The Coyote Under the Table/El Coyote Debajo de la Mesa (5 page)

El gobernador pronunció la primera pregunta: —¿Cuántas vueltas da un perro antes de acostarse?

—¿Cuántas vueltas da un perro antes de acostarse? —repitió Pelón—. Es obvio, Su Excelencia. Todas las que le dé la gana.

Los amigos ricos del gobernador lo juzgaron cierto. Pero el gobernador no se impresionó. Sabía que esa pregunta era la más fácil.

Planteó la segunda pregunta: —¿Qué tan hondo es el mar?

—¿Qué tan hondo es el mar? —repitió el Pelón—. Exactamente una tirada de una piedra.

—¿Una tirada de una piedra? —se rió el gobernador—. ¿Usted cree que el mar tiene tan poca profundidad? —Pero luego se dio cuenta de que esta respuesta también era cierta. Si uno tira una piedra al mar, llega exactamente hasta el fondo. Los amigos ricos aprobaron con la cabeza.

“Bueno,” pensó el gobernador, “este cura es más listo de lo yo esperaba”. Pero no perdió la confianza. Le quedaba una pregunta y era imposible de contestar: —¿Qué estoy pensando?

—¿Qué está pensando, Su Excelencia? Es la pregunta más fácil de todas. Usted piensa que soy el Padre Chiquito, pero no lo soy. Soy Pelón, el ayudante del cura. —Y tiró la capucha hacia atrás para mostrar su calva a todos.

Todo el mundo se rió divertido. Y el gobernador tuvo que tragarse el enfado y reír también. Invitó a Pelón a quedarse para comer con él y sus amigos y, luego, mandó a casa al sirviente fiel con la buena noticia de que el Padre Chiquito podía continuar con la buena gente del pueblo por el resto de su vida. Y eso es exactamente lo que hizo.

 

T
here was once a queen who lived in a big house with her only son, the prince. The king had died years before. The queen was extremely fond of her son and gave him everything he wanted.

But the prince didn't ask for much because he was a very good young man. About the only favor he asked was that his mother have her seamstress make a new dress every day. Each morning the prince carried the new dress to the church in a package. He lit a candle in front of the wooden figure of Saint Mary and said a prayer. He would leave the package in front of the statue, and later that morning the old woman who cleaned the church would dress Santa María in her new garment.

In the same village there lived a very poor woman who had just one daughter. Like the queen, the poor woman had no husband. And like the queen she was extremely fond of her child. But while the prince dressed in royal finery, the poor girl had to go about in rags.

One morning when the prince entered the church, he saw the poor girl kneeling before the statue of Saint Mary. Of course, he didn't want to disturb her, so he sat quietly to wait until she had finished her prayers. But he couldn't help hearing what the poor girl was saying. “Santa María,” the poor girl prayed, “every time I come here you're wearing a beautiful new dress. And I'm wearing the same old rags. Please, would you send me just one of your dresses someday, so that I may come to Mass on Sunday looking lovely, like the other girls do?”

After the girl had left, the prince lit a candle and prayed. He left a new dress for the statue, and then hurried home. He said to the queen, “Mother, have your seamstress make the finest dress she is able to. Send it to the poor girl who lives in the town. And have your goldsmith make a pair of golden slippers for her as well!”

Of course the queen did as her son wished, and the servants delivered the gifts to the poor girl. “Look!” the girl cried, “my prayers have been answered.” And she hugged and kissed her mother.

Then she ran next door to show the neighbor girls what she had received. What she didn't know was that the neighbor girls were greedy, and the sight of the beautiful dress and the golden slippers filled them with envy. They placed a spell on the slippers, so that whoever put them on would fall into a deep, death-like sleep.

The very next Sunday the poor girl put on her new dress to go to the church and thank Saint Mary. She was about to put on a golden slipper, but then she thought, “These slippers will get dirty as I'm walking to church. I'll carry them, and put them on after I get there.”

So she carried her slippers to the church. In the corner, right next to the statue of Saint Mary, she sat down and put one slipper on. She yawned and shook her head because she felt so sleepy. She put on the other slipper and fell into a deep sleep. She slept so soundly that she wasn't even breathing.

The priest arrived at the church and found her. “A miracle!” he gasped. “A new statue of the saint has appeared. And how life-like it is in every detail. No human hand could have produced this work of art!”

The priest placed the new statue in a niche beside the old one and announced to the people that they had been blessed with a miracle.

Now each morning the prince lit candles in front of both statues, and for each he brought a fresh dress.

Soon after this, the prince decided it was time to choose a wife. Of course, he did what princes always do when they wish to find a wife. He planned three evenings of dancing at his house and invited everyone from far and near to attend.

Among the girls who arrived from far away were two who had no fine clothes to wear. But they had come anyway, hoping they might be able to borrow some dresses. As soon as they arrived in the town they went to the church to pray for good luck, and they saw the two elegantly dressed statues.

“Let's just take the dresses from these statues,” one of the girls said.

“Of course!” said the other. “The saints won't mind lending us their dresses. Their petticoats are fancier than our dresses anyway. And we'll have the dresses back before morning.”

So that evening the two girls attended the dance in the dresses they had borrowed from the statues in the church. They had a wonderful time, even though they didn't seem to attract any special attention from the prince. But, for that matter, neither did any of the other girls at the dance.

The next evening the girls went again to the church to borrow the dresses from the statues. Imagine their delight to discover that the statues wore new dresses!

Once again a fine time was had by all who attended the dance, but the prince still didn't seem to be falling in love with any of the young women.

As the third evening approached, the prince was growing worried. Maybe his plan wasn't going to work after all. So before the hour of the dance, the prince went to the church to light candles in front of the saints he was so devoted to. When he entered the church, what should he see but two young women about to remove the dresses from the statues.

The prince crept up closer to find out what the two girls were up to. He heard one of them say, “These dresses are even more beautiful than the last two. Surely the prince will notice one of us in these dresses.”

“I don't know,” sighed the other. “I wonder if he'll fall in love with any girl.”

And then the first said, “I know what I'm going to do. Look at the golden slippers this statue has on. I'm going to wear them tonight. That will catch the prince's attention!”

The girl removed one slipper from the statue.

“Look!” said her friend, “Santa María moved her leg. She must be angry that you're taking her slippers!”

The other girl laughed and said to the statue, “Don't worry, Santa María. You'll have your slippers back before morning.” She pulled off the other slipper.

The statue yawned and stretched and rubbed her eyes. “Oh,” she said, “what a sleep I've been having!”

The two girls were frightened and ran from the church, but the prince recognized the poor girl. He ran from his hiding place.

“Please, go with me to the dance tonight!” he begged her.

They went to the dance together, and, of course, it wasn't long before the two of them were married. They put the golden slippers on the real statue of Saint Mary, and to this day the two of them go each morning to light a candle in front of Santa María and bring her a beautiful new dress.

Había una vez una reina que vivía en una casona con su único hijo, el príncipe. El rey se había muerto hacía años. La reina apreciaba mucho a su hijo y le concedía todo lo que pedía.