Cuento #1. The man who resucitate three times.
Cuento #2. Francisca and the Death.
THE MAN WHO RESUSCITATE THREE TIMES
Tale # 1.
Anonymous author.
General Direction of Popular Cultures from Mexico.
There was a man in Tapotzingo town that people say he was
very bad in life. Therefore, he was since was single until their age. He began
to get sick and did not take too much time to die.
When the people began to change his clothes in order to take
him to the funerals, they noticed that he moved. He resuscitated and later he
died again, and again he moved and resuscitated. He came to resuscitate three
times.
Then, he starts to count what he saw in the sky. He saw a
woman that was washing dirty clothes with excrement. They said this woman
washed clothes on Sundays because she did not respected those days. She always
worked. It passes to the women that they do not keep those days. So, they are
punished.
In addition, he saw a man inside a blaze, into the fire.
They said, it what happen to the men that never do a favor, to which they never
give charities in the church. Than, he return and count his friends this he
saw, that the people have to hear that it is not good live with wickedness in
this world.
Later, the man died again and no longer resuscitated again.
He resuscitated in order to fulfill what God had ordered him, to count what he
saw in the sky.
He finally died. The
people put him in their coffin; they veiled him during the night until the next
day he was buried.
FRANCISCA AND THE DEATH
Tale # 2.
Cuban story.
General Direction of Popular Cultures from Mexico..
- Saints and good day- said the
Death, and any of the present could not recognize her. ! Of course! The Death came with her braid under the hat
and her yellow hand in the pocket.
- If not annoying -said the Death-,
I want to know where lives Mrs. Francisca.
- Well- they responded her, and
showing out the door, a man pointed out with their rude finger of farmer:
- There, where are the heaths that
the wind is moving, can you see? There is a road that goes up the hill.
You will find the house.
"Fact is," the death thought, and thanking start to walk
for the road that morning, in fact, there were few clouds in the sky and the
whole blue glowed from light.
Walking for the field, the Death
looked the hour, its seven o’clock. One and fifteen, in the afternoon Mrs.
Francisca will be already in her fulfilled list.
"Less wrong, little work; a single case," the Death was
thinking, satisfied of not getting, looking for her on the road of plants and
dew.
Indeed, it was the month of May and with the rain there was not any seed or bud that stay low earth.
The sprouts of the “ceiba” are pure mahogany. The trunk of the guava loosed the bark allowing seeing the clean
meat of the wood. The reeds did not have a single yellow leaf. Green was everything from the floor to the air;
and a scent to life going up from the flowers.
Natural that the Death is covered
her nose. Logical also that she not even look at so much branch full of nests,
neither so much bee in the flowers. But, what she can do? The Death is just passing here, out from her Kingdom.
Therefore, she was continuous
walking on the road until she arrive at Francisca's home:
- Please, with “Panchita”- flatter the Death.
- Grandmother left the home early in the morning- answered a granddaughter.
She was a little fearful, although, the Death continued with her braid under the hat and the hand in the pocket.
- When she will come? -She asked.
- Who knows! -The mother’s child answered. Depend on the chore; she is working on the field.
The Death bit her lips. She was
annoyed to continue on this pretty world.
- There is too much sun. Could I
wait for her? The Death asked.
- Fill like in your home. But maybe
she will not return until the evening.
"Demons"! The Death
thought, "I will lost the train of five o’clock. Not; I am going to look
for her."
And the Death said:
- Where can find her now?
- Early in the morning, she went to
get milk. Maybe she is sowing corn.
- Where is the place? Asked the
Death.
- Follow the fence and you will see
the plowed field behind.
- Thank you- the Death said and
started to walk again.
But she looked for all extensive
plowed field and there was anyone in there. The Death looses her braid and made
a tantrum:
" Old woman, where you
are!" She spit and continued looking for Francisca. An hour later she had her
braid burned for the sun and the nose annoyed for so much scent from the
plants.
The Death met with a walker:
- Mr., can you told me where is
Francisca?
- You are lucky- the farmer said,
half an hour she takes at home of the Noriega family. The boy is sick and she
went to prepare something to help his stomach.
- Thank you- the Death said, and she
pressed the step.
Hard and troublesome it was the
road. Now, she had to walk on a new plowed land and we known how is this uncomfortable
sit down the foot on the irregular and so spongy floor.
o, therefore, the Death arrived at
home of the Noriega family:
- With Francisca, please.
- She already left the house,
a woman answered.
- But! How! Did she leave the house,
so suddenly?
- Why so suddenly? – The woman asked.
She only came to help us with the boy. What it is the surprise?
- Well... you see. - The Death said
surprised, everybody always makes the dinner in everything, I say.
- Then, you do not know Francisca.
- I have their signs- she said
bureaucratically.
- Tell me one- the woman asks. And
the Death said:
- She has wrinkles; certainly, she
is already sixty years old.
- And what more?
- You will see. Her hair is white.
Almost, she does not have teeth.
- What more?
- Thin nose.
- That is all?
- Well. Besides name and two last
name.
- But you do not talk about her
eyes.
- Well, cloudy. Yes, cloudy they are
supposed to be.
- You do not know her - the woman
answered. All that you mentioned is all right, but not the eyes. The woman that
you are looking for is not Francisca.
The Death let the place and was
again on the road. She was indignant without worrying for her hand and her
braid that half appeared under the hat.
- She walked and walked. At home of
the Gonzalez family, somebody tell her Francisca was near from there, cutting
pasture for the cow of the grandsons. She only saw the pasture newly cut and
nothing about Francisca, not even the small print of her step.
Then the Death with her feet
inflated and the dirty shirt looked her clock and consulted the hour:
" God! The four and half!
Impossible! I will loose the train!" and the Death returns to her kingdom.
While, two kilometers from there,
Francisca is working in the garden of the school. An old man well known passed
with his horse and, smiling to her, he said his affectionate greeting:
-Francisca, when are you going to die?-
She incorporated from the roses and returned to him the cheerful greeting:
- Never- she said-, always there is something to make
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