Federico Stories

Have you ever wondered how to share the magic of Salvadoran Fairytales and Legends with your children, but you don't know how? What if you could do it all at once in English and Spanish? 🤔 Today, I'm bringing you a Virtual Book that you can share with your beloved ones and show them the magic of El Salvador 🪄. You can explore a piece of the Salvadoran traditions, landscapes, locations, and four beautiful stories: Tangaloa, "The Guardian of the Sea," Cipitio, Tenancin, and the Dwarf. Feel free to share them with your beloved ones. And if you read more and enjoy quality time with your children, feel free to read the extended editions: Timeless Stories of El Salvador

Long ago, a red-headed coral snake (figure 1) appeared in a pond in the canton of El Cajón de Huizúcar in La Libertad. No Indian had ever seen a snake like this one in their lives. The snake was very skilled. It lived between rocks and a small waterfall not so far from the pond. Its eyes could paralyze anyone who saw it directly. It constantly chased anyone who dared to bathe in its pond, paralyzing it. Then, the snake left the person paralyzed among some rocks as if nothing had happened. Perhaps someone could save this human by luck, or other animals would enjoy it. No one should date to enter its domains. Figure 1. The coral snake. Nowadays, strong storms have transformed the snake’s pond into a creek. This created new abundant small caves in the surroundings where the snake hides, waiting for its next prey. Be careful if you ever visit its pond.

Long ago, in Jayaque, its citizens were very humble, and their lives were around working and meditating without any worry. They mostly understood some basic things like the sun hides behind the clouds and always returns every morning, and its light gives them life allowing them to farm. Furthermore, the people gathered around a cave in a half-moon shape and wondered about everything related to nature like the rain, the wind, the volcanoes, mountains, everything around it. However, for them, nothing was more magnificent than the moon. It always changed its shape, and during the new moon, the cave majestically illuminated. They always wondered, how was it possible it illuminated when the beautiful moon vanished from the sky? Where was it going? This cave certainly raised more questions than answers, and its mystery remained unanswered for hundreds of years. Nevertheless, one night, a curious man undertook the quest to chase the beautiful moon, and with a herculean effort, he hoped he...

Long ago, a tall, white, and good-looking man appeared from nowhere on a cold night, along the cobbled streets of Zacatecoluca. He had a lonely and melancholic air and resided in a tiny cabin. He claimed to be Rafael María Guirola. Mr. Rafael was born in Spain and became a successful businessman in El Salvador, where his first businesses were related to trading. He got married to Gertrudis de la Cotera y González, of Spanish descent, and from their marriage in 1826 was born Ángel Guirola de la Cotera. Ángel was sent by his family to study for his bachelor’s degree in Guatemala City. After his graduation, he worked for a couple of years in one of the largest pharmacies there, owned by Mr. Pío Porta. In 1844, Ángel returned to El Salvador, where he spent his savings and acquired some loans to buy a few lands that he dedicated to the cultivation of indigo. He showed a great ability to export this product and extended his business throughout the Caribbean, Panama, and the Un...