Myths, Legends and Peruvian Stories (Mitos, Leyendas y Cuentos Peruanos)
Selections and Notes by José María Arguedas and Francisco Izquierdo Ríos
Costa – Leyenda (Coast – Myth)
018. La Huega
Collected in Ica, capital of the Department of the same name, by Hilda A. Ferreyra R., a fourth-year high school student at the “Miguel Grau” National School of Magdalena Nueva, Lima.
A few kilometers from the city of Ica one could find a sitting blonde woman, with hair down to her waist and looking in a mirror; she would always stay in that spot. Once upon a time, a traveler lost his way and came to this place. He went down the hills until he reached the palm trees where he stood gazing at the woman; then the traveler wanted to get to where she was sitting, so that he could ask her why she chose to be by herself at this location; when he tried to do so, she noticed him, and as she had never seen a person before, she became greatly frightened and began to run [away], so frightened was she that she dropped the mirror that belonged to her, and the mirror formed the lagoon of La Huega.
—– VOCABULARY —–
Cintura – (anatomy) waist; (clothing) waist
Palmera – (botany) palm tree, palm (with dates); (culinary) palmier
Contemplar – (to observe) to gaze at, to contemplate, to study; (to examine) to consider, to contemplate, to look at; (to allow for) to make provision for, to provide for, to envisage; (to pamper) (Spain) to indulge, to spoil; (religion) to meditate
Intentar – (to make an effort to do something) to try, to attempt