Leyenda

El Caleuche by Carlos Ducci Claro

It was not a town, it could not be one, it was only few houses huddled together at the edge of the sea, as if they wanted to protect themselves from the stormy climate, the constant rain, from the natural disasters that could come upon them from the land or from the sea.
For the men who lived there, the Big Island, Chiloé, was an almost unknown continent;even the smaller islands of Queilén and Chonchi remained far away, and were only seen when they had to sail to them from time to time to sell the products of their fishing; Castro seemed like a remote city; the hope of the young was to go there and stay there or to leave for other more distant places, but all of this seemed like a dream, like a chimerical illusion.
There were crops in the fieldsbeyond the houses, mostly potatoes, oats and vegetables. Some cattle and plenty of sheep were seen in rustic corrals, but mainly people's activities, the rhythm of their lives, were determined by the sea.
The women spun their own wool and wove blankets and ponchos, throws and mats. From time to time the pieces that were not needed by the people of the town were sold in Chonchi or to the boats thatpassed by to buy fish. This was easy, for they were exquisite weavings beautifully crafted.
But this was a job for their free time. On the other hand, almost every day, especially when the tide was low, the women went out with their children to gather shellfish on the coast.
Carrying round wicker baskets, both women and children walked along the beaches and the rocky tide pools looking formussels, clams, sea urchins and also crabs. Unfortunately there were no oysters like in other parts of the island. With their baskets full they returned hours later walking slowly toward their homes.
In the great room of Don Pedro's house almost all the men of the village were gathered. There were men of all ages, two very young and one very old, conversing slowly and from time to time drinking a glassof chicha or fermented apple cider. Although the sea was not particularly nearby, it could be heard, like background music, the constant and rhythmic sound of breaking waves.
The subject of their talk was their next task. They would be going out to fish at nightfall and it would a long and risky job; they were planning to go far, perhaps to the island of Chulin, in search of yellow jack, seabass, and corbina. Not all of them would be going fishing, others would go out along the coast looking for shellfish. The important thing was to have a large enough stock when, in two or three days, as expected, the boat from the north would pass by looking for their products.
They wanted to go out because the fishing would be good. During the previous night they were sure they had seen thebeautiful Pincoya, who, arising from the waters in her marvelous gown of algae, had danced frantically on the beach looking out toward the sea. The following morning they had found shellfish that she had left behind on the sand. All of this was a good omen indicating that there would be an abundant catch, and the men were happy.
Not everyone would go because, as always, Don Segundo, the old man, wouldstay on land. He would go out to gather firewood. He liked going into the forest to cut trees, for he had no fear of the terrible little trauco, the little unfriendly being who always went armed like a toqui (an Araucanian or indigenous Chilean warrior chief), had enormous strength and could break a man from a distance just by looking at him. In any case he wouldn't come near the plants that wouldattract the trauco. He preferred to go himself, because if a woman or child went something might happen; because they were irresistible to thetrauco.
Not only that, he would tenaciously and patiently clean up or fix the damaged boats or destroyed nets, he would help the women with their work in the fields or care for the animals, but never would he go out to sea.
One of the young people asked...