Story by Genaro Gojo Cruz
Illustrations by Ghani Madueño
2009 Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, First Prize, Short Story for Children

My name is very, very, very, very long. When I write it down, I get really tired. One line of paper isn’t enough for my name to fit into. Even if I keep writing until the back of my paper, I still can’t write it completely. My classmates are already playing but I’m still writing! What does my name have to be very, very, very, very long?

Mahabang-mahabang-mahaba ang pangalan ko. Kapag isinusulat ko ito, talagang napapagod ako. Kulang na kulang ang haba ng isang linya ng papel para maisulat ito nang buo. Kahit nga umabot pa ako sa likod ng papael ko, hindi pa rin kasya. Naglalaro na ang mga kaibigan ko pero nagsusulat pa rin ako! Bakit nga ba kay haba-haba ng pangalan ko?