My Grandmothers Stories - Pt.2

                  The Chocolate Maiden

     ***Illustration Above Is NOT Mine***

     Once long ago, deep in the wild jungles of Mexico lived three tribes. Each tribe had abundance of everything, food, water, shelter. If one tribe did not have enough of one thing the others would graciously give them what they needed. They all looked out for each other. One dry season, food and water fell scarce, so all three tribes chiefs decided to send out their most trained foragers deep into the jungle. One of these skilled seekers was the princess of the Roja tribe. She was the most beautiful princess you would ever lay eyes upon. 

     She was also the most kindhearted and generous of all the royals in the land. The princess traveled with the other foragers for many days and nights until they came across an abundant plain of trees with large seeds. The princess saw these fruits and grabbed as many as she could carry within her bags. They all headed back to their villages but on the way the princess and the others were attacked by hungry jaguars. They all managed to trick the beasts but in the midst of losing the predators they got lost. 

     It would be another day of two before they could get home. The princess decided to make something from one of the seeds, and so she did. It was sweet and delicious. The two other tribesmen that were with the princess wanted more but she refused and told them we must conserve for the trip home. Once they all got back to their own villages the princess gave each of the men an equal portion of the bean to take home to their people. 

     When the princess returned to her father there was a grand feast. The princess showed her people how to make and to grow the bean,  including the other two tribes as well. This brought the attention of the other chiefs and their sons. However, the princess could marry only one. Soon enough hard times came again, but it wasn't water or food, it was the fruit that the princess had shared with all the tribes. 

     Although the young maiden taught the people how to make the delicious food from this bean they forgot the most important thing, to share. She asked all the villages to portion it out the next time. The princess traveled to land that grew the aromatic fruits, this time she made sure there was more for everyone to share. Within a fourth night all of the tribes had devoured the delicious bean and didn't bother planting it either. The princess had her own troubles with the two other tribes princes. 

     She didn't know what to do, her people were fighting and maiming each other over a fruit that could be easily grown. While in the royal temple she had to pick a prince. She tried her best to help all her people and the royal families but none wanted to listen to her. The princess went out to the royal gardens to cry and from her tears she watered the fruits. The fighting continued and eventually war came between the tribes. 

     The princess then got in-between the chaotic fight and as a spear hurld towards her and pierced her heart, the clouds opened up and lightening stroke the three armys. The gods were angered and with the princesses dying breath, she said "spare them, take me. They have forgotten what it means to share, to love each other, to be grateful for what they have been given. Please do not punish my people, if anyone, it should be me." The gods above shined a bright light upon the princess. 

     From that light the deities turned her into the very fruit that she had shared with the people. Everyone witnessed this transformation and wept for their beloved maiden. From then on, all the tribes  treated each other with compassion and respect. Things went back to the way they were but all remembered the princesses sacrifice. From her body a tree of the aromatic fruits grew. 

     Her people learned to grow the seeds and make other trees in the her name. She became, La doncella de chocolate and from her branches came an abundance of the food we all call chocolate. 

©2024 Julianne A.

                    Mother Moon Goat

*** The photgraph above is NOT mine***

     Once upon time there was a young man who had very little. All he wanted to do was farm and make a life for his own. One night under a full moon the man wished upon the north star for a miracle. By the morning sunrise a large female goat appeared out from nowhere. From her mouth she had spat seeds. 

     As the farmer gazed upon this goat he thanked the heavens above for wonderous creature. Each seed she spat out, he carefully sowed. The man had no water though, so that night he prayed to the stars above to bless his crops. Sure enough the night sky turned into rain. Within a few months the young man had an abundance of crops. 

     He danced with glee with the goat. Several months later the farmer gathered everything that he could from the harvest and headed into town. He took the goat with him. He sold every fruit and vegetable he had. One of the customers in particular took a liking to the young man and his woolly friend. 

     She was a beautiful woman with hair as black as the night sky and eyes that glimmed like the stars. Once they saw each other, it was love at first sight. The young man and woman knew they were meant to be and from that moment on their love would always last. A few months past and the women married the young man and settled in on his farm. They both worked long and hard to maintain the crops. 

     One day they decided that it would be a nice idea to grow their own family. For years they tried, but they could not have children. They did everything they could, from heirloom remedies to going to the local physician, but nothing worked. As the years passed by, both the woman and the man feared the worst. So, they decided to sit down in the fields and wish upon the north star with hands held tight together. 

     As a month past the woman was blessed with child. Both jumped with joy from what the heavens above had given them. Several months later, the woman gave birth to four beautiful sons, but the woman became deathly ill after giving birth to the last child. The man didn't not know what to do. He begged the stars to spare her but after a few hours she had died in his arms. 

     He knew his sons would die too if not fed. As the man was kneeling before the dark sky he heard the bell of the goat coming in through the front door. With all four sons in their cradle the goat sat down right beside him. He noticed that she was lactating. He wondered if this could solve his children's hunger. 

     Sure enough, the goat provided nourishment and yet again saved the lives of the farmer and his family. The mother was buried under her favorite flowering tree. The boys grew up with the stories that their father told about their mother and her eternal love for them all. Over time, the goat continued spit seeds, give milk and soon after that gave birth to her own flock. From this miracle giving goat, the farmer and his sons lived happy and abundantly. 

     Many, many years later, during a cold winter, the goat layed down in the same hill that she had met the young man decades before. She was old and weary. She had done her job, and knew it was time to return to the heavens were she had lived before. For once she had made a family happy. It was her time to return back to the moon from whence she came. 

     As she she took one last breath, her body turned into a glistening moon dust and floated into the sky. The wind blew and she floated all the way up to the winter moon. Still today you can see the image of the mother moon goat. They say she still watches down on all her family on earth. Helping them and guiding them through the darkest of nights and the most unfortunate of times. 

     If you listen very carefully you can hear her bell and bleats in the echos of the cold wintery winds above. The story of mother moon goat teaches us that when we've done all that we can and we can't go any further, even in the most terrible of predicaments, the heavens will always help us the rest of the way. We all are reminded that there is hope. 

©2024 Julianne A.

The Land of the Dead

        ***The Art Above Is NOT Mine***

The way my grandmother would talk about the land of the dead verses the land of the living was incredible! For a child of five, all the way up till my grandmother crossed the veil, she would tell in great detail about the the land of the dead. For example, she would say on every street corner was food trucks. The trees would have pinatas growing with candy inside. Parades of plenty would be held everywhere. 

     You could have your fill of food, get as drunk as you wanted and afterwards go dancing to your corazons content. When the rain would come, it wasnt rain, it was confetti and ribbons. Every soul had their own personal casa to call their own. I remember asking mì abuela about the pets we had in life. Did they have their own parties to go too? 

     My grandmother would reply with a warm smile, she would say, "yes mija, even the pets are there and have their own form of fiesta." She said that there was an animal park were all the past pets who had departed lived. It was acres of acres of land, every tree had scratching post towers for the kitties. The dogs could jump and run as far as they wanted in the fields. The goldfish had a humungous pond that they could swim in and all the little hamsters could dig and nest in their own personal hidey-holes. 

     Best of all, they coexisted with one another. That, and when you got to the land of the dead, your pets are all waiting for you to take home. I always cried at that part, my grandma would say, "mija, don't cry, this is a happy story." She then would take her handkerchief and wipe the tears from my cheeks. The stories that my abuela told to me gave important life or afterlife lessons. 

     Also, the love and thoughts she put in them really spoke to me as a young niña. My grandmother on her death bed told me that she did not want my grandfathers photo on the Ofrenda. She told me that in life she put up with all his BS, she did not want that same BS in death. Still today, I honor my grandmothers wishes by not putting him up on our altar. I wouldn't blame my grandma for asking me to do that. 

    I knew what my grandfather did in life and I have to agree with mì abuela, but that's another story for a different blog. Grandma Cecilia saved me a few times in my life, she made me smile a lot, and that was pretty hard to do. I'm better now, but I do have times where i dont want to smile. I'm then reminded by my grandmothers spirit to show my light and let everyone witness my everlasting shine. 

~For when you shine both on the inside and the outside, not even the darkest of shadows can steel your spark. -a popular quote by Cecelia Y. Rodriguez Algueseva. 

©2024 Julianne A.