Federico Stories

Once upon a time, there was a town full of humble people. Everyone was people with great hearts and enjoyed their simple lives. Even the local priest was so lucky because he owned a small hunt. On the outskirts of the city, there used to live a coyote and a rabbit. Everyone knew them as Uncle Coyote and Uncle Rabbit (figure 1). Figure 1. Uncle Coyote and Uncle Rabbit. ¹ From time to time, they were friends, and at other times, they were the greatest foes ever. No one could predict what their next prank was. They loved to play dark and dangerous pranks all the time. Uncle Rabbit was very astute and often outsmart Uncle Coyote. Uncle Coyote tended to fail in the rabbit’s traps often. Unfortunately, he never learned. Uncle Coyote was very stubborn and rude. He always tried to deceive the rabbit into his traps, but they rarely ever worked. The rabbit was very astute. In a nearby town lived a hard-worker countryman called Mr. Alberto. He enjoyed planting new chili peppers and uniqu...

Long ago, a countryman called Juan was married to a woman called Paciencia (patience in English). However, his wife was the lesser patient woman ever, and with every day that passed, she was less and less patient. Her husband could be described as a real-life sloth. He was the laziest man you would ever meet. He only loved to stay in his hammock listening to the radio all day long (figure 1). Figure 1. Juan sleeping. Paciencia woke up very early every day to do all the housework, and because her husband was a sloth, she was in a terrible mood all the time. She complained about it constantly. However, as is well-known, it’s easy to see the mote in your brother’s eye and not the rafter in your own. Paciencia was not the perfect wife at all. She had several small defects. She was over-jealous. She could not see her husband speaking with any women, not even his mom. She would start screaming hysterically in front of everyone. Every time her husband left her hammock to do anything outs...

A long time ago, a statue of San Sebastián was brought from Morroñoso Hill in Morazán. It was a nice statue, and the citizens decided to make a tiny chapel for him. The next morning, the citizens visited the tiny chapel, but they were shocked because the statue was not there. The statue had moved by itself to another place where there were some rocks. No one understood how this had happened, but they brought back the statue to the tiny chapel. However, again, the next morning, the statue had moved back to the rocks. And the same phenomenon repeated for several weeks. No one had any idea what was happening or who was moving the statue. Some people believe a joker was playing with the statue. After several weeks, some priests agreed that this was a clear sign that Saint Sebastian wanted to stay in that rocky place. There was no joker behind. Therefore, they decided to build a new temple there. The people were glad, and the statue never moved again. Nowadays, the statue and the church ar...

The Ilopango elders always speak of a supernatural beast called the Mulus. They are afraid of it and its powers, and they refer to the General Cemetery as the Valley of the Crosses. Many of them assured they were near to being devoured by the Mulus when they walked close to the cemetery at night. The Mulus is a creature from the world of wrath, with a shape almost identical to a wolf but of a larger size. It is a very frightening and contemptuous beast that you can only see in cemeteries at night. Every midnight appears when a person is buried and checks their tombs to see if they were murdered or wicked people during their time on Earth. When it finds those tombs, digs them, and devours their corpses (figure 1). Also, while it’s eating, it makes the noise that is known as “MULUS!” Figure 1. The Mulus. Some gravediggers said a few people saw the Mulus, for the first time in a cemetery in Rosario, La Paz in the 1900s. For them, the Mulus represents a neutral being that is i...

Long ago, Sir Francis Drake hid many of his treasures around the new Indies. One of these places was Meanguera Island. A place where he buried some of his finest treasures. Meanguera Island was a unique place for Sir France because it was considered a mystical land and had been inhabited long before the Spanish conquest, mainly by the Lenca and the Potones. In the year 1522, they discovered it in the expedition of Andrés Niño. Under the jurisdiction of Gil Gonzales de Dávila. He named this sector Petronila to honor Burgos bishop’s niece, who possessed the title of President of the Council of Indies, Fray Juan Rodrigo de Fonseca. Hence the current name of the Gulf of Fonseca. One day, the Spaniards discovered that Sir Francis had heard the rumors that Sir Francis had hidden some unique treasures while he was circumnavigating the Earth and stole all gold and gemstones from Meanguera, Tecapa, and Conchaguita. He was extremely greedy and thought he would return one day to collect them...

Cuicuizcatl was a legendary Indian (figure 1), who was born in Tehuacán City and her name in Nawat means  swallow bird . Figure 1. Cuicuizcatl.  ¹ She lost her husband during the Spanish colonization as many other women and became widowed. After this, she fled with her daughter, who hid in her chest, so no one noticed she wasn’t alone. She only spoke the Indians’ language. During the following weeks, she hid in uncountable forests, jumped ravines, thorns, and wildflowers until she reached the Chinchontepec. As a newly widowed mother, she wanted to retain a low profile. Especially that the Spanish Conquistadors had kidnapped them before, and now they were fleeing from them. Cuicuizcatl walked for hundreds of km until she reached the demonized god’s abode, where water boils and dances happily when it burns in hell. She was tired, thirsty, injured by the soles of her feet that she fell with her little daughter on a bed of colored pebbles. The stars gav...

Long ago, in the Chinchontepec surroundings, a woman of incredible beauty used to live. Unfortunately, her life was extremely tough because every time she met a new man, he got madly in love with her, wanted to marry her, and procreate his offspring with her. The woman couldn’t understand these mad situations and was losing her marbles. Plus, for unknown reasons, she could not love or feel any attraction to any of her wooers. Hence, she constantly fled from one place to another to avoid creating unrealistic expectations. One day during the dry season of 1254, the woman decided to climb to the top of the Chinchontepec to rest from her wooers. Near the crater, she decided to take a nap. Some hours passed when a young man appeared from nowhere, and immediately upon, looking at her, he fell in love as had always happened. The man tried to propose her marriage as many had attempted, but at this moment, the volcano erupted as never before. It ejected ash plumes and erupted lava as ne...

In Central America, there are some incredible trees called,  Amates . They tend to be associated with demons and creatures from beyond like the Siguanaba . Central Americans advise not to approach these beautiful and mysterious trees. Everyone says that through them, the demons and many mysterious beings from the underworld wish to contact you and take control of your soul. Over the years, some men, who were captured by the Siguanaba more than once, observed a peculiar pattern in her actions. They noticed that the large and leafy branches of some Amate trees in the Lempa River moved from side to side without any breeze or wind. In these specific trees, she rests in her hammock (figure 1), waiting for any courageous man who tries to flirt with her. Figure 1. The Siguanaba is waiting in her hammock. Pay attention to these trees! Say all the survivors! Get out of that place! The Siguanaba is even more powerful there than anywhere else! Her tits can hypnotize you and make yo...

Many moons ago, there was a Pipil Princess called Agüijuyo. She was very beautiful and fell in love with a Pipil Prince entitled Zunca. Both princes were young with a splendid future ahead, and the area where they lived was the kingdom of the Pipil people. Agüijuyo hoped that Zunca would correspond to her love, but some wicked people gossiped unspeakable things of her to the prince to the extent he rejected her. The princess, seeing herself despised by the young prince, made a promise to lock herself up in a cave and never see the light again. In this way, she would fulfill her promise and be untempted to speak to anyone or see the light one more time. And so, she did till the day of her death. Zunca eventually recognized his mistake. He merely listened to the uncountable lies of wicked and ill-intentioned people. However, Agüijuyo fulfilled her promise and did not receive the young prince when he looked for her. Agüijuyo was devastated and closed herself in tears. Zunca, with ...

For many years my family lived in front of San Esteban Park. I studied elementary school at the Padres Aguilares School. I would be around ten or eleven years old when I met “the Master” through other children in the neighborhood. I must clarify something before going further. I have never been a soccer fan. Not because it’s a good or bad sport, but since I was a child, I identified my passions and desires, I always found it useless to run desperately after a ball, reach it, kick it, and always run after it as after a crazy dog. One day, my friends took me to a soccer match. They told me: “Juan, you must score a goal,” and I was like: “What is a goal?” They were surprised I didn’t know the concept of a goal and tried to explain it to me. I should score at least one to beat the other team. I was still puzzled, and they told me: “This would help us win the MATCH!” I sarcastically said: “Sure, what an ingenious idea!” On the contrary to the majority of guys of my age, I always bel...

Long ago, one of the most powerful Arbolarios (a genie from the storms) stole a lagoon from the north of Central America. No one was sure from where, how, and when he had stolen it. The locals merely noted an odd being flying with an eggshell over them. Several minutes passed, and when the Arbolario was flying around the Tecapa Volcano, he lost his balance, and the eggshell fell down aside. Hence the lagoon that was born nearby is tilted as the Alegria Lagoon. Many years later, the same Arbolario tried to steal Lake Güija. But this time, it was impossible because he was not strong enough and wholly gave up. Nowadays, everyone assures you; that you can only see the Arbolarios when the storms roar and emit sparks. At that moment, you will perceive a pair of baroque eyes. These eyes are from evil genies (figure 1) best known as the Arbolarios. Most probably, they are planning their next big crime. Only one thing is certain; they're going to destroy something in their way. Furthe...

The Maya and the Kekchi called this genie “Mam,” and the Pipil tribe named it “Man-Agua” (Man-water). During a stormy night in the 500s, a powerful thunder struck the Earth. The Pipil leader left his home to see what was happening. He was already worried because this had been one of the most powerful and long storms in his life. The tribe was losing their cornfields (their main source of food) because of the unstoppable storms. It had been months since the last time any had seen the sun. When he left his house and walked around, he was afraid because he had seen for the first time a white woman (figure 1). The woman was as magnificent as no other, and it seemed that the storm had lowered her to the Earth. Suddenly, she rose again to the clouds, where she had come from, and was unseen for a while. Figure 1. A Managua in the eye of a storm.  ¹ Over the following weeks, many Indians described the same white woman or women appearing across their area. The woman always ...

Many moons ago, the Cipitio ultimately encountered a girl who wasn’t frightened of him. Her name is Tenancín. This little girl became his girlfriend because she perceived something in the Cipitio that no one had ever seen. She discovered he wasn’t a bad guy. He was just mischievous and liked to crack jokes.  Plus, giving flowers to all the pretty girls in El Salvador, just to make them smile. People in the villages from San Vicente describe Tenancin as a very small and pretty girl with brown eyes and long hair, who is constantly smiling (figure 1). Figure 1. Tenancín.  ¹ One day, Tenáncin was cutting flowers for her grandmother’s birthday. She explored the forest, La Joya. However, she forgot how to come back and started to scream and run lousily, through the forest, when she reached the corolla where the Cipitio was sleeping. She noted it and was confused in the beginning because she always thought the Cipitio was only a legend. Legends used to discourage the gi...

Long ago, when the Spaniards arrived in El Salvador, they went to a place called “Ucelucla,” which in indigenous language means “The Place of Tigers.” The inhabitants say the Spaniards founded a town there and built a church so that the villagers could congregate. The people who lived here were incredibly happy and positive; however, the gossip says that one day during a mass, the church suddenly sank completely into the earth. Many people inquired why this had happened. Some believe the cause of the disaster was the church was very close to the sea. Due to this, the land of this place was very loose, and as the church weighed heavily, the land had ceded to, and the structure was sinking. After they lost their church, the people decided to move since many attacks started by pirates from Meanguera Island who ruined everything in their path and stole all their treasures. Somehow the loss of their church created much fear in their lives. They believe the church gave them some protecti...

The history of the coyote woman (figure 1) is a bit confusing. Some people say she was a maid who became a coyote woman at night. Others believe she was a single mother who at night became the coyote woman to get food for her children. She was experiencing a terribly serious crisis and didn’t possess any money. Figure 1. The coyote woman.   ¹ What everyone admits is this woman was engaged in witchcraft, and all her victims emptied their souls in a magical huacal. Mr. Juan, a man from El Carrizal, says that one night when he was walking in the forest, he found a huacal with a thick liquid. He didn’t perceive it in the beginning and took it home. A couple of nights later, during a blood moon, the viscous liquid transformed into the coyote woman! And from that day, there was a new woman in his town that looked extremely beautiful, but at night she became the coyote woman and performed witchcraft frequently. That woman needed to return every early morning to drink from th...

The Cukinca cave (figure 1) is where place many paranormal events have happened over the last 200 years in El Salvador. The gossip said by dropping three water drops in a row, in a specific pool, they can hear a sound like “Cu-kin-ka.” And this is where the story begins! Figure 1. The Cukinca Cave One Indian man decided to test this cave and dropped the three water drops using a banana leaf. Suddenly, he noticed a pile of well-ordered stones at the bottom of the pool. He tried to disarm them for a while. He did all that he could and left the pool. However, when he turned around, the stones were piled up again, as if nothing had happened. And this phenomenon has been repeated over the years multiple times. Years later, a man decided to drill and dry the pool for unknown reasons. After he had dug a narrow ditch, he left the pool. After he had dug a narrow ditch and left the pool, he died the same night due to severe fever, and the pool was restored to its original state. Ov...

In many villages around El Salvador, the amate tree (figure 1) is highly respected. Its structure is unusual and full of mysteries. Its branches have a wailing appearance and the thickness of its foliage. The tree is a piece of art, but it is also a symbol of fear. Figure 1. The amate tree. Many old people say you can’t sleep at night under the Amates because they throw bones. There is on top of the legend that a  flower  blooms from it that can be seen only by deaf and young children. Inhabitants of Morazán evade the tree at night. They say it is the moment when the trees scare the most. Some people throw bones to frighten it. However, if they don’t do it on time, the devil appears and offers them whatever they desire. It’s advisable not to pass near them when the sun has set in the sky. The amate trees abound in warm places, especially in Central America and Mexico. In El Salvador, the place where these trees are more common is Morazán. At a certain distance, y...

Many moons ago in a small town of El Salvador, two noblemen fought for the love of a beautiful and distinguished lady, who was the envy of her entire town. In that town, these two noblemen were in love with the lovely lady as no one had ever seen. They constantly tried to impress her with their fantastic duels with their machetes, thousands of gifts, flowers, gold, all that you could imagine! But she couldn’t decide because she wasn’t fascinated by any of them. Many months passed from their last duel when the lovely lady met a young man from a neighboring farm. An extraordinary horseman who toured her farm, in his bright jet-black steed, this was love at first sight. From that day, the two lovers met in an abandoned ranch between the two farms. One night during the full moon, the young rider took his beloved one to the ranch of their intimate encounters. However, that night some eyes followed the lovers below the moonlight; and this person to win favor from his employer gossi...

There is not a more mysterious bird than the owl. They are unique birds that you can only see at night, especially during the phenomenon of the blue moon (figure 1). Figure 1. An owl during the blue moon.   ¹ Many people in El Salvador believe, the owls are the witches’ spirits who roam the Central American skies every night. They say the owls try scaring their victims in dark places before they transform them into mice that can later hunt and eat! Plus, some of them say when you can hear a low whistle from the skies, it is an owl that is flying over you! If anyone tries responding with the same whistle, it will fly to you and scratch your eyes! There are different types of owls in those lands, but the unique ones are the bearded owls . They are a rare species that possess two large and elongated feathers that grow next to its beak. The elders say these bearded owls are sorcerers, who were cursed by an old shaman who converted into owls forever! He did it because they we...

Many people assure you that between the late nineteenth and the early twentieth century, uncountable mysterious beings like the elves danced at night, and the evil spirits enveloped the rock. The rock is nestled on top of the Sorcerer’s Hill. Therefore, no one dares to visit the hill at night, unless you come to summon wicked spirits, demons, or perform witchcraft. The rock has witnessed many demonic covenants. In the past, uncountable Victoria City ’ s inhabitants visited the hill to request the devil, health, money, women, anything! In exchange for their souls. In this way, they sought a better life, which they would pay for all eternity. As you can see, the rock is the bridge to the underworld whose answers are the devil himself. The people who made a deal with the rock practically exchanged their souls for mortal whips. Therefore, the locals knew who had made deals with the bewitched rock. Some people unexpectedly found fortunes in their yards, others discovered jars full of go...