The Bandit Cat

Michín said to his mom:

"I'm going to become Pateta,

and the one who stick the nose in

immediately will die.

I already stole dad

dagger and handguns, I am

armed and ready, and I go

to steal and kill people,

and nevermore (keep in mind!)

you'll see Michín from today".

Drawing by Gado

Leaving to the forest, he found

a rooster on the trip,

and said: "let's see the aim

to kill I have".

put himself in face he shot,

resound the forest with the explosion,

Michín mistreated a rooster

and he burn his mustache,

but lopped off the nape,

fell for the rooster hook.

After stealing he climb up

tempted to hunger,

at the owl nest

that in fury upon at seeing it,

the more the branch breaks,

fly hat and dagger,

and to the sound of infernal wistle 

 that pierce the ears

                                          fall hanging around and howlling

                                        the criminal fugitive.

Recovered of his fall

he sees another cat and gives the attack

"namesake, stop!

give me the bag or your life!!

The other doesn't be afraid

and he'd rahter shout: "stop thief!"

shoot the rascal, it makes explosion

the handgun by the butt,

and almost goes to pieces

Michín with the confusion.

Drawing by Gado

Bumping into armed the next day

to a dog, great bandit,
approached him the feline
affectionately and politeness:
"Buddy, he said,
celebrate our alliance",
so it was: they gave them jokes,
dancings and brandy, till finally
Michín fell down
and he scratched his paunch.
"Buddy", said the dog,
"we have to join wealths
and secure the pennies
make them an entombment".
It had one mistake when he counted
and he shout and a uproar kicked up,
till the dog gripped
with the two hands the stick:

            buzz, fell down and his friend

                 hald dead layed down.

With the cold morning
Michín recovered the sense
and found him amputee, disabled,
one-eyed, starving and without any penny.


And while his rival
goes barking guffaw,
with crouch ears
and with the tail between legs,
Michín cries with soft voice
all his evil things.

He pick up his hat,
and under the sun that swelter him,
step by step he comes back home
with a humble look and sorry.
"I confess my crime
and purge it is necessary! his mom said 
"you have to see that nevermore 
I will be wicked,
Oh mommy! whipping me
But give me something to eat! 

Tale by Rafael Pombo

The Walker Tadpole

The frog's son, rinrin tadpole,

left this morning so taut and so nice

with crop pants, tie in style,

curb hat and wedding's leather jacket.

"boy, don't go out!" yelled mom,

but he did her an expression and smug he left.

Drawing by Gado

He found in the road a neighbor mouse,

and said to him: "Friend! come with me, 

visite together to Mrs. Mouse 

there will be spread and there will be big meal".

Shortly after they arrived and the mouse advanced, 

stretch out the neck, take the large knocker,

give two or three knocks, inside ask: "Who is?"

"Me, Mrs. Mouse, I kiss your feet"

"Are you at home?" - "Yes sir, I am, 

and I celebrate a lot see you today,

I was in my trade, spinning cotton,

but it doesn't matter, welcome!".

They made the salut, they shook their hands,

and said Ratico, who is senior:

"My friend, the green one long for hot,

give him a beer, do me the favor".

While the imp dring the mug,

Mrs. ordered to bring the guitar,

and ask to the tadpole to sing

some cheerful verses and elegant tune.

"Ow! I would love to do it,

but is impossible make you happy now,

I have the gullet more dry that burlap,

and is too tight this new clothes".

"I'm so sorry, reply rat aunt,

loosen up a little your vest and tie,

and meanwhile I sing you

a special song".

Being in this amazing dance and beer performance

guitar and song,

the cat and its cats jump from the threshold,

and become it in the final judgment.

Drawing by Gado

Mrs. old cat carved for the ear

to the boy Ratico meowed: "hi!"

and the little cats to the old rat

one in the paw and other in the tail.

Seeing this storming,

Mr. tadpole took his hat, gave an enormour leap,

and opened the door with hand and nose,

he went out giving to everyone "goodnight".

He continued leaping so high and quickly,

that he lost his hat, ripped his shirt,

he sneaked in the mouth of a glutton duck

and this bloated him in a single pull.

And thus conclude one, two and three,

Mr. mouse, Mrs. mouse and the tadpole then,

the cats eat and the duck had dinner,

and mom frog stayed alone.

Tale by Rafael Pombo

Simon the silly

Simon the silly called to the baker: 

Let's see the cake, I want to taste it!

-Of course! said the baker, but before I want to see the fourth with you will pay it

The good Simon searched on his pocket and said:

Really! I don't have anyone

Simon the silly likes fish

And he wants to become a fisherman too,

And he wastes time on sitting,

fishing on the pail of Leonor mom.

Simon made a snow cake

And roast it in the ember the starving,

But the small cake melted soon,

And he put out the ember and he ate nothing.

Drawing by Gado

Simon saw some thistles carrying plums

And said: That's good! I'm going to take them.

But worse that needles and spur's tips

Them made him jump, whistle and bite.

He washed him with polish to black shoes

Because his mom didn't give him soap,

And when the cats catch the mice

He scared the cat shouting: Mouse!

Milking one day the painted cow

He clenched the tail instead the teat;

And here the cow gave him a kick

That Mr. Simon danced as a whipping top.

And he fell down mounted on the calf

And Mrs. calf get angry too

And there you are! ... another leap and anothe kick

and two rolls around in a flash.
He rode on a donkey that found in the market

And went happy to hunt deers,

Flew for the streets without see any deer,

Fell head over the stones and the donkey fled.

To buy a filet Taita Lucio send him,

And he brought it at home with great preventive mesasure

Hanging to the tail of a grey horse

To arrive taintless and tasteful.

Barely beginning to stick the ice

Simon the silly went to skate,

When suddenly the ground break up

And he shouts: drown me! Come to help me!

Drawing by Gado

Climbing a tree to steal a nest,

The small cottage of a singing black bird,

The tree break off, Simon gives a yell,

And he fell in a bad smell well

He watches a duck, he aims it, he fires the blunderbuss:

And coming back at home; he said to dad:

Taita I cannot kill a bird

Because when I shot, it gets frightened and it flies.

Seeing a sauce boat full of mustard

He drinks a gulp thinking it was honey,

 And he started to rave

With a huge tonge and carnation eyes.

He watched a pile of land that obstruct the steps

Some people ask: What we are going to do here?

Fools said the child, solving the case,

Dig a big hole and put it there

Send him by water and he went flying

Carrying the fishing net to put it in

So bring the good Simon

His picturesque and loyal story will continue.

Tale by Rafael Pombo

Rafael Pombo

He was born in Bogotá, Colombia in 1833, and dead in Bogotá in 1912. He was a colombian poet, the highest romanticism writer in Colombia and one of the main romantic lyrical poetry figure in Spanish language. 

The Rafael Pombo's relevance in the literature has been overshadowed by the success of his fables and tales destined to children, all those kept intact by their popularity until our days.

Life story

Drawing by Gado

Pombo's family was part of the creole aristrocracy: his father, Lino de Pombo O'Donnell, was a prominent politician, soldier and a diplomatic man. He got married with Ana Rebolledo in Popayán, a lineage woman. Rafael was firsr-born son.

As was custom, Mrs. Ana taught to Refael the first letters. At 11 years old, in 1844, Rafael joined in a seminar, he learnt Latin and he became a classic's translator skilled. 

It seems the Poetry tendency in Pombo was born early. When he was 10 years, he had copied verses and translations in a booklet that he titled "Panteón literario" (Literary mausoleum). In 1846 Rafael joined to "Colegio Mayor de Nuestra Señora del Rosario" a school where he studied humanities. In 1848 he graduated in mathematics and engineering from Military school, founded by General Tomás Cipriano de Mosquera. Pombo never practiced as a engineer, it's known that he made some field research to the Bogotá's urban improvement.

Just graduated, Rafael Pombo was member of "Sociedad Filotémica", journal in which he debuted with poetry, also with the pseudonym of "Firatelio".

Rafael took a rest in a family home where wrote two of his most known poems: The wine glass and My love, signing with the pseudonym of "Edda". Everybody thought that was a woman who wrote them till Pombo revealed his authorship. 

In 1855 he traveled to New York as colombian's delegation secretary. There he stayed 17 years, he lived in Washington and Philadelphia (there he was consul). Maybe was the nearness with a different culture that gave his work another point of view. Pombo translated English, french and german poets. In New York he published his tales "Cuentos pintados para niños - 1867" (Painted tales for children).

In August 20, 1905, Rafael Pombo was crowned as Natioal Poet in "teatro Colón". 

In February 6, 1912 he replaced Manuel María Mallarino as member in the Language Colombian Academic, where he was life secretary.

Rafael Pombo's work

Together with José Asunción Silva, Rafael Pombo is the colombian poet most prominent in XIX century. Lucky by his economic comfort, he was the first man to take over the art of poetry as main activity all his life.

In a colonial environment, Pombo created a new kind of poetry in the continent, his lyrical poetry set up subjectivity and philosophical meditation, sensible feeling about love and nature, religious feeling and the use of the experience. 

God, nature and women are always the protagonist in his works, also feelings as rebellion, vigor and irony, for that he's considered devoted and devilish.

Drawing by Gado

In 1855 Rafael wrote "La hora de las tinieblas" (hour of the dark), great poem made up by 71 tenths, it was considered one of his most representative works. Between all the great Pombo's poems wrote in North America has been standed out "Al Niágara" (To Niagara) and "Elvira Tracy". There Rafael shows a continuous disagreement between modern civilization and pastoral life, between usefull and disinterest, between the natural and unnatural.

Finally, it should be pointed out Pombo's bent to children literature, where he loosed to the mythical and magic. In his American period made public two collections of short tales in verse: "Cuentos pintados para niños - 1867" (Painted tales for children) and "Cuentos morales para niños formales - 1869" (Moral tales to formal children). The first one belonged celebrated poems as "El renacuajo paseador" (The walker tadpole), "El gato bandido" (The bandit cat), "La pobre viejecita" (The poor old Lady) and "Simón el bobito" (Simon the silly). The second one was "Mirringa y Mirronga" and "Fuño y Furaño".

The gracefulness of these poems have reinforced the fantasy of countless generations and even today there are hugely popular; so much so that Rafael Pombo is nowdays known for his tales than for his romantic lyrical poetry.

Biography taken from briografiasyvidas.com

Shake your Mind

This blog is a room where you are going to find some well-known tales, the idea is to know and revive some memories of the classic ones, all those which we grow up reading.

   

Through this blog I want to show some colombian classic tales that have been esteemed in our culture. 



This readings are to hispanic language people who are learning a second language, also to make a rapprochement between different cultures around the                                                                                                world from readings.


I hope you enjoy this travel around the literature!