From Cuentos Populares en Chile (Chilean Folktales) – by Ramón A. Laval
Part 1 – Magnificent Stories, Stories of Animals, Anecdotes (Cuentos maravillosos, Cuentos de animales, Anécdotas)
018. The Fisherman’s Sons, Or The Castle of Torderás, Where You Will Go But Not Return (Los Hijos Del Pescador, O El Castillo De La Torderás, Irás Y No Volverás)
(Narrator: José Pino, twenty years old, from Rancagua.)
To know and tell, [one should] listen and learn. This and that are for picking the pears; that and this are for picking the apricots. Don’t be chit-chatting so much, for the old woman is shameless; but don’t stop talking to her either, because she will have to carry everything: bread and more bread for the nuns of San Juan, bread and flour for the nuns of Capuchinas, bread and cheese for the dim-witted fools. The end of the beginning and the beginning of the end. Attention!
[Nguyen: I think this first paragraph is nonsensical, like some others in this collection. It is just a way to lead the readers into the story.]
You should know that many years ago there lived in a small village on the coast a poor, old couple, husband and wife, who were deeply loved by their neighbors for their kindness and for how helpful they were to everyone else.
The husband was a fisherman and the wife was in charge of the housework, which, although there wasn’t much, was still more than enough for her age. Their belongings consisted of the hut that they lived in, the fishing net, a mare, a (female) dog and a few pesos, very little by the way, which they had managed to save through much hardships and which they carefully put away to help them through unexpected illnesses that might befall them, or any other unforeseen needs.
Once, it happened that for several consecutive days the old man’s fishing went very badly. He would cast the net and caught nothing; however, other fishermen were able to pull in their nets full of fish.
“What evil deeds have I done for Heaven above to punish me thus?” -the desperate old man said to himself; and again he cast the net into the ocean, but there was nothing in it, for it was empty once more.
He gloomily returned home in the evening, and even though his wife tried to console him and told him jokes to make him laugh, nothing she tried worked.
They ate up the few savings that they had remaining, and when there was nothing left the poor man cried and mounted on his mare, as he was accustomed to do, and went to the beach, then he cast the net into the sea and said: “In the name of God and may his will be done”; and after a short while when he was pulling the net back, the fisherman found it to be very heavy, and that to remove it he had to tie it to the mare’s girth.
While the mare was pulling the net, the old man rubbed his hands in glee and laughingly said to himself: “At last my luck has changed; we will have enough food to eat for many days and still be able to sell the remainder.” But such was his astonishment upon examining the net when he found out the only thing that he had caught was a little fish that was no more than a quarter [of a normal fish]!
And being so tiny, how can it weigh so much that he, who was very strong, had not been able to pull the net and had to use the mare for help? He took out his knife and went to cut open the fish to see what made it so heavy, and he was on the verge of doing so that the fish said to him: “Don’t kill me here. Take me back to your house and there partition me into five pieces: the head, which you yourself will eat; the tail, which your wife will eat; the two sides, which you will give one to the mare and the other to the dog; and lastly, the back, which you will bury in the garden. If you do as I told you, you’ll have nothing to complain about, and moreover, you will always catch plenty of fish going forward.”
The fisherman went back to his hut and did what the fish had told him to; and, oh marvelously! the next day the old woman gave birth to two very handsome babies and so similar to one another that it was easy to be confused between the two; likewise, the mare gave birth to two foals with the same hair [color] and size; the dog, two almost identical puppies; and in the garden two orange trees took root.
From that very same day the old man caught more fish than ever before; in this way he had enough food for the whole family and to sell in the neighboring city. Fortune smiled on him in every way, as the children grew up healthy and robust and were of excellent characters.
The years passed by and the children were now transformed into men, having turned twenty years old. Then the older son, who was called Francisco, wanted to leave the house in order to try his fortune [in the bigger world], and he asked his parents for their blessing [to his desire]. Immediately after embracing them, he armed himself with a sword, mounted on his horse and, followed by his dog, he galloped away.
After a few days of traveling, he arrived at a city and noted that the few people who were walking in the streets seemed distressed by a great tragedy. At the same time he could hear wails, cries, and screams everywhere.
Francisco stopped an old woman who was crying and asked her why the inhabitants of the city were so sad.
How can we not be upset, sir, when today the culebrón will eat the only daughter of our king, the most beautiful and kind princess known to us, so beloved by the poor folks as she helps and consoles us all! Ah! this is the worst tragedy that could happen to us!
And the old woman wept inconsolably.
But, tell me what is this culebrón and why is it going to eat the Princess?
You should know, sir, than in the neighboring mountain an enormous culebrón had made its home many years ago, one with seven heads and which no one has been able to kill, no matter how brave they have been, for as soon as they cut off one, immediately it grows back, and so to finish it off one must cut off all seven at once; but until now, sir, no one had managed to do this, despite the fact that the King had offered the hand of his daughter as reward, and the only thing that has come out of this is that we had to mourn the disappearance of the most noble knights and the most valiant soldiers who undertook this task. But this, my sir, would be nothing; the worst thing is that in order for the beast to not poison our source of water, which would wipe out the kingdom’s population, it demanded that a princess of royal blood be given [as tribute] each year; the king’s cousins and nieces have been given away and all that remains is our monarch’s only daughter, whom he loves dearly, and the same for the entire population, who adores her; and the deadline is today at 12 o’clock, when the culebrón will come for her. The princess had gone to the mountain early in the morning so that the beast can take her away today.
Well, this time, good old lady, the culebrón will not get its way, because God has given strength to my arms and instilled courage in my spirit.
The fisherman’s son asked for directions to the place where the princess was sent, and after they were provided by the old lady, he spurred his horse and set out at full speed.
Francisco found the princess sitting on a rock, bitterly weeping and wiping away her tears with her long, shiny blonde hair, where her loose strands hung on either side of her neck. The young man tried to console her and promised her that he would kill the monster before it touched even a single strand of her hairs; and he spoke with such conviction that he managed to instill confidence in the princess. They spoke for some time until Francisco, who felt fatigued, wanted to take a rest until the time of combat, and lying down on the ground and resting his head on the skirt of the princess, he fell asleep. Moments earlier, while they were talking, the Princess had given the young man a handkerchief, with her sign [woven on it], and a valuable ring, telling him that perhaps they could be of use to him later on.
Along with the first bell of 12 among the city clocks, a formidable roar which shook the entire mountain was also heard, and these, naturally, woke up the young man.
He quickly mounted his horse and grabbed his sword, called for his dog and prepared for the upcoming fight. It was a spectacle worth seeing. The Culebrón advanced its seven heads toward its enemy and tried to bite him off with its sharp fangs, so as to break his neck; but, on the one hand, his horse dodged the attacks with alacrity, and the dog, on the other hand, hounded the beast with its sharp teeth, prevented it from harming the fisherman’s son.
Once in a while our young combatant managed to deliver a terrific blow with his sword to one of the beast’s necks and one of its heads rolled on the ground; but it was for naught, because at that very instant when it was cut off, a new one appeared.
A long time had passed by since the start of combat and neither of the two combatants had gained noticeable advantage over the other; but it happened that the Culebrón, to defend against the dog that had just torn open a wound close to its tail and from which blood was flowing forth in abundance, directed its seven heads backward, whence the fisherman’s son, taking advantage of the circumstance where the monster could not attack him, raised the sword with both hands and, with all his might, let it fall a little below where the neck divided into seven. The roar that the animal let out upon sensing its mortal wound was tremendous, and it could be heard for many leagues in the distance; but a most complete silence immediately took over. The Culebrón would no longer hurt anyone anymore, and the kingdom would be free, going forward, of such a cruel enemy.
Francisco got off his horse and, cutting off the seven tongues of the beast one after another, wrapped them in the handkerchief that the Princess had given him and kept them under his chest.
Meanwhile the Princess, who had witnessed the terrible combat and who was rendered speechless due to the greatest terror she had been subjected to, for at every moment she seemed to always see her defender getting crushed by the jaws of the monstrous beast, and when the young man, now victorious, ran towards her to hoist her up to his horse and lead her back to the city, she could not utter a single word and had to limit herself in expressing her gratitude through the use of hand signals.
The young man left the princess at the gates of the capital and, promising her that he would return in due time, said goodbye to her and went to stay in an abandoned hut that stood not far away from the city and near which there was abundant water and pasture for his horse and fish and preys for him and his dog.
On the same day that the fight took place, a wood-cutter, who was hired by the king’s chef to carry firewood from the mountain [back to the castle], ran into the [dead] Culebrón, which was lying on the ground still warm [from its recent death], for it had not been long since it was killed. Despite the wood-cutter’s great strength, the animal’s enormous weight prevented him from carrying it back. So he cut it up into pieces with an ax, threw them into the cart which he used to transport firewood and took them back to the palace to present them to the King, telling him that he had just killed the Culebrón and demanding him to keep his promise of marrying his daughter to the one who vanquished the monster. The princess had arrived a few moments earlier; but as she had been muted [since the fight between Francisco and the culebrón] and was as if stunned with fear, she was not in a position to refute the despicable wood-cutter’s version of events.
As it seemed evident that the wood-cutter had been the vanquisher of the Culebrón, and as a King’s words cannot be taken back, the King granted the wood-cutter his daughter’s hand in marriage, and it was agreed that the wedding would take place in about fifteen more days when the Princess had recovered from her current state of shock.
The days passed by and although the Princess did not regain her ability to speak, they went forward with the preparation of festivities for the wedding. The festivities would begin with a large meal, which the entire court would attend. The Princess was desperate, but as she could not speak, she was not able to make herself understood despite her efforts to explain, through hand gestures, the wood-cutter’s deception.
The day of the banquet arrived and the fisherman’s son, who was kept current of everything that was said in the city, ordered his dog to snatch the wood-cutter’s plate without anyone seeing at meal time. The dog carried out the order twice in a row without being seen; the wood-cutter, believing that some of the servants deliberately removed his plates before he had a chance to eat, made a big fuss [out of this] and a commotion ensued. On the third time, Francisco ordered the dog to let itself be seen; and upon being caught in the act of stealing the wood-cutter’s plate, the King ordered his guards to follow it and bring the dog’s owner back in his presence.
When they arrived at the hut where the young man was staying, the captain of the guards ordered him to follow them, but Francisco said that he would only come if they’d invite him to travel back in a carriage, because he was the one who should be sitting at the table by the Princess’s side in place of the despicable wood-cutter, who was nothing more than an imposter; that he should be brought before the King not as a prisoner but in the manner that he indicated, and [in doing so] he would clearly prove what he had just said to be true.
The captain returned to the monarch with the message, and despite the protests from the wood-cutter, but to the great satisfaction of the Princess and the ladies and dames of the court, the King arranged to have the young man brought in by carriage as he had requested, so that they could listen to his allegations.
When Francisco entered the banquet room, he caught the attention of all those present for his manly looks and for his courteousness. He asked the King for permission to speak and, once granted, asked the wood-cutter if the heads of the Culebrón (which were still preserved as a memento and remained on display to the admiration of the public) were complete when he had brought them back to the city. The wood-cutter replied that they were complete, for he had taken nothing from them nor noted that they were missing anything; that after finishing the fight he had had with the beast, he only cut off the main neck of the animal with his ax. Francisco then asked the King and everyone present to take note of what they had just heard, and [then he] turned to the wood-cutter and asked him:
Are you sure that nothing is missing? Does it have all of its two eyes, two ears, and tongue?
I suppose that everything was there, because, as I have said, I didn’t remove anything from it.
In this way, -replied the young man and turning towards the King,- if I have in my possession either the eyes, or the ears, or the tongues of the Culebrón, would I then be considered the slayer of the monster? Since after it was brought back to the palace I would not have been able to remove anything from the body, and even if I had tried, the guards would have prevented me from doing so, for based on what I have heard, it has been kept under watch day and night.
That is reasonable -replied the King.
That is reasonable -murmured those sitting at the table.
Well then, here are the seven tongues of the monster, which I cut off after killing it. I have wrapped them in this handkerchief with the Princess’s sign woven on it, which she herself gave me before the fight. With this it has been proven that the wood-cutter is a despicable liar who did nothing other than carving out the monster’s corpse that I had left behind while I was taking the princess back to the city; and moreover, I also have here a ring that she gave to me and that, if Your Majesty allows it, I will put it in the hand of its former owner.
With an approval nod from the King, Francisco approached the Princess, and as soon as the young man placed the ring in her hand, the charming girl recovered her speech and exclaimed:
Father, this here is my savior; he is the true vanquisher of the culebrón!
The King ordered the guard to immediately take the wood-cutter away from the room and throw him off from the top of a very high hill (e.g. cliff), which was used to execute criminals (in the kingdom); and he had Francisco sit next to the Princess, who from that moment on became her betrothed.
The celebration, which had begun in the midst of the greatest sadness, as everyone was upset at the sight of the [despicable] wood-cutter, had now frankly turned into a joyous occasion and ended with the marriage between the fisherman’s son and the princess.
When the newlyweds returned to their room, the young man casually leaned out a window and saw a thick column of reddish smoke rising in the distance.
It seems that there is a fire [over there] -Francisco said to the Princess.
It’s not a fire -she replied;- it’s the smoke from the bonfire that burned every night at the castle of “Torderás, You Will Go But Not Return.”
That castle has a very strange name!
It is called that because whoever goes there, will not return.
Well, the name “Torderás, You Will Go But Not Return” is not going to fit it anymore, because I will go there and I will return from there.
The princess persistently begged her husband to not go there, that he should not expose himself to the dangers, but Francisco told her:
If I had triumphed over the Culebrón who had caused so much harm to the kingdom, why won’t I overcome the dangers that may come my way in that castle?
And leaving their room, he went to the stable, and with no company other than his faithful dog, he left the palace under the moonlight.
That reddish smoke that appeared not too far from the palace seemed to move away as the young man advanced towards it; and only in the morning, after an entire night of continuous travel, did he manage to get to the castle. But he had better not come there at all because as soon as he reached the place, a throng of terrible looking old women came out [of nowhere], as if they were raised up from the ground, who then surrounded him and pulling on their hairs vigorously, plucked out their hair strands and threw them at the intruder who was disturbing their rest. At first nothing happened, but at the very same instant that one of the many hair strands of the old women, which were floating in the air, touched Francisco, he and his horse and his dog all were turned into stones.
Let us now return to the fisherman’s house.
Since the time that Francisco left the house of his parents, neither they nor the brother who had stayed behind with them had had any news of his. They consoled themselves in the absence of their beloved son by daily visiting the orange tree which sprouted on the same day that he was born, from one of the two sides of the fish, and which had corresponded to his well-being. By seeing it and caring for it, it seemed to them that they were with Francisco.
One day the tree, which until then had grown slender and luxuriant, became withered with yellow leaves as if it was about to dry itself out. On seeing it in this state, Domingo, twin of Francisco, said to his parents:
Something bad must have happened to Francisco, because his orange tree is now very sick. If you’d give me permission, I’ll leave immediately to go to his aid.
His parents gave him their blessings; and grabbing his sword, he mounted on his horse and galloped away, accompanied by his dog, until they reached the same city where his brother had arrived earlier.
The first person he ran into was that old woman who told Francisco about the story of the Culebrón. Domingo greeted her affectionately and asked her the latest news that were making the round in the city. The old woman told him how a young man who looked very similar to him, if not the same, had arrived a few days before and had freed the Princess and the kingdom from the Culebrón; the marriage between the young man and the Princess, and the disappearance of the groom; everything was told without omission of any detail nor circumstance of interest.
Based on the old woman’s information, Domingo had no doubt that the missing person was his brother; and to better verify what had happened, he went to the palace. The guards believed that he was the Princess’s husband and let him through. The Princess, too, believed that he was her husband and received him with great joy.
What have you done in these past three days? -she asked- I thought some tragedy had befallen you: that the horse had thrown you off, that you had been killed…
Luckily, my dear, nothing serious has happened to me; I lost my way and it took me a long time to get back on the road again; but tell me: what is that reddish smoke that can be seen in the distance?
But my dear, what has happened to your memory? Don’t you remember that I told you the last time, on the night of our wedding, that that smoke came from the “Torderás, You Will Go But You Will Not Return” castle? And that, effectively, anyone who went there did not return, and that, despite my pleas, you mounted on your horse and went anyway?
Certainly, now I remember; but, as I just told you, I got lost [on my way there]. However, I will go there again and will return [in due time].
Domingo understood that, through the previous conversation, something serious had happened to his brother on his expedition to the castle, and he decided to [head there to] save him. He said goodbye to the princess and, mounting his horse, he left in the direction of the castle, being followed by his dog.
At dawn, he arrived near the castle and saw how the terrible looking old women came out to block his path and threw at him the hairs that they had pulled from their heads; and guessing the purpose for their action, he unsheathed his sword, spurred his horse and charged at the witches. He struck them so many times and with such accuracy that, in a few minutes, only one of the harpies was left standing.
Domingo was going to kill her, but she knelt down and pleaded to him:
Spare my life, sir, and I will give you back your brother, who is currently enchanted [with our witchcraft].
Very well -Domingo said to her- I will not kill you. But you will disenchant not only my brother but also everyone else who were enchanted in this cursed castle and its surroundings; then immediately after that, at the penalty of life, you will leave this kingdom and never return here again.
The old woman made a wand from a branch of a tree that was close to her, and with it she touched the stones scattered on the ground one by one and, as she touched them, they were transformed into gallant young men, mounted on spirited horses. Once there were no stones left, the old sorceress, being always followed by Domingo, who was armed with his sword, entered the castle, from whose door one could make out numerous galleries of marble statues in the likeness of beautiful girls: some standing, others sitting, yet others kneeling, etc. The old woman also touched them with the wand, and as soon as it made contact, they returned to life and stepped down from their pedestals. These were the numerous young women that the Culebrón, instead of devouring them as everyone believed it had done, had taken to the castle, where they were transformed into statues by the sorceresses.
Francisco and Domingo embraced one another affectionately, and without further delay they began to head back to the city, following by the innumerable young men and women who were recently disenchanted, all singing praises of their rescuer.
They arrived at the palace and Francisco told the King and the Princess about the strange adventures that had befallen them.
The next day the splendid event was celebrated with a grand banquet, attended by the entire royal family and all the young people saved by Domingo. He was, naturally, the hero of the day, and was acclaimed by all at every moment.
He was invited by the King to choose, among the women he had saved, the one he liked most as wife. All of them were of royal blood, and he had his eyes on one that stood out among the rest for her gentle and modest appearance. She was a cousin of the princess, wife to his brother, and much loved by both her and the King.
He married her and they established their residence in the old castle of “Torderás, You Will Go But You Will Not Return”, which, free from the evil influence of the Culebrón and its servants, had transformed into a splendid mansion. Domingo changed the ominous name from which it was previously known to that of “Castle of Torderás, If You Go There You Will Return A Happy Man”; and in effect, anyone who visited it would leave fully satisfied from the magnificence that resulted from the great care its owners had seen to it.
Francisco and Domingo did not forget their parents after they had become prosperous: they took their parents back to live with them, and honored the old couple as good sons that they were. God rewarded them with happiness until the end of their lives, which were long and passed by in the most pleasant way, without any hardships or setbacks.
And here the story ended, and the wind carried it away and took it through the door of a convent; the friars were very happy, and the boys and servants all fell over with joy when they finished hearing it.
—– VOCABULARY —–
Quehaceres – (domestic tasks) housework; quehacer – (small job) chore, task, work
No dejar de ser – not to stop being; didn’t quit being; not; not cease to be; still remaining
Yegua – (female horse) mare
Privación – (lack) deprivation, privation, loss; (misery) hardship
Sobrevenir – to happen, to happen unexpectedly, to ensure; to strike
Imprevisto – (unplanned) unexpected, unforeseen
Diantre – (used for emphasis) the hell; damn
Chascarrillo – funny story
Chico – (size) small, little; (related to age) young
Economía – (monetary situation) economy; (science) economics; (frugality) economy; (saving) economy
Amarrar – (to fasten) to tie, to tie up, to moor; (to secure) to clinch, to tie up
Cincha – (horseback riding) cinch, girth, saddle strap; (supporting strip) webbing; (clothing) (Chile) belt
Refregar – (to touch) to rub; (to clean) to scrub; (to gloat) to rub it in
Lomo – (anatomy) back (of an animal), lower back (of a human); (culinary) loin; (book) spine; (knife) blunt edge, back
Quejarse – (to protest) to complain, to whine, to moan, to grumble; (to express pain) to whine, to moan, to groan, to complain
Potrillo – (animal) foal; (container) (Chile)large glass; (nautical) (Andes) small canoe
Alarido – (cry) shriek, howl, yell
Envenenar – (to administer poison) to poison; (to corrupt) to poison; (to embitter) to sour
Vencerse – (to collapse) to give way; (to cease to be valid) to expire
Plazo – (period of time) term, period; (payment) installment; (limit) deadline
Cuenta de – of; account; realize; aware of; account of
Infundir – (to imbue) to fill with, to inspire, to arouse, to instill with
Espuela – (horseback riding) spur; (business) skill in business, acumen
Amargamente – bitterly
Enjugar – (to clear) to wipe away (tears), to wipe off, to dry; (to pay off) to wipe out
Rubio – (hair color) blond (especially masculine), blonde (feminine)
Crencha – (hairstyling) part, parting
Suelto – loose
Pender – (to be suspended) to hang; (to loom; used with “sobre”) to hang over; (to be dependent on; used with “de”) to depend on; (legal) to be pending
Cifra – (digit) figure; (quantity) number; (amount) sum; encrypts
Conmover – (to cause emotion) to move, to touch; (to rock) to shake
Empuñar – (to grip) to grasp, to take up (weaponry)
Apercibir – (to caution) to warn, to give a warning to; apercibirse – (to realize) to notice
Pelea – (physical altercation) fight; (verbal disagreement) argument, quarrel, row
Afilado – (cutting) sharp; (edged) pointed; (hurtful) cutting, sharp; (act of making sharp) sharpening
Colmillo – (anatomy) canine, eyetooth; (of an animal) fang, tusk
Estrechar – (to reduce the width of) to narrow, to take in (tailoring); (to hold close) to hug, to embrace, to hold; (to become close with) to strengthen
Estrecharse – (to reduce in width) to get narrower, to narrow; (to get close) to grow stronger; (to economize) to reduce costs; (to compress) to squeeze in, to squeeze together; (to hold) to embrace, to hug
Acosar – (to hassle) to harass, to pester, to hound; (to persecute) to hound, to pursue relentlessly
Dentellada – (act of biting) bite; (imprint left by a bite) toothmark
Asestar – (to inflict) to deal, to deliver; (to shoot) to fire
Ventaja – (benefit) advantage; (in a competition) lead; (job benefit) perk
Sensible – (emotional) sensitive; (responsive) sensitive; (perceptive) sensitive; (evident) appreciable, noticeable; (devices) sensitive
Manar – (to pour out) to flow, to run; (to come out) to flow, to run; (to be plentiful) to abound; (to run with) to drip with, to flow with
Presenciar – (to view) to witness, to see; (to go to) to attend, to be present at
Triturar – (to pulverize) to grind, to crush; (to masticate) to chew
Fauces – (animal’s mouth) jaws, maw (literary), fauces (technical)
Presa – (hunted animal) prey (of a predator), catch (of a hunter); (structure that controls water flow) dam, weir; (incarcerated) imprisoned; (seized by; used with “de”) gripped by
Enmudecer – (to hush) to silence; (to become silent) to fall silent; (to be rendered speechless) to be struck dumb
Vencedor – (champion) winner, victor; (triumphant) winning, victorious
Alojarse – (to be lodged) to stay, to be housed; (to be stuck) to get lodged
Pasto – (place for grazing) pasture, grazing; (green area) lawn, grass; (feed) fodder
Efectuar – (to do) to carry out (an investigation or repairs), to make (a payment or a journey), to effect (repairs), to execute (an investment), to perform (a calculation), to conduct (an interview), to fire (a shot), to cover (a distance)
Acarrear – (to transport) to carry, to cart, to lug; (to move using a vehicle) to transport, to carry, to truck
Atontado – (in a daze) stunned, dazed; (stupid) dumb
Desmentir – (to refuse to agree) to deny, to refute, to squelch; (to say the opposite) to contradict, to belie
Miserable – (vile) despicable, nasty; (unhappy) wretched; (shabby) wretched, squalid; (meager) miserable, paltry
Autos – (proceedings) proceedings
Arrebatar – (to take violently) to snatch, (to stir) to captivate; arrebatarse – (to get annoyed) to become furious, to get worked up, to get carried away; (culinary) to burn on the outside
Adrede – on purpose, intentionally, deliberately
Alharaca – fuss
Alboroto – (clamor) racket; (uproar) disturbance, commotion; (revolt) riot; (anxiety) agitation
Hospedarse – (to abide) to stay, to lodge
Intimar – (to require) to order; (to make friends) to become close, to be friends
Palmariamente – clearly
Sala del convite – banquet room
Varonil – (denoting qualities of men) manly, virile, masculine
Comprobar – (to verify) to check; (to demonstrate) to prove; (to notice) to realize
Embustero – (dishonest) lying, deceitful; (person who lies) liar, fibber
Abundamiento – furthermore, moreover, fortiori, further
Obsequiar – (to make a gift of) to present, to give
En el acto – (without delay) on the spot, then and there, immediately, instantly, while you wait (used in signs)
Despeñar – to throw off a height, to throw over a cliff
Despeñarse – (to succumb to) to yield; (to fall from a height) to fall over a cliff
Ajusticiar – to execute
Desazonado – (restless) uneasy; (culinary) tasteless
Se torno en – it became
Humo – (gas in a visible form) smoke, fumes, vapor, steam; (product of fermentation) fumes
Rojizo – (color) reddish
Fogata – bonfire, fire
Valer – (to have a value of) to be worth; (to have a price of) to cost
Aparentar – (to dissemble) to feign, to pretend; (to have the appearance of) to look, to seem, to appear; (to flaunt) to show off
Ojalá – (used to express a desire) hopefully, if only, I hope so
Muchedumbre – (group of people) crowd, throng; (large number) mass
Tironear – (to pull on) to tug at, to tug
Turbar – (to trouble) to disturb, to upset; (to fluster) to embarrass, to upset
Reposo – (relief) rest, repose; (inactivity) rest
Deudo – relative
Esbelto – (lean) slender, slim
Lozano – (appearing to be in good health) healthy-looking, glowing; (botany) lush, luxuriant
Mustio – (limp) withered, wilted; (sad) down, gloomy; (washed-out) faded
Socorro – (support) help, assistance, aid; (provision) relief; (cry of distress) help
Bendecir – (religious) to bless; (to express gratitude) to thank, to bless; (to give approval) to bless
Ceñir – (to don) to wear; (to fit tightly) to cling to, to hug, to be tight on; (to enclose) to surround, to encircle
Arribar – (to come to a destination) to arrive, to reach, to land, to put into; (nautical) to fall off
Acaecer – to happen, to occur, to take place, to come about, to befall
Extraviar – (to be unable to find) to lose, to mislay, to misplace; (to disorient) to mislead
Inmediación – (quality of being immediate) immediateness, immediacy; (technical) (legal) immediacy
Estorbar – (to impede) to get in the way of; to be in the way of; to obstruct; to hinder; (to disturb) to bother
Desenvainar – to draw, to unsheathe
Arremeter – (to set upon; used with “contra”) to charge at, to attack, to lunge at, to rush; (to criticize, used with “contra”) to attack, to tear into, to lay into
Menudear – (to happen often) to happen frequently, to be frequent; (to do repeatedly) to repeat
Acierto – (good guess) correct answer; (sound judgment) good decision, good move, wise move, good call; (ability) skill
Arpía – (mythology) harpy; (pejorative) (mean woman) witch, hag, shrew
Diseminar – (to strew) to scatter, to disseminate, to spread; (to propagate) to spread, to disseminate
Mancebo – (youngster) youth, young man; (unmarried man) bachelor; (occupation) apprentice, assistance (in a pharmacy)
Brioso – spirited, lively
Entonar – (music) to sing, to intone, to give (a note); (to vary the tone of) to modulate; (to strengthen) to tone up; (to enliven) to liven up, to perk up; (related to colors) to match; (to sing at the correct pitch) to sing in tune
Loor – praise
Peregrino – (religious) pilgrim; (wandering) traveling; (bird) migratory; (idea or suggestion) strange
Fausto – (joyful) happy, fortunate; (luxury) magnificence, splendor
Descollar – (to be prominent) to stand out; (to excel) to stand out
Maléfica – maleficent, evil, malevolent, malefic, malicious
Fatídico – fateful, ominous
Deslizarse – (to move over a surface) to slide, to slip, to glide, to slither; (time or life) to slip away, to slip by
Deslizar – (to pass) to slide; (to give discreetly) to slip; (to throw in) to slip in
Penalidad – (adversity) hardship, suffering; (legal) punishment
Contratiempo – (hindrance) setback, accident, mishap; (music) offbeat
Mocho – (not sharp) blunt; (hornless) polled; (pruned) pollarded, lopped