From Cuentos Populares en Chile (Chilean Folktales) – by Ramón A. Laval
Part 2 – Myths, Traditions, Things (Mitos, Tradiciones, Casos)
056. The Cave of the Girl Child (La Cueva de la Niña)
On the beach of Bucalemu there is, on a hill, a cavern called the Cave of the Girl Child, in which lives an enchanted young girl, who would appear on the beach at night to comb her hair with a golden comb, which shines brightly under the moonlight. She sits on a rock, and if anyone, attracted by her beauty, approaches her, the sea will begin to rise until the curious onlooker is drowned. If they enter the cave with a light during the day, it will be put out with a blow [of the wind], of which no one knows where this comes from.
—– VOCABULARY —–
Caverna – cave, cavern
Relumbrar – to shine brightly, to dazzle
Roca – (geology) rock
Apagar – (to disconnect) to turn off, to switch off, to put out; (to cause to stop burning) to put out, to blow out, extinguish (formal); (to satisfy) to quench; (to pacify) to calm, to soothe; (to tone down) to muffle, to soften
Apagarse – (to blow out) to go out; (to stop working) to go off; (to abate) to die down; (to dissipate) to fade, to go out, to wane