How the speckled hen got her speckles: Brazilian Folklore Once upon a time, ages and ages ago, there was a little white hen. One day she was busily engaged in scratching the soil to find worms and insects for her breakfast. As she worked she sang over and over again her little crooning song, “Quirrichi, … Read more
Why the Tiger and the Stag Fear Each Other: Brazilian Folklore Once upon a time there was a large handsome stag with great branching horns. One day he said to himself, “I am tired of having no home of my own, and of just living anywhere. I shall build me a house.” He searched on … Read more
How Night Came: Brazilian Folklore Years and years ago at the very beginning of time, when the world had just been made, there was no night. It was day all the time. No one had ever heard of sunrise or sunset, starlight or moonbeams. There were no night birds, nor night beasts, nor night flowers. … Read more
Why the Bananas Belong to the Monkey: Brazilian Folklore Perhaps you do not know it, but the monkeys think that all the bananas belong to them. When Brazilian children eat bananas they say, “I am a monkey.” I once knew a little boy in Brazil who was very, very fond of bananas. He always said, … Read more