Collective nouns

A collective noun is a word that refers to a group.

Select a collective noun from the list below to

correctly describe these groups of animals.
1. A flockof sheep.
2. A . of bees.
3. A .. of fish.
4. A ..of wolves.
5. A . of elephants.
6. A . of rabbits.
7. A ..of lions.
8. A ..of monkeys.
9. A . of ants.
10. A . of hyenas.
pack
barrel

flock
shoal

warren
swarm

pride
cackle

colony

herd

Please invent collective nouns for

apes
bats
giraffes
hippopotamuses
kangaroos
tigers owls
peacocks
crocodiles
sharks jellyfish
children

Once long ago, when time was young and the earth was
new, there lived a young woman whose beauty was
reknown throughout the land. Her name was
Huminodun, and she was truly beautiful that anyone
who would chance on her would be mesmerised and
held spellbound by this vision of loveliness. Her
beauty was made all the more enchanting because she
was gentle in spirit and blessed with kindness and
wisdom that were beyond her years. Huminodun was
the only child of the god Kinoingan and his wife
Suminundu.
The Earth they lived in was generous, and the harvest
was bountiful and there was plenty of food for the
people. There were happiness and contentment
everywhere.
However, a prolonged drought soon came over the
land. There was and the earth became parched, the
rivers ran silent and dry, the trees and plants wilted
and died. The colour of the land but surely turned
from bountiful green to stark arid yellow heat and
dust.
Day came when the barns and threshing floors in the
land were bare. In those days, the staple food of
Kinoingan and his people type of grain called huvong.
Kinoingan became very worried when he saw that
there was no longer any food to eat; soon his people

might die of hunger and starvation. Seeing his

father's countenance, Humindun asked "Father, why
do you look so distressed?"
"We have run out of food and we have no grain left to
plant, not even the huvong," replied Kinoingan. "I am
worried for our people; how are they to sustain
themselves and their families?"
Huminodun reflected on this and said "Father, please
do not worry." For a solution had come in that
instance to her mind. "Go ahead and clear the land for
planting. Father, I am willing to be sacrificed. Let me
body, soul and spirit be offerings to the great Mother
Earth. If you scarifice me to her, this drought wull
soon end and you willhave seeds once agin for planting
and there will be food for all our people," she said.
Such sorrow and sadness befell Kinoingan when he
heard this but he knew that his daughter spoke the
truth. He also knew that once Huminodun had made
her decision, there would be no way he could change
her mind.
With a laden heart, Kinoingan went ahead and cleared
that land for planting. Through his supernatural
powers, he was able to clear such a large area over
many hills without any difficulty. When the time came
for planting, Huminodun was brought to the cleared
lot. Great indeed were the grief throughout the land

that day. As she was leaving, one could hear the

pitiful wails of Suminundu who begged her daughter
not to go. The young men who had fallen in love with
Huminodun beseeched her to reconsider. Many cried
and begged her to change her mind, however,
Huminodun remained steadfast in her decision; there
was nothing anyone could do for she had decided that
her father's people must come before her.
When she arrived at the cleared plot, she turned to
her father and said, "Father, you will see that my
body will give life to many plants for the people. My
flesh will give rise to rice; my head, the coconut; my
bones, tapioca; my toes, ginger; my teeth, maize; my
knees, yams. Other parts of my body will become
edible plants as well. Never again will our people go
hungry; never again will famine be a visitor to our
land."
She continued, "However Father, to ensure a good
harvest, you must remember this: when you strewn
parts of my body all over this clearing, do not come
near here for seven days, and seven nights, When the
rice has ripened, and it is time to bring them in, do
not start the harvest without first taking seven
stalks of this new rice and tying them to one end of a
long bamboo stick. Put this pole in the middle of the
rice field. Only then may you begin your harvest.
When you bring home your harvest, place the bamboo

pole in the tangkob (rice storage hut) along with the

rice."
"These are my instructions, Father: of your first
day's harvest, keep them in the kakanan (big jar). Do
not give away any part of your first year's harvest
lest the remaining grains turn bad. The second year
onwards, you may do as you wish to your harvest."
(This is why, to this day, the Kadazandusun people do
not give any part of their first year's harvest).
Kinoingan agreed to abide by all her instructions. Thus
done, he proceeded to sacrifice his only beloved
daughter. At the instance of her death, the world
turned black, thunder clapped and lightning struck,
and the ground beneath shook and rumbled.
And then the rains came. Great was the torrent on
that eventful day; the parched earth soaked in the
reviving moisture, and the air became pure and clean
once more. Humnidun's predictions came true; as her
blood touced the earth, life was reborn. It was as she
had said, as the dry earth drank in the rain and her
blood, plants of many kinds began to bud and sprout in
all the land.
That year, Kinoingan's people saw a harvest of such
bounty never before experienced in their memory. In
adherence to Huminodun's instruction, he kept the

first day's harvest in the kakanan and chose the first

seven stalks of the harvest for the bamboo pole.
The seven stalks of rice were to honour the seven
Bambaazon, the paddy spirit.
As for the rice in the kakanan, it produced another
gift. On the seventh day of the sacrifice, a beautiful
maiden rose from the jar. She was the beautiful,
selfless Huminodun, resurrected in spirit to return
and care for her people.
She was called the Unduk Ngadau.
And it was this spirit of Huminodun that first taught
and instructed the Bobohizan (priestesses) in their
chants and rituals, thus beginning the spiritual
traditions of the people.
To this day, the Unduk Nagdau pageant is the central
part of the Kadazandusun Murut harvest festival, to
commemorate the legendary Huminodun, who despite
her beauty and position, gave her life in exchange for
the lives of her people.
Her gift of life remains our legacy, exemplary deeds
which will continue to teach and remind us of the
importance of sincere caring, and love for peace and
prosperity through the spirit of our culture.