{"product_id":"latin-american-folktales-isbn-9780375714399","title":"Latin American Folktales","description":"The wisdom and artistry of storytellers from Hispanic and Indian traditions preserve one of the world's richest folktale traditions—combining the lore of medieval Europe, the ancient Near East, and pre-Columbian America. Gathered from twenty countries, including the United States, the stories are brought together here in a core collection of one hundred tales arranged in the form of a \u003ci\u003evelorio,\u003c\/i\u003e or wake, the most frequent occasion for public storytelling. This is the first panoramic anthology of Hispano-American folk narratives in any language.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003ePart of the Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folklore Library\u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003ePreface xi\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eIntroduction 3\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003ePROLOGUE: EARLY COLONIAL LEGENDS \u003c\/b\u003e19\u003cbr\u003e1. Montezuma \/ \u003ci\u003eMexico (Nahua)\u003c\/i\u003e 22\u003cbr\u003e        I. The Talking Stone 22\u003cbr\u003e        II. Montezuma’s Wound 25\u003cbr\u003e        III. Eight Omens 26\u003cbr\u003e        IV. The Return of Quetzalcoatl 28\u003cbr\u003e        V. Is It You? 32\u003cbr\u003e2. Legends of the Inca Kings \/ \u003ci\u003ePeru \u003c\/i\u003e(\u003ci\u003eQuechua)\u003c\/i\u003e 34\u003cbr\u003e        I. Mayta Capac 34\u003cbr\u003e        II. The Storm 36\u003cbr\u003e        III. The Vanishing Bride 38\u003cbr\u003e        IV. A Messenger in Black 40\u003cbr\u003e        V. The Oracle at Huamachuco 41\u003cbr\u003e3. Bringing Out the Holy Word \/ \u003ci\u003eMexico (Nahua)\u003c\/i\u003e 42\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eFOLKTALES: A TWENTIETH-CENTURY WAKE \u003c\/b\u003e45\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003ePart One \u003c\/b\u003e49\u003cbr\u003e4. In the City of Benjamin \/ \u003ci\u003eEcuador\u003c\/i\u003e 49\u003cbr\u003e5. Antuco’s Luck \/ \u003ci\u003eChile\u003c\/i\u003e 51\u003cbr\u003e6. Don Dinero and Doña Fortuna \/ \u003ci\u003eDominican Republic\u003c\/i\u003e 56\u003cbr\u003e7. Mistress Lucía \/ \u003ci\u003eMexico\u003c\/i\u003e 57\u003cbr\u003e8. St. Peter’s Wishes \/ \u003ci\u003eCuba\u003c\/i\u003e 63\u003cbr\u003e9. The Coyote Teodora \/ \u003ci\u003eHonduras\u003c\/i\u003e 64\u003cbr\u003e10. Buried Alive \/ \u003ci\u003eCalifornia\u003c\/i\u003e 65\u003cbr\u003e11. The Three Gowns \/ \u003ci\u003ePuerto Rico\u003c\/i\u003e 67\u003cbr\u003e12. The Horse of Seven Colors \/ \u003ci\u003eVenezuela\u003c\/i\u003e 72\u003cbr\u003e13. The Cow \/ \u003ci\u003eNew Mexico\u003c\/i\u003e 78\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003ePart Two \u003c\/b\u003e81\u003cbr\u003e14. Death and the Doctor \/ \u003ci\u003eDominican Republic\u003c\/i\u003e 81\u003cbr\u003e15. What the Owls Said \/ \u003ci\u003eMexico (Mazatec)\u003c\/i\u003e 82\u003cbr\u003e16. Aunt Misery \/ \u003ci\u003ePuerto Rico\u003c\/i\u003e 84\u003cbr\u003e17. Palm-tree Story \/ \u003ci\u003eColumbia\u003c\/i\u003e 85\u003cbr\u003e18. Pedro de Urdemalas 88\u003cbr\u003e        I. The Letter Carrier from the Other World \/ \u003ci\u003eChile\u003c\/i\u003e 88\u003cbr\u003e        II. The King’s Pigs \/ \u003ci\u003eGuatemala\u003c\/i\u003e 89\u003cbr\u003e        III. The Sack \/ \u003ci\u003eChile\u003c\/i\u003e 89\u003cbr\u003e        IV. Pedro Goes to Heaven \/ \u003ci\u003eArgentina\u003c\/i\u003e 92\u003cbr\u003e19. A Voyage to Eternity \/ \u003ci\u003eBolivia\u003c\/i\u003e 94\u003cbr\u003e20. Mother and Daughter \/ \u003ci\u003eColumbia\u003c\/i\u003e 98\u003cbr\u003e21. The Bird Sweet Magic \/ \u003ci\u003eCosta Rica\u003c\/i\u003e 98\u003cbr\u003e22. Death Comes as a Rooster \/ \u003ci\u003eCuba\u003c\/i\u003e 103\u003cbr\u003e23. The Twelve Truths of the World \/ \u003ci\u003eNew Mexico\u003c\/i\u003e 104\u003cbr\u003eFolk Prayers 107\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003ePart Three \u003c\/b\u003e111\u003cbr\u003e24. The Mouse and the Dung Beetle \/ \u003ci\u003eColorado\u003c\/i\u003e 111\u003cbr\u003e25. The Canon and the King’s False Friend \/ \u003ci\u003eNew Mexico\u003c\/i\u003e 113\u003cbr\u003e26. The Story That Became a Dream \/ \u003ci\u003eChile\u003c\/i\u003e 115\u003cbr\u003e27. St. Theresa and the Lord \/ \u003ci\u003eMexico\u003c\/i\u003e 118\u003cbr\u003e28. Rice from Ashes \/ \u003ci\u003eArgentina\u003c\/i\u003e 120\u003cbr\u003e29. Juan María and Juana María \/ \u003ci\u003eGuatemala\u003c\/i\u003e 124\u003cbr\u003e30. The Witch Wife \/ \u003ci\u003eColumbia\u003c\/i\u003e 126\u003cbr\u003e31. O Wicked World \/ \u003ci\u003eArgentina\u003c\/i\u003e 129\u003cbr\u003e32. The Three Sisters \/ \u003ci\u003eColumbia\u003c\/i\u003e 130\u003cbr\u003e33. The Count and the Queen \/ \u003ci\u003eColorado\u003c\/i\u003e 134\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003ePart Four \u003c\/b\u003e137\u003cbr\u003e34. Crystal the Wise \/ \u003ci\u003eChile\u003c\/i\u003e 137\u003cbr\u003e35. Love Like Salt \/ \u003ci\u003eMexico\u003c\/i\u003e 141\u003cbr\u003e36. The Pongo’s Dream \/ \u003ci\u003ePeru (Quechua)\u003c\/i\u003e 144\u003cbr\u003e37. The Fox and the Monkey \/ \u003ci\u003eBolivia (Aymara)\u003c\/i\u003e 147\u003cbr\u003e38. The Miser’s Jar \/ \u003ci\u003eGuatemala (Kekchi Maya)\u003c\/i\u003e 149\u003cbr\u003e39. Tup and the Ants \/ \u003ci\u003eMexico (Yucatec Maya)\u003c\/i\u003e 152\u003cbr\u003e40. A Master and His Pupil \/ \u003ci\u003eGuatemala\u003c\/i\u003e 155\u003cbr\u003e41. The Louse-Drum \/ \u003ci\u003ePanama\u003c\/i\u003e 157\u003cbr\u003e42. The Three Dreams \/ \u003ci\u003eGuatemala\u003c\/i\u003e 159\u003cbr\u003e43. The Clump of Basil \/ \u003ci\u003ePuerto Rico\u003c\/i\u003e 161\u003cbr\u003eRiddles 164\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003ePart Five \u003c\/b\u003e173\u003cbr\u003e44. The Charcoal Peddler’s Chicken \/ \u003ci\u003ePuerto Rico\u003c\/i\u003e 173\u003cbr\u003e45. The Three Counsels \/ \u003ci\u003eNew Mexico\u003c\/i\u003e 174\u003cbr\u003e46. Seven Blind Queens \/ \u003ci\u003e Chile\u003c\/i\u003e 176\u003cbr\u003e47. The Mad King \/ \u003ci\u003eFlorida\u003c\/i\u003e 181\u003cbr\u003e48. A Mother’s Curse \/ \u003ci\u003ePuerto Rico\u003c\/i\u003e 183\u003cbr\u003e49. The Hermit and the Drunkard \/ \u003ci\u003eEcuador\u003c\/i\u003e 184\u003cbr\u003e50. The Noblewoman’s Daughter and the Charcoal Woman’s Son \/ \u003ci\u003eCuba\u003c\/i\u003e 185\u003cbr\u003e51. The Enchanted Cow \/ \u003ci\u003eChile\u003c\/i\u003e 188\u003cbr\u003e52. Judas’s Ear \/ \u003ci\u003eNew Mexico\u003c\/i\u003e 192\u003cbr\u003e53. Good Is Repaid with Evil \/ \u003ci\u003eVenezuela\u003c\/i\u003e 195\u003cbr\u003e54. The Fisherman’s Daughter \/ \u003ci\u003eColumbia\u003c\/i\u003e 196\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003ePart Six \u003c\/b\u003e201\u003cbr\u003e55. In the Beginning \/ \u003ci\u003eMexico (Mazatec)\u003c\/i\u003e 201\u003cbr\u003e56. How the First People Were Made \/ \u003ci\u003eMexico (Zapotec)\u003c\/i\u003e 202\u003cbr\u003e57. Adam’s Rib \/ \u003ci\u003eMexico (Popoluca)\u003c\/i\u003e 203\u003cbr\u003e58. Adam and Eve and Their Children \/ \u003ci\u003eNew Mexico (Isleta)\u003c\/i\u003e 203\u003cbr\u003e59. God’s Letter to Noéh \/ \u003ci\u003eMexico (Zapotec)\u003c\/i\u003e 204\u003cbr\u003e60. God Chooses Noah \/ \u003ci\u003eMexico (Mixe)\u003c\/i\u003e 205\u003cbr\u003e61. The Flood \/ \u003ci\u003eMexico (Mixe)\u003c\/i\u003e 207\u003cbr\u003e62. A Prophetic Dream \/ \u003ci\u003eMexico (Mazatex\u003c\/i\u003e 208\u003cbr\u003e63. The White Lily \/ \u003ci\u003eEcuador (Quichua)\u003c\/i\u003e 209\u003cbr\u003e64. The Night in the Stable \/ \u003ci\u003eGuatemala (Quiché Maya)\u003c\/i\u003e 209\u003cbr\u003e65. When Morning Came  210\u003cbr\u003e        I. Why Did It Dawn? \/ \u003ci\u003eMexico (Nahua)\u003c\/i\u003e 210\u003cbr\u003e        II. That Was the Principal Day \/ \u003ci\u003eMexico (Tzotzil Maya)\u003c\/i\u003e 211\u003cbr\u003e66. Three Kings \/ \u003ci\u003eNew Mexico (Isleta)\u003c\/i\u003e 211\u003cbr\u003e67. The Christ Child as Trickster \/ \u003ci\u003eEcuador (Quichua)\u003c\/i\u003e 212\u003cbr\u003e68. Christ Saved by the Firefly \/ \u003ci\u003eGuatemala (Cakchiquel Maya)\u003c\/i\u003e 213\u003cbr\u003e69. Christ Betrayed by Snails \/ \u003ci\u003eBelize (Kekchi Maya)\u003c\/i\u003e 214\u003cbr\u003e70. Christ Betrayed by the Magpie-jay \/ \u003ci\u003eMexico (Tzotzil Maya)\u003c\/i\u003e 214\u003cbr\u003e71. The Blind Man at the Cross \/ \u003ci\u003eMexico (Mazatec)\u003c\/i\u003e 214\u003cbr\u003e72. The Cricket, the Mole, and the Mouse \/ \u003ci\u003eMexico (Mazatec)\u003c\/i\u003e 216\u003cbr\u003e73. As If with Wings \/ \u003ci\u003eMexico (Mazatec)\u003c\/i\u003e 218\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003ePart Seven \u003c\/b\u003e219\u003cbr\u003e74. Slowpoke Slaughtered Four \/ \u003ci\u003ePuerto Rico\u003c\/i\u003e 219\u003cbr\u003e75. The Price of Heaven and the Rain of Caramels \/ \u003ci\u003eMexico\u003c\/i\u003e 221\u003cbr\u003e76. Pine Cone the Astrologer \/ \u003ci\u003ePanama\u003c\/i\u003e 224\u003cbr\u003e77. The Dragon Slayer \/ \u003ci\u003eMexico\u003c\/i\u003e 225\u003cbr\u003e78. Johnny-boy \/ \u003ci\u003eNicaragua\u003c\/i\u003e 229\u003cbr\u003e79. The Rarest Thing \/ \u003ci\u003eGuatemala\u003c\/i\u003e 230\u003cbr\u003e80. Prince Simpleheart \/ \u003ci\u003eCosta Rica\u003c\/i\u003e 232\u003cbr\u003e81. The Flower of Lily-Lo \/ \u003ci\u003eMexico\u003c\/i\u003e 236\u003cbr\u003e82. My Garden Is Better Than Ever \/ \u003ci\u003eMexico (Popoluca)\u003c\/i\u003e 238\u003cbr\u003e83. Juan Bobo and the Pig \/ \u003ci\u003ePuerto Rico\u003c\/i\u003e 239\u003cbr\u003e84.The Parrot Prince \/ \u003ci\u003eChile\u003c\/i\u003e 240\u003cbr\u003eChain Riddles 245\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003ePart Eight \u003c\/b\u003e251\u003cbr\u003e85. A Dead Man Speaks \/ \u003ci\u003eTexas\u003c\/i\u003e 251\u003cbr\u003e86. The Bear’s Son \/ \u003ci\u003eHonduras (Lenca)\u003c\/i\u003e 252\u003cbr\u003e87. Charity \/ \u003ci\u003eArgentina\u003c\/i\u003e 259\u003cbr\u003e88. Riches Without Working \/ \u003ci\u003eMexico (Nahua)\u003c\/i\u003e 260\u003cbr\u003e89. Let Somebody Buy You Who Doesn’t Know You \/ \u003ci\u003eGuatemala\u003c\/i\u003e 262\u003cbr\u003e90. The Mouse King \/ \u003ci\u003eBolivia\u003c\/i\u003e 264\u003cbr\u003e91. Mariquita Grim and Mariquita Fair \/ \u003ci\u003eCuba\u003c\/i\u003e 266\u003cbr\u003e92. The Compadre’s Dinner \/ \u003ci\u003eDominican Republic\u003c\/i\u003e 270\u003cbr\u003e93. The Hog \/ \u003ci\u003eColorado\u003c\/i\u003e 272\u003cbr\u003e94. Two Sisters \/ \u003ci\u003ePuerto Rico\u003c\/i\u003e 272\u003cbr\u003e95. The Ghosts’ Reales \/ \u003ci\u003eDomincan Republic\u003c\/i\u003e 274\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003ePart Nine \u003c\/b\u003e277\u003cbr\u003e96. The Bad Compadre \/ \u003ci\u003eGuatemala (Cakchiquel Maya)\u003c\/i\u003e 277\u003cbr\u003e97. Black Chickens \/ \u003ci\u003eMexico (Tepecano)\u003c\/i\u003e 283\u003cbr\u003e98. Doublehead \/ \u003ci\u003eEl Salvador (Pipil)\u003c\/i\u003e 286\u003cbr\u003e99. Littlebit \/ \u003ci\u003eChile\u003c\/i\u003e 288\u003cbr\u003e100. Rosalie \/ \u003ci\u003eMexico (Yucantec Maya)\u003c\/i\u003e 293\u003cbr\u003e101. A Day Laborer Goes to Work \/ \u003ci\u003eMexico (Otomi)\u003c\/i\u003e 297\u003cbr\u003e102. The Moth \/ \u003ci\u003ePeru (Quechua)\u003c\/i\u003e 303\u003cbr\u003e103. The Earth Ate Them \/ \u003ci\u003eArgentina\u003c\/i\u003e 304\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eEpilogue: Twentieth-Century Myths \u003c\/b\u003e307\u003cbr\u003e104. Why Tobacco Grows Close to Houses \/ \u003ci\u003eColombia (Kogi)\u003c\/i\u003e 310\u003cbr\u003e105. The Buzzard Husband \/ \u003ci\u003eMexico (Tzotzil Maya)\u003c\/i\u003e 310\u003cbr\u003e106. The Dead Wife \/ \u003ci\u003eNicaragua (Mískito)\u003c\/i\u003e 314\u003cbr\u003e107. Romi Kumu Makes the World \/ \u003ci\u003eColombia (Barasana)\u003c\/i\u003e 315\u003cbr\u003e108. She Was Thought and Memory \/ \u003ci\u003eColombia (Kogi)\u003c\/i\u003e 316\u003cbr\u003e109. Was It Not an Illusion? \/ \u003ci\u003eColombia (Witoto)\u003c\/i\u003e 317\u003cbr\u003e110. The Beginning Life of the Hummingbird \/ \u003ci\u003eParaguay (Mbyá Guarani)\u003c\/i\u003e 318\u003cbr\u003e111. Ibis Story \/ \u003ci\u003eChile (Yamana) \u003c\/i\u003e319\u003cbr\u003e112. The Condor Seeks a Wife \/ \u003ci\u003eBolivia (Quechua)\u003c\/i\u003e 320\u003cbr\u003e113. The Priest’s Son Becomes an Eagle \/ \u003ci\u003eNew Mexico (Zuna)\u003c\/i\u003e 322\u003cbr\u003e114. The Revolts of the Untensils \/ \u003ci\u003eBolivia (Tacana)\u003c\/i\u003e 325\u003cbr\u003e115. The Origin of Permanent Death \/ \u003ci\u003eEcuador (Shuar)\u003c\/i\u003e 326\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eNotes 329\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eRegister of Tale Types and Selected Motifs 363\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eGlossary of Native Cultures 369\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eBibliography 373\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003ePermissions Acknowledgments 385\u003c\/i\u003e“A cornucopia of magic and myth . . . Beware, for the pages of this volume—filled with tricksters, witches, and ghosts—are enchanted!” \u003cbr\u003e—Ilan Stavans\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e “Delightful . . . A rich and magical history of Hispanic and Indian traditions in the Americas. There is enough magic in this book to please everyone.”\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003e—The Virginian-Pilot\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e“Beware. This book has the ability to cast spells. After about a dozen pages, the reader slips from the present and into a magical time and place. Bierhorst has written many books based on Latin American lore, and [this] may well be his best. He approaches his subject matter with respect and humor, [and] the result is a panoramic anthology retaining the magic and allure that are the hallmarks of oral storytelling.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e—Arizona Daily Star\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Bierhorst is a prolific folklorist who specializes in making oral traditions from a variety of cultures accessible to the general reading public. Each reader is certain to find favorites of his or her own.”\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003e—Richmond Times-Dispatch\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003eJOHN BIERHORST \u003c\/b\u003eis the author, editor, or translator of more than thirty books on Native American lore, including \u003ci\u003eLatin American Folktales,\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eThe Mythology of South America, The Mythology of North America, \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eThe Mythology of Mexico and Central America.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eMistress Lucía\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003eVery well then. Here was a king who wished to marry the most beautiful woman in the world, and with that in mind he left his kingdom and took to the road. He looked everywhere and tried all the different countries. But although he was shown the prettiest young women, he was quick to see their faults and kept putting off a decision. At last, tired of the traveling and the disappointments, he decided to go home and forget the whole matter.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eAfter he had been back awhile, it happened that a peddler arrived in the kingdom selling picture postcards and all kinds of portraits. Down the street he came, wheeling his cart with the little portraits arranged under an open umbrella. And who but the king should be on hand to hear his cry:\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e“Get your portraits! Portraits here! Pretty faces ready to go, some not so pretty, and some so-so. Portraits! Get your portraits!”\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eThe king called the man over, took a look at the portraits, and saw one that pleased him. The longer he looked at it, the more he liked it. Unable to take his eyes off it, he asked who the young woman was and where she lived.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e“Sacred and Royal Majesty,” said the peddler, “she whom you admire in the mistress Lucía, who lives in the town of La Cañada. I must tell you, she’s an orphan, whose brother Juan watches over her closely. In fact he lets her come out on her balcony only one day a year. I myself have never seen her, but those who have spend the entire year waiting for the day to come round again.”\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eHearing this, and already smitten by the portrait, the king suffered an attack of lovesickness and had to retire to his chambers, where he immediately dispatched messengers to find the young man named Juan and to ask him for the hand of his sister Lucía.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eWhen Juan had been brought to the palace and had heard the king’s proposal, he said he had never felt to honored. He would be pleased to allow the marriage. But first he would have to have a private audience with the king. The king drew him aside.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e“Majesty,” whispered the young man, “I must tell you this not because she’s my sister, but because it’s the honest truth. Beyond mere beauty she has three charms, and no one knows about then but me, and now you: when she brushed her hair, pearls fall to the ground; when she washes her hands, flowers drop from her fingers; and whenever she cries, it rains.”\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eThe king, who had never heard such marvels, was now more impatient than before, if that is possible. He ordered a coach to be outfitted and sent Juan with an escort to bring back Lucía at once, while he himself made arrangements for the wedding.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eAnd now we will leave this king and turn to the mistress Lucía, shut up in her house and worrying her head over why in the world her brother had been summoned to the palace. She was torturing herself with first one idea and then another when Juan arrived and gave her the news that the king had decided to marry her.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eLucía, who was an obedient girl, made no objection to her brother’s plans and even began packing her things. But she did have one requirement: she must be allowed to bring her pet parakeet and her pet mockingbird. And for the occasion she prettied up each of the two cages with a bonnet of ribbons. While she busied herself with this work, one of her servant girls said to her, “Mistress Lucía, you should bring me with you to clean the cages.”\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e“Why not? Go ask your mother for permission.”\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eThe girl returned with her mother and said, “I can go if my mother comes too. And she’ll do your laundry, just as always.”\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e“Very well, I’ll ask Juan, and if he says yes, you can both come.”\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eJuan thought, “What could be better?” This way his sister would not be homesick. Besides, there was a brush fire just at that moment and the neighbors needed Juan to help put it out. So he had no choice but to entrust Lucía to the maidservant and her mother. No doubt she would be perfectly safe. And of course he didn’t want to keep the king waiting.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eUp went the birdcages onto the luggage rack of the carriage. The two servants settled themselves comfortably. And Juan said good-bye to his sister, giving her many good counsels along with his blessing. Her carriage now ready, Lucía fluttered her handkerchief, saying:\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eGood-bye, dear Juan, who mothered and fathered me.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eGood-bye, dear chapel, where I said my prayers.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eGood-bye dear pebbles, that I used to play with.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eGood-bye, dear brook, where I used to bathe.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Hush,” said Juan, “You’re making me weak.” With that the carriage rolled off, Lucía, started to cry, and the heavens, need it be said, opened up and poured.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eWell, they hadn’t gone far when they came to a deep woods were berries were growing. The old servant woman called out, “Look here! What should it be but strawberries! Mistress Lucía, why don’t we stop and pick these for the king, so we don’t come empty-handed.”\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e“Very well,” said Lucía. She ordered the coachman to stop, and as the three of them were jumping down, the parakeet caught Lucía’s eye and said, “Mama Lucía, being me too.” And Lucía, who could never say no to anyone, took the cage off the road and tied it behind her back.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eThey had just begun picking the strawberries when the woman said, “Mistress Lucía, look! They’re plumper over that way,” and she ran farther into the forest. “Oh, darling! Look! They’re fresher over that way, and more fragrant!” But in her heart she had a deeper plan. As soon as they were far enough from the carriage to be out of sight, the old servant woman took hold of Lucía, wrenched her arms, and slapped her all over. She pulled off Lucía’s outfit and put it on her own daughter. Leaving Lucía with the parakeet and the daughter’s clothes, the two servants ran back to the carriage and shouted to the coachman, “To the palace and hurry!”\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eWhen they arrived the king was waiting with his entire court. At a glance he could tell that his bride-to-be was no rarity. She didn’t even look like the portrait. He’d been tricked. But what are mere appearances? He consoled himself with the thought of the young woman’s three charms. Anyway, since the king’s word is good for keeps, as people say, he had no choice but to go ahead with the wedding.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eAs the nuptials drew to a close, the king ordered his guards to throw open the doors to a balcony that overlooked the main square. All the king’s subjects were to gather at once to witness a spectacle never before seen in the world. The queen would display her three charms.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eThe square filled up in no time. The king and his court arranged themselves on the balcony. But can you imagine? When the moment arrived for the maidservant to brush her hair, what fell out but lice? She washed her hands, and nothing came off but grime. And when she started to cry, the clouds flew away and hid behind the hills.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eThe king was humiliated. He lashed out at the queen. When she told him she had no idea what he was talking about, he began to suspect Don Juan of treachery. He summoned him to the palace for questioning.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eAt this the alert-minded queen pleaded a migraine and dotted her temples with paper discs soaked in oil of \u003ci\u003ealacrán. \u003c\/i\u003eNo one was to disturb her, and all for the purpose of avoiding Juan, who would naturally recognize her.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eOn arriving at the palace, Juan had to be told that his sister could not see him, and when the king charged him with the crime of fraud he had no defense. After the king had pronounced him guilty, the ministers in council sentenced him to death.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eThe trial was held on the balcony, and the execution and burial took place in the commons just below. The mockingbird, whose cage happened to hang on the balcony, saw it all.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eAnd now we must leave the palace and turn to Lucía. The poor dear, she’d been left alone in the woods without the slightest idea where to go. What’s more, it was getting dark, and the father she walked the deeper the forest. Worn out, she sank under a pine tree, ready to spend the night as best she could, when the parakeet said,\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eDear mama Lucía,\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eStep it, stretch it!\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd this gave her a second wind. Suddenly there in front of her was the edge of the woods and in the distance a light.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eDear mama Lucía,\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eStep it, stretch it!\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eAnd before she knew it she’d arrived at the hut of a woodcutter and his family. Such beauty the poor little family had never seen. The terrified father cried out, “In God’s name, speak! Are you of this life or the next?”\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e“Flesh and blood, but lost in the woods,” came the simple reply, and moved by pity the took her in. The next morning she combed a few pearls from her hair and gave them to the woodcutter’s wife to sell in town, wherever that might be. Believe it or not, the nearest town was the king’s royal seat, and when the wife returned from her errand she brought the news that the king was in need of a seamstress.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eFollowing the wife’s directions and with the parakeet’s cage strapped to her back, Lucía set off her town. No sooner had she arrived at the palace than a button popped off the king’s shirt. He demanded a seamstress at once.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eLucía presented herself and was led to the king’s balcony. Does it have to be said? The king was entranced. But the first one to speak was the mockingbird:\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eMistress Lucía, O Mistress Lucía,\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eYour brother Don Juan was done in,\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eAnd his grave lies in the commons.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSuch news! Lucía burst into tears, and the sky answered with a sudden shower.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eYet another interruption. It was the chocolate hour. In came the king’s page with chocolate and muffins on a sterling salver. The king invited Lucía to join him, and when she insisted on first washing her hands, he ordered a basin and a towel of genuine linen with a pictorial border. No sooner had she dipped her hands in the water than the basin was filled with flowers.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eThe king now knew: this was none other than Lucía. “Tell him,” said the parakeet. “Tell what happened,” And she told her story, strawberries and all, whereupon the king gave orders for the old servant woman and her daughter to be hanged by the neck from the uppermost branches of the tallest tree on the highest hill.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eAs for Mistress Lucía, she was wed to the king in a ceremony followed by feasting. As soon as it was over, the doors to the balcony were thrown open and word went out that the queen would exhibit her three charms. The people gathered, this time however with rocks in their hands to stone the queen in case they were cheated again. But it was not to be.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eLucía combed her hair with an ivory comb, and so many pearls tumbled forth that the people, forgetting the stones they had brought, scrambled to snap up the pearls.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eA silver basin with a plunger and fountain came forth on a tray. When Lucía washed her hands so many flowers spilled over the rail of the balcony that women caught them with their aprons and men with their hats.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eSo nothing was left but to see it rain. In a time of such happiness who could cry? But all at once the mockingbird sang its song:\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eMistress Lucía, O Mistress Lucía,\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eYour brother Don Juan was done in,\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eAnd his grave lies in the commons.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAt the first word Lucía began to weep. The heavens opened, and immediately the people ran for cover. They ran and couldn’t stop.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eAnd here we will leave them wearing out the soles of their shoes.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e—Mexico \/ Bárbara (surname not given)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003eThe Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folklore Library","brand":"Pantheon","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46302318657765,"sku":"NP9780375714399","price":22.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780375714399.jpg?v=1767731187","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/latin-american-folktales-isbn-9780375714399","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}