CUENTOS

1. THE PRICE OF SMOKE

One fine day, a farmer went to the city market to sell eggs and milk. At the end of the day, she entered
an inn to eat something and regain strength before returning home.
- What do you want to eat? - asked the innkeeper.
- A bowl of soup and some bread - replied the farmer.
While she was taking her food, she observed that the innkeeper was roasting a juicy piece of meat on
the fire. !how good it smelled! surely it was very expensive and she couldn’t afford it, she couldn’t
afford those luxuries.
But, she did not think twice, she went to the fire place, passed a piece of bread through the smoke of
the roast and, after a moment, the bread had been impregnated with the aroma that the meat gave off.
It was delicious!
The girl continued cutting pieces of bread and bringing them closer to the roast, until the innkeeper
who saw what was happening, very angry, said to her:
- You think you are very smart, don’t you? you will have to pay what you have stolen from me.
- steal? I have not stolen anything. I have paid for the soup and bread that i have eaten.
- And what about the smoke? aren’t you going to pay for it? - replied the woman very angry.
- smoke? but the smoke is worth nothing. I have only brought the bread closer to the smoke that
the roast gave off.
The discussion between the innkeeper and the girl aroused the curiosity of many customers and, after
a while, a group of men and women gathered around them.
A merchant who was observing the scene intervened in the discussion:
- calm down innkeeper. How much do you want for the smoke?
- Four coins.
- but it’s just smoke! the farmer insisted. That is a lot of money.
The merchant then took out four coins from his pocket and, holding them in the palm of his hand,
began to move them.
- listen to the sound of the coins, innkeeper - said the merchant - with them, you are paid.
- how am i paid? give me my coins right now - she replied furious.
And the merchant, addressing the customers of the inn asked:
- Did the girl eat the meat?
- noooo! - several voices replied at the same time.
- Did she take something other than the smoke?
- nooooo - they said again.
- well, to pay for the smoke from the roast, the sound of the coins is enough - said the merchant
satisfied.
And, to the laughter of all those present, the innkeeper had no choice but to return to the kitchen. The
farmer then thanked the merchant and left with relief.

2. A GREAT MUSICIAN
Once upon a time there was a musician named Barbad, very admired by all his neighbors. The young
man had a magnificent voice and used to play the lute. Although Barbad felt highly valued by his
neighbors, his real dream was to become the king’s musician.
The monarch who reigned at that time in Persia had a great passion for music. But there were so many
artists around him that, for a long time, he had not accepted new musicians at his court.
However, Barbad knew that if the sovereign came to know of his talent, he would make an exception
for him. For this reason, the young artist began to walk around the royal palace and, little by little,
managed to become friends with the king’s gardener.
After a while, Barbad asked him to let him into the gardens. He wanted to surprise the king with one
of his compositions when he walked through the palace. The gardener agreed to help him:
- Okay, but where will you hide?
- i will be waiting for the king to pass behind a tree - said Barbad.
The next day, Barbad appeared in the gardens completely dressed in green to camouflage himself next
to the tree. The musician climbed to the top of a tree and hid among its leaves. There he spent several
days and nights, sleeping outdoors and soaking to the skin with the spring rains.
Finally, one sunny morning, Barbad heard a great noise. Had the moment he had been waiting for so
many years come? The musician began to look through the leaves until he saw the monarch followed
by a large cortege. This was his big chance!
Barbad plucked the strings of the lute and with his sweet voice he sang a song so perfect and
melodious that it left those who approached speechless.
- Who are you, invisible musician? - asked the monarch - let me see you, I want to meet you.
Barbad came down from the tree, knelt before the sovereign and said:
- Lord, for a long time I have wished that you could hear my melodies. finally my dream has
come true.
The monarch took the artist’s hands, lifted him off the ground and hugged him excitedly. From that
day on, Barbad was the king’s favorite musician, and gained great fame throughout the country.
And what happened to the gardener? Barbad never forgets that it was thanks to him that he was able to
fulfill his dream, and since then, he has not only been one of his great friends, but he has also
dedicated many of his melodies to him and even composed one about the one who helped him.

3. WHY SPIDERS WEAVE THEIR WEB IN THE SHAPE OF THE SUN

An old American legend tells that, at the beginning of time, in America, people and animals lived in
absolute darkness. It did not matter if it was day or night, because that vast territory was always under
an immense shadow.
One day, people and animals got together to see what they could do to solve that situation.
The toucan was the first to speak:
- Dear friends, we cannot continue like this. Everything here is so sad… on the other hand, we
birds have seen from the air that there is light on the other side of the world, a beautiful light
that comes from a star called the sun.
The vulture spoke after the toucan:
- I can fly to the sun and bring back a little piece of that star.
The vulture took flight and flew away. When he reached his destination, he picked up some lightning
bolts, placed them on his head, and went back. However, when he landed again on the ground, the
light had lost its way and also his feathers were singed.
Everyone was very sad with this scenario. But, at that moment, the hare volunteered:
- If it's okay with you, I will go. Since I am so fast, it won’t take me long to reach the sun.
And the fast animal began to run in search of the luminous star. He caught a few rays, hid them in his
fur and, running, returned to his place. She thought she had succeeded, but the other animals looked at
her in amazement. Her tail was singed and it had also lost its light along the way.
The animals began to give up. It seemed impossible to change their way of life and have a world with
light!
While they were there a voice of an old spider was heard.
- Now I will go - said the animal.
The spider modeled a small bowl of clay and set off, at the same time that she wove a huge web on its
way to the sun. When she reached the star, the spider stretched out its legs, took several rays,
deposited them in the claypot, then began to retrace its path along the cloth she had woven.
After a good while, the old spider came to her land with a radiant bowl, full of a powerful light that, to
the joy of all her neighbors, spread throughout that immense part of the world.
Legend has it that, since then, spiders have weaved the threads of their brilliant web in the shape of
the sun and its rays, in memory of the star that provided them with the light they had longed for.

5. GEORGE WASHINGTON AND THE CHERRY TREE

When George Washington was six years old, he became the owner of an ax which, like many of the
boys of that time, was a tool they enjoyed playing with. He spent a morning cutting down everything
that got in his way.
One day, while he was wandering in the garden having fun cutting down some bushes, he found a
beautiful and majestic cherry tree, of which his father was very proud. Without thinking twice, he
tried to make a cut with the edge of his ax in the trunk of the tree and took part of the cortex from the
cherry tree.
Some time after, his father found out what had happened to his favorite tree. He entered the house in
great rage and demanded to know who was the person who had cut down the cherry tree. No one
could tell him anything about it.
At that moment George came into the room with his little ax.
- George - said his father - do you know who damaged my beautiful cherry tree?
This was a difficult question to answer, and for a moment George trembled, but quickly recovering, he
cried:
- I can't lie father, you know I can't lie! I cut it down with my little ax.
The anger faded from his father’s face, and taking the boy tenderly in his arms he said:
- my son, do not be afraid to tell the truth, it is more to me than a thousand trees! yes it is. even
if they had silver flowers and gold leaves.

6. THE FARMER AND THE EAGLE

One very early morning a young farmer found an eagle that had fallen into a trap among some bushes.
The bird, nervous, did not stop moving and the more attempts she made to let go, the more she
became entangled. After a while, exhausted, she remained still.
The farmer, who saw what had happened, approached her with slow steps to help her. He was
impressed by how helpless that magnificent bird looked, trembling and moaning pitifully.
- calm down, calm down - the farmer whispered to her to calm her down - you are a very
beautiful eagle… a true work of art of nature.
Once at her side, the young man was cutting the ropes of the net. He was so admired by the beauty of
the bird that he even dared to caress its beautiful and soft plumage. Soon he managed to free her.
- fly away and don’t come back here. As you have seen, it is dangerous territory - he said with
love.
The eagle, as if she had understood her benefactor, took flight and was lost in the air.
Several weeks passed and one very hot day, the farmer sat down to rest by the wall of an abandoned
farm, looking for some shade. After a while he observed that a large bird was hovering around him.
Then, to his surprise, she swooped towards him and snapped his hat off with a sharp peck.
The farmer immediately got up and ran after the unexpected thief.
- what a thief bird! hey! my hat! give it back to me right now! - he yelled very angry.
A few meters away, the young man observed that his hat fell to the ground, near him.
- ugh! good thing i got it back! with this heat - he exclaimed almost breathlessly picking up his
hat from the ground.
Still furious, he turned to head back to the shadow he had just left. He could not believe what he was
seeing. He approached the wall where he had been leaning to see if his eyes were deceiving him.
- oh my god! the wall has collapsed - the farmer exclaimed incredulously.
Hardly believing his luck, he took off his hat and sighed in relief. Looking up, he saw a majestic bird
circle overhead, and in that moment, he understood. The eagle that he had released weeks ago had
saved his life!
The young man waved his hand to greet her and thick tears wet his face.

7. THE LITTLE SNOWBALL

There was a handful of snow on the top of a rock, when he began to think:
- won’t they think i am haughty and arrogant for being in such a high place since all the snow
is lower than me? I am so tiny that I do not deserve this height, even more so when yesterday
I was able to see what the sun did to my companions who, in a few hours, melted. I should go
downstairs and find a place suitable for my small size.
So the little ball began to descend down the mountainside, rolling on the snow. The lower he went, the
bigger he got and when he ended up on the hill, he saw that his size had increased enormously. And
that is how the little ball was the last snow that the sun undid at the end of the winter.

8. THE FLEA

A dog was sleeping on a lamb when one of its fleas felt the smell and heat of the wool. That was how
she thought it was best to stop feeding on the dog and move on to the soft lamb.
As soon as she entered the thick wool, she began to try to penetrate the roots of the hairs but no matter
how much effort she put in, it was useless since the fur was so thick that there was no space to reach
the skin.
After a lot of effort, she wanted to go back to the dog, but he had already left and that is how the flea
was left hungry while sobbing repentantly.

9. THE OAK AND THE CANE

One day, the oak said to the humble and fragile cane:
- I wouldn't be surprised if you complain about your bad luck, since nature has made you so
extremely fragile that even the weight of the smallest bird forces you to bend over. let’s not
say when the wind blows or the rain rages. Look at me instead: I face the sun's rays and I do
not fear the onslaught of storms, which seem to me like soft breezes. It is a pity that you were
not born sheltered by my foliage, because that way you could live in peace, since I could
defend you from the wind and storms.
The cane, grateful for the concern and generosity of the oak replied:
- do not worry about me, when the wind rages it makes my stem bend, but it doesn’t break it.
You will not believe it, but the wind can be worse for you.
While they were talking, a strong wind began to blow, which turned into a terrible hurricane. The oak
resisted with all its might but ended up tearing its trunk off. The cane, upon seeing it, bent its stem and
let the wind pass over it. after the wind ceased, the cane rose again, but the oak lay on the ground.

10. THE TWO LITTLE FROGS OF JAPAN

This is the story of two little frogs. They both lived very happily in Japan, but in different cities; one
lived in Kyoto and the other in Osaka.
One morning, the two little frogs woke up very bored and decided that it was time to explore other
places:
- Today I will leave for Osaka - said the little frog from Kyoto.
- today i will travel to Kyoto - said the little frog from Osaka.
Without knowing, the little frogs packed up their things at the same time and hopped off to the
mountain road that linked the two cities.
The trip turned out to be longer than planned and due to those things of fate; the two little frogs, very
exhausted, stopped at the top of the mountain.
Upon meeting, the two little frogs looked at each other with emotion. Then they greeted each other
and they struck up a conversation. That was how they knew where they were going.
- I am going to Osaka! - said the Kyoto frog. I heard that it is a splendid city.
- And I am going to Kyoto! - replied the little frog from Osaka. Everyone says that it is a
splendid city.
- it is a pity that we are not taller - said the little frog from Kyoto. If we were, we could see
from the top of this mountain the city we want to visit.
- I have an idea! - exclaimed the little frog from Osaka - let’s stand on our toes with our hind
legs and support each other. So we can take a look at the city we are going to.
So, the two little frogs stood on their toes and held onto their front legs to not fall. The Kyoto frog
raised her head and looked towards Osaka. The Osaka frog also raised her head and looked towards
Kyoto.
- What a disappointment! - said the Kyoto frog. Osaka is the same as Kyoto.
- What a disappointment! - said the little frog from Osaka. Kyoto is the same as Osaka.
At that moment, the Kyoto frog said:
- I am glad we found this out, now we can save ourselves the long drive and head home.
Both said their goodbyes and began to happily jump back to their cities.
However, the two little frogs forgot that all the little frogs in the world have eyes on the top of their
heads. In reality, they saw what was behind and not ahead. the little frog from Kyoto was looking
towards Kyoto and the one from Osaka was looking towards Osaka.
11. GOLD AND RATS

Once upon a time there was a merchant who had to undertake a very long journey. Before leaving, he
left a chest full of gold coins in the care of his best friend.
A few months passed and the traveler returned to his friend’s house to claim his chest. However, he
was not prepared for the surprise that awaited him.
- I have very bad news for you! - exclaimed his friend - I kept your chest under my bed not
knowing that I had rats in my room. Do you want to know what exactly happened?
- Of course I want to know - replied the merchant.
- The rats entered the chest and ate the coins. You know dear friend that rodents are capable of
devouring everything.
- What bad luck of mine! - said the merchant with deep sadness - I have been ruined by that
plague.
The merchant knew very well that he had been deceived.
Without showing suspicion, he invited his bad friend to dinner at his house the next day. But when he
left, he went into the stable and took the best horse he could find.
The next day, his friend came to dinner and annoyedly said:
- I am in a very bad mood, because yesterday the best of my horses disappeared. I looked
everywhere for him, but I couldn't find him.
- Is your horse brown? - the merchant asked, faking concern.
- How do you know? - replied the bad friend.
- By pure chance, last night, after leaving your house, I saw an owl fly carrying a brown horse
in his legs.
- No way! - said the friend very angry - a light bird cannot take flight holding an animal as
strong as my horse.
- Of course it is possible - the merchant pointed out - if rats eat gold in your house, why are you
surprised when an owl steals your horse?
The bad friend, very embarrassed, confessed his crime. And that was how the gold returned to the
owner and the horse to the stable.

12. RAY OF FIRE

Legend has it that many, many centuries ago, in a far north country, king Eric the old, sick and tired of
ruling, announced to all his subjects that he would choose a successor based only on his demonstrated
strength.
Soon, the bravest men in the region appeared before the king and narrated their heroic deeds.
The first to participate was Trim, a stocky man with a red beard who said:
- One night a storm came up while I was sailing and thanks to my incredible strength, I took
my boat with one hand and swam with the other until I reached the shore.
After Trim, it was Trom’s turn, a dark man with a black beard, so tall and muscular he looked like a
giant:
- My lord king - said Trom - my encounter with the sea was more heroic than Trim’s. One
stormy night, the wind was so angry that I had to take my boat with both hands and swim with
only my legs.
The last to speak was Trum, a strong man with a blond beard who was not liked by the public because
he was violent and presumptuous. Eric the old, Trim, Trom, and the whole kingdom listened intently.
- Your Majesty, if it is the greatest act of strength you seek, then I am your only claimant to the
throne. Trim and Trom’s stories pale before mine - Trum said, convinced he was the best of
all three, and added - I too was surprised by the storm while commanding a fleet of 52 ships.
So i called my horse, Ray of Fire, who can move over the land and the sea, I tied the coast to
his tail with an iron rope and towed the entire kingdom to the ships. since it was not possible
for me to bring the ships to land, i brought the land to the ships.
- Incredible, fantastic! - said Eric the old, very surprised.
However, the king knew that choosing Trum as his successor would cause enormous discontent
among his people and he exclaimed:
- Your achievement is indeed heroic, but Ray of Fire, your horse, proved to be stronger than
you. He saved an entire fleet and deserves to be king.
The people celebrated the wise king’s decision, as they preferred to be ruled by a horse than by a
tyrant.

14. MARIA (mary) AND THE MISER BAKER

Once upon a time, in a small town in Peru, there was a humble young woman named Maria who lived
in front of a bakery. Everyone in town liked her because she was hard-working and had a good heart.
To pay for her food, Maria cleaned houses and washed other people’s clothes.
The baker, Maria’s neighbor, baked the best breads, cakes and tarts in the entire town. But he was
greedy and a harsh man who rarely had a kind word to offer. Even so, his bakery was always full of
people, because no one could bake as well as him.
Maria and the baker rarely spoke to each other, but the young woman loved the smells that came from
the bakery. Before dawn, while the baker was baking, Maria would go to the bakery window to
delight herself in the delicious aromas.
- ah, what delicious smells! - the young woman exclaimed - I have no way to buy the breads
and cakes, but I feel happy just smelling them.
The baker was able to hear Maria and furiously said to her:
- If you are happy with the smells, you will have to pay for them.
He slammed the door, closed the bakery and headed down the road toward the courthouse. When he
came before the judge, he said:
- Maria owes me money because she has stolen from me.
And he presented his case. The judge listened carefully and summoned Maria to court, ordering her to
bring ten gold coins.
Soon, the townspeople found out the news and went to Maria’s house. Together they had collected the
ten gold coins.
The day of the trial arrived and Maria appeared in court with the ten gold coins in a bag.
- Maria - said the judge - have you been smelling the baker’s pies, cakes and breads?
- Yes your honor, I confess - said Maria - in the morning I delight in all those wonderful smells;
these are confused with the air when they go out the window.
The judge was silent. The entire town, gathered in the courtroom, also fell silent.
After several minutes, the judge got up.
- I have reached a verdict - he said - I find you guilty of stealing the baker’s scents. Now is the
time for your sentencing. Approach the baker and shake the bag you bring with the ten coins.
Maria, very bewildered by the strange request, approached the baker and shook the bag. Everyone
heard the sound of the coins.
The judge looked at the baker and asked him:
- Have you heard the sound of those coins?
- Of course you honor - replied the baker.
- And is it a lovely sound to you? - asked the judge.
- Of course your honor - replied the baker.
- Well then - said the judge - Maria has stolen the smells from your bakery and has paid you
with the sound of coins. Case closed!

15. THE FLYING TRUNK

Ali, being orphaned, had spent the small fortune his father left him. One of his friends, compassionate,
gave him an old trunk.
- Beautiful! - Ali said to himself - but since I don't have anything to keep, I will put myself
inside. Oh! - the young man was surprised to see that the trunk went flying through the air - it
appears to be an enchanted trunk.
Flying, flying, he came to a big city. He landed on the ground and hid the trunk in a forest.
- Whose palace is that? - Ali asked some girls who were playing in the street.
- that’s where the king’s daughter lives - replied a girl - but nobody can see it, because she is in
one of the highest towers.
The young man went to the forest and, climbing in his enchanted trunk, flew to the terrace where the
princess was.
- Who are you? - asked the king’s daughter, astonished.
- I have heard of your beauty - Ali said - and I have come to ask if you want to marry me.
The princess gave Ali a golden sword and invited him to the party that her parents were preparing to
celebrate.
The next day, the kings and the entire court were able to admire the young man who was traveling
through the air in an enchanted trunk.
- Tell us a funny story - the king asked.
Ali told a beautiful story that greatly pleased everyone.
- Within a week you will be able to marry my daughter - said the king - so you can keep telling
us such funny stories and we will never get bored.
Ali, to contribute to the festivities that were held, prepared a fireworks session, which he launched
from the trunk. But the trunk, frightened by the noise, quickly moved away from the place with Ali
inside.
- What are you doing? - Ali lamented - come back to town! don’t you know that I must marry
the princess?
The trunk, tired of flying, landed in the ocean.
- I can’t take it anymore - said the trunk - I am too old and I am afraid I won't be able to fly
anymore.
- ¡Hey! - the young man began to shout when he saw that the trunk was sinking.
While a ship’s crew rescued Ali, the trunk sank to the bottom forever.
- Oh! - said the mermaids - it will serve us to keep our coral and pearl necklaces in it.
After much sailing, the ship that had rescued the young man came within sight of a city.
- What a joy! - Ali yelled - that is my city, from which i should never have left to go around the
world in an old flying trunk.
Ali, understood that the marvelous should not be trusted to achieve happiness and fortune, imitating
the example of his father, he began to work.
It did not take long for him to make money; and this time he did not spend it, since he had acquired it
with his effort.
After some time, Ali married a beautiful and industrious young woman, who was not a princess, but
very good and hard-working, which is worth much more.

16. THE STORY OF THE CASTAWAY

Once upon a time there was an Egyptian sailor whose ship, in the middle of the sea, was shipwrecked
by a storm.
All his companions died; only he could hold on to a board and free himself from death.
Finally, a wave threw him to a lonely island where he remained alone for three days. He ate figs and
other fruits and slept in the hollow of a tree.
After a few days, he heard a deep voice that at first, he mistook for a wave of the sea. He turned his
head and saw that what was approaching was a snake thirty meters long. Her body was inlaid with
gold and her eyebrows were two emeralds.
She opened her mouth towards him and taking him in she took him to her lair, where she left him
without hurting him. Then the snake asked:
- Who brought you here?
- A wave of the sea - replied the Egyptian, recounting his adventure in detail to the snake.
- Don't panic! - she said when the sailor finished the story - the gods have preserved your life
and have brought you to this island of the Ka, where everything is good. You will spend four
months in it and then they will come from the palace in a boat and you will go with them.
Then the emotional sailor knelt before her saying:
- I will tell the Pharaoh who you are and let him know how great you are. I will tell them what
has happened to me and what I have seen. You will be worshiped in the city before the great
lords of the whole country. I will send you ships loaded with all the riches and treasures of
Egypt, just as it is done to a god who is a friend of men.
But the snake laughed:
- You are wrong. When you leave this place you will not see this island again, for it will turn
into water.
Time passed, and finally, the ship that the snake had announced arrived. The castaway, seeing it, ran to
tell the snake, but found out that the snake already knew.
- Go home - the snake told him - I wish you to acquire a good name in your city.

17. THE TREE OF HAPPINESS

Although the king lacked nothing because he had everything he wanted, he was never happy; he
always wanted more and more.
One day they told him that a very poor young woman lived next to the palace who only had a
miserable cabin and a tree in the yard, but thanks to this tree, the young woman was completely
happy.
- Bring me that tree immediately! - ordered the king.
The royal guard went to the girl’s cabin, uprooted the tree, roots and all, and took it to the royal
garden where it was planted.
But, how strange! That tree only produced sad music; so sad that everyone who heard it cried bitterly,
even the king himself.
- Why does that tree that used to make everyone who listened to its music happy, now only
makes sad and distressing music in my garden?
- My lord - replied the wise man - that tree gives everyone what they need. It gave the young
woman happiness in the midst of so much poverty, but since your majesty has everything, it
gives you sadness and anguish, which is the only thing you don’t see around you.
The king, ashamed for having deprived the young woman of her only good, ordered that the tree be
taken back to the young woman’s barnyard, who, since then, has never lacked for anything by the
express wish of the king himself.

18. THE FOREIGNER

That farmer was so stingy that he never gave anything or took pity on anyone if he did not receive
something in return.
One night they called at the door. He went to open it and saw a richly dressed gentleman who said to
him:
- I need accommodation for tonight.
The greedy farmer, seeing that this man must be a rich prince, saw the opportunity to do a good
business.
- Come in sir; you will have dinner and a bed, but since we are very poor, you will have to pay
ten gold louis.
That money was a fortune and the gentleman was amazed, but he accepted the deal. Shortly after he
had dinner and went to bed in the best bed in the house.
In the morning he told the farmer:
- I have a lot of money. As soon as my servants arrive I will give you your money, but could
you sell me your horse? I would saddle him while my people arrive.
- I will give you the horse, but it’s a beautiful sorrel and you will have to pay me twenty gold
louis for it.
The gentleman said nothing; he saddled the horse and when it was ready he rode it, spurred and ran
off at full gallop.
- Sir! - cried the farmer - you forgot to pay me my thirty golden louis!
But as he walked away with great laughter, the gentlemen replied:
- You will have to go to collect it in hell, which is where men like you go!
And that is how the farmer and his family, crying at the door of their house, realized that they had
been punished for their greed and lack of charity.