Cuento corto: Tata Duende’s Protégé (autor: Roman Magana)

Tata Duende's Protégé

It was a beautiful day. The sun shone brightly, and a cool easterly breeze refreshed the small village. Children took the opportunity to play in the open field close to the forest. It was Lenten Season, and the villagers believed it was time to careful about one's actions, so they kept a close watch on their children. But six- year old Arturo was a hyperactive child. He kept observing a squirrel which jumped from branch to branch simulating the best of acrobats. Then, he descended to the ground and started running toward the bush. Young Arturo followed the animal in an attempt to catch it. The animal disappeared into the forest, and so did the child.

After a few minutes of searching, the boy discovered that he was lost. Night was approaching and Arturo felt tired and hungry. He sat down, buried his face between his palms and started crying. A sudden breeze shook the branches, and a soft whistling emanated from among the trees. A slight touch on his shoulder startled the child. He turned around and gasped in horror. A short, bearded man with a wide brimmed hat stood in front of him. He was no taller than four feet and his body was covered with animal skin. The child's first impulse was to escape, but the man's expression was one of friendliness and kindness. He handed Arturo some fruits, then, silently sat beside him smiling. In his curiosity, the boy observed that the little man only had four fingers and no thumbs. But wait, his feet were strange; they were backward. The boy wanted to ask questions, but the dwarf had not uttered a word since they had met. Arturo ate silently as the man observed. After a while dwarf signaled the child to follow him.

It was already dark when the pair reached a section of the forest with huge trees. One of the trees had a hollowed trunk. Arturo entered the hole, and gradually fell asleep, as the little man watched over him. Innocent Arturo did not suspect that his newly acquired friend was in reality, the feared Tata Duende, protector of the forest, who on many occasions had punished men who abused the forest and its animals. But the villagers also knew that the little man would never hurt an innocent child.

Meanwhile in the village, there was confusion. Nobody knew what had happened to Arturo. The family decided to organize a search party, but realized that nothing could be done in the darkness. They waited until the following morning.
The forest welcomed a new day. Arturo woke up to find fruits and nuts around him. He ate silently, but his young brain could not figure out why this was happening to him. The sound of leaves suddenly attracted his attention. He turned around and saw Tata Duende standing with an old makeshift guitar in his hands. He sat close to the boy and started strumming the guitar. The music filled the boy's heart with joy. He was fascinated; he no longer wanted to go home.

Three days elapsed and the search party had found nothing. Volunteers were ready to give up the search but the parents refused to give up. In fact, they ventured deeper into the forest. Then, suddenly, a woman's voice echoed among the trees, "He is alive, he is here!" The people rushed to the area and what they saw filled them with amazement. They had expected a dead body, or perhaps a starving boy. Instead, what they found was a healthy, smiling boy. Around him were small bones and animal teeth, which he had used as toys. His parents tried to hug him but he yelled, "I do not want to go home! I liked it here." He freed himself from his parents' grip and dashed into the forest. The rescuers followed in frantic pursuit, but the boy evaded their hold and ran among the trees. After hours of pursuing the boy, the rescuers finally captured the exhausted child. They took him to the village where the curandero (healer) gave him some herbal medicine and put him to rest.

Over the years, Arturo recounted his experience in the forest. His interest in music became evident, and very soon he became an outstanding musician. He was Tata Duende's protégé.