The Virgin of the Volcano

By Hugo Burgos

The first Spaniards who lived in Quito, scared by the continuous

eruptions of Pichincha volcano in 1575, built near the crater a stone
virgin that represented the Virgin of the Mercedes, in order to protect
the inhabitants of Quito of this destructive power. It was called the
Virgin of the Volcano.

In 1660, due to a new eruption without any major consequences to

the population, the inhabitants and neighbors reelected the Virgin in
gratitude for the granted safety from the volcano, in addition to
storms, thunderstorms, tremors and other calamities. The experts
speak of four eruptions since the arrival of the Spaniards. Eruptions in
1534, 1582, 1660 and 1868. If somebody wants to go to the summit
of the Guagua Pichincha, you will find under the cross the image of
this virgin, whom the settlers of Lloa make an annual peregrination.

This goes to show the adoration and respect to other mountains by

similar cultures.

The legend of the Atrium of San Francisco

By Federico González Suárez

The original city of San Francisco of Quito, was the Shyri capital that
was replaced with plazas and temples, one of them of a particular
beauty is surrounded by a special legend. The Atrium of San Francisco
sits three meters over the plaza with an unnatural detail and
perfection; it was supposedly made with a pact with the devil.

During the colonial times, an Indigenous called Cantuña, inspired by

the avarice and the desire of wealth, committed himself to the
construction of this huge atrium. With the time to finish his work
reaching its end he was worried of being humiliated by the society
and put into prison because of his incomplete work. With his undying
Indigenous pride, he was not going to give up. Begging for help
without any answer, he decided to turn to the devil.

Hoping some miracle would occur he waited and then in the middle of
the dark, a mysterious and dark shape in a red suit appeared before
his eyes. Shocked and without words, Cantuña did not say a word, the
creature initiated the dialogue. “I know your grief and your pain and
that tomorrow you will be mocked, if you do not allow me to help you.
Before the rooster sings in the dawn the atrium will be ready, all you
have to do is sign this contract, in return I want your soul”. “Do you
accept? “ the devil said.

Without hesitating, Cantuña accepted, but first clarifying that if in the

morning before the last strike of the church bells, if there is a single
stone missing the contract will be null. Immediately, hundreds of tiny
demons began to raise stones and to work hard. Cantuña extremely
worried about his promise, returned sadly to his house, asking mercy
for his soul.

At dawn, when the bells began to announce the hour, Cantuña quickly
went to San Francisco. The work was almost ready, the little devils
had done an incredible job and the face of Lucifer laughed for its
victory and Cantuña cried knowing he lost his soul.

The last strike and Lucifer exclaimed victory, your soul is mine.
Cantuña also shouted victory, because there was a stone missing.
There was a block missing and Cantuña's soul of was safe. Furious,
Lucifer returned to hell with his disciples and the beauty of the
vestibule remains today, however, until now locals and tourists look
for the missing stone, but nobody can find its missing location.

The Bullfighter
By Francisco Febres Cordero

Ana Bermeo, a well-known woman of Quito in the XIX century, called

the "bullfighter", due to her imposing character. According to her, she
dressed elegantly, in a no eccentric form: a hat full of flowers, a fox
coat, an embroidered blouse, a long skirt, gloves, black socks, high
heels and a large purse where she stored her most appraised
treasures.

It was said that she was a very wealthy woman but had lost
everything. She would walk daily down the streets of the Center with
a stick keeping people in order and conserving justice. The boys
would bother her, shouting bullfighter! Bullfighter and she would
persecute them with the stick.

Her presence made her another character of the city. It is said that
once she traveled abroad, but returned quickly. She never married.
She was enrolled in a mental institute several times, but always
returned to the windy streets and ready to control the streets of the
city.

At the end, she ended up in an asylum, blind and without being able
to walk. They say that she had to bandage her eyes because she
could not support how people destroyed the city with great buildings
and preferred anarchy, greed and wealth brought by a new black
viscous liquid in the country. This was her revenge and she never
went outside. Our grandparents miss the steps of the bullfighter
through the Center. If you want to see her, you can visit the Model
Cafeteria on Chile street where you can see the only thing she left
behind, a photograph.
 How the Elephant got his trunk

Once upon a time, there was a sad elephant. He was dirty and stinky,
because he could not reach to wash his back. All the other animals
didn’t play with him because he was smelly.

Elephant sat under a tree, where nobody could see him. He started to
cry. His head was hanging down, crying big tears. He sat and cried for
days. One day, when his tears had dried up, he went to itch his head
and he felt a bump on his back. Then he noticed his nose had
stretched because it had got wet with all the crying and it was now a
long trunk, which had hit him on his back.

He went to the river and got his trunk, put it in the water and sucked
the water up. Then he sprayed his back with water.

All the other animals came over to him and said “you are so clean and
smell so lovely. Do you want to play with us?”
The elephant was so happy and said “yes.”

The End.

How the Tortoise got his shell

Long, long ago in the dessert lived a Tortoise. The Tortoise had a
brown wrinkly body because the sun was always beating down on
him, without a shell he was getting burnt!

One day Tortoise was running a race with Cheetah; he was running so
fast Cheetah could not see him. Suddenly Tortoise tripped and then
tumbled down a steep, rocky mountain.

Later that day at the bottom of the mountain Tortoise woke up,
spinning on his back! Tortoise felt all dizzy and he had a lot of pain, he
tried to get up but he couldn’t! He felt something hard and heavy on
his back. He realized he had a cracked rock on his wrinkly body!

Cheetah came crashing down the mountain to see if Tortoise was ok.

Cheetah tried to help Tortoise to get up and pull the rock off his back.
Tortoise screamed in pain because the rock would not come off!

Cheetah said ‘You look better with the rock and it will protect you from
the sun. Let’s have another race!’

‘No thanks, I am tired’ said Tortoise as he curled up inside his rock.

So that is how the Tortoise came to have a shell and how the Cheetah
became the fastest animal!

The End
 Big Turtle
A Native American - Hu by Oban

Many years ago the world had two parts.

Animals lived in the lower part, which was was completely covered in
water and had no land or soil. Above was the Sky World, where the
sky people lived.

The Sky World had lots of soil, with beautiful mountains and valleys.
One day a girl from the Sky World went for a long walk and became
very tired.

"I'm so tired, I need to rest" she said. She sat down under the
spreading branches of an apple tree and quickly fell asleep.

Suddenly, there was a rumbling sound like thunder and the ground
began to crack. A big hole opened up next to the apple tree.

"What's happening?" screamed the frightened girl. She tried to move

but it was too late. She and the tree slid through the hole and
tumbled over and over towards the watery world below.

"Help me! Help me!" screamed the girl. Luckily two swans were
swimming below and saw the girl tumbling down from the sky.

"Come on!" yelled one swan. "Let's catch her before she hits the
water"
"Okay!" yelled the other.

The swans spread their wings together and caught the girl on their
soft feather backs.

"Whew! That was lucky" said the girl. "But what do I do now? I can't
get back up to the Sky World and I can't stay on your backs forever.

"We'll take you to Big turtle" said the swans. "He knows everything".

After hearing what happened, the Big Turtle called all the animals in
the water world to a meeting. He told them an old story about soil
being found deep under the water.

"If we can get some of that soil, we can build an island on my back for
you to live on" said the Big Turtle. "Sounds good to me" said the
young girl.

The Otter, Beaver and Muskrat started arguing over who would dive
for the soil.

"I'll go" said the sleek Otter, brushing his glossy fur.

"No! I'll go" said Beaver, slapping the water with his big flat tail.

"I'm the best swimmer" said Muskrat "I'll go."

"Aaaachooo!" sneezed the young girl. "Guys, guys, would just one of
you go. These swan feathers are getting up my nose and making me
sneeze".

"Sorry" said the swans.

"That's alright" said the young Sky girl.

Then Toskwaye the little Toad, popped up out of the water. "I'll go. I
can dive very deep" she said.

The other animals started laughing and pointing at Toskwaye. "You!

You're too small and ugly to help". cried the others, laughing.

"Be quite!" said Big Turtle in a loud, stern voice. "Everyone is equal
and everyone will have a chance to try".

The sleek Otter smoothed his glossy fur, took a deep breath and slid
into the water. He was gone for a long time before he came up
gasping for air.

"It was too deep" he said. "I couldn't dive that far.

"Now it's my turn" said Beaver. He slapped the water with his tail as
he disappeared. After a long time he came to the surface again.

"It's too far" he gasped. "No one can dive that deep."

Muskrat tried next and failed. "Aaaachoo!" sneezed the young girl.
"This is not looking good"

"Now it's my turn" said little Toskwaye the Toad. She took a deep
breath and jumped into the water. She was gone a very long time and
everyone thought they wouldn't see her again.

Suddenly Otter pointed at the water, shouting "Look, look! Bubbles!"

Toskwaye's small, ugly face appeared through the water. She spat a
few grains of soil onto the Big Turtle's back, then fell back into the
water - dead.The Turtle ordered the others to rub the soil grains and
spread them around on his shell. The grains grew and grew, until a
large island was formed - big enough for the girl to live on.

It grew into our world as we know it today. And the descendants of the
Sky girl became the Earth's people.

Today, some people say the whole world still rests on Big Turtles back.
When he gets tired and changes his position, we have earthquakes.

Toad has not been forgotten either. American native Indians call her
"Mashutaha", which means 'Our Grandmother'. No one is allowedto
harm her. The End
 Pelican Girl
Native American - Miwok tale
retold by Oban

A long time ago, in the land of the South People, it was time for
Pelican Girl to become a woman.

A special dance and ceremony was planned, to celebrate the event in

the proper way of the South People.

All the people of the village gathered for the dance, including Little
Owl, the Snipe family, and Coyote and his grandson Hawk Chief. All
the right ceremonies were carried out for Pelican Girl.

“This party is so cool, ” said Pelican Girl to the Snipe sisters as they
danced to the beat of the drum.

When the dance finally finished and the drums were quiet, the women
of the village took Pelican Girl to the women’s house. She had to stay
there until the moon had become small and then grown full size
again.

When the moon had finished its cycle the women took Pelican Girl out
of the house to receive her beads of womanhood. They placed the
beads around her neck, wrists and ankles.

Pelican Girl was told that for the next few weeks she must stay close
to the village and she was not allowed to gather food or bend down to
pick up anything. This was the custom of the South People when a
young maiden became a woman.

As Pelican Girl sat outside her home the Snipe sisters walked by with
their pack baskets.

“Where are you going?” asked Pelican Girl.

“We're going to pick berries. Come with us and we'll tell you all the
latest gossip,” answered the Snipe sisters.

Pelican Girl asked her mother if she could go, but her mother said no,
because it was forbidden.

“I want to go! I want to go!” screamed Pelican Girl as she clenched

her hands tightly and stamped her feet.

“It’s OK,” said the Snipe sisters to Pelican Girl’s mother. “We'll pick
the berries for her.”

Finally her mother agreed. “OK, you can go but remember you're not
allowed to pick any berries or bend over to lift anything off the
ground.”

All day Pelican Girl did as she was told. She carried her pack basket
but did not pick any berries.
Late in the afternoon, the girls headed back to the village. Pelican Girl
was tired and walked slowly behind the Snipe sisters. Too busy talking
to notice, the Snipe sisters got further ahead until they disappeared
out of site around a bend in the trail.

Just then, Pelican Girl saw in the middle of the trail, a big goose that
looked like it had fallen from the sky.

“Wow, look at that,” shouted Pelican Girl. She gently touched the
goose with her foot.

“Maybe it had a heart attack or something?” she said. “Its feathers

are so beautiful. My uncles could really use them.”

Forgetting her promise not to pick up anything, Pelican Girl bent over,
picked up the goose and put it in her pack basket.

As she walked along the trail Pelican Girl thought to herself “This
basket is becoming really, really heavy.”

Finally it became so heavy she had to put it down.

Just then she heard a strange noise and a man appeared in front of
her basket.

“Little girl,” he whispered. “I want those beads around your neck and
your wrists and ankles.”

Pelican Girl knew who it was.

It was Shoko, a powerful shaman from the North World where the fire-
eaters lived. He had disguised himself as the goose so Pelican Girl
would pick him up.

By breaking the custom of her people she had given him the power to
carry her away to his land.

And that is what he did.

After Pelican Girl had removed her beads and thrown them to him,
Shoko did a dance and spirited her off to the land of the North People
where he hid her in a pit underneath a dance drum.

When the Snipe sisters returned to the village the people wanted to
know what had happened to Pelican Girl.

The Snipe Girls were frightened. “We don’t know,” they said.

“We heard her say something about feathers, but when we went back
to look, we couldn’t find her,” they cried.

So Coyote, the wise one, with some of the best trackers from the
village and Pelican Girls mother, went to find her.

Coyote soon worked out what had happened.

“The people of the North World have taken her,” he said. “We must go
there and rescue her.”

They ran along the trail towards the North World. When they reached
the entrance to the North World valley, Coyote told everyone to stop.

Coyote knew that Shoko and the fighting men of the North World
would be waiting for the South People to try and rescue Pelican Girl.

Coyote told Little Owl to take the shape of a bird and fly over the
fighting men to give them a message.

Little Owl flew over where the fighting men were hiding and
whispered to them “Coyote and the South People are not coming
tonight. Go to sleep and rest.”

All the fighting men listened to Little Owl and went back to their
house to sleep.

Coyote changed his people into mice and told them to get into his
sack, which he then carried into the village.

Coyote let the mouse people out of his sack. They went round the
North People, tying their long hair together. Then they chewed
through their bowstrings and the sinews that held the stone heads on
their spears and arrows.

When their work was done they changed back to people and looked
for Pelican Girl.

Coyote found her underneath the dance drum. She was very sick and
could not move.

Coyote picked her up and silently carried her through the house. But
he accidentally stepped on one of the sleeping North People.

“Ooops,” said Coyote. “This can’t be good.”

The fighting man woke up and his shouts woke all the others.

But when the North People tried to stand up, they fell back again
because their long hair had been tied together.

And they could not use their weapons either.

Coyote and the others escaped.

The North People had turned Pelican Girl into a fire-eater and Little
Owl had to sing and dance for many days and nights to try and cure
her. At last her body and spirit were cleansed and she was well again.

After time had passed, Pelican Girl married Coyote’s grandson, Hawke
Chief and she became one of the women who taught the young girls
of the village how to behave when it came time for them to become
women.

Thanks to Pelican Girl’s experience, none of them ever made the

mistake she did.

The End

The Storytelling Stone - how stories began

Native American - Seneca legend
retold by Oban

A long time ago, a young man called Crow lived in one of the villages
of the Seneca people. His parents had died many years before and he
had no one to care for him, or to cook and sew for him.

He lived at the very edge of the village in a small lodge made from
bark and branches. His hair was always a tangled mess, and his
clothes were old and tattered cast offs he had been given in trade.

The village children were cruel and made fun of him because of the
way he looked and because he was an orphan. This was a time when
people did not have stories to teach them how to respect and care for
others.

Young Crow was an excellent hunter with his bow and arrows. He
traded the birds and animals he killed for parched corn, other food
and clothes.

As winter drew nearer, Crow had to go further and further into the
woods to hunt. One day he went further than he had ever been
before. Eventually he came to a clearing where there was a large flat
smooth stone with another round stone sitting on top of it.

Crow sat on the flat stone and rested his back against the round one.
He laid the birds he had killed next to him. Then he reached into his
buckskin pouch for some parched corn, and began to tighten his
bowstring.

“Shall I tell you a story?” asked a deep rumbling voice near him.

Crow got such a fright he nearly choked. He jumped up quickly,

spitting corn from his mouth and looked around but could see no one.

“Who’s there?” shouted Crow. “Come out and show yourself.”

The clearing was silent. Nothing moved.

“I must be hearing things,” Crow said to himself. “And now I’m talking
to myself too.”

With a laugh, he sat down again and rested his back against the
round stone.
“Shall I tell you a story?” asked the deep voice again.

Crow sprang to his feet and shouted “Alright, that’s enough. Show
yourself now!”

Again, the clearing was silent and nothing moved.

Then Crow looked at the round stone he’d been resting against. He
could see a face in it. He realised it was the stone’s voice he’d heard.

“Who are you, and what are you?” asked Crow.

“I am Grandfather Stone. I’ve been here since time began,” answered

the stone.

“Shall I tell you a story?” asked the deep rumbling voice.

“What is a story?” asked Crow. “What does it mean to tell a story?”

“Stories tell us of all things that happened before this time,”

answered Grandfather Stone. “Give me a gift of your birds and I will
tell you how the world came to be.”

“You may have the birds,” said Crow.

He sat down in front of the stone. Its deep voice told him of a time
before this one, how Sky Woman fell to earth, how Turtle Island was
made, and about stone giants. When he finished one story, the stone
told another and then another. On and on he went.

As the sun began to set the stone said, “That’s enough for today.
Come back tomorrow and I will tell you more stories. But don’t tell
anyone about what you’ve heard today.”

Crow ran back to the village. He managed to kill a few birds on the
way to trade for hot food and parched corn.

When he traded the birds with a woman in the village she asked him
“Why have you brought back so few birds from your hunting?”

“Winter is getting nearer and it’s harder to find anything to hunt,”

answered Crow.

Early the next morning, Crow went into the woods with his bow and
arrow. He hunted for birds and then rushed back to the clearing.

“Grandfather Stone, I’ve brought you more birds as gifts,” said Crow.
He put the birds down on the flat stone. “Please tell me some more
stories.”

Crow sat down and the stone started telling one story after another
until it was nearly nightfall. This happened for many days. Crow
brought back fewer and fewer birds to the village. The children of the
village were even crueler to him. They made fun of him and told him
that now he wasn’t even a good hunter.

One day Crow came to the clearing, placed his gift on the stone and
said, “Grandfather Stone, please tell me some more stories.”

But the stone answered, “I have no more stories to tell. You have
heard all that has happened before this time. Now you must pass on
the knowledge you have learned from the stories. You will be the first
storyteller.

You must tell others what you have heard, and also add stories of
what happens from now on. The people you tell will remember your
stories. Some will remember better than others. Some will tell
different versions when they pass them on. It doesn’t matter. The
truths and lessons from the stories will be remembered.”

“Thank you Grandfather Stone,” said Crow. “I will make sure the
stories are not forgotten.”

Crow went back to the village. He knew it was time to move on. The
people here didn’t respect him and wouldn’t listen. He collected his
few belongings and left the village without telling anyone. No one
missed him.

Crow travelled far and eventually came to another village. The people
welcomed him warmly. They invited him to come in out of the cold
wind, sit by the fire and share their food.

After he had finished eating Crow said, “You have been so kind I’d like
to share something with you.”

He began to tell the stories he had learned from Grandfather Stone.

He told them of the time when animals could speak, and when the
turtle raced the bear.

That night the lodge house seemed warmer and the sound of the first
storyteller’s voice could be heard above the howling wind outside.
People went to sleep dreaming of the stories they had heard.

The chief of the village sent runners to other villages, inviting

everyone to come and hear the stories. They brought gifts of food and
clothing for Crow to thank him. A beautiful young woman came and
sat by him every time he spoke. She listened to every story. Many
seasons passed. Crow stayed in the village and married the young
woman.

When he had shared all the stories with the people of the village and
its neighbours, Crow and his wife left and travelled to other villages
further away, to tell the stories.
Eventually they came to the first village where he had lived before.
The people didn’t recognise him in his fine clothes and with his
beautiful wife.

The village chief welcomed them, inviting them to sit by the fire and
share their food. Crow told his stories. The people listened with their
ears and their hearts.

Crow told them, “You must not forget the stories and legends. You
must pass them on to your children and your grandchildren, and they
must pass them onto theirs. We can never again forget the stories
and their wisdom.”

And that is how it has been from that day to this. The stories from
Grandfather Stone have been handed down from generation to
generation and storytellers are still honoured today by those who
listen.

The End

The Boy Who Loved Bears

Native American - Pawnee tale
retold by Oban

A long time ago a Pawnee hunter was returning home after a day's
hunting when he saw a baby bear all alone in the forest.

The bear cub looked very frightened and was crying for its mother.

Feeling sorry for the bear cub the hunter picked it up, held it in his
arms and gently stroked its fur.

“Did you lose your mother little one?” said the hunter as he stroked
the fur under the cub’s chin.

The cub began sucking on the hunter’s finger.

“I think you’re hungry too,” said the hunter. He reached into his bag
for the last of the food his wife had given him that morning, and fed
the cub.

As he held the cub in his arms, the hunter thought about his pregnant
wife and the baby they were expecting any day now.

“Little one,” he said to the cub. “If ever my son or daughter is alone, I
pray there will be some one there to help them, like I have helped
you.”

The hunter put the bear cub down, then tied a small medicine bag
filled with sacred leaves around its neck as protection. The cub curled
into a ball on the ground. The hunter stroked the cub’s fur until it fell
asleep, purring.
The hunter covered the little bear with leaves to hide it.

“Sleep well, little one. I pray your mother will return by the time you
wake up,” whispered the hunter to the sleeping cub.

When he returned to his village the hunter told his wife about the little
bear.

“That’s really strange,” said his wife. “I saw a bear today too.”

A few days later when their son was born they decided to call him
Little Bear.

As the years passed, Little Bear grew into a strong young man. He
became the best hunter in the village. He could track animals just like
a bear, and catch fish in the streams, just like a bear.

“He even growls like a bear when I try to wake him in the morning,”
said Little Bear’s mother.

Often the young hunter would go and sit quietly, praying for hours
where the bears were known to live.

“I get this really weird feeling when I’m sitting there praying,” Little
Bear said to his father. “It’s as if I can feel the power of the bears.”

One day when Little Bear and other young men from the village were
out hunting, braves from another tribe attacked them.

Little Bear and the young men from his village fought bravely but
they were outnumbered. The battle continued until Little Bear and his
friends lay dead.

Soon after the battle had finished a bear and his mate came upon the
horrible scene.

The female bear recognised Little Bear.

“Look, that is the young man who prays for us. We have to help him!”
she said to her husband.

‘I can’t,” said her husband. “My healing medicine only works in the
light. The clouds are stopping the sun from shining its light on us.”

Just then the clouds parted and Little Bear was bathed in a single ray
of sunlight.

The bear stood tall, raised his arms to the sky and cried. “Oh, Great
Spirit! I ask you to return life into the body of this young man.”

The bear continued praying and slowly the life-spirit returned to Little
Bear.

The bears gently picked Little Bear up and took him to where they
lived. Little Bear stayed there for many months, until he was healed.
When Little Bear was well the bear walked with him to the top of a hill
overlooking Little Bear’s village.

The bear held Little Bear's hands in his mighty paws and breathed his
spirit into him.

“We are brothers now, and are as one” said the bear. “Whatever
happens to me will happen to you, and whatever happens to you will
happen to me.”

Little Bear became an even greater hunter and held Bear Ceremonies
to heal others and to give thanks to the Great Spirit for the bear. As
he grew older Little Bear changed his name to Bear Man.

Bear Man passed on the power of the bear to his children and
grandchildren. They passed it on to their children, so even today the
power of the bear is still known to the Pawnee people.

After many years, Bear Man died peacefully in his sleep. It is said that
an old bear died at that very instant.

The two brothers were together again.

The End