bit and scratched without a sound. He got hold of Baldo's ear and
hair and tugged with all his might. They rolled over and over and then Baldo was sitting on
Ambo's back, pommeling him with his fists. He accompanied every blow with a curse. I hope
you die, you little demon, he said between sobs, for he was crying and he could see. Ambo
wriggled and struggled and tried to bite Baldo's legs. Failing, he buried his face in the sand and
howled lustily.