Legend has it that many years ago there was a terrible flood that flooded the lands of Ecuador. The waters washed away fields and towns in their wake, forcing people and animals desperately to seek refuge.
Apparently, two brothers lived in a valley, a boy and a girl who, seeing that the current reached them, ran to protect themselves on the top of a mountain. There, in the heights, they found a dry and comfortable cave that became their makeshift refuge until the danger passed.
Once inside they huddled for warmth and watched in amazement as the rivers of water rose up the mountain at great speed. More than rivers they seemed long and gigantic snakes crawling dangerously towards the summit.
They felt real panic when they saw that at any moment the overflowing water could reach them, but luckily, the mountain was magical! As if it had a life of its own, when the water was about to overflow the cave, the summit rose to the sky. Not once but several times the mountain grew as it pleased to save them and the brothers stopped being afraid.
Of course, they had to face another serious problem: as the hours passed they were more and more hungry. They were in a cave on a towering mountain peak surrounded by water, which was inconvenient because there was nowhere to look for food.
They went a long time without eating a bite, and when they were about to faint, it stopped raining.
– Look, little sister! It seems that the storms and rains have come to an end, but everything around us is still flooded. Let’s see if the waters go down soon and we can go home.
– Yes, but in the meantime, what will we eat? … We haven’t put anything in our mouths for several days and I can’t take it anymore.
Her brother looked at her sadly and hugged her, because for that he had no solution.
– I’m sorry but we can only trust that the water disappears quickly so that we can go down the mountain and look for something to eat.
That night they spent as always close to each other so as not to get cold. At dawn, a ray of sunlight crept through the cave and woke the girl. He opened his eyes and his heart began to pound.
– Brother, brother, look at this!
The young man was startled.
“Oh my gosh! … Pinch me in case I’m still dreaming!”
They could not believe! Some stranger had sneaked into the cave while they slept and had placed a pile of plates brimming with tasty food on a tablecloth made of leaves. Meat, ears of corn, fresh fruit … They had never imagined being able to have such a feast in such a horrible situation!
They pounced on the food like hungry wolves and began to devour it. They ate until they were about to burst and then lay on their backs, hands outstretched and grinning from ear to ear.
– It was the best meal of my life, little sister!
– Oh, how delicious everything was! I wonder who brought it … Maybe someone watching us?
– I have no idea. This is all very strange!
– Yes it is. Tonight we will stay awake in case he returns and we will thank him.
They waited impatiently for the day to end and the full moon to appear high in the sky. Then they crouched behind a rock that was in the cave and protected by the darkness awaited the visit of the mysterious benefactor.
Suddenly they heard strange little noises and from the shadows appeared five macaws disguised as humans.
The vision was shocking to them! The ones who had left their food were five parrots that were covered with people’s clothes! … And they came back loaded with more food!
Dumbfounded, they came out of hiding to thank them, but when they were close, they began to laugh with laughter.They looked so funny and bizarre that it was impossible to stop laughing!
– Hahaha! But what are these macaws dressed like that doing ?!
– If Hahaha! I’ve seen anything like it in my life! They seem to be coming from a costume party or something.
Hearing the teasing, the macaws were very offended. Without saying a word they looked into each other’s eyes and flew off in the blink of an eye.
The boys shot towards the entrance of the cave and began to scream with tears in their eyes.
– Oh no, don’t go please! We are very sorry to have upset you!
– Please come back! You saved our lives and we thank you very much. I beg you, forgive us!
The macaws were already flying in the sky very close to the clouds when the wind carried the disconsolate cry of the brothers. They couldn’t help but feel very sorry for them and since they were kind-hearted animals, they did a little pirouette in the air and returned to the mountain cave.
– Thanks for coming back, friends! We have been very inconsiderate of you and we promise it will not happen again.
– My brother is right… It won’t happen again!
The macaws felt valued and knew how to forgive. Since then they began to go to the cave every day, always disguised as people, loaded with food that the boys gobbled up with real pleasure.
Time went by and the level of the water that covered everything was decreasing little by little. The sun, increasingly bright and intense, helped to dry the land and to restore the landscape to the splendor of yesteryear.
Finally, one morning the two brothers discovered that the rivers had returned to their course and the mountainside was back in sight. There was no trace of the flood!
They waited for the birds to come to visit them and the boy announced with emotion:
– It is time for us to return home and resume our lives. We are going to miss you so much… Without you we would not have been able to survive!
His sister was also touched.
– I wish you could come with us to the village, dear macaws!
They said goodbye to the generous animals with tears in their eyes and began to descend the mountain where so many days had passed.
They walked a few minutes down the hill and looked back with melancholy. Their surprise was enormous when they saw that the five macaws followed them like lapdogs!
The boy exclaimed enthusiastically:
– Look, sister, your wish has been fulfilled… They are coming with us!
The two continued happily with the small entourage behind, and upon reaching their village, oh, surprise! … The macaws were transformed into real human beings. Without a doubt, like the mountain, they were also magical beings!
According to this ancient legend, the parrots were actually gods of the jungle who, tired of disguising themselves as people, decided to follow the brothers to the village and take real human form to live among men and women of flesh and blood.
And legend also has it that they integrated very well with their new neighbors, formed couples and had children who inherited the beauty and powers of their ancestors, the beautiful macaws.
