Simple Stories in Spanish

Today’s legend comes from Perú. Huatyacuri lived a lonely life in the Andes mountains. While his father, Pariacaca, the god of wind and storms, loved him, he could not physically hug him, as he only existed in the wind, rain and snow. Huatyacuri longed for ams to hold him. Then he met the beautiful Chaupiñaca and called upon his father to help him overcome the trials presented by her brother Kamachiq to be able to marry her. I hope you enjoy this simplified version of la leyenda de Huatyacuri.This legend is told in the present tense. Repeated words and phrases include “viento” (wind), “hermoso/hermosa” (beautiful), “flauta” (flute), “promesa” (promise), “casarse” (marry), “ropa” (clothing), and “abraza” (hug). No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story and read along at https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2021/02/22/simple-stories-in-spanish-la-leyenda-de-huatyacuri/¡Muchas gracias por escuchar! Thank you for listening, and a HUGE thank you for your support. I really enjoy creating and sharing simple, comprehensible stories in Spanish. If you would like to help me in that endeavor, consider buying me a coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SpanishTeacher Support the show

Today’s legend comes from the African communities on the Pacific coast of Colombia and Ecuador. According to legend, the diablo, or devil, seduced a beautiful African princess who arrived on a slave ship. Not knowing he was the devil, she loved him and had many children. One of those children is La Tunda - a very smelly woman who can change her appearance and put people in a trance by feeding them food cooked in her “trasero”, or bum.I think it is important to note that this legend was very likely altered to scare enslaved people into submission, which is not okay. But if we look closer, as an Afro-Ecuadorian writer recently pointed out, perhaps la Tunda was just trying to free people from enslavement. As a free woman roaming the jungle, she simply wanted to bring more people to her way of life. I hope you enjoy la leyenda de la Tunda.This legend is told in the present tense. Repeated words and phrases include “jungla” (jungle), “esclavos” (slaves), “apesta” (stinks), “trasero” (bum), “víctima” (victim), “diablo” (devil), and “rezar” (pray). No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story and read along at https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2021/02/14/simple-stories-in-spanish-la-leyenda-de-la-tunda/¡Muchas gracias por escuchar! Thank you for listening, and a HUGE thank you for your support. I really enjoy creating and sharing simple, comprehensible stories in Spanish. If you would like to help me in that endeavor, consider buying me a coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SpanishTeacher Support the show

This third season of Simple Stories in Spanish is focusing on legends. Few Hispanic legends have spread as far as the rather recently discovered “chupacabras. Formed from the words “chupa”, meaning “sucks” and “cabras”, meaning goats, this legendary creature sucks the blood of animals and leaves their corpses behind. I hope you enjoy today’s overview of the legend of “el chupacabras”.This legend is told in the past tense. Repeated words and phrases include “chupa” (sucks), “sangre” (blood), “heridas” (wounds), “monstruo” (monster), “reptil” (reptile), “patas” (legs, paws), and “vacas” (cows). No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story and read along at https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2021/02/07/simple-stories-in-spanish-la-leyenda-del-chupacabras/¡Muchas gracias por escuchar! I began this podcast one year ago and it has grown bigger than I ever expected. I hope to continue to provide simple, comprehensible stories in Spanish in the coming year. If you would like to help me in that endeavor, consider buying me a coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SpanishTeacher Support the show

This third season of Simple Stories in Spanish is focusing on legends. Listener discretion is advised for this episode. El Coco, el Cuco y el Cucuy are the Spanish equivalent of the Bogeyman. Parents tell stories of this creature to scare their children into behaving. But el coco is not just a myth. This character is based in a very real, very disturbing event from Spain in the early 1900s. I hope you enjoy today’s exploration of the origin of “el coco”. This legend is told in the present, past and future tenses. Repeated words and phrases include “comerá” (will eat), “lleva” (takes, carries), “sangre” (blood), “fue” (was/went), “llegó” (arrived). No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story and read along at https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2021/01/31/simple-stories-in-spanish-la-leyenda-del-coco/Support the show

A woman roams the mountains of la República Dominicana. She is not like other women. She is a protector of nature. Many have tried to trap her, but she is difficult to find because her feet are backwards and lead you in the wrong direction. This woman is a “Ciguapa”. She hypnotizes men with her dark eyes and beauty and leads them to their death. This legend is told in the present tense. Repeated words include “protege” (protects), “naturaleza” (nature), “bosque” (forest), and “tiene miedo” (fears/is scared). No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story and read along at https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2021/01/24/simple-stories-in-spanish-la-leyenda-de-la-ciguapa/Support the show

Today’s legend comes from the country of Guatemala, although it is a popular story in many countries. According to the legend, a “carruaje” or carriage appears in the night driven by death (“la muerte”) himself, or herself, to carry souls to the afterlife. This legend is told mostly in the present tense. Repeated words include “tiene miedo” (is scared), “ruido” (noise), “sonido” (sound), “espantoso” (scary), “se esconde” (hides) and “caballos” (horses). No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story and read along at https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2021/01/21/simple-stories-in-spanish-la-leyenda-del-carruaje-de-la-muerte/Support the show

Today’s legend comes from the Guaraní culture in the countryside of Paraguay. The Guaraní tell of a short, hairy man who comes out at night to cause a variety of problems. He is “El Pombero”. While the Pombero is not necessarily considered “peligroso”, or dangerous, he is “travieso”, or mischievous. You can get on the Pombero’s good side by leaving him “regalos” or gifts. But you can also get on his bad side by saying his name at night or copying his whistle. This legend is told in the present tense. Repeated words include “cree” (believes), “tiembla” (trembles), “silba” (whistles), and “tiene miedo” (fears/is scared). No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story and read along at https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2021/01/10/simple-stories-in-spanish-la-leyenda-del-pombero/Support the show

This third season of Simple Stories in Spanish is focusing on legends. In Central America, large dogs roam the mountains. They are los Cadejos. Legend says God created white dogs to protect humans. Not to be outdone, the devil created black dogs to terrorize humans. In either case, cadejos appear when they are most needed, to either do good or harm depending on the person. This legend is told in both the present and past tenses. Repeated words include “protege” (protect), “aparece” (appear), “defiende” (defend), “atacar” (attack), and “cachorro” (puppy). No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story and read along at https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2021/01/03/simple-stories-in-spanish-la-leyenda-de-los-cadejos/Support the show

This third season of Simple Stories in Spanish is focusing on legends. Today’s legend comes from Colombia. La Patasola is a deformed ghost creature. As her name indicates, she only (sola) has one leg (pata or pierna). What caused her demise? Why does she hop around on her leg tormenting others? The answers to those questions and more appear in this retelling of “La leyenda de la Patasola”. The legend is mostly told in the past tense. Repeated words include “infiel” (unfaithful), “enamorado” (in love), “celoso” (jealous), “patrón” (boss), “lavar la ropa” (wash clothing), and “mujer” (woman/wife). No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story and read along at https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2020/12/28/simple-stories-in-spanish-la-leyenda-de-la-patasola/Support the show

This third season of Simple Stories in Spanish is focusing on legends. Alfonso XIII became king at birth. When he was about to lose his first tooth, the author Luis Coloma wrote him a story about a mouse (ratón) named Pérez. That mouse visits children all over the Spanish-speaking world when a child loses a tooth. The legend is mostly told in the past tense, with some present tense in the dialogue. Repeated words include “almohada” (pillow), “diente” (tooth), “rey” (king), “cayó” (fell), and “debajo” (under). No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story and read along at https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2020/12/13/simple-stories-in-spanish-la-leyenda-del-ratoncito-perez/Support the show