| written Final Exam:
The Stories
this story is from the MYSTERIOUS MERFOLK OF BRAZIL
By Dr. Matt Ignoffo
THE AMAZON LEGEND
The Amazon River region is home to many rare creatures as well as curious stories and
myths about those creatures. One interesting legend tells about a man called Bufeo
Colorado.
This strange man dresses normally, but he must wear a white straw panama hat at all times,
even at night when he is sleeping. Like other men, he desires to dance with beautiful
women and, if possible, he makes love to them. But if he sleeps with a woman, he must not
stay with her till dawn. During the hours of darkness, he silently slips out of bed and
disappears mysteriously into the night.
Those few women who have dared to remove his hat while he is asleep have reported seeing
that he has what looks like a round dolphin-like blow hole on top of his head. If a woman
is bold enough to follow him when he leaves, she will see him dive into the Amazon and
turn into a dolphin. That is the last she ever sees of him.
According to Brazilian folklore, the dolphin-man called Bufeo Colorado is believed
to be from a race of water gods who dwell in beautiful underwater cities. If one of these
gods lures a human down into the water, the human is said to be so enchanted that he or
she never wants to return to land.
The Saucy Boy
by Hans Christian Andersen
(1835)
Once upon a time there was an old poet, one of those right good old poets.
One evening, as he was sitting at home, there was a terrible storm going on outside; the
rain was pouring down, but the old poet sat comfortably in his chimney-corner, where the
fire was burning and the apples were roasting. “There will not be a dry thread
left on the poor people who are out in this weather,” he said.
“Oh, open the door! I am so cold and wet through,” called a little child
outside. It was crying and knocking at the door, whilst the rain was pouring down and the
wind was rattling all the windows.
“Poor creature!” said the poet, and got up and opened the door. Before him stood
a little boy; he was naked, and the water flowed from his long fair locks. He was
shivering with cold; if he had not been let in, he would certainly have perished in the
storm.
“Poor little thing!” said the poet, and took him by the hand. “Come to me;
I will soon warm you. You shall have some wine and an apple, for you are such a pretty
boy.”
And he was, too. His eyes sparkled like two bright stars, and although the water flowed
down from his fair locks, they still curled quite beautifully.
He looked like a little angel, but was pale with cold, and trembling all over. In his hand
he held a splendid bow, but it had been entirely spoilt by the rain, and the colours of
the pretty arrows had run into one another by getting wet.
The old man sat down by the fire, and taking the little boy on his knee, wrung the water
out of his locks and warmed his hands in his own.
He then made him some hot spiced wine, which quickly revived him; so that with reddening
cheeks, he sprang upon the floor and danced around the old man.
“You are a merry boy,” said the latter. “What is your name?”
“My name is Cupid,” he answered. “Don't you know me? There lies my bow. I
shoot with that, you know. Look, the weather is getting fine again—the moon is
shining.”
“But your bow is spoilt,” said the old poet.
“That would be unfortunate,” said the little boy, taking it up and looking at
it. “Oh, it's quite dry and isn't damaged at all. The string is quite tight; I'll try
it.” So, drawing it back, he took an arrow, aimed, and shot the good old poet right
in the heart. “Do you see now that my bow was not spoilt?” he said, and, loudly
laughing, ran away. What a naughty boy to shoot the old poet like that, who had taken him
into his warm room, had been so good to him, and had given him the nicest wine and the
best apple!
The good old man lay upon the floor crying; he was really shot in the heart.
“Oh!” he cried, “what a naughty boy this Cupid is! I shall tell all the
good children about this, so that they take care never to play with him, lest he hurt
them.”
And all good children, both girls and boys, whom he told about this, were on their guard
against wicked Cupid; but he deceives them all the same, for he is very deep. When the
students come out of class, he walks beside them with a book under his arm, and wearing a
black coat. They cannot recognize him. And then, if they take him by the arm, believing
him to be a student too, he sticks an arrow into their chest. And when the girls go to
church to be confirmed, he is amongst them too. In fact, he is always after people. He
sits in the large chandelier in the theatre and blazes away, so that people think it is a
lamp; but they soon find out their mistake. He walks about in the castle garden and on the
promenades. Yes, once he shot your father and your mother in the heart too. Just ask them,
and you will hear what they say. Oh! he is a bad boy, this Cupid, and you must
never have anything to do with him, for he is after every one. Just think, he even shot an
arrow at old grandmother; but that was a long time ago. The wound has long been healed,
but such things are never forgotten.
Now you know what a bad boy this wicked Cupid is.
The Fairies' Hill: Scotland
from D.L. Ashliman
There is a green hill above Kintraw, known as the Fairies' Hill, of which the
following story is told.
Many years ago, the wife of the farmer at Kintraw fell ill and died, leaving two or three
young children. The Sunday after the funeral the farmer and his servants went to church,
leaving the children at home in charge of the eldest, a girl of about ten years of age. On
the farmer's return the children told him their mother had been to see them, and had
combed their hair and dressed them. As they still persisted in their statement after being
remonstrated with, they were punished for telling what was not true.
The following Sunday the same thing occurred again. The father now told the children, if
their mother came again, they were in inquire of her why she came. Next Sunday, when she
reappeared, the eldest child put her father's question to her, when the mother told them
she had been carried off by the "Good People" (Daione Sėth), and could only get
away for an hour or two on Sundays, and should her coffin be opened it would be found to
contain only a withered leaf.
The farmer, much perplexed, went to the minister for advice, who scoffed at the idea of
any supernatural connection with the children's story, ridiculed the existence of
"Good People," and would not allow the coffin to be opened. The matter was
therefore allowed to rest. But, some little time after, the minister, who had gone to
Lochgilphead for the day, was found lying dead near the Fairies' Hill, a victim, many
people thought, to the indignation of the Fairy world he had laughed at.
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