Latin American Folktales (12 page)

22. Death Comes as a Rooster

A woman’s husband was sick in bed. She did nothing but take care of the man, and every chance she got she prayed to the Lord, “Dear God, don’t take him first. Let Death come first for me.”

She repeated it constantly. Her compadre overheard her and said, “You’ll know Death when you see him, comadre. He comes as a plucked rooster.”

The woman kept on, begging Death, “Don’t take my poor husband, take me instead.”

Then the compadre caught a rooster, plucked its feathers, and put it out in the sun until it was crazed. When he turned it loose, it ran screeching into the sickroom. The wife took one look and said, “My God, it’s Death!” She jumped behind the door and pointed her finger at her husband. “Over that way,” she said. “The sick man is in the bed.”

Cuba
/
Isabel
Castellanos

23. The Twelve Truths of the World

There was a poor man with so many children that he had run through all the available godparents in his village. Just when there was no one left to ask, his wife had another child. She said to her husband, “Who’ll be godfather this time?” and the poor man stamped his foot and replied, “I’m going to invite the Devil!” With that he stormed out of the house.

After wandering awhile, he entered a forest, where a well-dressed stranger suddenly appeared from behind a cottonwood and asked the poor man, “Where are you going, my friend?”

“I’m trying to find a godparent for a child.”

The stranger, who was none other than the Devil himself, said, “How about me?”

“I’m ashamed to accept,” said the poor man. “You seem very rich, and I am very poor.” To this the Devil replied, “Don’t give it a thought. If you let me be the godfather of your child, you won’t be poor anymore. There’s a condition, however. You may keep my godson for twelve years less one day, and you must take away all the crosses and images of saints that you have in your house. Also you must not teach the child to pray. And after the twelve years less one day, I will come to claim him.” The poor man agreed to everything. He told his wife, and she said nothing.

When the Devil arrived for the baptism, the poor man took him into the house and said to him, “I’m sorry to say that all I can give you to drink is coffee.” The Devil told him not to worry. He ordered his servants to bring food and wine. They arrived with four wagons full. The Devil also had carpenters come, and in a just few hours they had built a palace for the poor family.

Soon after that, the Devil’s wife appeared in a beautiful carriage, and the Devil and his wife took the child to have him baptized. When they came back, they said, “The boy’s name will be Twelve and Less.” The tables were set, and they had a feast. Then the godparents left, saying, “We’ll see you again in twelve years less one day.”

The years passed, and at precisely the time agreed upon, the Devil arrived for his godson. He had ordered that the child be placed in a room without crucifixes or images of saints. The mother of the child was the first to hear the compadre’s footsteps, and she began to pray to God, asking him to free her child from the godfather’s clutches. The Devil knocked at the door. No one opened. He cried out to his godson, “Open the door, Twelve and Less!”

There was no answer. He cried out again, “Open the door, Twelve and Less, for I am your godfather!” But the child was fast asleep.

The child’s guardian angel then appeared and replied for the child, “I just can’t open the door right now. I’m too sleepy.”

“That’s no excuse. Open the door!” said the Devil. And the child’s guardian angel replied, “I’m telling you, I will not open the door! I’m too sleepy! Don’t bother me!”

“If you don’t open the door, I’ll break it down!” said the Devil. “I’m in a hurry!” And indeed he was, for after twelve midnight his power over the child would be ended. For the third time the Devil said, “Open the door!”

“I will not!” said the guardian angel.

Finally the Devil got tired and said, “Tell me the Twelve Truths of the World, and I won’t break down the door. Let’s see if you can. I dare you to try!” The guardian angel replied, “But I can! I’ll tell them!” Then the Devil said,

“Catholic and faithful Christian, tell me the Twelve Truths of the World. Tell me the One.” And the angel replied,

“The One is God, Christ who came down to bless the holy house at Jerusalem, and there he dwells and will reign forever and ever, amen.” The Devil gave a jump backwards and cried out,

“Catholic and faithful Christian, tell me the Twelve Truths of the World. Tell me the Two.” And the angel replied,

“The Two, the two tablets of Moses, the One is God, Christ who came down to bless the holy house at Jerusalem, and there he dwells and will reign forever and ever, amen.” The Devil gave another jump backwards and cried,

“Catholic and faithful Christian, tell me the Twelve Truths of the World. Tell me the Three.” And the angel replied,

“The Three, the three persons of the Holy Trinity, the Two, the two tablets of Moses, the One is God, Christ who came down to bless the holy house at Jerusalem, and there he dwells and will reign forever and ever, amen.” The Devil gave another jump and said,

“Catholic and faithful Christian, tell me the Twelve Truths of the World. Tell me the Four.” And the angel replied,

“The Four, the four gospels, the Three, the three persons of the Holy Trinity . . .” Again the Devil gave a jump and said,

“Catholic and faithful Christian, tell me the Twelve Truths of the World. Tell me the Five.” And the angel replied,

“The Five, the five wounds, the Four, the four gospels . . .” Again the Devil gave a jump and said,

“Catholic and faithful Christian, tell me the Twelve Truths of the World. Tell me the Six.” And the angel replied,

“The Six, the six candlesticks, the Five, the five wounds . . .” Again the Devil gave a jump and said,

“Catholic and faithful Christian, tell me the Twelve Truths of the World. Tell me the Seven.” And the angel replied,

“The Seven, the seven joys, the Six, the six candlesticks . . .” Again the Devil jumped and said,

“Catholic and faithful Christian, tell me the Twelve Truths of the World. Tell me the Eight.” And the angel replied,

“The Eight, the eight choirs, the Seven, the seven joys . . .” And again the Devil jumped and said,

“Catholic and faithful Christian, tell me the Twelve Truths of the World. Tell me the Nine.” And the angel replied,

“The Nine, the nine months, the Eight, the eight choirs . . .” And again the Devil gave a jump and said,

“Catholic and faithful Christian, tell me the Twelve Truths of the World. Tell me the Ten.” And the angel replied,

“The Ten, the ten commandments, the Nine, the nine months . . .” And again the Devil jumped and said,

“Catholic and faithful Christian, tell me the Twelve Truths of the World. Tell me the Eleven.” And the angel replied,

“The Eleven, the eleven thousand virgins, the Ten, the ten commandments . . .” And again the Devil jumped and said,

“Catholic and faithful Christian, tell me the Twelve Truths of the World. Tell me the Twelve.” And the angel replied,

“The Twelve, the twelve apostles, the Eleven, the eleven thousand virgins, the Ten, the ten commandments, the Nine, the nine months, the Eight, the eight choirs, the Seven, the seven joys, the Six, the six candlesticks, the Five, the five wounds, the Four, the four gospels, the Three, the three persons of the Holy Trinity, the Two, the two tablets of Moses, the One is God, Christ who came down to bless the holy house at Jerusalem, and there he dwells and will reign forever and ever, amen.”

The Devil disappeared with a roar of thunder, and the parents, no longer poor, kept their child and all the Devil’s riches.

New
Mexico
/ José
Tranquilino
Olguín

Folk Prayers