Adaptation of the Mapuche folk tale
Every year, on the shores of Lake Titicaca, a great festival was held that brought together many animals of all types and conditions. Those in charge of spreading the news through heaven and earth were usually the seagulls who, with their shrill cries, summoned everyone to attend on the agreed date. This time, the party would take place the next night there is a full moon.
As the days passed, the guests became more nervous than usual. Time was running out and they had to prepare thoroughly to show off their best clothes!
The one who was most concerned was Tatú, the armadillo. His body was covered by a gray cuirass that, the truth, did not suit him much. Often when he looked at the beautiful colors of the birds or the long, silky fur of the alpacas, he would think that Mother Nature had not been too splendid with him. The only chance she had to dazzle others at this distinguished party was to weave a beautiful cape to cover her shell. He did not have many days, so he had to get to work as soon as possible.
She was very good at sewing as she was very skilled at handling silk threads. With patience and determination, he put to work for hours to make the most delicate and striking fabric that anyone had seen before. He was sure it would cause a sensation!
One afternoon, a fox passed him and stared at him. Seeing him so busy, he asked:
– Hello! What are you doing that you don’t look up for a second from that cloth?
– Don’t distract me. Can’t you see that I’m very busy?
– Well, well, don’t be mad! I’m just curious. Won’t you tell me?
– Oh, how heavy you are! I’m knitting a cape to wear on the day of the lake party. Satisfied ?!
The fox was very envious because the cape was precious. If the armadillo wore it at the party, no one would overshadow him and, on the other hand, they wouldn’t even look at the flies. She couldn’t help but want to tease him.
– Wow, Tatú, I’m sorry to tell you that you won’t have time to finish it! The party is tonight and see how much you have left to do!
The poor armadillo was stunned and his face turned mother-of-pearl.
– Tonight?! … Is it celebrated tonight ?!
– Well of course! I was in a hurry because in a little while the moon will start to rise. I’m going to fix myself too. See you later!
The fox walked away laughing softly. The innocent Tatú had taken the bait! Now he would have no choice but to finish his work at full speed and the result would be a mess. Not even in his dreams would he be the leading man at the party!
As the rogue fox walked away, Tatu, desperate and with sweat streaming down his snout, began to embroider like crazy. To go faster, he used a ball of thick wool that had nothing to do with the exquisite and fine silk. He knew the fabric would be a lot coarser, but it was the only way to finish the cape before dark. On top of that, since misfortunes never come alone, in the rush the wool threads tangled and formed some knots large like chick peas that could be seen from a meter away What a disaster!
Tatú managed to finish on time, just as the moon appeared in the sky, but he was not at all happy with the result. He had worked very hard to put together the most incredible cape and in the end he had to finish it with the accelerator and sloppy. The flaws, Tatu thought, were more than obvious.
He stared at the moon with a sad face and …
– Oh no! But today is not a full moon! That stupid fox tricked me!
Tatú was not wrong. The moon was rising, which meant there were still a few nights to go before the big party.
He got very angry and tears began to flow from his little eyes. What annoyed him the most was that he could no longer undo the last part of the work: undoing the knots was mission impossible because they were too tight and there was no time to change the coarse wool for the silk. He had to accept that he would have to put it on as is, with all those flaws included.
A few nights later, the full moon appeared huge over the lake. The time had come! Tatú reluctantly put on his cape, but when he saw himself in the mirror he changed his mind. No, it was not the most perfect cape in the world, but it was the most original. The mixture of fine and thick threads gave it a very chic touch and curiously the knots were phenomenal. Inadvertently, he had created an extravagant garment of those that create a trend in fashion that gave it an air of modern and trendy type.
When he showed up at the party, a commotion of animals formed around him. Everyone was fascinated by how elegant he was and how special his cape was! Tatú realized that the fox’s bad move had ultimately benefited him. He became the center of attention and it was the best party of his life.
