Papelucho goes on vacation, experiencing various adventures and encounters that highlight his curiosity and imagination.

Throughout his journey, he learns valuable lessons and enjoys his time away from home.
Marcela Paz

I knew that when I returned from vacation, Miss Fresia was going to give me a
I made a composition about the holidays. That's why I finished it before I left.
and it also turned out really cool for me, with sulfurous and space adventures.
To prevent myself from getting lost, I secretly hid it and wrote down the hiding place just in case.
I almost forgot; the bad thing is that I lost the notes forever...
Where will my homework be? Arriving at school:
-For homework, children, a composition about your vacation- shouted the teacher
Miss Fresia.
And at night, I dedicated myself to thinking and thinking about my lost homework or trying.
to invent guerrilla adventures that would make others envious
companions. But nothing!. Until I finally decided to write the pure truth,
even if it hurts.

Dad: Finally, we will go on vacation!

Mom: You won't cut your hair... You've been wanting to be for a while now.
Hippie... Dad: And who criticizes your quail bun?
Mom: Overall, at the camp, it's not necessary to have the
fashion. Me: Are we going camping? - I asked.
Mom: I dream of not having a watch and living without hours...
Me: That means we are going camping, he replied.

Paperucho's Dad and Mom wake up dressed as scouts, they look

quite bad because of how old they are. Both consider themselves team captains and
they have no idea about anything.
The ground is full of baskets, cloths, reeds.
etc. Hey (Papelucho): Aren't we bringing a tent?
question.
Dad: We will sleep outdoors, for
Done! Mom: What if it rains?
Dad: How could you think it's going to rain in the summer?
And we set off south in an enormous bus, with speakers and its own bathroom, sweets
Chileans and cheerful music.

We got off and walked heavily loaded with all the bags. In the first
we camped in the meadow, under the first tree.
Dad: Paperucho! Let's see if you clean the ground like a good scout.
Mom: Gather a bunch of sticks to make the fire! Bring stones.
Great! And put the bags of clothes aside!...
Dad: Help your mother organize the pots!
That's how I spent the rest of the day, just receiving orders.
And so it became night, good thing that dreams were invented by God for
to console ourselves from the disaster of what some call 'camp.'

Mom: Didn't I tell you to bring a tent? What a mess, Sir! What
Tragedy! We are soaking wet and have no shelter—she screamed hysterically.
Dad: Who would think it would rain at this time! But then it will dawn and
A radiant sun will come out that will dry everything.
Me: We must copy the monkeys and climb the trees – I said wisely.
And we climbed. Each on its branch, he said that the water did not reach him.
Suddenly, I spotted a car in the distance.
Me: Dad, a car! - my shout broke the sound of the rain.
Dad: Where, son, where?
Me: There! Over there! - I shouted, pointing with the only finger I could let go of.
rama.
Dad: There's nothing! You're dreaming... That's called a mirage, just like in the
desert.
Mom: I see it too! It's a car, perhaps a jeep...
Dad: Yes, you're right...! But it's not a car and it's not very far... It's some cat or
little animal climbed here on the tree.
We will have to scare it off or kill it. It could be a wild cat–he growled.
It's mine, I discovered it and no one can take it from me.
I just had to reach out my hand to catch it. It was so close to me. But
It wasn't a cat because it had no fur and was a bit cold. Right away I realized
I tell you it was a snake, but I'm not afraid of them; I just feel sorry for them.
because no one wants them.
It's gentle, dad.
Dad: Whether you like it or not, I'm going to kill him to be at peace. There's no argument about it.

in a tree... But suddenly the hook that held it broke and it

wine to the ground. He almost dragged us all down with him, but he didn't complain.

With the tremendous blow that the earth received when the Father fell, the rain stopped, but,
after a while dawn came and I stayed with the snake but I had to
hide it so that my dad wouldn't see it.

Dad: Now we will pack everything to find a spot near a river and make
a hut. This way we will have water and a roof.
Mom: Let's go back to the road and look for a hotel.
Soon, a black cloud appears, and once again the deluge descends.
Dad: Everyone take shelter wherever they can!
With the flood, nothing could be seen and everyone ran to hide possibly somewhere. I
I discovered a kind of little hut and took refuge with my little snake.
When it stopped raining, we left the shelter. No one was in sight, we were
alone, my snake and I.
We were the only two in the world and we were moving forward. With each step, the sound was heard.

closer some drums.

Suddenly we find ourselves in front of an Indian camp.
We watched them, hidden behind some bushes. They had the body
painted between hippie and zebra. They hung arrows and feathers, and not far away it burned
a campfire that smelled like burnt wood.
The Indians saw us and stopped drumming. The six Indians came closer to us.
we and they stared at us very intently.
"Hello!" I said to calm them down.
-Hello!- they replied in chorus, pointing their arrows.
Do you know how to speak Chilean?

- We are Chileans! They said - again in chorus, and thus we started becoming friends.
It turns out they weren't Indians but kids my age camping.

They had their own hut and didn't mind the rain because they had a great time.
They invited me milk, bread, and fruit.
We went out to fish for salmon in a river that was unknown to the whole world.
We grilled a salmon and it was delicious, so I devoured it in a second.
When night fell, we huddled in one of the tents and nothing happened.
of cold.

We woke up sweating. The sun was burning tremendously and it was noon because
the shadow remained beneath our feet.
We had sausages for breakfast and then we started planning a business.
good that had occurred to them.
This consisted of making a circus. And so we began to plan the matter of
circus. Each one knew some trick and those of us who didn’t know it started to
to practice. We had to go out to find a place to practice, so we rolled up.
on a pole to the canvas hut, we collected the equipment and loaded each one with
Somewhere, we set off through the jungle.

My body was painted like theirs, with many witch symbols and flowers
tracks. I was the snake charmer.
We were marching towards some village, shouting wild cries and drumming.
to attract our audience.
Soon, a grassy path widened until it almost seemed like a
path. It was the path of triumph!
We quickened our pace and spotted one trailer and another and another. What
happiness would have its people bored when they saw our wonderful coming.
circus. One had to be careful in case they were wild, but there was no one. Everything
desert, no people anywhere...
But suddenly we saw a trailer where there were ropes and a trapeze,
belts and even clown costumes.
An abandoned circus! - we all shouted at the same time.
Following the trail, we then spotted real people, an audience, way over there.
far away, the only thing we were missing.
There was a lot of varied public: children, elderly, women, and men.
Upon seeing us coming, they became very happy and their eyes sparkled. The audience was
motionless and as idiotic as before.
A fat man approached us making his lasso sound.
Who are they? Where do they come from?
We are the sensational Intramuscular Puma Circus! - I said.
Everyone sit in a circle and let the show begin!. Everyone obeyed and the
the track is done.
The clowns, their funny antics, somersaults, and jumps were
very boring. The audience was booing or laughing, and suddenly they started throwing things at us.

tomato peels and even stones.

So I stepped forward and announced my number: Ladies and gentlemen! –I said–. For the first time
The most famous snake, Don Bartolo, is presented to the public. But before
to present it, the audience must pay their ticket.
People started throwing coins at us, but at that very moment a man
the mustached one approached.
-Enough with the nonsense- he said- I am interested in the snake! It's not for sale!- he
I answered violently. -And besides, he is a snake.
-You have stolen the equipment from my circus- he said.-You will go to jail if you don't give it back.

snake.
I turned to Bartolo and looked him in the eyes asking him. He didn't stick his tongue out at me,
but hid in the speaking trumpet, and his head disappeared to
exit from the other side.
-Bartolo has decided not to- I said wisely.- It is for him that they are interested and he
does not want.
The mustached man wanted to get closer to fish Bartolo, but he spat at him.
face. The audience recoiled in fear.
We finally grabbed our gear and only took with us from
I remember the trumpet that they left lying around.

We walked for a long time in silence. There was so much to talk about that it was better not to.

to say it, and thus we began to lose sight of the enemy.

As I walked and walked, the family remorse came over me, that is, it came to me.
I remembered Mom, Dad, Ji (my sister) whom no one understands... And
I started falling behind to think of them calmly. Because maybe.
I would never see them again and it made me sad. My mother orphaned from
son, my father with his famous responsibility as a leader, my sister.
What to do? I had looked for them, they would have looked for me.
If the world were round, but still and did not spin, we would have already
found... A tear fell on my chest and I realized that almost
I was crying. Then I told myself: A man does not cry or get discouraged.
And so we arrived at a little forest where there was a hut made of clay and branches
with a thatched roof (tree leaves) quite messy.

We continue our journey with Bartolo and the others until we arrive at a
forest and we met a boy named Pellín, who was Mapuche, and the
Japo said: - We are a bit lost. Why don't you take us to your house?

The boy guided us along a path full of flowers to his house where he lived with
her grandmother. She was making some tortillas and offered them to us. They were super
hot ones that burned our hands but we devoured them while they were still warm,
while Pellín (Mapuche boy) spoke at full speed in his language that does not
I could barely understand. As soon as I finished one tortilla, I had another in the
hand.
Between the grandson and his grandmother, they arranged a soft corner of dry leaves and
the two got ready in another one, right nearby. It's hard to fall asleep when one is
tired, but it's harder to wake up the next day.
The Mapuche grandmothers don't have city-like quirks and don't even remember them.
of those rules about washing the face and teeth. I think that's why they have
teeth so white and even. When getting up, the only obligation is to gather
branches for the oven. One learns to toast flour and make ulpo, which is delicious and
filler.
We went out with Pellín and the others and met a man who was a fisherman.
I told him the story of my lost people and then he invited us to take us.
A foggy stroll, in case I found them.
The next morning, before dawn, we towed the boat to the
We put the basket inside and settled down to row in turns.
Suddenly I realized that Pellín was not there. I looked at the shore, and there he was.
divided with his little hand saying goodbye to us.
It was so nice to see the light melting the night and giving way to the sun that
it was getting tiresome to row so much.

It was also distressing to think that perhaps it had really come to an end.
vacation and we were going to know it all at once, upon reaching the shore..
The sun was scratching our ears and necks when we arrived in Niebla. A few
Fishermen friends of the old man took us to eat a soup at an inn.
of the beach.
That’s how my vacation ended after many adventures and adversities.
but, it was an unforgettable vacation
And despite having been without my family, I was able to find many friends, but,
the best was a tender and loyal snake.