From Cuentos Populares en Chile (Chilean Folktales) – by Ramón A. Laval
Part 2 – Myths, Traditions, Things (Mitos, Tradiciones, Casos)
054. The Mermaid of Aculeo (La Sirena De Aculeo)
In the lagoon of Aculeo a girl appears every night at midnight to comb her hair with a golden comb. Those who passed near her and tried to go to where she was would fall into the lagoon and inevitably drowned. It is said that she plays a golden harp, and when she stops playing seven colts appear and gallop on the water, and seven horsemen chase after and try to lasso them, without being successful.
—– VOCABULARY —–
Sirena – (mythology) mermaid, siren; (warning sound) siren
Irremisiblemente – (unforgivably) irremisibly; (inevitably) irremissibly
Arpa – (musical instrument) harp
Potro – (young horse) colt (male), filly (female); (sports) vaulting horse, buck; (instrument of torture) rack; (adult male horse) stallion; (man) (Southern Cone) stud
Perseguir – (to run after) to pursue, to follow, to chase; (to try to accomplish) to pursue; (to pester) to harass; (to oppress) to persecute
Enlazar – (to join) to link, to connect; (to bind together) to tie, to tie together; (to catch with a lasso) to lasso, to rope; (to join) to connect, to link up
Enlazarse – (to join together) to become linked, to become connected; (chemistry) to bond; (to marry) to get married