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 velorio, or wake, the most frequent occasion for public storytelling. This is the first panoramic anthology of Hispano-American folk narratives in any language.Part of the Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folklore Library

Preface xi Introduction 3  PROLOGUE: EARLY COLONIAL LEGENDS 191. Montezuma / Mexico (Nahua) 22        I. The Talking Stone 22        II. Montezuma’s Wound 25        III. Eight Omens 26        IV. The Return of Quetzalcoatl 28        V. Is It You? 322. Legends of the Inca Kings / Peru (Quechua) 34        I. Mayta Capac 34        II. The Storm 36        III. The Vanishing Bride 38        IV. A Messenger in Black 40        V. The Oracle at Huamachuco 413. Bringing Out the Holy Word / Mexico (Nahua) 42  FOLKTALES: A TWENTIETH-CENTURY WAKE 45 Part One 494. In the City of Benjamin / Ecuador 495. Antuco’s Luck / Chile 516. Don Dinero and Doña Fortuna / Dominican Republic 567. Mistress Lucía / Mexico 578. St. Peter’s Wishes / Cuba 639. The Coyote Teodora / Honduras 6410. Buried Alive / California 6511. The Three Gowns / Puerto Rico 6712. The Horse of Seven Colors / Venezuela 7213. The Cow / New Mexico 78  Part Two 8114. Death and the Doctor / Dominican Republic 8115. What the Owls Said / Mexico (Mazatec) 8216. Aunt Misery / Puerto Rico 8417. Palm-tree Story / Columbia 8518. Pedro de Urdemalas 88        I. The Letter Carrier from the Other World / Chile 88        II. The King’s Pigs / Guatemala 89        III. The Sack / Chile 89        IV. Pedro Goes to Heaven / Argentina 9219. A Voyage to Eternity / Bolivia 9420. Mother and Daughter / Columbia 9821. The Bird Sweet Magic / Costa Rica 9822. Death Comes as a Rooster / Cuba 10323. The Twelve Truths of the World / New Mexico 104Folk Prayers 107  Part Three 11124. The Mouse and the Dung Beetle / Colorado 11125. The Canon and the King’s False Friend / New Mexico 11326. The Story That Became a Dream / Chile 11527. St. Theresa and the Lord / Mexico 11828. Rice from Ashes / Argentina 12029. Juan María and Juana María / Guatemala 12430. The Witch Wife / Columbia 12631. O Wicked World / Argentina 12932. The Three Sisters / Columbia 13033. The Count and the Queen / Colorado 134  Part Four 13734. Crystal the Wise / Chile 13735. Love Like Salt / Mexico 14136. The Pongo’s Dream / Peru (Quechua) 14437. The Fox and the Monkey / Bolivia (Aymara) 14738. The Miser’s Jar / Guatemala (Kekchi Maya) 14939. Tup and the Ants / Mexico (Yucatec Maya) 15240. A Master and His Pupil / Guatemala 15541. The Louse-Drum / Panama 15742. The Three Dreams / Guatemala 15943. The Clump of Basil / Puerto Rico 161Riddles 164  Part Five 17344. The Charcoal Peddler’s Chicken / Puerto Rico 17345. The Three Counsels / New Mexico 17446. Seven Blind Queens /  Chile 17647. The Mad King / Florida 18148. A Mother’s Curse / Puerto Rico 18349. The Hermit and the Drunkard / Ecuador 18450. The Noblewoman’s Daughter and the Charcoal Woman’s Son / Cuba 18551. The Enchanted Cow / Chile 18852. Judas’s Ear / New Mexico 19253. Good Is Repaid with Evil / Venezuela 19554. The Fisherman’s Daughter / Columbia 196  Part Six 20155. In the Beginning / Mexico (Mazatec) 20156. How the First People Were Made / Mexico (Zapotec) 20257. Adam’s Rib / Mexico (Popoluca) 20358. Adam and Eve and Their Children / New Mexico (Isleta) 20359. God’s Letter to Noéh / Mexico (Zapotec) 20460. God Chooses Noah / Mexico (Mixe) 20561. The Flood / Mexico (Mixe) 20762. A Prophetic Dream / Mexico (Mazatex 20863. The White Lily / Ecuador (Quichua) 20964. The Night in the Stable / Guatemala (Quiché Maya) 20965. When Morning Came  210        I. Why Did It Dawn? / Mexico (Nahua) 210        II. That Was the Principal Day / Mexico (Tzotzil Maya) 21166. Three Kings / New Mexico (Isleta) 21167. The Christ Child as Trickster / Ecuador (Quichua) 21268. Christ Saved by the Firefly / Guatemala (Cakchiquel Maya) 21369. Christ Betrayed by Snails / Belize (Kekchi Maya) 21470. Christ Betrayed by the Magpie-jay / Mexico (Tzotzil Maya) 21471. The Blind Man at the Cross / Mexico (Mazatec) 21472. The Cricket, the Mole, and the Mouse / Mexico (Mazatec) 21673. As If with Wings / Mexico (Mazatec) 218  Part Seven 21974. Slowpoke Slaughtered Four / Puerto Rico 21975. The Price of Heaven and the Rain of Caramels / Mexico 22176. Pine Cone the Astrologer / Panama 22477. The Dragon Slayer / Mexico 22578. Johnny-boy / Nicaragua 22979. The Rarest Thing / Guatemala 23080. Prince Simpleheart / Costa Rica 23281. The Flower of Lily-Lo / Mexico 23682. My Garden Is Better Than Ever / Mexico (Popoluca) 23883. Juan Bobo and the Pig / Puerto Rico 23984.The Parrot Prince / Chile 240Chain Riddles 245  Part Eight 25185. A Dead Man Speaks / Texas 25186. The Bear’s Son / Honduras (Lenca) 25287. Charity / Argentina 25988. Riches Without Working / Mexico (Nahua) 26089. Let Somebody Buy You Who Doesn’t Know You / Guatemala 26290. The Mouse King / Bolivia 26491. Mariquita Grim and Mariquita Fair / Cuba 26692. The Compadre’s Dinner / Dominican Republic 27093. The Hog / Colorado 27294. Two Sisters / Puerto Rico 27295. The Ghosts’ Reales / Domincan Republic 274  Part Nine 27796. The Bad Compadre / Guatemala (Cakchiquel Maya) 27797. Black Chickens / Mexico (Tepecano) 28398. Doublehead / El Salvador (Pipil) 28699. Littlebit / Chile 288100. Rosalie / Mexico (Yucantec Maya) 293101. A Day Laborer Goes to Work / Mexico (Otomi) 297102. The Moth / Peru (Quechua) 303103. The Earth Ate Them / Argentina 304  Epilogue: Twentieth-Century Myths 307104. Why Tobacco Grows Close to Houses / Colombia (Kogi) 310105. The Buzzard Husband / Mexico (Tzotzil Maya) 310106. The Dead Wife / Nicaragua (Mískito) 314107. Romi Kumu Makes the World / Colombia (Barasana) 315108. She Was Thought and Memory / Colombia (Kogi) 316109. Was It Not an Illusion? / Colombia (Witoto) 317110. The Beginning Life of the Hummingbird / Paraguay (Mbyá Guarani) 318111. Ibis Story / Chile (Yamana) 319112. The Condor Seeks a Wife / Bolivia (Quechua) 320113. The Priest’s Son Becomes an Eagle / New Mexico (Zuna) 322114. The Revolts of the Untensils / Bolivia (Tacana) 325115. The Origin of Permanent Death / Ecuador (Shuar) 326  Notes 329 Register of Tale Types and Selected Motifs 363 Glossary of Native Cultures 369 Bibliography 373 Permissions Acknowledgments 385