Lcyendas > folk tales

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GOLD

Popular
tales from Latin America
Carmen Bravo-Villasante
This collection of short stories is the first sample taken from the gold mine of popular Ibero-
American short stories. From the pampas to the high Andean mountain ranges, and the
immense rivers and lakes, and the jungles and the seashores; from the big cities to the smallest
villages; from the great continent to the islands of the Caribbean archipelago, this book can
serve as a link, as oral literature once did.
Reading and listening to these stories will make children, and adults too, laugh a lot, and
laughter is very good; it is the source of joy and fun. And if, in addition to being funny, the
stories are exemplary and noble in their didacticism, everyone will be happy. And even more:
the children of Latin America will be able to tell all the children of the world.

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 Carmen Bravo-Villasante

Popular tales from Latin America

Popular tales and legends - 02

ePub r1.0
Titivillus 08.08.2022

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Carmen Bravo-Villasante, 2005 Illustrations: Carmen Andrada

Digital editor: Titivillus ePub base r2.1

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 POPULAR
TALES FROM IBERO-
AMERICA
Carmen Bravo-Villasante

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 illustrations of
Carmen Andrada

INTRODUCTION

This collection of short stories is the first sample taken from the gold mine of
popular Ibero-American short stories. These stories have been compiled so that
Spanish-speaking and reading children from various nations can find themselves in the
great homeland of the language.
From the pampas to the towering Andean mountain ranges, and the immense rivers
and lakes, and the jungles and the shores of the sea, from the big cities to the smallest
villages, from the great continent to the islands of the Caribbean archipelago, this book
can serve as a link, as oral literature once was.
Because at first these stories were oral literature and spread by word of mouth.
Sometimes they were tales of the road and other times they were told during the long,
warm evenings or on winter nights by the fire in the home. Children and adults alike
listened to the stories with complete attention, because the interest was so great that not
a single word could be missed.
In this anthology there are animal stories like in the old fable, such as “The Puma
and the Fox” from Peru, and “The Mocked Jaguar” from Paraguay and, of course,
“Uncle Rabbit and Aunt Fox” from Argentina, or “Uncle Rabbit and Aunt Boa” from
Costa Rica; there are also stories of fantastic animals like “The Little Horse of Seven
Colors” from Santo Domingo; there are linked stories like “The Rooster” from Spain,
who was going to his Uncle Perico’s wedding; and stories of animals and men, like
“The Man, the Tiger and the Moon” from Venezuela.
In this anthology of folk tales there are tales of princes and princesses, as in “The
Tree of the Three Golden Apples” from Chile; there are also fishermen, as in “The
Fisherman’s Son” from Cuba, and shepherds and peasants and corn farmers and
mysterious old women who may be witches or beneficial fairies.
Giants and spirits of the earth and air appear in fairy tales. Everything is so
surprising and unexpected in this realm of fantasy, where anything can happen, that the
imagination is exalted and enriched by hearing them.
The forbidden, the taboo, is part of these narratives. Mysterious words serve as a
spell to open closed doors. The story also opens and closes with formulas typical of
popular storytelling.

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 For the most part, the stories are short, concise, and of great intensity, and when
they are long, the subject matter is very concentrated, because there is a lot to tell.
In this clear and elementary narrative, vices and virtues are highlighted.
Intelligence, skill and cunning resolve difficulties. Obstacles are overcome with
perseverance and tenacity.
Reading and listening to these stories will make children and adults alike laugh a
lot, and laughter is a very good thing. It is the source of joy and fun. And if, in addition
to being funny, the stories are exemplary and noble in their didacticism, everyone will
be happy. And, what's more, the children of Latin America will be able to tell all the
children of the world about it.
Villasamen Bravo-Villasante

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ARGENTINA

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 The sower, the tiger and the fox

H Once upon a time, many years ago, there was an old Creole who was plowing his field[1].
He plowed with the old, heavy wooden plow pulled by oxen. The man encouraged the
oxen by calling them by their names and directed them in their work with voices they
understood:
—Pull, ox!… Furrow, Colorado!… Turn around, ox!
He was so engrossed in his task that he did not notice the presence of a fearsome enemy: a
tiger had jumped over the farm fence and was approaching him stealthily. The man stopped
working and the oxen began to tremble with fear.
"I've come for you to give me an ox to eat," said the tiger.
"Oh no, Mr. Tiger, I can't give you any of my oxen, I love them very much," the terrified
farmer answered.
—Then you'll have to give me both.
—Please, Mr. Tiger, don't do me such a great harm. Have mercy on me.
—I'll eat you with oxen and all, shall I? —answered the tiger, already ready to jump on the
victim.
"No, Mr. Tiger, how are you going to eat me? My family is poor and needs me and my
oxen," said the desperate farmer again.
—I'm going to eat you the same.
—No, sir, how are you going to eat me?
They were arguing about whether I'll eat you or not, when a fox passed by, heard the
argument, and decided to save the man. He hid behind some thick pennyroyals and with a very
deep and firm voice he shouted:
—Friend, have you not seen the tiger pass by here? I'm looking for him with two hundred
dogs to kill him.
The tiger was terribly frightened, shrank as much as he could and remained motionless,
glued to the ground.
"Tell him you haven't seen me; if you give me away, I'll eat you," the tiger whispered to
the man, believing that he was actually a tiger hunter.
—No, sir, I haven't seen the tiger for a long time.
—How could you not have seen it, my friend, and what is that lump near you? That looks
like a tiger lying down.
—Tell him they are black beans, please.
—They are black beans, sir, that I have to plant.
—If they are black beans, put them inside that leather bag you have there next to you.

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 "Put me in the bag, right away, please, don't waste time," the tiger begged the man.
The man bagged the tiger as quickly as possible, and replied:
—That's it, sir, that's it, sir, see how I obey you.
—Tie the mouth of the sack with a ribbon, my friend, so that the beans don't spill out.
"Have him tie the sack, but leave his mouth open," said the tiger to the sower.
The man tied the mouth to the sack as best he could.
—That sack is very fluffy, my friend, flatten it a little with the eye of the axe, don't delay.
—Pretend to hit me, but be careful not to touch me, look, I'm going to eat you as soon as
the tigress leaves.
The man took the axe and with all his strength hit the tiger on the head until it died.
Thus, the fox's cunning saved the man and defeated the tiger's cruelty.

BOLIVIA

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 The little rokhochito

AND He was a little Indian who, after the death of his mother, was left in the care
of a very bad stepmother, who punished him for a small fault by depriving
him of food for several days. The poor orphan lived looking for some crumbs in the waste
dumps of the town, and when he could no longer bear the hunger, he went to the cemetery to
ask his mother, crying:
—Mamay, yarkhawashan, mamay yarkhawashan… (Mother, I'm hungry, mother, I'm
hungry).
He repeated the request many days. One day, they say, the spirit of his mother appeared to
him and handed him a loaf of bread, she said:
—Take this bread, my son. When you are hungry eat half and save the other. If you don't
do this, this bread will only satisfy you once.
The boy returned home and kept half the bread; and later, when he was hungry, he was
surprised to find it whole. It was a wonderful bread that never ended.
But one day, his stepmother caught him eating that wonderful bread and, snatching it away,
she shouted at him:
—Ungrateful thief, you stole this bread from my cupboard today.
The little Indian, crying, returned to the cemetery.
—Mamay, yarkawashan, mamay, yarkawashan… (Mother, I'm hungry, mother, I'm
hungry).
Hearing the laments of her beloved son, the spirit of his mother appeared again; she gave
him a small box, which was called a rokhochito (an object that children keep with affection),
saying:
—This little rokhoch will make you give back your bread.
The orphan returned home and, bravely, asked his stepmother:
—Tthantayta khopuray (give me back my bread).
The stepmother, hearing the affront, grabbed a club and was about to hit the boy on the
back, when he bent down and, caressing the little box, repeated:
—Rokhochito, rokhochito (come out, come out bulls).
—Rokhochito, rokhochito (come out, come out bulls).
Immediately many small, furious bulls came out of the little rokhochito, and as they grew
larger they attacked the stepmother, forcing her to give the bread back to the orphan.
After this experience, the owner of the rokhochito wanted to become famous. He enlisted
in the Army to go to war between his country and the invader.

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 Their country was losing and the leaders were already thinking of surrendering. The little
Indian appeared before the chief and promised to win the war. They accepted him. On the
battlefield he asked for eight soldiers, and at the time of the battle when the enemy attacked,
who was numerous, he rubbed the little box again, always repeating:
—Rokhochito, rokhochito (come out, come out bulls).
—Rokhochito, rokhochito (come out, come out bulls).
Hundreds of furious bulls came out and attacked the enemy, who, unable to withstand the
attack, had to flee in defeat.
Triumphant, he returned to his village, got married and lived happily, never lacking food
and the respect of the people.

BRAZIL

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 The macaque and the tail

OR Once a macaque thought he could make a fortune. For this reason he went to
position himself where a cart driver had to pass with his cart. The macaque
extended its tail along the path where the cart wheels should pass. The carter, seeing this, said
to him:
—Macaque, move your tail out of the way, I want to cross.
"I don't want to take it back," the macaque replied.
The carter whipped the oxen and the cart ran over the macaque's tail and cut it off. The
macaque then began to shout, saying:
—I want my cock! Or give me a knife!
The carter gave him a knife, and the macaque, very happy, began to shout:
—I lost my tail! I won a knife! Tinglin, tinglin, I'm going to Angola!…
He set off, and after a good distance he met a very old black man who was making baskets
and cutting the wicker with his teeth.
The macaque said to him:
—Oh, old friend, poor you, who are cutting the willows with your teeth! Here's this knife.
The black man took it, but when he went to cut the wicker, his knife broke.
The macaque then began to shout:
—I want my knife! Or else give me a basket!
The old black man gave him a basket and the macaque left very happy shouting:
—I lost my tail, I won a knife, I lost my knife, I won a basket!… Tinglin, tinglin, I'm going
to Angola!
He continued walking, and further ahead he found a woman who was making bread and
putting it in her skirts.
"Oh my lady," he said, "making bread and putting it in your skirts!" Here is a basket.
The woman accepted it and began to put the loaves into the basket, but behold, as she put
one in, the bottom of the basket fell out. The macaque began to scream:

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 —I want my basket, I want my basket! If not, give me a loaf of bread!
The woman gave him a loaf of bread, and he very happily began to say:
—I lost my tail, I won a knife, I lost my knife, I won a basket, I lost my basket, I won a
loaf of bread!… And now I'm going to eat the bread! Tinglin, tinglin, I'm going to Angola!
And he left, eating the bread.

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COLOMBIA

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 Uncle Rabbit and Aunt the Dead Fox

AND These were Uncle Wolf and Aunt Fox, who were once meeting to decide
how to get rid of Uncle Rabbit, because frankly he was no longer letting them
live in peace with the many dirty tricks and bad things he was playing on them every day,
without them being able to get revenge in any way, despite the fact that there were many
people chasing the malicious Patecera.
That day they recounted everything they had suffered because of the guatín [2] and the
memory of it all filled them with rage. Once he had skinned Uncle Wolf with boiling water,
and locked him in a box with holes in it when Uncle Man's dogs were chasing him; another
time he had skinned Aunt Fox, and made her come to a party by serving as her horse, and
Uncle Rabbit giving her a pair of spurs that stung terribly. In short, they couldn't stand it any
longer. Because it had been of no use to them to complain to the King of the Animals, since
Uncle Leon was just laughing at the complaints and celebrating Patecera's pranks[3].
So they began to think of a plan and agreed to have a big snack with Uncle Rabbit, certain
that he would fall right into the trap they were going to set for him. And they agreed that Aunt
Zorra would go home, lie down in her bed and play dead. Uncle Wolf would meanwhile go out
to give the news, and Uncle Rabbit, knowing it, curious as he was, would go to see it and there
they would catch him and kill him.
Sure enough, Aunt Fox came home, lay down, and remained very still as if she had ceased
to exist. Uncle Wolf came out knocking on the sides of Uncle Rabbit's cave so that he could
hear him.
Aauuttuuuuttuu…, aaauuuutytuuuuttuu —shouted Uncle Wolf—, auuuttuuu… The good
neighbors are to be notified that poor Aunt Fox has kicked the bucket and is invited to the
wake!!!
Sure enough, Uncle Rabbit heard and quickly went out to snoop. But when he reached the
door of Aunt Fox's house, which was wide open, he saw her stretched out on her bed, and
malicious as he was, he began to observe her, beginning to have a certain doubt that there really
was no wake, but that it was something against him. Then to convince herself, and knowing
how frightened Aunt Fox was, she said out loud:

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Page 18
 —I had been informed that poor Aunt Fox had died, but now, fortunately, I am convinced
that it is a big lie. Because when a fox is dead all it does is swing its right paw, and here my
friend is holding it still.

Aunt Fox heard this and started to wave her paw at Uncle Rabbit, right there. Then
Patecera, bursting out laughing, flew away shouting:
—Let the one who doesn't know you buy you, my friend, the bitch aunt! My teeth have
already come out!

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COSTA RICA

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 Uncle Rabbit and Aunt Boa

T Rabbit was very worried because it was the third time he had been in such a mess that
Aunt Boa had thrown him away in one bite. He had found her curled up in a spiral in the
green grass[4
] where he used to eat dinner, and thinking she was asleep he didn't pay attention to
her, but lo and behold, suddenly Aunt Boa uncoils like a spring, and if it hadn't been for the fact
that Uncle Rabbit had good legs, he would have swallowed her up.
He began to think and continue to think about how he would kill her: she was so long, so
thick, that just looking at her made his body tremble. At last an idea came to him. He took a
thick cloth bag and headed towards Aunt Boa's house. She lived in the hollow of a rotten trunk
of an old espabel tree that gave shade to a waterhole. As if he were with someone, as he
approached the tree he began to say, first in a loud voice and then in a lower voice, different
from his own:
—How much does it cost?
—I bet it's not enough?
—How much does it cost?
—I bet it's not enough?
—Right?
—I bet you don't?
—Let's bet yes!
—Let's bet not!
—Man, that's enough!
—Man, don't be a pothead, Aunt Boa is longer than a road and thicker than that espabel; I
would bet my head that it doesn't reach!
—Well, I say it is enough!
As he said the last sentence, Uncle Rabbit was arriving at Aunt Boa's house, who was
sleeping and had been awakened by the voices. Fortunately he was in a good mood, because he
had a white-faced owl[5] in his belly that had come down to the waterhole; so he was digesting.
He poked his head through the gap and, seeing Uncle Rabbit, asked him:
—Hey, man, what's that racket you're making that woke me up?
—Well, madam, you see that my stubborn brother (at the same time he pointed with his
finger behind the tree towards some thugs, as if the supposed brother was hiding there) says
that he bets that you don't have enough in this bag (he showed the bag to Aunt Boa at the same
time), and I tell him that we should bet that you do have enough.

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 "Open the mouth of the bag," said Aunt Boa, "so I can fit myself inside. That way, that
stubborn guy will be convinced and you'll win the bet."
Uncle Rabbit, meanwhile, was saying to himself:
—Oh! Holy Mary, don't let Aunt Boa feel like eating me.
His whole body was shaking, but he managed to calm down and opened the bag, fitting
Aunt Boa perfectly into it. Without wasting any time, Uncle Rabbit took a rope from his
pocket, tied the mouth of the sack with a blind knot, and with one push threw it into the river.

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CUBA

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 The Fisherman's Son

OR Once a very poor fisherman named Peter went to the sea and heard a voice that
said to him:
—Pedro, if you give me whatever you need on the road today, I will give you a
[6
basket of fish ] every day.
Then the fisherman thought:
“My dog is very good, but my children are in great need; I am going to give the dog
away.” And he answered:
—Yes, I'll give you whatever I can get on the road today.
And he put the basket in and took it out full of fish, and he went home very happy. When
he was arriving at his house, his eldest son Juan came out to meet him and he received him
crying.
John said to him:
—Dad, why are you like this if you bring in more fish than ever?
And he answered him:
—That's how things are in life, son.
But the next day when he went to the sea he heard a voice that said to him:
—How well you kept the word you gave me!
The fisherman burst into tears on the seashore.
And that voice said to him:
—Don't be sad, Pedro, look what will make Juan happy.
He threw the basket into the sea and came out full of fish, again. He went home and was
greeted by John. He came home crying and told them what had happened to him at sea.
John said to him:
—If you take me, I'll go.
The old woman also agreed to let him go.
Then Peter took John to the sea the next day and a boat came to the shore, full of joy, with
much music and very beautiful, and said:

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—Come in, Juan.
And he went out with him into a desert. And they left him in a castle.
Then, when it was time for lunch, he heard a voice that said to him:
—Lunch is already served.

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 He went over to have lunch, but he didn't see anyone, and later, at lunch time, the same
thing happened, but he didn't see anyone either.
He thought:
“This must be a mysterious thing.”
Later, at bedtime, she saw the lights being turned on and a bed being made.
And he said:
—Will this bed be for me?
Then he lay down on it and the castle went out again, he felt someone lying down behind
him.
He thought:
“This must be a mysterious thing.”
Many days passed like this, then a voice said to him:
—Juan, now you'll want to see your family.
And he answered yes.
The voice told him:
—Well, you're going to go tomorrow, but I'm going to ask you to do one thing: don't let
anyone kiss or hug you, or put anything in your pockets.
Then the happy boat sailed out into the bay, and John found Peter on the shore and told
him his story. They went home and he told them again what was happening to him and no one
kissed him or hugged him. But his grandmother, at night, when he was asleep, hugged him and
kissed him and put a candle stub and a box of matches in his pockets.
The next day Juan went out to sea with Pedro and saw that beautiful and cheerful boat
coming, closed in black and very sad.
Then he thought:
“This mystery will not be happy with my journey.”
Then the ship came to the dock and said to him:
—John enters. How well you kept the word you gave me!
John said to him:
—I didn't let anyone hug or kiss me.
The voice told him:
-Yeah? Check your pockets and you will see…
Then he saw that he had a box of matches and a candle end in his pockets.
And he said to that voice:
—Nothing, I'll throw it away.
The voice told him:
—Why bother? We are lost.
And he took it away.
And Juan, when he went to bed, felt someone lying down behind him again.
Then he thought:
“I'm already lost anyway, I'll go see what it is.”
He struck a match and saw that it was a woman and said to her:

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 —What do I have to do now?
And she said to him:
—You will have to go to the seven Milin towers, of the castle where you will go and not
return. There I will tell you what you will have to do.
So he set out towards the seven Milin towers and on the way he found a lion, an eagle and
an ant sharing a cow.
He thought: “They are going to eat me right here.”
But he continued. After what happened he said:
—Thank God I've already been saved from this.
But after walking for a while, the lion said:
—Go, eagle, you who are more agile, and tell that man to come and share this with us.
Then the eagle flew and caught up with the man on the road and said to him:
—Sir, the lion says to go over there for a moment.
And then he thought:
“Now it’s true that he’s going to eat me.”
But he came and said to him:
—Why did you want me, Mr. Lion?
—Not at all, my friend; so that you would do us the favor of sharing this res with us.
Then he said to them:
—Will you be satisfied with the division I make?
And the lion said:
—Yes man, of course, my friend.
—To you, since you have good teeth, we will give you flesh and bones; to you, eagle, since
you have no teeth, we will give you masses; but to you, little ant, since you are small, we will
give you the head that serves as food and shelter.
And he asked them:
—Are you satisfied with the partition?
—Yes, man, of course, my friend —answered the lion.
And he left.
After walking a little, the lion says to the eagle:
—Gosh, how ungrateful we were that we didn't even thank that man. You go, eagle, and
tell that man to come here.
Then he thought for the second time:
"If I can't escape from this, the lion will eat me."
But he went and said to the lion:
—What, Mr. Lion, were they not satisfied with the partition?
—Yes, of course. That's why I sent for him, because we were so ungrateful that we didn't
even thank him.
The lion said:
—Look, I'll give you a hair from my mustache so that when you say: "Goodbye lion,"
you'll turn into a lion.
So the eagle told him the same:

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 —I will give you a feather and when you say: “Goodbye eagle”, you will turn into an
eagle.
So the little ant said:
—Even if I am lame, I will give you a little paw and when you say: “Goodbye, ant,” you
will turn into an ant.
Then, after walking a little, he said:
—I'm going to try the feather to see if it's true; and he said: “Goodbye, eagle.”
And he turned into an eagle and flew away.
And he said:
—How lucky I am! God willing, everything goes well for me.
Then he fell into a ravine and said:
—“Goodbye lion.”
And he became a lion. Then, after walking a little, he said:
—I'm going to use the feather to walk faster, and he said: “Goodbye, eagle.”
And he turned into an eagle and flew and flew and flew and fell into the seven Milin
towers and a girl said:
—What a pretty little eagle! Grab it for me, daddy!
And the giant who was his father said:
—Who's going to catch that animal at this hour?
But as the girl struggled so much, the giant grabbed her and said:
—Lock her up tight so she doesn't get away.
Then at night the little eagle said:
—“Goodbye, ant.”
And he became an ant. He entered through an opening in the door and when he reached the
girl's bed, he said:
—“Bye, man.”
He turned into a man and pinched the girl and she screamed and said:
—There's one in here!
And he said:
—“Goodbye, ant.”
And he became an ant. He entered the cage and said:
—“Goodbye, eagle.”
And he became an eagle. The giant stood up and saw no one in the room.
After a while he came back to where she was and she screamed at him again.
The giant got up and found no one, and he said to him:
—If you scream again I'll give you a plan that will make you fall apart.
And the giant's wife said:
—Wouldn't it be the little eagle?
The giant went to the cage and said:
—No, man, no. If that one arrives tomorrow it is a lot because it is sad.
So after they fell asleep, the little ant went to the girl's bed again and said:
—Don't be scared, it's me, Juan, tell me, what do I have to do?

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 —As you were lucky enough to get here, who knows, you may be lucky enough to
overcome everything. Tomorrow I'm going to let you go so you can stretch your legs and you
can go to the river to see if you can kill the porcupine, which is the giant. Inside the porcupine
there is a pigeon and inside that pigeon there is an egg. You take out that egg and when the
giant comes out you smash it on his forehead and you will make this whole castle.
So the next day the girl said:
—I'm going to let this little eagle go so it can stretch its legs.
And the little eagle ended up in the river, where he said:
—I'm going to prepare myself in case the porcupine comes.
And he said: “Goodbye lion.”
And he became a lion.
Then the porcupine came to wait for the cattle, and he said to him:
—We have to fight.
The porcupine said to him:
—We have to fight.
In the middle of the fight the porcupine says:
—We are exhausted. How I need a glass of wine and a piece of meat to beat you on two
legs!
And the lion said:
—I really need a glass of water and a kiss from a girl to win you over right away.
A girl who heard those words was amazed and went home and told about it.
And he said:
—Mom, the cattle is complete. If they ever got around to it again, I would dare to give that
lion water and a kiss.
And the mother said to her:
—Yes, daughter, if you dare, go tomorrow, who knows, they might get angry again.
The next day the girl went early and approached that place. She saw the lion come out
when the porcupine came and the lion said to her:
—We have to fight.
The porcupine said:
—We're on fire.
And she approached where the fight was. When they went to rest the porcupine said:
—I really need a glass of wine and a piece of meat to beat you on two legs!
The girl approached the lion and when the lion said:
—How much I need a glass of water and a kiss from a girl!
She jumped up and gave the lion the kiss and the water. Then the lion killed the porcupine
and said:
—“Bye, man.”
And he became a man. He opened the porcupine and a dove that was inside flew out. And
he said:
—“Goodbye eagle.”
And he turned into an eagle, flew out, and grabbed the dove, opened it, and took out the

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little egg that was inside. He went to the Milin tower and when the giant came out to eat him,
he threw the egg and killed him.
He became the owner of that entire castle and of the girl who loved Juan so much, although
he did not even know her.

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CHILI

Page 32
 The tree of the three golden apples

AND This was an old king, very rich and powerful, who ruled a vast country full of
resources and very populated.
This king had three sons, beautiful, strong and brave, loved by all the people and
even more by their parents, whom they respected and loved with idolatry.
The king and his family lived in a sumptuous palace, at the foot of which there was an
orchard planted with all kinds of fruit trees of the most select and varied species; but its
principal ornament was an enormous and beautiful apple tree, whose crown towered over all
and could be seen from far away.
Its silver trunk and bronze leaves were the admiration of all who saw it.
An ancient legend linked its existence to the fate of the kingdom.
This prodigious tree produced every year three golden apples, which ripened successively
on the first three nights of January; but for three years someone had been breaking into the
orchard and stealing them just as they were ripe, and it had not been possible to catch or even
see the wretch who stole them, in spite of the infinite precautions taken to prevent his entry,
and of a numerous guard, armed to the teeth, stationed around the tree for those three nights.
Shortly before twelve o'clock an irresistible sleep took hold of everyone and they did not wake
up until the next day, when the fruit had already disappeared.
The king was deeply distressed by this misfortune, which was a very great one, since, as
has been said, the fate of the kingdom depended on the wonderful apple tree.
Once, on the last day of the year, when the king was surrounded by his sons and all the
great men of the court, he said:
—Tomorrow at midnight the first golden apple will ripen, and for the fourth time the
mysterious thief will come and steal it. Is there not among you a brave man who would hinder
his entry?
The king's eldest son approached the throne and, kneeling before his aged father, spoke
thus:
—My lord and father, I intend to wait for our enemy and not let myself be overcome by
sleep, and however strong it may be, to defeat him and drag him chained to your feet.
"Go on, son," replied the king, "and may God grant you success in your undertaking."
The prince retired to his rooms, and although it was not later than 2 p.m., he went to sleep,
so as not to be sleepy during the night. At about 11 o'clock he woke up, and arming himself
with powerful weapons, he went to the orchard and sat at the foot of the apple tree to wait for
the thief to arrive.

When the palace clock struck the first stroke of twelve, the garden was illuminated with
such a bright light that the prince, as if struck by lightning, lost his sight and fell to the ground

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in a faint.
The next day they found him lying there as if dead, and on the tree they saw only two
golden apples: one had been stolen.
At the council meeting that day, the incident was discussed amid cries of vengeance; but
no one, except the second son of the king, volunteered to keep watch that night and make an
example of the unknown personage who had proposed to put an end to the tranquillity of the
kingdom.
But man proposes and God disposes, and things did not turn out according to the prince's
wishes. The events were repeated in the same way as the previous night, and the next morning
they found the prince lying on the ground, unconscious and blind. There was only one apple
left on the tree.
The deepest consternation was painted on all faces. In the council no one dared to speak; it
seemed that everyone had lost the use of speech.
But behold, the third prince, a young, beardless boy of about eighteen years of age, came
forward to the throne, and prostrating himself before his father, spoke as follows:
—My dear Lord and Father, it pains me to see you sad and to contemplate my brothers in
the miserable state in which they have been left. It pains me to see the people overcome with
fear and all of them without spirit or courage for anything. I wish to put an end to this state of
affairs; I want peace to return to everyone, and I hope that God will give my arm enough
strength to defeat the common enemy and restore tranquility to everyone. Give me your
blessing, bless my weapons too, and may God help me.
With his eyes filled with tears, the king blessed the prince and also blessed the weapons
that the latter placed at his feet. The prince then, asking the king's permission to leave, left the
room with a calm step, went to his chambers, where he prayed until about 12 o'clock, when,
armed with nothing more than his bow and an arrow (the weapons his father had blessed), he
went to the orchard with the confidence that he would win.

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Page 35
 Shortly afterwards he heard a noise, like that of a large bird flying at a short distance, and
when the clock struck the first stroke of 12, the orchard was illuminated with a very bright
light. But the prince, instead of looking immediately towards the tree of the golden apples, as
his brothers had done, humbly prostrated himself and, only after invoking the name of God and
asking for his help, took up the bow and placed the arrow on the string. In the glow of the light,
which had grown considerably dimmer, the prince could see an enormous eagle with golden
feathers, which had on its shoulders a very beautiful princess, held by the waist with a golden
chain, the end of which the eagle held tightly with one of its paws, while with the other it tried
to grab the only apple that remained. At the precise moment that the bird caught it, the prince
shot the arrow that wounded the leg with which the bird had just taken the apple.
The eagle gave a cry of pain, dropped the apple, which the prince quickly picked up, and
fled. But before that, the princess plucked a golden feather from the bird and threw it to the
young man, shouting:
—Keep it, it will help you find me.
When the prince returned to the palace with his trophies, he was received with the greatest
transports of joy. The king was beside himself with joy, for like everyone else, he feared that
the same misfortune that had so cruelly struck his brothers had befallen the prince.
Once the young man finished recounting the adventure, he told his parents that he wanted
to go and conquer the beautiful princess, and to kill the eagle to free the kingdom from the
misfortunes that this monster could cause.
The king gave him permission to attempt this new enterprise; and the young man, who was
in a hurry to depart, for the memory of the princess had half disturbed him, quickly arranged
his travel arrangements, and, unaccompanied by anyone, set out along the first road he found
on his way.
So he wandered about at random for days and days, asking everywhere if anyone knew
where the eagle with the golden feathers could be found, but no one gave him any news.
One day, while he was very sad and pensive, because time was passing and passing
without making any progress in his errands, he was suddenly taken out of his meditation by the
hubbub that a few children were making in a ditch at the edge of the road. He went over to see
what was causing the noise and saw that the boys were poking a large frog that was lying on its
back on the ground. The prince rebuked them for their cruelty, punished them gently and
forced them to leave. He then took the frog and hid it some distance away in the grass so that if
the children came back they would not find it.
He walked for several more days, following paths and crossing forests where he found no
one, until finally he came to a hut that stood on the banks of a stream. At the door sat a
pleasant-looking old lady, calmly drinking her mate, which she had prepared herself. The
prince greeted her kindly and asked if she could tell him where he could find the eagle with the
golden feathers and the princess he had imprisoned. The old woman replied that she could
surely give him some news that would interest him, but that it was good for him to get off the
horse so he could have some mate and rest. The prince agreed to the old woman's wishes, who
made him a good mate with lemon verbena leaves and orange peels, and then led him to a room
where there was an excellent bed, which the prince, who had not rested in a bed since he had

Page 36
left the palace, found softer and more pleasant than the one he had in his rooms.
The prince slept like an angel of God, and the next day he woke up comforted and happy
and with a greater desire to continue the adventure. He thanked the old woman for her services,
gave her some of the provisions he was carrying, and begged her to give him the news he had
offered. The old woman said to him:
—Young prince, you have been good to me, you have a kind heart, for you take pity on the
misfortune of others, and I want to pay the debt I have incurred with you, as far as my power
reaches, and reward your virtue.
The prince did not understand what the good woman was saying to him, and thinking that
perhaps she was referring to the provisions she had given him, he said to her:
—Madam, the lodging you have offered me and the good night I have spent in your house
are worth a hundred times more than the poor provisions I have left you; so I am always your
debtor.
—That is not my debt. Do you remember, prince, that frog that some children were poking
in a ditch and whom you saved? Well, that frog is me, who by now would have perished at the
hands of those evil boys if you had not taken me from their power. I am grateful and will pay
my debt in the best way possible. In a palace far away from here lives a giant sorcerer, very
evil, and my enemy. He is the one who holds the princess you are looking for prisoner, and he
is also the one who, transformed into an eagle with golden feathers, goes every year to steal the
apples from your father's orchard from the wonderful tree. These apples are what keep his
power, and since he only managed to steal two in his last foray, his power will only last for the
first eight months of this year; besides, the feather that the princess plucked from him has
diminished his strength, which has also been diminished a little by the wound that you inflicted
on his leg and that has left him lame. If you wish to wait until the eight months are over, it will
be no more difficult for you to win the princess than to defeat the giant in an ordinary fight,
man to man, and you will be sure that, with the means I provide you, you will emerge
victorious; but if you wish to rescue the prisoner and kill the enemy of your country, you will
have to run many and great risks, despite the strength that the giant has lost, for his power is
always great and he is surrounded by fierce auxiliaries.
"I would rather run the risk," said the prince, "and finish this enterprise once and for all,
even if I perish in the fight."
—You will not perish, but you will have to endure great hardships. Follow the path that
begins here, in front of my hut, and after three days of walking you will reach the house of a
one-eyed witch, eviler than gall and a beloved gossip of the giant: this is the first advance party
that you have to defeat. When you arrive, you will find her sitting at the door, with her back to
the road. You will approach her, taking care that she does not notice you, and when you reach
where she is, try to put the golden feather that the princess threw to you in her right eye, and
she will be blinded. Then you will seize an axe that she keeps behind the door and that will
serve you to defeat the wild beasts that guard the giant's palace, to fight with this same giant
and to defeat him and to cut the chains that imprison the princess. You will also take a flask
that the witch has on a side table in the first room on the right; the water it contains is virtuous,
and to take advantage of it you will put the golden feather in it and wash the burns and wounds

Page 37
caused by the monsters guarding the palace. In the same way, when you return to the palace,
you will cure your brothers' blindness. If any unforeseen misfortune happens to you, remember
me and I will rush to your aid. Now go, and may God help you.
The prince set off in high spirits, and after three days of almost continuous walking, the
horse stopped a short distance from the door of a modest house, in which there was a woman
sitting on a floor, with her back to the road. The prince got off his horse and, walking very
quietly on tiptoe, approached the woman and stuck the golden feather into one of her eyes; but
unfortunately he made a mistake, because instead of putting it in the right eye, which was
healthy, he stuck it in the left eye, which was one-eyed. The woman, feeling wounded, went
into the house and quickly returned bringing a little water from the flask with which she
sprinkled the prince, saying at the same time: "Go back, mongrel." And the prince immediately
turned into a dirty, despicable little dog. The woman immediately grabbed a club and gave him
one of the most famous beatings ever recorded.
The prince fled into the house with his tail between his legs, howling pitifully.
How the poor man regretted his mistake! All is now lost! Goodbye, princess, parents and
brothers!
But suddenly he remembered the old woman's last advice and began to say very quietly, so
that they would not hear him: "Little frog, little frog, remember this poor prince!" And almost
at the same moment as he finished these words, he saw the frog at his side.
The frog jumped and whispered in her ear: “Don’t worry, let’s wait for the witch to sleep
and then she will pay for what she has done and what is yet to be done.”
After about two or three hours, they approached the door of the room where the witch was
sleeping and heard her snoring loudly. Then the frog turned into the old woman that the prince
had met three days before and, saying some unintelligible words, the prince stopped being a
dog and took his natural form. The golden feather served to open the door of the witch's
bedroom without making a sound; and then the prince took the axe that was behind the door
and dealt the witch such a blow on the neck that her head was separated from her shoulders.
The old woman took the flask and told the prince that she would accompany him so that no
new misfortune would happen to him. They left the house, and in the moonlight the prince saw
two horses, his own, which he mounted, and another, which the old woman mounted.
They set out on their journey, and when it was already daylight, the prince saw, very far
away, on the top of a high mountain, a kind of castle. The old woman told him: “This is the
giant’s palace, whom we will defeat with God’s help.”
They continued to advance, and when they were about a league away from the palace, a
deafening noise of mewing, barking and terrifying roars reached them, as if thousands of wild
beasts were simultaneously uttering their threatening cries. Anyone would have recoiled in
fear, but our travelers continued on their way undaunted.
The horses had gone another half league when a rather serious impediment stopped them
for a moment: the beasts were no longer content with their cries, but at the same time threw out
from their snouts and nostrils thick jets of liquid fire that reached our travelers and almost
burned them. But the golden feather soaked in the water from the flask worked wonders, not
only magically curing the wounds that the fire had caused, but also making them immune to

Page 38
further burns.
They were then able to advance without worry; but before they reached the palace gate
they had to cross a long stretch of ground occupied by a multitude of lions, tigers, serpents,
demons, and other wild beasts and monsters, servants of the giant, who were ready to tear the
two intruders to pieces or to let themselves be torn to pieces by them rather than allow them to
reach their master.
But the prince, armed with the axe found in the witch's room, and the old woman,
brandishing the golden feather soaked in water from the flask, were able to defeat, albeit with
some difficulty and causing some wounds, their powerful enemies, who were left lying lifeless
on the field.
Now they were in the presence of the giant, who, seeing them approach, raised his heavy
iron crutch, capable, not of killing a single Christian, but of finishing off a large army.
The prince advanced towards him without fear, and once the giant had him within reach,
he dropped the crutch with such force that more than half of it penetrated the ground. The
prince, as soon as he noticed the giant's movement, dodged the body and, raising his axe,
brought it down on his enemy's healthy leg, cutting it as if it were cheese. The monster, unable
to stand, fell flat on his face, and the prince, running hastily, cut off his head with an axe blow.
The princess was freed in a moment; with a gentle blow of the axe the golden chain that
bound her was cut and she was able to throw herself into the arms of her liberator.
The prince loaded all the riches he found into the carriages and horses that were in the
palace itself, and immediately they all set out for his father's kingdom. Thanks to the art of the
old woman, who had rendered him such good services, in a few hours they arrived at the
entrance to the capital. There the old woman said goodbye to the prince and princess and, after
advising them to always be good and virtuous, the only way to achieve happiness, she
disappeared from their sight. The old lady was the Virgin.
The prince was welcomed by all with great joy and proclaimed the savior of the country.
His brothers regained their sight using the golden feather and the water from the flask.
The marriage of the young prince and princess was one of the most celebrated events.
Great feasts were held for the people, who enjoyed themselves merrily, and I attended them
and drank much and ate more than a chilblain.

Page 39
ECUADOR

Page 40
 The bunny and the frog

AND In a city there was a little rabbit who had a little frog as a friend.
Meeting on the same day, they make a proposal to each other.
The rabbit says to him:
—Let's bet on the races, let's see which of us wins.
And the proposal was accepted, and the race was scheduled for the third day.
They each went home and the little frog had the idea to tell his friends what had happened:
—I have this proposal to win the race. What I do? I want to beat the rabbit.
One of them says:
—We will accompany you and make you win the race.
—But how, if it's a league's journey? —asked the little frog.
"It doesn't matter," the others answer.
—Tomorrow when it's your turn to run, we'll put one on each block.
And when the race began, the rabbit and the little frog said:
~At one, at two, and at third…
The rabbit shoots out. Before reaching the block, he turns back to see the toad and doesn't
see it. He says “It's behind us now”… He keeps running. When he reached the block, one meter
away, he saw the little frog in front of him. Tired, he says:
—I have to win the race.
And the race continues again. This is what the rabbit did until he reached the goal, with the
little frog always triumphing. And the rabbit is disappointed to see that the little frog always
beat him. How was this?
The little frogs celebrated the triumph of their friend and companion with a banquet,
leaving the rabbit disillusioned.
Colorín, colorado, this story is finished.

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Page 42
SPAIN

Page 43
 The rooster

AND This was a rooster that was going to his uncle Perico's wedding.
Going along the road, he found a pot and said to himself:

—Should I bite or not?

If I bite I get my beak dirty and if I don't bite I die of hunger.
What will I do?

At last he bit and stained his beak.

He walked and walked and found a mallow and said:

—Malva, clean my beak

I'm going to my uncle Perico's wedding.
-I don't want to.

Later he found a sheep and said:

—Sheep, graze on the mallow,

that the mallow did not clean my beak, that I am going to my uncle Perico's
wedding.
-I don't want to.

Later he found a wolf and said:

—Wolf, eat the sheep,

that the sheep did not feed on the mallow,
that the mallow did not clean my beak, that I am going to my uncle Perico's
wedding.
-I don't want to.

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Later he found a dog and said to him:

Dog, run to the wolf, the wolf did not eat the sheep, the sheep did not graze the mallow,
the mallow did not clean my beak, I am going to my uncle Perico's wedding. -I don't want
to.

Later he found a stick and said to it:

—Stick, hit the dog, the dog did not chase the wolf, the wolf did not eat the sheep, the
sheep did not graze the mallow, the mallow did not clean my beak, I am going to my uncle
Perico's wedding.
-I don't want to.

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2212

Page 46
Later he found a light and said to him:

Fire, burn the stick, the stick didn't hit the

dog, the dog didn't chase the wolf, the wolf
didn't eat the sheep, the sheep didn't graze
the mallow, the mallow didn't clean my
beak, I'm going to my uncle Perico's
wedding. -I don't want to.

Later he found water and said:

—Water, put out the fire, the fire did not

burn the stick, the stick did not hit the dog,
the dog did not chase the wolf, the wolf did
not eat the sheep, the sheep did not graze
the mallow, the mallow did not clean my
beak, I am going to my uncle Perico's
wedding. -I don't want to.

Later he found a cow and said:

—Cow, drink the water, the water did not

put out the fire, the fire did not burn the
stick, the stick did not hit the dog, the dog
did not chase the wolf, the wolf did not eat
the sheep, the sheep did not graze the
mallow, the mallow did not clean my beak,
I am going to my uncle Perico's wedding.

Page 47
PHILIPPINES

Page 48
 The king crab

S It is commonly said that the lion is the king of animals, but when this happened, it was
not like that. It is true that the lion was always the king of animals, but only of the large
land animals. The whale was the king of the sea animals, and the crab was the king of all the
tiny inhabitants of the land and rivers, and even animals much larger and more powerful than
the crab were under his command, such as snakes, turtles and frogs. But everyone feared the
crab's powerful claws and obeyed him submissively.
The crab, in view of the healthy fear that he inspired with his claws, abused his power and
dictated a series of laws that irritated his subjects. One of them was that while he was sleeping
no one could make the slightest noise to disturb his sleep.
The subjects, tired, decided to revolt, and one day, while his powerful majesty was
sleeping, the frogs began to croak and laugh very loudly, so much so that he woke up upon
hearing the commotion. He immediately called the dragonfly, who was his messenger, and
ordered the frogs to appear before him to inquire into the cause of his laughter.
The frogs apologized for having woken the king and said:
—We laughed because of the turtle, who has a ridiculous figure with his house on his back.
The crab sent the dragonfly to find the turtle, and when he saw her, he asked her why she
was carrying her house on her back.
"I carry my house on my back," answered the turtle, "because the firefly gives off fire, and
I am afraid that my house will burn down if I am away."
The king then sent for the firefly and wanted to know why it gave off fire.
The firefly answered:
—The mosquito is to blame. He spends all day after me, trying to sting me and stun me
with his buzzing, and I throw fire to scare him and protect myself.
Then the king, now angry, called the mosquito and asked him why he was tormenting the
firefly.
The mosquito, instead of answering, began to buzz around the crab, and, darting towards
him, bit him on the forehead. The crab, furious at the mosquito's shamelessness, hit it on the
forehead and killed the little animal.
The other mosquitoes, upon learning what had happened to their companion, joined
together to make war on the king. The crab, frightened by the cloud of mosquitoes that was
approaching him, made a hole in the ground with his claws and hid in it.

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Page 50
 The mosquitoes, disappointed, remained buzzing around the hole, waiting for the king to
come out so they could attack him; but the crab did not dare to come out, and since then he
lives in holes that he digs in the ground.
Mosquitoes gather around every hole they see, trying to spot the crab, but to no avail.
And meanwhile, the small animals of the land and the rivers were freed from their king
who tormented them.

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GUATEMALA

Page 52
 The maiden who deceived everyone

AND This is the story of a maiden, daughter of a lord named Cuchumaquic.

This news reached the ears of a maiden, the daughter of a lord. The father's name was
Cuchumaquic and the maiden's name was Ixquic. When she
She heard the story of the fruits of the tree, which was told by her father, and she was amazed
to hear it.
—Why shouldn't I go see that tree they're talking about? —the young woman exclaimed.
The fruits I hear about must certainly be tasty.
Then she set out alone and arrived at the foot of the tree that was planted in Puc-bal-Chah.
—Ah! —he exclaimed— what fruits does this tree produce? Isn't it wonderful to see how it
has become covered with fruit? Will I die, will I be lost if I cut one of them? —said the maid.
Then the skull that was between the branches of the tree spoke and said:
—What do you want? These round objects that cover the branches of the tree are nothing
more than skulls - thus said the head of Hun-Hunahpú addressing the young woman. Do you
perhaps want them? —he added.
"Yes, I do," the maiden replied.
"Very well," said the skull. Extend your right hand here.
"Good," replied the young woman, and raising her right hand, she extended it towards the
skull.
At that moment the skull released a jet of saliva that landed directly in the palm of the
maiden's hand. She quickly and carefully looked at the palm of her hand, but the skull's saliva
was no longer on her hand.

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 —In my saliva and my drool I have given you my offspring (said the voice in the tree).
Now my head has nothing on it anymore, it's nothing more than a skull stripped of flesh. Such
is the head of the great princes, the flesh is the only thing that gives them a beautiful
appearance. And when men die, I am frightened because of their bones. Such is the nature of
children, who are like saliva and drool, whether they are the children of a lord, a wise man, or
an orator. Their status is not lost when they leave, but is inherited; the image of the lord, the
wise man or the orator is not extinguished or disappears, but is left to their daughters and the
sons they engender. This is what I have done with you. Come up to the surface of the earth, for
you will not die. Trust my word that it will be so, said the head of Hun-Hunahpú and Vucub-
Hunahpú.
And everything they so rightly did was by order of Huracán, Chipi-Caculhá and Raxa-
Caculhá.
The maiden immediately returned home after all these warnings were given to her, having
immediately conceived the children in her womb by the sole virtue of saliva. And thus
Hunaphú and Ixbalanqué were conceived.
The young woman arrived home, and after six months had passed, her father, the one
called Cuchumaquic, informed her of her condition. The young woman's secret was instantly
discovered by her father, when he noticed that she had a son.
Then all the Hun-Camé and Vucub-Camé lords met in council with Cuchumaquic.
"My daughter is pregnant, gentlemen; she has been dishonored," exclaimed Cuchumaquic
when he appeared before the lords.
"All right," they said. Force her to tell the truth, and if she refuses to speak, punish her;
have her taken away to be sacrificed far from here.
"Very well, respectable gentlemen," he replied. He then questioned his daughter:
—Whose child is this that you are carrying in your womb, my daughter?
And she answered:
—I have no son, Father, I have not yet known a man.
"Okay," he replied. You are positively a whore. Take her to be sacrificed, Lords Ahpop
Achih; bring me the heart in a glass and return to the lords today, he said to the owls.
The four messengers took the vessel and left, carrying the young woman in their arms and
also carrying the flint knife to sacrifice her.
And she said to them:
—It is not possible that you kill me, oh messengers, because what I carry in my womb is
not a dishonor, but was conceived only when I went to admire the head of Hun-Hunahpú that
was in Puc-bal-Chah. So, you should not sacrifice me, O messengers! —said the young
woman, addressing them.
—And what will we put in place of your heart? We have been told by your father: “Bring
me your heart, return to the lords, fulfill your duty and attend to the work together, bring it
quickly in the glass, put your heart in the bottom of the glass.” Was this not what we were told?
What will we give him in the glass? We would very much like you not to die, the messengers
said.
—Very well, but this heart does not belong to them. Nor should this be your dwelling

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place, nor should you tolerate being forced to kill men. Afterwards, the real criminals will
certainly be yours and Hun-Camé and Vucub-Camé will be mine immediately. So the blood
and only the blood will be theirs and will be before them. Nor can it be that this heart is burned
before them. “Gather the fruit of this tree,” said the maiden.
The red juice flowed from the tree, fell into the glass and immediately formed a
resplendent ball that took the shape of a heart made with the sap that ran from that red tree. The
sap of the tree flowed like blood, imitating real blood.
Then the blood, or rather the sap of the red tree, coagulated there inside, and was covered
with a very bright layer like blood as it coagulated inside the vessel, while the tree shone
through the work of the maiden.
It was called the red scarlet tree, but (since then) it took the name of the Blood Tree
because its sap is called blood.
"On earth you will be loved and have what belongs to you," said the young woman to the
owls.
—Okay, girl. We will go there, we will go up to serve you; you, go on your way, while we
will present the sap in place of your heart before the lords - said the messengers.
When they arrived in the presence of the lords, they were all waiting.
—Is that over now? —Hun-Camé asked.
—Everything is concluded, gentlemen. Here is the heart at the bottom of the glass.
-Very good. Let's see, exclaimed Hun-Camé.
And taking it with his fingers he lifted it, the bark broke and bright red blood began to flow
out.
"Poke the fire well and put it on the embers," said Hun-Camé.
They immediately threw it into the fire and the people of Xibalbá began to smell it, and
they all got up and approached it and certainly smelled the very sweet fragrance of the blood.
And while they were thinking, the owls, the servants of the maiden, flew away in a flock
from the abyss to the earth, and the four of them became her servants.
Thus the lords of Xibalbá were defeated. By the maiden they were all deceived.

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HONDURAS

Page 58
 Theodora the coyote

L Theodora, who knew the secret of the demonic darkness, was the wife of a good man, one
of those simple and peaceful ones who quietly devote themselves to their small
agricultural tasks.
The couple lived very poorly, but despite this there was always an abundance of tasty food
in the kitchen, and the cook, who was Theodora herself, served her husband varied and juicy
stews.
He, amazed by these delicacies, asked his "better half" about the origin of the stews, but
she always answered evasively or told him that she bought them or that her friends gave them
to her; but her husband, despite his simplicity, had become suspicious, because he found it
difficult to explain how his wife acquired these foods, since she did not have the means to buy
them. Suspicions grew day by day, and then her husband began to watch her at night and
secretly follow her steps to find out the origin of that abundance of food.

The poor man was already despairing of ever achieving his goal. It was one of those many
nights when he saw his wife cautiously get up and heard her say a series of prayers that were
unknown to him in the semi-darkness of the little room.
He then saw her turn three times to the right and three times to the left, while she stuttered
her magic prayers, and slowly turn into a coyote.
Horrified by this transformation, he took refuge, trembling, in his shrine, stammering a
series of prayers, feverishly crossing himself and entrusting his soul to Saint Anthony and the
blessed Souls of Purgatory.
The next day he noticed that, as usual, there were chickens and hens and even a roast pig in
the kitchen, but when he questioned his wife, she could not give any reasonable explanation as
to how she had obtained the aforementioned animals.

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 The farmer continued to wait, watching his wife at night, and one of many times, making
use of the same magical tricks, she transformed into a coyote. He followed her very cunningly
and was able to see that his wife, who had become a coyote, was entering other people's
corrals, chicken coops and kitchens to get what she needed at home.

The good man, frightened that his wife was a witch of the aforementioned category,
decided to go to the village priest, to whom he told the details of his wife's transformation.
The priest, fulfilling his duty as a minister of Christ, gave her a cord of St. Francis and a
little holy water, so that at the precise moment when the witch, returning from her nocturnal
incursion, was once again transformed into a woman, he would give her three lashes with the
cord of St. Francis and sprinkle her with holy water, so that she would never again become a
coyote.
The husband carried out his task, according to the priest's advice, but unfortunately it
happened that when he returned from his foray, the coyote made its three ritual turns and was
already transforming into a woman again when the man, anticipating, gave it the lashes he had
been told to do and sprinkled holy water over the monster's body, for only the head and chest
were female, and the rest of the body was coyote. Therefore, while the sacred objects had the
predicted effects, the coyote's transformation suddenly stopped, leaving her body part woman
and part beast.

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 It happened, then, that the woman, not being able to recover her full form, and being
therefore unable to stay at home with her husband and son, threw herself into the woods where
she wanders eternally, as an example and punishment for witches and sorcerers.
It is said that on dark nights you can hear the pitiful howls of the coyote Teodora, saddened
and grieved by the abandonment of her husband and son.

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MEXICO

Page 62
 The three brothers and the frog

OR A rich milpero[7] who was the father of three sons, had noticed that his cornfield[8]
was being devoured day by day by some animal and he decided to hunt it, but he
never managed to even see it. Faced with his failure, he told his children that he was willing to
make his sole heir the one who would deliver to him, dead or alive, the animal that was causing
his ruin.
The youngest was the first to promise his father that he would bring him the destroyer of
the cornfield. But the father told him that the older ones would go first, and then he. His two
brothers mocked his promise, saying that a boy like him, with little brains and no judgment,
could not keep it.
The firstborn asked for a horse, a fine shotgun, good food and left for the cornfield on a
full moon night. Halfway there he stumbled upon a toad that was singing loudly on the banks
of a cenote[9]. As he felt tired, he stopped his horse, got off, tied it to a tree, approached the
cenote and said to the toad:
—It's clear that you're not tired, you're noisy, that's why you sing.
The toad answered:
—If you took me with you, I would tell you who is devouring your cornfield.
The boy answered:
—What do you know, little toad, you're only good at making noise! —and without saying
another word he picked it up and threw it into the water.
He mounted his horse again and continued his journey to the cornfield.
When he reached it he saw the recent ravages of the destroyer, but not the destroyer itself.
He spied all night, but the thief did not return that time. By dawn he was exhausted and angry;
he swore like never before and returned home. His father asked him what he had seen in the
cornfield. He said that it was only the damage caused by the cursed thieving animal, but he
could never see it because, although he spied all night, it did not return.
The old peasant replied:
—You lost. You will not be my heir.
It was the second son's turn. His father asked him what things he would take with him. He
asked for a shotgun, a backpack and something to eat and left. Halfway along the road he also
found the toad, who was singing next to the cenote, to whom he said:

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 —Shut up, little frog, I want to sleep on the banks of the cenote and you will take care of
me.
The toad replied:
—If you took me with you, I would give you something with which you could catch
someone who eats your cornfield.
The man replied:
"I don't need help," he said, and went to sleep. The toad took him by the leg and threw him
into the water.
When he woke up and saw what the toad had done, he took it by the leg, threw it into the
water and went off to the cornfield. When he got there he saw a large bird with colorful
plumage rising from the cornfield. He quickly raised his shotgun and fired, but he was only
able to catch a few feathers from the bird because his aim was off target. However, with the
feathers in his hand he felt satisfied, thinking that he could fool his father and brothers into
believing that they were proof that he had put an end to the thieving bird.
He didn't wait any longer and returned home. When he found his father and brothers, he
said to them laughing:
—I have caught the cornfield thief. Look at their feathers. I am the heir.
But the youngest pleaded:
—I don't agree, because you only bring feathers and not the person who wore them. I'll go
get the whole bird and bring it back - and he asked for a shotgun and a backpack with a little to
eat and left for the cornfield.
As he passed by the cenote he found the toad and addressing him he said:
—Toad, I will give you my food if you tell me who is stealing my cornfield and how I
could get it. Also, I will take you with me always and wherever I go.
The toad was very happy to hear the boy and showed it to him by saying:
—I am happy, boy, to hear you, and I only regret that your brothers did not listen to me,
and instead mistreated me, because evil will come to them and good will come to you.
And he added:
—In this cenote, deep in the water, there is a small stone, which can grant you whatever
you ask of it here.
The boy, very happy, asked:
—If I asked you for a girl to be my wife, would you grant her to me?
"Oh, I would not only give you a beautiful wife but also a large, beautiful house so that you
and she could be happy in it," was the little animal's response.
The young man therefore asked that he be granted the good fortune of soon having a
beautiful wife and a palace and of hunting down the person responsible for the destruction of
the cornfield. The toad assured him that everything would be granted and that all that was left
was for the two of them to go to the cornfield to catch whoever was destroying it.
They set off, but not before having eaten together. Shortly after arriving, they saw a large
bird with rich plumage flying and landing in the cornfield not far from them. The boy,
cautiously, with his gun ready, advanced to get closer to the bird, but when he was about to
shoot it, he heard it raise its head and say in a sweet voice:

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 —Don't kill me, young man, because I can be the owner of your heart.
The hunter, amazed, said nothing at first. He just dropped his gun and turned pale. The bird
then came to him, speaking to him again thus:
—Although I have the appearance of a bird, I am nothing but a girl to whom an evil witch
gave that figure because I did not want to be the wife of her son, a man as bad as his mother.
The surprised young man, remembering what he had asked of the little stone in the cenote
through the toad, his friend, and that the latter had assured him that it would be granted,
understood that this was the woman he had asked for and that she was given to him in that way,
and, drawing strength from his heart, he exclaimed:
—Oh, if what you say is true, come with me and my companion the toad. I'll take you
home and make you a woman again. I will ask you to marry me and I will offer you a big and
beautiful house where we both can live happily.
The bird agreed and returned home with her and the toad.
When he got home, his father and two brothers were amazed to see him in the company of
the strange bird and the toad, and even more so to hear him say:
—I bring the whole bird and not just its feathers; it ate the cornfield, but it is not a bird nor
is it to blame for appearing to be one; it is a pretty girl turned into a bird with showy feathers
by a witch who hated her because she would not marry her son. She will be a woman again
because I have the promise of the little stone from the cenote to grant me a beautiful wife and
she will be one. The toad, my friend, helped me to have this happiness.
That said, he added:
—With your help, little frog, she will be a woman again and tomorrow the promise of
having a big and beautiful house will be fulfilled.
The toad sang and, as the bird disappeared, a beautiful woman appeared in its place. She
thanked her saviors and promised to be the boy's wife.
The next day, when the light came on, everyone saw the big, beautiful house that had
miraculously been born. When they got married, the little frog lived with them and sang,
always remembering the day she met the good boy.
The envious older brothers wanted to cause harm to the house and its owner, but they
failed and, full of shame, they fled, leaving the victor rich and happy.

NICARAGUA

Page 66
 The wax-footed dove

AND
its leg.
This was a little dove whose leg broke and fell off. An angel from heaven put
wax on it, and so it went to sit on a stone overheated by the sun, which melted

—Rock, are you so brave that you melt my little paw?

And the stone answered:

—The sun that warms me is braver. Then the little dove went to the sun to ask him:
—Sun, are you so brave that you heat the stone, the stone that melted my little paw?
And the sun answered:
—The cloud that covers me is braver.
The little dove flew to ask the cloud:
—Cloud, are you so brave that you cover the sun, the sun that warms the stone, the stone
that melted my little paw?
And the cloud said:
—The wind that blows at me is braver.
So the little dove went to ask the wind:
—Wind, are you so brave that you blow away the cloud, the cloud that covers the sun, the
sun that warms the stone, the stone that melted my little paw?
And the wind answered:
—Braver is the wall that resists me.
The little dove asked the wall:

—Wall, are you so brave that you resist the wind, the wind that blows away the cloud, the
cloud that covers the sun, the sun that warms the stone, the stone that melted my little paw?

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 And the wall answered:
—The mouse that makes holes for me is braver.
And the little dove sought out the mouse to ask him the corresponding question; the mouse
answered that the cat was braver because it ate him; the cat that the dog was braver because it
made him run away; the dog that the man was braver because it subjected him to his dominion;
and the man said that the bravest was God who dominated all the creatures of the universe.
And when the little dove heard this, she went to look for God to praise and bless him; and
God, who loves all his creatures, even the tiniest, caressed the little dove, and just by loving it,
gave it a new leg with a bone, skin and nails. And that's it, pon, pon.

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PANAMA

Page 70
 The value of friendship

AND STA Once upon a time, a humble old woman lived with her three sons. They
were very happy, until the lady fell ill and was already dying, because all the
healers in the town had come to cure her, but none of them took away her illness.
One of the sons brought in an old healer, almost forgotten by the village. When she arrived
and saw the lady, she said to her children:
—This lady has very few days left to live and the only way to cure her is by drinking the
water of life.
The eldest of the lady's sons said:
—I'll be the one to go find that remedy.
The old healer told her that it was okay, that she would tell her where that fountain of life
was. He told him:
—You have to cross many mountains, bring down many dragons, and if they called him,
he should not turn back, and if he met one, he should not refuse to do favors for any of them.
So it was, and the next day the oldest, whose name was Juan, left. When they reached a
ravine, an old woman was crying and seeing Juan she said to him:
—Good boy, are you in a hurry? Please do me a favor and take me to the other shore.
When John saw her, he said to her:
—What do you think, old woman, that I'm made to carry you?
And he went on his way; the old woman, disgusted, cursed him.
Night fell and Juan was still on his way. He had already crossed the mountain of gold and
the mountain of silver. The next morning, as he arrived at Dragon Mountain, he heard someone
calling him. He, not wanting to obey the old healer's advice, looked back again; at that moment
he turned into a stone.

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 Two days passed and Juan did not return, and then Miguel said:
—I'm going to get that water.
And the next day he set out, but the same thing happened to him as to John. Two more
days passed and Pedro, seeing that Miguel and Juan did not come, decided to leave. The old
healer gave her the same advice.
The next day, very early, Peter left. When he reached the ravine, he saw the old woman
crying and said to her:
—Good boy, are you in a hurry? Please do me a favor and take me to the other shore.
Seeing this request, Peter said to him:
—I'm in a hurry, madam, but I'll do you the favor of taking you across the ravine.
So he did.
When they reached the other side, Peter took the lady down and she asked him:
—Doesn't your back hurt?
The boy said to him:
—Yes, ma'am. Look how my back is all cut up and bleeding. Look at my clothes. But it
doesn't matter, I already did him that favor and I like having done it for him.
The lady called him and gave him a stone so that she would grant him the favor. Pedro
thanked the lady and left. He crossed the mountain of gold and the mountain of silver, and
when he reached the mountain of the dragon he felt that he was being called, and, remembering
the advice of the old healer, he did not look back.
He continued on his way; when he reached the dragon's mountain, one appeared to him
and the dragon was coming towards him. Peter remembered the stone and asked him to cut off
the dragon's seven heads, and so it happened. Peter crossed the mountain and when he reached
the other side he heard an immense noise: it was the water of life, and he asked the stone to
grant him the wish of being able to reach where the water was, and so it was. When he reached
the stream, he met an eagle, who said to him:
—Peter, take this jug that is in the corner, take some of that water and drink. Take it with
you if you wish, and as you go along, sprinkle drops of water wherever you go, and do not look
back until you have reached your home.
And so Peter did, and he scattered the drops of water along his path.
There was an hour left for Pedro's mother to die if she didn't drink that water, and when
Pedro arrived, he was half a minute away. Entering the house, the old healer says:
—It's about time, boy, your mother doesn't have much time left to live; get a glass and get
out of here.
Pedro went to look for the glass and gave it to the old healer.
She gave her the water, saying some strange words, and the old woman came back to life;
she was as good as new.
Then the old healer says to Pedro:

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 —Look out the door and you will see that God will reward you by giving you goods and
fortune.
When Peter looked up, he saw a crowd, and among them were John and Michael, to whom
he had given life, sprinkling drops of the water of life.
After a while, Pedro married and was very happy, fulfilling the words of the old healer.

PARAGUAY

Page 74
 The mocked jaguar

S "I am the strongest and most intelligent among animals," said the jaguar [10] boastfully.
There is no one who can match my cunning, nor whose strength and endurance can
compare with mine. I am the monarch of the jungle, and not in vain do all beings fear me.
A cicada (ñakyra) that, from its seat on a branch, was watching the jaguar, and that had
interrupted its sharp whistle to listen to its boastful words, said maliciously:
—You may be the strongest of the animals, even though Brother Mboreví (tapir) claims
otherwise; but in terms of intelligence and resistance to fatigue, there are many who equal you
and some who surpass you.
—You insignificant insect! —the jaguar roared angrily—, you must prove the truth of your
words or I will have you banished from the jungle forever.
"All right," replied the grasshopper, "I myself am more resilient than you, and I will prove
it to you if you are willing to submit to a test for the necessary time." The one who falls asleep
first or lets himself be overcome by hunger or thirst will be the least resistant. Then, if you
want, I will show you that I am the smartest. Here are the brothers Ká i Mirikina (monkey) and
Aka'e (magpie) who can serve as witnesses for us.
The jaguar accepted the challenge and the endurance test began, with the monkey and the
magpie taking turns as observers and witnesses.
After long hours of wakefulness, the cicada, taking advantage of a moment when the
jaguar was trying to free himself from a swarm of flies that were driving him crazy, slipped out
of its shell, which, as is known, it changes periodically.
Leaving him hanging from his perch on the branch, she stealthily retreated to refresh
herself with the juice of a juicy pakuri tree nearby. Then he came back with the same caution
and precaution, hid behind his own skin and lay down to take a nap.
Time passed; the jaguar was dying of hunger and thirst; but his rival, or rather, his rival's
empty shell, continued to stare at him imperturbably without even blinking or showing the
slightest sign of weakness or fatigue.
Finally, the jaguar gave up and furtively disappeared into the undergrowth.
Since then, the jaguar never dares to show itself in the light of day for fear of being
mocked by the monkey and the magpie, who, if it dares to show its snout, fill the jungle with its
shrill cries. That is why it became a nocturnal animal, remaining well hidden in the
undergrowth until the sun disappeared.

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PERU

Page 77
 The puma and the fox

AND It happened that a big and very wise fox was doing a lot of harm in the
valley. It ate the pumpkins in the fields and destroyed the crops, to the point
that the farmers decided to hunt it down. After much effort, they surrounded him and he was
taken prisoner. They put a chain around his neck and, tied like that, one of the country folk
took him home. He planted a thick stake under the branch and tied the fox there.
Very early in the morning, before going out into the fields, as a matter of obligation, the
farmer would give the fox a good beating and then head towards his green corn fields.
One night a puma came down from the mountains. He was hungry, as bad weather was
blowing through the mountains. Sniffing, he crept cautiously along, when suddenly he
stumbled upon the fox. The puma, surprised, stared at him, but the fox did not move.
—Brother fox, what are you doing tied up there?
—Here where you see me I spend my easy life —answered the fox. Every morning they
feed me birds and tender fruit, and since they promised me I would marry the daughter of the
owner of this farm, they have tied me up as insurance.
The puma was amazed and, comparing his difficulties, he envied the fox's comfortable life.
"However," continued the fox, "I am not happy, I long for my freedom, and, moreover, I
do not wish to marry." My betrothed is young and beautiful, but she is ignorant of my customs,
and here I must be bound until she gives her consent to the marriage. If I were to find someone
to replace me, I would change places.
It didn't take long for the puma to make up its mind and it quickly untied the fox, who ran
off across the fields.
The next morning, very early, the cholo took his club and, without noticing the change,
began to beat the puma. The puma began to shout after the blows: "I am ready to get married. I
am willing…!” People came to the howls and together they beat the puma until it broke the
chain and fled through the hills.
A long time passed and one day, on the back of a hill, a puma and a fox met. The puma
launched itself roaring to devour the fox, but the latter shouted:
—Listen to reason! I acknowledge my bad behavior, but what's done is done, we must
unite and together take revenge on the man.

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 The puma agreed. Together they prowled for many nights, until one night they made a
magnificent haul. Dragging the prey, they climbed up the valley and after a long walk the fox
said:
—We must cross the river so that the tracks are lost. I will swim the dead sheep to the
other side. When the loot is safe, I will throw sticks into the river, as a bridge, so that you can
cross the river.
It is well known that pumas fear water and rarely venture to swim.
When everything was on the other side, the fox shook off the water and happily began to
shout:
—Slobbering puma, sit there and wait for me to make you a bridge —and without waiting
any longer he began to devour one sheep after another. The blood stained the river water and
the smell of fresh meat reached the puma as far as the other side.
And a long time passed again and one day at dusk the puma spotted the fox who was
scratching the ground of the pampas. He went down the hill, with great leaps, and soon found
him.
"I'm going to devour you," he said, "for being false and for being a coward!"
The fox was unfazed and continued digging. The puma roared again:
—I'm going to devour you.
Then the fox answered:
—I fear nothing now, I am making a place to crawl into, for the end of the world is
approaching; if you devour me, you will not be able to save yourself, for my work has only just
begun.
Then the puma began to tremble, he instantly understood the danger, and without saying
anything, he began to eagerly help the fox.
First they gathered a large quantity of stones, then they continued to dig the hole, and
placed the stones over it, like a dome. The fox also arranged a large number of thorns among
the stones.
When everything was ready, he stayed outside waiting for the end of the world to arrive.
A long time passed and finally the fox began to shout: “Here he comes! “Here it comes…”
And he gave a great push to the stone roof which collapsed, burying the puma.

PORTUGAL

Page 80
 Beautiful White

H Once upon a time there was a very rich man who was a widower and who had a very
beautiful daughter named Linda Blanca; she felt very sorry for being so pretty, because
everyone loved her.
She asked her father to give her a blue and ashen dress. The father gave it to him. Then she
asked him to give her a silver-blue dress. She had the dress ready. He asked for another blue
and gold one, and the father did as he wished.
Linda Blanca had a magic wand, so she asked it to turn her ugly right then and there.
Dressed in a fur coat and a very ugly mask, she left home with the intention of working as a
maid.
She arrived at a palace where at that time a single King lived, and there she stayed to serve
as a maid. At that time the inhabitants of the city gathered together to celebrate a great festival
that would last three days.
Linda Blanca asked the Queen for permission to go to the party.
The Queen said to him:
—Ask my son for permission, for he is the only one who rules.
She went to ask permission from the King, who was putting on his boots.
He said to her:
—Look, I'm throwing this boot at you.
After the King left for the party, Linda Blanca said:
—My wand, prepare a carriage for me, for I want to go to the party.
He dressed in blue and ashen clothes and left. When the party was over, she tried to run
away. The King and the other lords followed her, but only the King was able to take her by the
hand, while he asked her:
—What land are you from?
And she answered:
—I'm from the land of the boot.
And he ran away. When the King arrived home, she was there as usual. The next day, he
again asked the King for permission to go to the party, but the King told him:
—Look how I hit you with this stick.
Linda Blanca was dressed in blue and silver. When she got there, everyone was delighted
to see her. At the end of the party, the King, falling at her feet, asked her:

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 —Where is the lady from?
And she replied:
—I'm from the land of the vergajo.
On the last day, she went to ask permission to go to the party. The King had the towel in
his hand and replied:
—Look, I'll hit you with the towel.
Linda Blanca this time was in blue and gold. As he left, the King, taking his hand, asked
him:
—What land are you from?
And she answered:
—I'm from the land of the towel.
The King did not understand what she was saying, and he was very sad because he did not
know where that beautiful lady was from. So great was his sadness that he asked his friends to
come and walk in the palace square. Linda Blanca, who was already aware of the King's grief,
dressed in the first dress of the party and looked out of a window.
A friend of the King saw her and said:
—Oh, what a beautiful face I saw in a palace window!
The King looked, but saw nothing. He headed towards the palace, and addressing the
Queen, he said:
—Who's here outside?
"Nobody," replied the Queen, "just the usual people."
The second day, although she was wide-eyed, at one moment when she was not looking,
she appeared in the second dress and only the King's friends saw her. He ran to the palace, but
the Queen Mother told him the same thing as the day before.
On the third day, the king was very attentive and then he saw the same lady from the
previous day, with the blue dress decorated with gold branches. Running quickly he managed
to grab Linda Blanca by the hem of her golden dress and said to her:
—I order you to clarify all this.
She obeyed, and then the King was able to see the lady he had loved so much on the day of
the party. Linda Blanca told him the reason for all this, and for three days the wedding
festivities were celebrated.

And the one who says it is here.

Whoever wants to know should go there.
Butter slippers.
They slip, but they don't fall.

PUERTO RICO

Page 83
 The Three Crows

AND Once upon a time there was a boy who was called Juan Bobo because he was
half-witted, a drone, and stupid.
One day his mother sent him to the town to buy three things: meat, molasses [11]
and some needles.
Juan Bobo saddled the mare with the baskets and went to the town to carry out the task. He
bought the molasses and put them in the baskets; the meat and the needles were also put in the
baskets with the molasses.
Juan Bobo returned home and brought meat full of molasses, but he brought neither
needles nor molasses. Both things had been lost along the way, especially the molasses, which,
in addition to being eaten by an immense number of flies that accompanied Juan Bobo, had
been constantly seeping through the fabric of the baskets.
When the Fool arrived and the mother saw what the stupid boy had done, she hit him and
said:
-Animal! You are an animal! How are you going to pour the molasses into the baskets and
want it to get here? And the needles! They had to get out through the holes; you are nothing but
a brute; you cannot be ordered to do anything.
—Mom, don't worry —said Juan Bobo. The young ladies in the black cloak ate the melao,
but tomorrow I'm going to report them to the judge.
—Stop your nonsense, Bobo; you're dumber than all the other fools. If it weren't for the
fact that I need you, I would have already thrown you out of this world, because you are
useless; on the contrary, you are a burden.
—Mom, don't worry; tomorrow I'll report the young ladies in the black cloak.
—Now go and ask the comae[12] for the three-legged pot to make a stew with the meat. But
move on, I can't waste time.
Juan Bobo went to the restaurant and asked for the pot. This was one of those cauldrons
that were used before, made of iron, with three legs and very large.
Juan Bobo grabbed the pot and went out with it. Going along the road that led to his house,
he put the pot on the ground and said to him:
—Look, I'm tired of carrying you, you have three legs and you can walk better than me.
Walk ahead, I'll follow behind.
And as the pot remained in the same place, he said to her:
-What's the matter? Don't you know the way? Well, I'm going ahead; follow me.
But the pot didn't move.
—Lazy, that's what you have; you're lazy; you like me to carry you on my shoulder and
not to walk. Well, that's nice, that you have three legs and I have to carry you with two. No, sir,
you have to walk.
And with a stick or club that he carried, he hit her furiously and pushed her with his feet.

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 —Come on, come on, lazybones; move on, mom is waiting for us.
But when they came to a place where the road divided into two paths, on the way down the
hill, Juan Bobo took the lazy pot and, placing it on one of the paths, said to it:
—Hey, you take this way and walk as fast as you can. I take that little path and walk very
quickly. Let's see who gets there first, you or me.
"Well, here we are," shouted Juan Bobo from the other road. At one, at two, at three.

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 And feet, what do I need you for? Juan Bobo was going downhill and no one could catch
him. Tired, he arrived home and immediately went to his mother and asked her:
—Mom, has he arrived yet? Arrive?
—But, boy, who arrived?
—The pot, mom, the pot. We set out to see who would arrive first.
—Juan Bobo, I'll kill you; today, I'll kill you. Don't be stupid, boy. Go, go quickly and get
me that pot, shouted the furious mother.
The Fool, furious and full of fear, went up the hill and took out the insults his mother had
said to him on the pot.
—You see, lazy girl. You have no consideration. It's your fault that Mom was going to hit
me; she almost caught me if I hadn't come quickly. Now I'm going to get even with you; you
should be ashamed, you with three legs and I with only two, and yet I got there first.
Saying this to him, she kicked him.
Since the sidewalk was on a slope, the momentum it received from the kicks caused the
pot to roll down the hill.
—What, you're running now? —said Juan, following him. Were you scared?
Juan Bobo and the lazy pot finally arrived.
Early the next day Juan Bobo spoke to the judge.
"Your Honor," he said, "I accuse the young ladies in the black cloak of having eaten the
syrup."
—Who are these ladies? —the judge asked.
"Those, those very ones you see there," he replied, pointing to a few flies that were
standing on a table.
—Ah! the young ladies in the black cloak; you mean the flies.
—That's right, that's it. They took my honey. And I want revenge or to get paid.
—Juan, listen to what you're going to do —said the judge, full of laughter. Wherever you
see one of those ladies, with that same club that you carry, you hit them immediately and kill
them. It's very simple, right?
—Very well, Your Honor.
And at that very moment, boom!, he landed a huge blow on the unfortunate judge's head.
A young lady in a dark cloak had stopped over his bald head.
Juan went to jail, but even there the provocative young ladies in the dark cloaks did not
leave him alone.
The story is over and rice with molasses; ask my companion to tell me another one that is
more savory.

Page 86
THE SAVIOUR

Page 87
 The Sumpul Tiger

AND was there. Black under the branches, the sinister face dotted with moonlight.
He could be clearly distinguished by the three guara feathers[13] that he wore on
his forehead; he was the Tiger of Sumpul, that solitary and lost river that drags itself under
rocks and among roots, the river of crimes that has been stained so many times with blood and
has heard so many cries of anguish and pain. River of corpses and bones!
Right there, that man who was hiding behind the trunk of that gnarled tigüilote [14], had
robbed the travelers and had fertilized its banks with blood. It was of Mayan origin. He had
grown up in the mountains, in the high mountains of Chalatenango, where the Pipil
confederation had stopped the advance of Ulmec imperialism. From the upper Cayaguanca to
the gloomy Sumpul, he had traveled committing crimes.
On the side of the road he burned a mixture of “tapa” (datura) leaves and tobacco, the
smoke from which produced sleep, delirium and instant physical weakness; he made his
victims fall by means of this violent poison, daturine.
Who knows why he was now in Pipil lands. And he was still the same criminal as before.
It was quite late at night.
The silence magnified the noise of the running lizards.
And some footsteps were heard, muffled by the dust on the path. A young man was
advancing. An Indian beloved by all the people, Malinalli (twisted grass). In the moonlight he
could be seen, with the valuable chichintor skin cloth he always wore across his chest; he came
distractedly, singing an old song, already close to the fatal tigüilote.
Behind the gnarled trunk, the Sumpul Tiger prepares his blowgun, a long reed [15] with
which he shoots poisoned darts. He takes aim, and as Malinalli passes in front of the tree, he
blows into the blowgun.
And the young man fell. The poison, perhaps too old, did not produce an immediate effect,
because the Indian was able to defend himself for some time without being impeded by
nervous paralysis. After a short struggle, the Tiger of Sumpul took out an obsidian blade, and
under Metxi's innocent gaze, he plunged it into his victim's chest. Blood flowed out, staining
the floor, and with a violent gesture he tore off the chichintor skin fabric he was wearing on his
chest.

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Page 89
 And he walked away from the place.
Malinalli's disappearance caused much sorrow in the town.
Everyone assured that he would be avenged by his nahua [16]: a furious Masacuat snake,
which, according to some, bore the mark of a large white spot on its black back.
Time passed.
The Sumpul Tiger had fled from Pipil lands, frightened by the frequent encounters he had
with a long Masacuat with a white spot on its black back. It is now on the Cayaguanca rock.
It was night. The moon was walking over the silent forest. A cold air came from the
neighboring mountains.
Along the edge of a steep hillside, among a sparse group of trees, walked a man with an
arrow on his shoulder. On the trunk of a gnarled tigüilote, the moon drew on the ground the
shape of a moving branch. The man moved forward, and as he passed in front of the tree,
something elongated and quickly coiled around his neck. A scream was heard. There, against
the tree, was a man pressed against the trunk.
Suddenly he was free.
And down the bare slope a corpse rolled.
Three guara feathers could be seen on his forehead.
He rolled, he rolled down the bare hillside, under the childish gaze of the moon.
A snake came out of the trunk.
He slid quickly down the path.
A large white spot could be seen on its black back.

Page 90
SANTO DOMINGO

Page 91
 The seven-colored horse

AND This was a father who had three sons. That father's life was in a grass, and
every day the seven-colored horse came and ate his life; and this caused
seriousness to the father.
The father told his eldest son that he had to catch the animal that was eating the grass,
which was his father's life. The son bought a lyre, a hammock and a paper of pins. He began to
sing and fell asleep and could not see the animal that was devouring the life of his father, who
was dying.
The second one said:
—Since my brother fell asleep and couldn't catch the animal, I'll catch it.
He did the same as the other, but he also fell asleep and did not see the animal that was
destroying the good father's life daily.
The youngest son did the same, and was lucky enough not to fall asleep and catch the
seven-colored horse. The little horse begged him to let him go, promising not to eat his father's
life again. Juanico told him no, that he would take him to his father. The little horse told him
that when he got to his father's house he should let him go, because his father would kill him.
—I'll be ready with a saddle and a bridle, and you can go with me to eat dirt.
So he did and they left. When they were not running on the ground, they were flying,
because the little horse was flying. One time when they were flying, Juanico caught a feather in
the air and showed it to the little horse. The little horse told him that he would cry many tears
for that feather.
They arrived at a town and stayed with a king. The queen fell in love with Juanico and
constantly made him fall in love, but he refused and told her no, because the king would get
angry; that he did not do that to the king.
She, to take revenge for the contempt he had shown her, told the king that Juanico said that
he dared to take the bird by the feather that he had in his hat. Then the king called Juanico and
said to him:
—Is it true that you say that you dare to look for the bird with that feather in your hat?
"I didn't say it," he said, "but if you want, I'll do it."
He went to the little horse and started crying. The little horse asked him what he had, and
he told him that the queen had told the king that he was going to get the bird with the feather.
"You see, Juanico," said the little horse, "that I told you that you would suffer for that
feather." Get on and let's go.
They left, and came to a lagoon where there were many poisonous birds. The little horse
said to Juanico.

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Page 93
 —Don't get involved, you're lost.
And they went to another lagoon, and the little horse said to him:
—Take the bird there, but when you see yourself in a hurry, call me.
Juanico went into the lagoon and all the birds fell on him.
When he was already in a very hurry he said:
—Little horse of seven colors, where are you? It's worth it!
The little horse came and said:
—Why didn't you call me? Take the bird and let's go.
They left and took the bird to the king.
Then the queen, more in love than before and more disdained than before, told the king
that Juanico said he dared to take the female. The king called him again and said:
—Go and find her.
Juanico returned again to the little horse. He asked him what was wrong and he told him
what was wrong.
—Didn't I tell you, Juanico, that you were going to cry over that pen? Get in and let's go.
They left and reached other lagoons. The little horse told him that if he saw the animals
with his eyes open and if he seemed in a hurry to call him.
He went in and all the birds fell on him, and he was almost dead when he remembered the
little horse and said:
—Little horse of seven colors, help me!
The little horse immediately appeared and asked him why he didn't call him.
—I just didn't remember, as tormented as I am.
Finally they left with the female bird.
And when the queen saw that he had taken her, she fell in love with him even more, and
seeing that he had scorned her, she told the king that Juanico said that he dared to rescue a
daughter that the Moors had stolen from him on one occasion. The king, although he doubted
it, sent for Juanico and asked him if what they said about him rescuing his daughter was true.
"I haven't said it," said Juanico, "but if you want, I'll rescue her."
She went to cry where the little horse was, and he said to her:
—Let's go, Juanico, I'll take you to get that girl.
They flew away, they flew, they crossed the sea and they arrived. When they were flying
in the city, the girl saw him and fell in love with the little horse.
—Look, dad, what a nice little horse, buy it for me!
The father asked her if she could sell it to him or rent it to her. Juanico said that he would
neither rent nor lend it, that if he trusted her, what he could do was ride with her.
They raised a proclamation to gather the people together to take care of her. They
mounted, and the little horse took flight and carried the girl away. They shot at her with
cannons and rifles and no bullet could hit her.
Juanico fell in love with the girl and spent the whole journey making love to her, and when
he passed her a ring, it fell into the sea at the moment they were passing through. When they
arrived, the queen was even more in love with him. Then he went to the king and said to him:
—Husband, Juanico says, he dares to bring us the ring that fell into the sea.

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 When the king told Juanico to bring him the ring, he went back to cry at the little horse's
side. He asked him what was wrong, and he told him what was happening to him.
—Grab a rope, a machete and a sheet and get on and let's go.
When they reached the sea, the little horse told him to kill him. Juanico told him:
—How do I kill you, little horse? How do I kill you?
—Kill me and tie me up well in the sheet, so that not even a little piece of me comes out,
tie me up with the rope and throw me into the sea, saying: “Little seven-colored horse, I'm fine
here.” “Seven-colored horse, I’m fine here.” Like this until it comes out.
When he was very busy saying: “Little horse of seven colors, help me here. "Little seven-
colored horse, help me here," the little horse appeared behind him and said:
—Look at me, Juanico, and look at the ring.
They left, and when they reached the king, they married him to the daughter, and the queen
was left without him. The king gave him the crown and Juanico became the king of that town.

Page 95
VENEZUELA

Page 96
 The honest thief

TO One morning, Juan was trotting along on his Rhea in the direction of the
mountains, humming one of his favourite milongas under his breath, when he came
across his cousin, Zorrillo, who had just come out of a nearby patch of grass, limping pitifully
and with his skin covered in cuts, bruises and peeling skin.
—What's wrong, cousin? —the Fox asked him, reining in his horse [17]. He was messing
around and got screwed?
—What else! —answered the person questioned, his voice trembling with indignation and
his eyes sparkling. You know that, although I have a reputation for being bad, I don't usually
provoke anyone. I always go out at night to earn my living and that of my family, and I return
to my cave before it starts to get light, in order to avoid problems with the neighborhood,
because there is always some snob who starts to get into trouble with you, and since I am a bit
quick-tempered and I can hardly stand fleas…
"That's how I like the crioyo," Juan approved enthusiastically, offering his interlocutor
some tobacco and husk[18]. Just chop and make thick, don't make compliments, we are just
family. And in the meantime, go on telling what happened to you. Who knows, I might not be
able to give him some leg to get even…
—Well, here's how it went, cousin —the Skunk began to say, while he slowly rubbed the
husk—: It turns out that last night I was walking around the pastures of Don Tigre's ranch,
when suddenly I came across that random Dog, who has now become a soldier, as you will not
have known...
—Yes, I already heard about that —Juan nodded. And, to be honest, I think the job fits
him like a glove. The damned guy always had a soldier's soul.
—Imagine it. Going around taking care of the field for the Tiger, who has been his enemy
since the beginning of time!… He needs a toupee, even! But the truth is that, as I was saying,
he got into my head last night[19], yelling at me to stop as soon as we confronted each other and
shouting that I was a spendthrift, and that he was going to teach me to respect private property,
and a whole bunch of other things of that sort. I retorted in kind, of course, because you know I
don't mince words, and then he grabbed the can and came at me in the smoke, telling me that
he was going to beat my balls with a stick for being insubordinate. He gave me a few blows
here and there, I'm not going to deny it, but that's what that guy's eyes must have looked like
too after the couple of sprays I had the pleasure of giving him.

Page 97
 97//3,

Page 98
 —And how on earth did you escape being put in the stocks, cousin? — the Fox asked with
lively interest, not missing a word of the story.
—Thanks to a mule cave[20] that was nearby, and in which I was able to win while my
opponent was rubbing his eyes. If it hadn't been for that, I wouldn't be here today, telling the
story.
—How things change day by day in our country, dear cousin! —said the Fox after a few
moments of reflection, who in the meantime had just devised a diabolical plan. Before, the
Creole was free to roam the eastern land as he pleased, without anyone asking him where he
was going, what he ate, where he got money for vices, or what he knew how to do for work.
Everything that was in the fields and mountains belonged to whoever grabbed it, and there
were no signs, no markings, no fences, no soldiers, nor any of those things that today ruin the
lives of the poor…
—The truth! —the Skunk confirmed in a melancholic tone. How mute this country is, my
friend!
—And woe to the one who lowers his neck and lets himself be trampled! —Juan
continued. We must toughen our backs like you do, cousin, and not let up on those above us
even as much as a chimango's step. And when I say those above, I mean those who have
money, because money is the cause of all these evils. In your case last night, for example, do
you think that the blame lies with that sycophant Dog? Well no sir! The only one to blame is
the Tiger, who, having stolen his pastures with ill-gotten gains and believing that the others are
rogues like him, finds it necessary to call the police to keep an eye on them. Take my advice if
you want to do justice, my dear cousin and friend: it is the old Overo[21] and not the Dog that
you should collect that little bill from…
—Do you know you're right? I hadn't thought of that," said the Skunk after a brief pause. I
admit that I am not very bright and that I am not good at splitting hairs, as they say... But, after
all, what can I do against the Tiger, as big and strong as that bandit is?
—Leave it to me, I have to find a way to fix things properly. If you really want to get even,
come with me and do exactly what I tell you. Unless I'm scared, of course...
—Am I afraid? No one has been born in the world capable of adjusting to me! —the
Skunk said in a friendly manner.
—Well then, climb on our backs and we'll go right now. But hold on tight, because my
horse has a bad temper and sometimes he gets the urge to kiss…
A moment later, both of them were trotting along, dwarfed, despite the noisy protests of
the Rhea, who, with his gullet empty, was in a terrible mood and did nothing but grumble
continuously, saying that he was not a “nag [22] patriot,” so that everyone would stand on his
back.
When they reached the royal road, Juan reined in his angry carriage at a bend near the Tatu
grocery store[23], and dismounting, he said to the Skunk:
—Let's camp here, cousin, while Long Legs sneaks off to the bar [24] and gets us an empty
bag. While you're at it, buy something to tide you over, you glutton, he added, turning to the
Rhea and handing him a couple of reales. But move your prawns quickly, because I have a
feeling that Godfather Tiger will soon be sticking his snout out there.

Page 99
 Spurred on by the promising prospect of swallowing something, which was the only
constant concern in his life, the mosquito ran at full speed towards the grocery store.
A few minutes later he was back with the bag, which Juan examined carefully, holding it
up to the light to see if it was intact and tugging hard to make sure it was strong.
"Godfather Tiger crosses here every morning," explained the Skunk as he performed the
operation. I believe he is going to the ranch of Doña Lechuza, the healer, who is treating him
for a broken rib he suffered last month, when the poor thing tried to learn to fly and his wings
failed… But it seems to me that he is already close because I hear the alarm bells ringing from
my friend Terutero. Prepare yourself, cousin, and follow my orders silently if you want this to
turn out well.
He had hardly finished speaking when he saw the Tiger appear on a steep slope, riding his
deer as always, with his silver and gold hardware shining in the sun.
—Get in here in the bag and don't move, cousin! —John ordered. And when I give the
command "aúra!", you proceed, just as God commands.
His order having been carried out, the Fox turned his back to the road, and pretending not
to notice that the Tiger was approaching at a long trot, he put his snout into the bag and began
to exclaim in astonishment, as though he were contemplating some prodigy.
Upon noticing the presence of his enemy so close, within reach of his whip, the Overo
dismounted and approached with the greatest caution, licking his mustache with pleasure at the
unexpected possibility of catching him and giving him, at last!, the long-awaited beating.
—You fell, you outlaw[25]! —he shouted, grabbing his ruff and raising his “platiao.” Not
even Mandinga can save you from this mess!
—Do whatever you want with me, godfather! —Juan stammered as he tried to hide the bag
behind his body. Beat my back with sticks, heal me alive, if you like, but don't take this beauty
from me! I ask you for the love of godmother Tigra, poor thing, who is so good! Don't take it
away from me!
—Brave thing! And what junk are you hiding there?
—A magical girl, who instead of eggs, gives birth to ounces of pure gold! Every time you
look at her, she puts one. But you have to look at it with your eyes open and fixed, because if
you blink it loses its virtue. Leave it to me, godfather! Why do you want it if you have money
to spare?
—Bring that bag over here and shut your mouth, you miser! —roared the Overo with a
trembling voice and eyes shining with greed. And snatching it away with a sudden tug, he
quickly plunged his head into it, eager to verify the miracle.
—Hurrah, cousin! —John then shouted.
And the fetid and corrosive jet with which the Skunk greeted him was so accurate that the
Tiger, blinded and bellowing in pain, fell backwards and began to roll desperately in the grass,
while his "godson" said to him between loud guffaws:
—Look what you earned for being ambitious, godfather! But next time, you know: buy
some goggles and a bottle of Florida water, just in case!…

Page 100
URUGUAY

Page 101
 The man, the tiger and the moon

AND The man went to the river to fetch water in a gourd.

When he returned home, he found the tiger had broken in and was sitting there on
the floor.
The man, thinking to defend himself, jumped towards the place where he kept his weapons
to grab the arrow.
The tiger laughed and said:
—I'm not stupid, Pemón. I know that you owe your power to the weapons you possess,
that is why I have destroyed them.
The man then saw that the tiger was sitting on the remains of his arrows and his shattered
axes.
"I have come," the tiger continued, "to show you that I am more powerful than you."
The animal stood up and walked outside, leading the man to a nearby bush. There they hid.
After a while, they heard flapping wings and saw a curassow [26] that flew in and landed on
top of a tree.
The tiger climbed the tree silently, grabbed the curassow by the neck and returned to the
man.
—Are you able to do that? —he asked her.

Page 102
 —Without arrows or blowguns I can't do it —the man answered.
They remained hidden. After a short time, they saw the mountain move and heard the
sound of footsteps. A tapir[27] appeared, walking in a straight line towards them.
The tiger made a great leap and fell upon the tapir. With a single swipe of his paw he left
her and then dragged her into the bush.
—Can you kill a tapir the way I killed this one? —he asked the man.
"No," he said, "I can't do it without weapons."
Then they went to the river bank.
The tiger began to tap on the water with his pink tongue.
Attracted, the fish came closer. When the time came, the tiger pulled one of them out with
a single swipe of its hand, caught in its claws.
"Without the necessary equipment, I can't do that either," the man muttered.
The tiger looked at him, and then said:

Page 103
 —Now it is your turn, Pemón, to also perform three feats. If I cannot imitate you, we will
remain friends, but if I carry them out, then I will devour you.
The moon was in the sky surrounded by clouds, the man looked at it and then said to the
tiger:
—Wait here for me, Kaikusé; I'll be right back.
The tiger, distrustful, growled:
—Don't try to run away, because if you do, I'll look for you and when I find you, I'll kill
you.

"Don't worry," the man said and walked away.

He went into the jungle, and when he was out of sight of the beast, he went around and
returned to his house through the back. He went in and looked for a casabe cake[28].

Page 104
 Then he looked at the sky and when he saw that the moon was hiding behind a cloud, he
returned to Kaikusé, to whom he showed the cassava cake, asking him:
—Do you know what this is, friend Kaikusé?
"I don't know," answered the tiger.
Pemón said:
—Look at the sky. Don't you see that the moon has disappeared?
The beast looked at the sky and then at the cassava cake.
—Ah! You caught the moon! —he exclaimed.
"Yes," said the man, and began to eat casabe.
The tiger, seeing the pleasure with which Pemón ate, said:
—It must be tasty to eat the moon.
The man gave the remains of the cassava cake to the animal, saying:
—Yes, it's good; eat.
In a moment the tiger devoured the entire casabe and was left licking his lips.
"It's a pity it's over," he murmured.
"It doesn't matter," said Pemón. Now another moon will rise.
—And will I be able to catch it?
—Naturally, the same way I got mine.
—And how did you manage to catch up with him?
"Very simple," the man explained. I climbed up into the treetops and jumped over to her.
The moon emerged from behind the clouds in which it had hidden and began to race across
the sky again.
As soon as the tiger saw her, he quickly climbed the highest tree. There he crouched down
and, staring into the face to improve his aim, he finally made the great leap, but he did not
reach the moon, but fell headlong and crashed to the ground against a stone.
The man took the fish and the paují home, and also dragged the tiger and the tapir home.

Author's note

From the great variety of folk tales that have been made known by eminent
folklorists from all over the Ibero-American world, we have selected the tales that we
found most beautiful, funny and meaningful. For the most part, they are taken orally,
during field work, and on other occasions they are reworked literarily, as in the case of
the story of “The maiden who deceived everyone”, from Guatemala, or that of “The
magic hen”, from Uruguay, or that of “The Tiger of Sumpul”, from El Salvador.
In all of them the expression is cultured, despite their popular origin, since it has
been decided to transmit them in a unified language. Only “The Magic Hen,” from
Uruguay, reflects the Creole language. Certain local words also reflect the place of
origin of the stories.

Page 105
 We will mention the most valuable collections, most of which are out of print, from
which these stories come: “The Sower, the Tiger and the Fox” (Argentina), by Berta
Elena Vidal de Battini, “Popular Stories and Legends of Argentina”, National Council
of Education, Buenos Aires, 1980; “The Little Rokhoch” (Bolivia), by Hugo Molina
Viaña, “Selection of Bolivian Stories for Children”, Popular Children’s Library, La
Paz, Bolivia, 1969; “Uncle Rabbit and Dead Aunt Fox” (Colombia), by Euclides
Jaramillo Arango, “Tales of the Rogue Uncle Rabbit”, Ed. Iqueima, Bogotá, Colombia,
1950; “Uncle Rabbit and Aunt Boa” (Costa Rica), by María Noguera, “Old Tales”,
San José, Costa Rica; “The Fisherman's Son” (Cuba), by Samuel Feijoo, “Tales of the
Wake” from the book “Guajira Wisdom”, Central University of Las Villas, Havana,
Cuba, 1965; “The Tree of the Three Golden Apples” (Chile), by Ramón A. Laval, “Folk
Tales of Chile,” Cervantes Printing Press, Santiago, Chile, 1923; “The Little Rabbit
and the Little Frog” (Ecuador), by Paulo Carvalho Neto, “Ecuadorian Folklore
Magazine,” No. 1, October, 1965; Ecuadorian House of Culture, Quito, Ecuador; “The
Rooster,” Journal of Dialectology, 1948. Madrid; “The maiden who deceived
everyone” (Guatemala), title that we have given to chapter III of the second part of the
book “Popol Vuh”, from Guatemala, Ed. Casa de las Américas, Havana, Cuba, 1969;
“The Coyota Teodora” (Honduras), Bulletin of the National Library and Archives, year
III, no. 6, Tegucigalpa, Honduras, 1943; “The Three Brothers and the Frog” (Mexico),
by Alfredo Barrera Vázquez, “Mayan Tales”, Mexico, 1947; “The Little Dove with the
Wax Leg” (Nicaragua), by José Antonio Lezcano y Ortega, “Folk Tales”, Editorial
Centroamericana, Managua DN, Nicaragua, 1942; “The Water of Life” (Panama), by
Mario Riera Pinilla, “Folk Tales of Panama”, Ministry of Education, Panama, 1956;
“The Mocked Jaguar” (Paraguay), by Paulo Carvalho Neto, “Folklore of Paraguay”,
Editorial
University, Quito, Ecuador, 1961; “The Puma and the Fox” (Peru), by Antonio Jiménez
Borja, “Peruvian Folk Tales”, Lima, Peru, 1937; “Juan Bobo” (Puerto Rico), by
Rafael Ramírez de Arellano, “Puerto Rican Folklore: Stories and Riddles Collected
from Oral Tradition”, Center for Historical Studies, Madrid, 1928; “The Seven-
Colored Horse” (Dominican Republic), by Manuel José Andrade, “Folklore of the
Dominican Republic”, University of Santo Domingo, Ciudad Trujillo, Santo Domingo,
1930; “The Tiger of Sumpul” (El Salvador), by Miguel Angel Espino, “Mythology of
Cuscatlán”, Ministry of Culture, San Salvador, El Salvador, 1955; “The Magic Hen”
(Uruguay), by Serafín J. García, from the book “The Adventures of Juan the Fox”,
Creole Fables, Montevideo, Uruguay, 1963; “The Man, the Tiger and the Moon”
(Venezuela), by Rafael Rivero Oramas, “Tricolor” Magazine, Caracas, Venezuela;
“The Macaque and the Tail” (Brazil), by Silvio Romero, “Popular Stories of Brazil”,
1885 (original title “O macaco eo rabo”, translated by Carmen Bravo-Villasante);
“Linda Blanca” (Portugal) by Teophilo Braga “Traditional Stories of the Portuguese
People” (original title “Linda Branca”, translated by Carmen Bravo-Villasante); “The
Crab King” (Philippines), by Leonor Agrava and Araceli Pons García, “Philippine
Legends”, Madrid, 1955.

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CARMEN BRAVO-VILLASANTE. Born in Madrid. She earned her doctorate from the
Universidad Central with her thesis “Women Dressed as Men in Golden Age Theatre.” As
a writer she has published numerous biographies : “Life of Bettina Brentano”, “Biography
of Juan Valera”, “Life and work of Emilia Pardo Bazán”, “A romantic life; La Avellaneda”,
“Life of a poet: Heinrich von Kieist”, “ETA Hoffmann”, “Galdós” and “Puschkin”.
As an essayist and researcher, her Stories and Anthologies of Spanish, Ibero-American
and Universal Children's Literature deserve special mention, for which she won the
National Literature Prize in 1979 ("History and Anthology of Ibero-American Children's
Literature." Everest Publishing, 1987).
He is a member of the Hispanic Society of America.

CARMEN ANDRADA, ILLUSTRATOR

Born in Madrid. He studied Philosophy and Literature at the University of Madrid, where he
met a group of young painters who channeled his artistic concerns. After completing his
university studies, he dedicated himself to teaching literature. Her teaching work, in permanent
contact with the concerns of children and young people, means that she directs her artistic
production towards the world of children's literature and illustration.
He has illustrated books for the following publishers: Miñón, Espasa-Calpe, Noguer, Emiliano
Escolar, Didascalia, Bruguera, Institute of Ibero-American Cooperation, Gondomar, Spanish
School and Gaviota Editions.
She has participated in national and international illustration exhibitions: “Illustrations of

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children's books”, Zamora; Salon del Cuento y la Ilustración, Barcelona; Liber'83, Madrid; 7th
National Salon of Children's and Young People's Books, Madrid; Children's and Young
People's Book Fair, Bologna (Italy); Premi Catalónia, Barcelona; Otomi Memorial Art
Museum, Nishinomiya Itabashi, Tokyo (Japan); Children's illustration exhibition, Bratislava
(Czechoslovakia); “Imagination in stories” (Individual), Tarragona.
He won the National Illustration Award in 1983.

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Grades

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[1]
Chacra: Farm or farmhouse. <<

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[2]
Guatín; agouti: Rabbit. <<

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[3]
Pilatuna: Disappointment, trick. <<

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[4]
Zatatito; zacatillo: Name of various small grass plants. <<

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[5]
White-faced: A type of peccary, similar to the wild boar. <<

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[6]
Pejes: Fish. <<

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[7]
Milpero: Owner of the cornfield. <<

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[8]
Milpa: Name given to land used for growing corn. <<

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[9]
Cenote: Cave where an underground river returns to the surface. <<

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[10]
Guaraní word meaning jaguar: Jaguar. <<

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[11]
Melao; molasses: In the manufacture of cane sugar, syrup obtained by preparing cane
juice. <<

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[12]
Comae: Comadre. <<

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[13]
Guara: Parrot. <<

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[14]
Tigüilote: Name given in Honduras and Guatemala to an indigenous tree, whose wood is
used in dyeing. <<

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[15]
Carrizo: Common reed. <<

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[16]
Nahual: The animal that a person has as an inseparable companion. <<

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[17]
Pingo: A lively, running horse. <<

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[18]
Chala: Corn spathe when green or dry. <<

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[19]
Torzal: Loop or rope formed by one or more twisted strips of leather. <<

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[20]
Mulita: armadillo or armadillo. <<

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[21]
Overo: This refers to animals that have large yellow and white spots, in this case the tiger.
<<

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[22]
Matungo: Skinny, weak. It is said of old and weak cavalry. <<

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[23]
Pulpería: Shop where commonly used items are sold. <<

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[24]
Bowling alley: Poor store. <<

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[25]
Bandit: Bandit. <<

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[26]
Paují: A gallinaceous bird the size of a turkey (Quechua word). <<

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[27]
Tapir: Quadruped similar to the tapir. <<

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[28]
Casabe: Name given in Cuba to a fish from the Caribbean Sea that is about two
centimeters long, yellowish in color and has a crescent shape. <<

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