40 LATIN AMERICAN STORIES OF GREAT AUTHORS (SHORT) - LITERATURE - 2025

Some of the best-known Latin American stories are The Feather Pillow, The Aleph, The Axolotl or The Trace of Your Blood in the Snow. The stories have been passed down in Latin America for generations to tell their stories and traditions. Similarly, the new Latin American authors continue to write stories with real and fictional stories.

The stories are short stories created by one or more authors that can be based on real or fictional events. The plot is carried out by a small group of characters and with a simple plot.

In this article we have compiled a list of popular tales adapted from different countries; Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Venezuela and Chile. You can also find a list of stories by famous authors, such as Horaciio Quiroga, Jorge Luis Borges or Julio Cortázar.

Latin American folk tales

The kingdom of the monkeys

This was once a very powerful king who had three sons. When each son reached adulthood, they decided to ask their father to give them enough money to go to neighboring towns and look for their future wives and return in a year. The king listened to them, and so it was.

Each prince received the best of the king's wealth and was fired. The young people went by different paths, to different towns, so as not to fight for women and to be able to choose well.

Everyone did well except the youngest of them all. While he was on his horse he was surprised and ambushed by a battalion of monkeys. They tied him up and took him prisoner to their kingdom.

When they arrived at the castle, they were all monkeys too, the soldiers, the peasants, the king, the queen and the princess.

"This is the thief who has been stealing your wealth," said a soldier.

"Put him in prison and execute him tomorrow," said the king.

-But it's a mistake! replied the young man, but no one heard him. He was taken to jail and there awaited his cruel fate.

After a few hours, the king's daughter approached her father and asked him to spare the life of the man, who seemed like someone with a good heart. The king saw in the daughter's eyes that the young man liked her, and he accepted.

When the day of the execution arrived, the young man was astonished because they did not kill him, but brought him food, delicious delicacies accompanied by a letter.

“I've seen you and I've fallen in love, that's why I asked for you. If you marry me you will be rich and you will not lack anything, the best thing is that you can be alive. After reading and seeing the signature, the young man noticed that it was the princess. He said to himself: "It doesn't matter if I marry a monkey, if I get out of this alive, it will all be worth it."

This is how the young prince agreed to marry the princess and save her life. The wedding was in style, and although within himself the prince did it out of interest, after the good dealings of the monkey, he was becoming fond of him.

After six months the young man said to his cute wife:

-Love, I promised my father to return within a year with my wife, and the day is approaching. Will it be possible to go?

-Of course my love! replied the monkey.

It was communicated to the king and they left, escorted by a royal battalion and in the best carriage in the entire kingdom.

When they reached the road where the brothers had parted, there were the other two princes with their wives. They were astonished when they saw the huge caravan approaching, but even more when they saw that they were monkeys, and that the only man was their brother.

The young man introduced his cute wife and did not mind the teasing of his brothers, because he knew the heart of his new love. After that they went to the king, and each one presented his wife, but when the youngest was going to introduce the monkey, the king asked that the army of monkeys come out, because they were not well regarded and they frightened the rest, and that, in addition, the monkey greeted from afar.

"They cannot be here, this is a city of men, but they can be on the nearby hill, because I want my son close by," said the king.

The young prince, upon noticing this, was saddened and left crestfallen. The monkey looked at him, smiled at him, and encouraged him.

Upon reaching the hill, the monkey asked her subjects to immediately build a huge castle so that everyone could be sheltered and live the time of their stay comfortably.

In a couple of days, due to the efforts of the monkeys, the palace was ready, and it was even better than that of the prince's father.

A week later the king decided to visit his children, went to the houses of the elders in his own kingdom, and prepared to go out to the hill to see the youngest. His amazement was not normal when he appreciated the immense palace built.

The king was accompanied by his best army to visit his son, he feared that the monkeys would take revenge for his behavior. However, the treatment was wonderful, they received them with delicacies and a party.

The king could not find a place to go out of shame, the most notorious thing happened when they requested silence and space in the center of the palace and the prince went out with his princess to dance in front of everyone.

Right when they reached the center and shared a tender kiss, everything stopped, the cute princess transformed into a beautiful young human and her entire army also became human, just like the people in her kingdom.

It turns out that the kingdom had fallen under a curse that could only be broken with a selfless love that saw the beauty behind appearances. After that, no one ever judged others for how they looked and they were happy for the rest of their lives.

End.

The lazy man

This is a story of not believing, too reluctance, too much desire to do nothing, and too much luck for the same being.

In a secluded town tucked into a mountain lived a very, very lazy man, so much so that he slept for five days after he was born, and his mother's milk was given to him with a teaspoon while he slept.

He hardly learned to dress on his own, and he was lying all day. He had never worked, he only ate and threw himself where he pleased.

His parents, already tired of so much bad attitude and so much laziness, decided to find him a girlfriend to marry him off, to see if that would make his illness come to an end. Strangely they managed to get the young man to find a partner, since everyone already knew about his bad behavior, and how all he did was sleep and sleep.

It didn't take long and they got married and had a child. The birth of the child brought hope to the family that the young man would change his attitude, but he did not, he became more lazy. The parents asked a friend to agree to become a compadre of the sloth to convince him to go to work in the fields, and he did.

However, the young man was still lazy, and did not help with tools or work. The compadre only complained about his attitude.

One day, already tired by so much laziness and laziness, the woman decided to leave him at home, abandon him and return to her parents.

-You'll be back soon, I know, the goblin told me.

-Which goblin? the woman replied.

-The one who will soon bring me the diamonds that he promised me, because I decided not to cut down the tree that my compadre asked me to cut, and which was his house.

-Are you crazy! What are you talking about?

"See you soon," said the sloth, and they talked until there that day.

The woman went to the compadre and asked him if the tree was true, and he said yes. After that, the young woman was thinking.

The next day, at night, the young woman saw a small figure walking along the path that led to her house. The creature had a golden box that emitted a white glow around the edges. The woman, curious and pensive, followed her.

As things to not be believed, the creature entered the woman's house, lasted a few moments there, and then left empty-handed.

The young woman waited ten minutes, and prepared to enter her house.

-I told you you'd come back. Look what the elf brought me, my gift, just for me and to enjoy it with whoever I want -said the sloth.

Indeed, everything dreamed was true. The sloth lived a life of incredible luxury with his family, who now loved him for being a millionaire, and did not judge him.

The strange thing was that when the sloth died, already old, all his descendants were ruined, because all the wealth associated with the elf's treasure vanished.

Mule transporters

This was once a group of mule herders who had a very long day at work. They were extremely tired, but the time for rest had not yet arrived, the true one, and their boss was watching them from afar, and if they did not comply with the schedule, well, they were not paid.

After a few more hours, they were at the limit of their fatigue, they saw a tree in the distance, with very good shade, and they decided to go there and lie down.

When they reached the apple tree, the tree they had seen, they lay down and their feet all agreed and thus they fell asleep. Suddenly, upon awakening, they could see that their feet had stuck together, and they all coincided in a mass that had sixty toes, the sum of the toes of the six men. The evil did not reach that far, the men began to feel many prickles like thorns in that single multi-toed foot; it was painful and exasperating.

Upon feeling that, the men began to scream, desperate, because they could not agree to get up and go anywhere. Where would they go with one sixty-toed foot?

After a moment, the men felt slaps on their heads, heavy slaps, and woke up. When they came to their senses they realized that it had all been a collective dream, and the one who woke them up was their boss. It turns out that they had all fallen asleep with their feet crossed and one of the mules lay on top of their feet, causing them to fall asleep as well.

The chief, not seeing them in the field, looked for them and found them under the apple tree. He saw their suffering from having the sleeping animal on him, so he made him get up and then he picked them up.

The men were so grateful to their boss that they worked for a whole week for free and did not fall asleep again during their shift.

The two rabbits

In a desert in Mexico, one very sunny day, they got two rabbits. One was white and the other brown, but both of the same build.

-Hi, how are you, rabbit friend? how you feel? said the white rabbit.

-Are you talking to me? Why are you calling me a rabbit? I am not what you say, you are very wrong -answered the brown rabbit.

Surprised, the white rabbit was very thoughtful.

“And what happens to this one? Could it be that the sun is hitting him a lot? Ultimately, you get yourself with every madman on the dusty roads, who doesn't know what idea they're going to come up with ”, the white rabbit said to himself.

-What's wrong? Were you speechless, white rabbit? Because you say nothing? said the brown rabbit.

-It is that your answer has left me thinking. You and I have furry legs, a chubby and stretched body, elongated ears, an identical snout, and the only thing that differentiates us is the color, but you come and tell me that you are not called a rabbit. What do you wan't me to think? -replied the white rabbit.

-It is that, my name is not rabbit, or do you want me to lie to you?

-Let's see… and if your name isn't rabbit, what's your name?

-My name is "Another brown."

-As well?

-As you hear, my name is "Another brown."

The white rabbit was even more surprised by the partner's response.

-Know something? I'll show you my name is Another Brown, and I'll do it right now. But first, I need us to make a bet. If I show you that my name is another brown, you will pay me with five wild carrots from Juana's garden, north of here, 'said the brown rabbit.

"Okay, I accept," replied the white rabbit.

-Okey perfect. Let's go then. Do you see those children playing next to the cacti?

-Yes, I see them.

-Run quickly towards them from the right and hide in the bushes at the bottom.

Said and done, the white rabbit ran off and hid behind the bushes. As they passed, the children shouted:

-Look, a white rabbit!

The moment that happened, the brown rabbit began to run on the left side of the little ones and reached the same bush where the white one was.

Almost instantly the children screamed:

-Look, another brown!

Hearing that, the brown rabbit reached out to the white rabbit and said:

-You listened? Even the children, without knowing me, told me “Another brown”. You owe me 5 carrots from Juanita's garden.

End.

The cat and the lynx

Once a cat met a lynx, his wild relative from the hills and mountains, on a mountain near his house. Seeing that imposing figure with shaggy hair and sharp claws and fangs, the house cat was surprised.

“Whoever was a lynx, and could roam free in the mountains eating wild birds, mice, vermin and all creeping animals; also have an immense sandbox like the desert to pee and poop wherever you want… Whoever, oh, whoever! ”, the cat repeated to himself.

The lynx, very attentive, listened to him, but said nothing. He knew what real life was like in the bush, how difficult it was to get food and survive adversity. However, he saw in the cat's cravings the possibility of living well for a few days, eating well and having a good time.

After the cat spoke, the lynx said aloud: “How well it is lived in the forest, among the cacti and its thorns, with all the food possible! How well you live! I don't have to take care of anyone, I can do everything as I please, sleep whatever I want, go through everything freely. Yes! I am free and at ease ”.

The cat listened to that speech enraptured, and the lynx, noticing the attitude of the feline, approached.

-Would you like to live as I live? the lynx asked the cat.

-Is seriously? Well of course! said the cat.

-Well, it's simple, let's change our roles. You can be me for a few days and I will be you.

-And how is that possible?

-Simple, look, we are the same size (and they were), we have the same coat color (and they had it), only that I have a short tail and I am disheveled. I'll do my hair and put an extension on my tail, and you will just ruffle your hair.

Total that the cat listened carefully and did everything that the cunning lynx recommended. The change occurred in record time.

After two days, the cat began to see the reality of things. No, you didn't eat when you wanted to, the animals were agile and didn't get caught like that. Also, if you took too long somewhere, a coyote could eat you, so sleeping all the time was impossible. Not to mention the harsh sun and sandstorms. The poor feline had a very bad time.

After a week the cat decided to go home. Before entering, she combed her hair, however, as soon as she began to walk the room, she received a strong brush.

"You evil cat again!" Get out of here! -said its owner.

The cat, without understanding anything, left terrified, and on the way he could see the open parrot cage, and the feathers on the floor, all the food scattered everywhere, and, when he left the house, the worst, the shattered chicken coops and no chickens.

In the distance, on the edge of the mountain, a lynx left smiling and with a full belly after causing its planned disaster.

End.

The haunted lemonade sale

In Puebla, Mexico, two families were close friends, so much so that their children went out together to graze each household's livestock. They did this every Saturday, as they did not have classes that day.

The little ones, at every opportunity, took the cows to different places to eat grass. One day they decided to go to a place that the villagers said was enchanted, but the children thought it was inventions.

The truth is that this place was on a hill with a lot of grass, so the cows had a great time. While the animals ate, the children amused themselves among the leafy trees. There were many fruits there.

After a few hours, José, the youngest, saw a lemonade sale among thick bushes. Juan, the oldest, saw nothing.

-Hey, Juan, I'm coming, I'm going for a lemonade! -Jose said.

-What do you say? Where? Juan answered, without taking his eye off the cattle, because an animal might get lost.

When he turned around, Juan could only see a thicket, but he couldn't find José. At that instant, the animals went crazy and a stampede began. Juan ran to calm and order them, leaving José behind. Arrived in town, the boy gave the animals to each family.

José's parents asked about their son, but Juan told them that he didn't know what had happened to him, that he only said “I'm going for a lemonade”, and he disappeared, and instantly the animals went crazy.

"Everything was very fast, I really don't understand what happened," replied poor Juan, very scared.

As a result, José's family members became very angry and went looking for him. After not getting the child, the friendship of both families ended, and Juan's parents, believing in their son, decided to move to avoid a tragedy.

The truth was that a year after moving to the next town, Juan took the animals to graze the area where José got lost. This time it was a Sunday. Strangely, while the animals were eating, Juan saw a strange lemonade stand among some bushes, and there José was sitting, as if nothing had happened.

Juan couldn't believe what he was seeing. Excited he ran over and grabbed his friend by the arm.

"Let's go home, José!" Your family awaits you! Juan yelled excitedly.

-What do you mean, Juan? I just asked the lady for my lemonade, ”José replied.

-Which lady? There is no one there!

José turned to the post, and, indeed, there was no one. Suddenly, the strange wooden construction disappeared and the cows went crazy, like a year ago.

Both boys ran out and calmed the animals and went to the town where José's family lived. The parents, seeing their son healthy, burst into tears and asked Juan and his family for forgiveness. The latter returned to the village and resumed relations with their former friends.

To this day, José does not know what happened that strange year of life that was lost, and he always has a craving for the lemonade that they never gave him.

End.

The young man and the three girlfriends

In a town on the coasts of Mexico lived a young man who lost his parents at an early age. After the death of his loved ones, the boy inherited the family business, an important fishing fleet.

Over the years the young man became very prepared in every area related to fishing, from fixing the nets to preparing the fish after the capture. He knew how to do everything in a perfect and orderly manner.

Around that time the boy met three sisters, all very beautiful, and secretly began to woo each one separately. What began as a game, ended in something very serious, because his heart fell in love with the three young women at the same time.

The girls were daughters of the owner of the most important fish shop in the town, the main buyer of the catch made by the young man's fishing fleet. This was a very big fluke.

After two years of flirting and gallantry, the young man decided to approach the owner of the fish shop and ask for the hand of his older sister. In doing so, the businessman told him:

-Okay, you have permission to marry her, but I must hear what she thinks of that.

When he finished speaking, the older sister introduced herself, and behind her the other two girls appeared. The young man was in great pain, because he knew that he had been falling in love with the three at the same time and that proposing marriage to only one was a mockery.

"Excuse me, sir, I was wrong, I do not want to marry the eldest, I want to marry the three women," said the young man.

-What you are asking for now is much more complex, what guarantee to me that you will be able to keep them at three? What's more… do they agree?

The girls, out of excitement, and without saying words, nodded their heads.

The father, seeing the attitude of the daughters, said:

-Okay, apparently they agree. But I need you to show me that you fully handle the art of fishing, it is important to know that my daughters will not be in need -said the businessman.

It was enough to say that and the young man invited the father of his girlfriends to watch him work on a normal day of the fishing fleet. The efforts of that man were incredible, his skills showed that he perfectly mastered each task. At the end of the day having passed through each job, the girls were very excited, and the father said to the young man:

-He has shown me that he is a capable boy, but he has yet to show me that he will value each of my children equally. I need you to go catch 300 oysters right now.

The young man nodded and threw himself into the sea. It was 7:00 pm He went in and out of the sea about 10 times, each time taking about thirty oysters and stacking them in a pile on the shore.

At ten o'clock at night, the 300 oysters were there, just as the businessman requested.

"There they are, sir," said the young man.

"You did well, now jump on top of them if you want to marry my daughters," said the man. The young women were horrified to hear that.

The boy, without thinking, began to jump on the sharp oysters. After a minute his feet were badly cut and bleeding.

"Enough," said the man to the young man. Who of you wants to marry this man? he asked his daughters, but they fell silent with fear.

The young man did not understand anything.

-You don't deserve to marry my daughters, you don't have love for yourself, you hurt yourself in order to have what you want, and that shows little respect for you. If you don't respect yourself, you won't respect my daughters. Go now, I don't want you here, 'said the man.

The young man lowered his head and left. At the same time the women began to lament, but the father silenced him by saying: “I asked them if they still wanted to marry him and neither of them said anything, now don't complain. Go home. "

End.

Pedro “El noble” Martínez, the one with the sad sheep

In one of the times of war that Mexico went through, Pedro “El noble” Martínez lived with his old mother. Such was the conflict that there was, that at home there was nothing left to eat or sell, the only thing they had was a sheep that had been called Sad, because since his mother died, he passed it to him crying and melancholic.

One day, Pedro said to his mother:

-Old lady, there is no food or anything else to sell, we only have Sad, and I think it is time to exchange it for some money, if not, we are starving.

-Well, mijo, if you think so, go to town and sell it.

The man did not hesitate for a moment and went in search of selling his sheep. He tied her and string and took her away.

As the war was raging, there were groups of armed men everywhere, and Pedro was unlucky enough to come across one of those groups. These men took advantage of the fact that Peter was alone and beat him up and took his sheep from him, while making fun of him.

In pain, Pedro fled. On the way he was thinking about how he could recover his sad mistress, when he came across a clothesline where there was a woman's dress and a hat. Seeing that, an idea came to mind. He disguised himself as an old woman and arrived at the men's camp.

Just as I was passing by, the guerrillas were already planning how they would cook the sheep, only they needed a woman to help them. When they saw Pedro, they called him.

-Hey, woman! Come cook for us! said the men.

-I can't, I'm going to cook for my family! said Pedro, speaking like a woman.

-Yes you can! -said one of them pointing a rifle.

Pedro addressed them without hesitation. At the camp, he told them that he needed all the best herbs and spices to make a good stew. So he convinced them all to go to distant places in search of the condiments.

The man disguised as a woman was left alone with the general in charge, and when the military man was careless, Pedro beat him with a stick and left him lying on the floor.

-What are you doing to me, old woman! cried the general.

-I'm not an old woman! I'm Pedro "The noble" Martinez, the one with the sad sheep! Pedro replied, and left the man lying down.

Later, Pedro took all the gold and jewelry and went to his mother's house.

-Son, you managed to sell Triste at a good price!

-Yes, mom, but I'll get more tomorrow.

The next day Pedro returned to the camp, but this time disguised as a doctor.

The general's men, seeing the state in which their boss was, decided to go for a doctor, and they saw Pedro in disguise. History repeated itself, and they forced the man to attend to the badly wounded man.

As happened previously, Pedro convinced the soldiers that they should go to other towns for medicine if they wanted to cure the general. They fell into the trap and left, leaving only their leader with the supposed doctor.

-How do you see me, doctor? said the general.

-I'm not a doctor! I'm Pedro "The noble" Martinez, the one with the sad sheep! Pedro replied, and gave the general another beating.

After that, Pedro took the rest of his valuables and returned home.

-Mijo, more money for Sad? -said the old mother when she saw Pedro arrive with the fortune.

-Yes, woman, and I think that tomorrow I'll bring Sad after doing another business.

The next day the general's men arrived and found him very badly wounded, so much so that they decided to call a priest to dismiss him from the world.

Nearby was a priest who was going to a mass.

"Senor priest, excuse me, can you come and bless our general before he dies?" said one of the soldiers.

-Of course, mijo, where is it? -said the priest.

-There, on that ranch.

-Okay, but in order to serve you properly, I need you to go to three churches in nearby towns for my things. They can?

-There was more to go, let's go!

And so the priest was left alone with the general. But, instead of blessing him, the supposed man of faith took the Sad sheep and what little gold was left and left.

Yes, it was Pedro "El noble" Martínez, the one with the sad sheep, and he did not finish finishing off the general out of respect for his disguise.

End.

The maiden and the beast

Once upon a time there was a merchant who had 3 beautiful daughters. He lived constantly traveling to do his business, and he always used to bring his daughters a different gift for each one.

His eldest daughter, the most beautiful, just an hour before the merchant left for his new journey, said:

-Father, please, this time I just want you to bring me some sand from the place that you consider the most beautiful of all the ones you see on your way.

-Just that? -said the father.

-Yes.

-Voucher.

The man went out with his horse and his merchandise on his back and traveled through several kingdoms, one more beautiful than the other. When he thought he had found a beautiful enough sand heap, in another place he saw a more striking one, and so on, he never made up his mind.

After a month of travel, the man, for the first time in his life, found himself lost. After crossing a forest of white trees, he did not recognize where he was. At the bottom of the landscape he could see a castle, so he approached the building to see if he could find someone who could help him.

Upon arrival, the place was completely deserted, but the conditions of the spaces were perfect. The man left his horse grazing outside and went to the main entrance. As he was about to knock, the doors swung open of their own accord. This left the merchant breathless, who passed by, as the hunger was great.

In the center of the room he found a table set out with delicacies, all warm, and a chair arranged for him. Without thinking, the man sat down and enjoyed the feast.

Then he looked up and a golden door in the back opened, he could see inside a warm and tidy bed, and a tub of cool water. The man, at the end of his meal, went and took off his clothes, bathed and lay down.

The next morning he was found with his clothes on, but as if they were new. He also saw a hot, fresh breakfast on the table, so he went to eat. When she finished, she raised her eyes and saw how a silver door opened for her, and she could see beautiful trees of unimaginable colors. She finished her meal and approached that place. It was a patio.

He was amazed at everything, but he could see in the center a mountain of a beautiful amber color, it was sand! Soft and beautiful sand! Instantly he remembered his daughter's request, and he took a jar from his backpack and poured some inside.

Immediately, the entire gleaming mansion turned dark and battered, as if it had been forgotten in time. The man was frightened. Suddenly, an immense figure, like a half-werewolf, pounced on him, threw him to the ground, caught him with its claws and stared into his eyes.

-I'll devour you for touching my sand… You had everything, and you touched my sand… -said the terrifying figure…

"It's for my daughter, I promised it," the man replied.

"Bring her with you in three days, then, or I'll go get your entire family and eat them all."

The man closed his eyes, trembling, and when he opened them, he found himself in his room, in his house. He leaned out the window and there was his trusty horse. It was a dream, he told himself.

He put his hand in his pocket and went pale… when he took it out he found the bottle with the beautiful amber sand. His oldest daughter leaned out the door and shouted:

-Father, you came without warning! Welcome! And you brought me what I asked for! What beautiful sand!

The man was not catching his breath when his daughter hugged him. In that he could see in the mirror of his room the figure of the abominable animal that said with his lips: "I'll wait for you in three days, or I will devour you all."

Terrified, the father told his daughter everything, and she agreed to go see what was happening. Upon reaching the mansion, everything was repeated: dinner, room, bathroom, breakfast, the doors open, but there was no one.

The merchant, seeing that there was no problem, left his eldest daughter and went for his other daughters.

Right through the door, everything was closed, and the woman was locked in, however, everything remained beautiful. The beast appeared and conversed with her in a strange language, but one that could be understood with the heart.

For a strange reason, between them there was an immediate love, however, with only seven days passing the figure of the immense beast was withering.

"Your wish is killing me," the animal said to the woman.

-What do you mean? she answered.

-The request you made to your father… if you don't return mine in a week, I'll die.

Instantly the woman remembered the vial, and that it had been left in her room.

-But it's in my house! And on the way there is already a week! -she said.

"Look me in the eye," said the beast. She agreed, heat entered her body and she vanished onto the floor.

When she woke up, the girl was in her room, at home. Tearful, she looked for the bottle and went to talk to her father about what had happened. The merchant, who had just arrived at her house, prevented her from leaving, because at last they were safe and all together. However, the woman, hardly everyone slept, escaped.

After crossing the white forest and reaching the mansion (which was in total ruins), he immediately went to the courtyard and found the corpse of the beast there. He was pale and sad, lying on the ground next to the amber heap of sand.

The girl began to cry inconsolably, until a voice inside her said: "Return the sand… return my blood to its torrent"…

The young woman remembered the jar in her pocket, took it and poured the sand on the mountain. Instantly everything turned colorful again, and the beast that was lying on the floor transformed into a brave prince. The rest is already part of a beautiful story.

End.

The girl on the mountain

A peasant couple lived with very few resources at the foot of a mountain. They had everything there, but only just enough, they weren't millionaires, but they were happy. The man was dedicated to hunting, fishing, gathering and planting. In fact, there, next to their little ranch, they had a field that gave them parents and corn.

One day the farmer went to look for wood in the mountains, on Friday, as he always did. He was singing his favorite songs while observing the majesty of the landscape. Before reaching the place where good wood was abundant, he always had to cross a river.

The peasant crossed it, as he usually did, and came to the place where a large dry log awaited him. He pulled out his ax and began to chop the dead tree into small pieces.

When he gathered what he needed, he set out to go home to build a fire and cook his food. When we got to the river, something strange happened, there was a little girl there.

-Hi, if you take me from the other side of the river, you will never need more in your life. I must not get wet, so you should place me on your shoulders. Of course, you must be patient and courageous. By taking me with you you will feel that strange things take you by the feet, they may cause you some pain, but it will not be for long. Later, I will get heavier, as I will take a monstrous form, but it will only be to test your bravery. If you can pass these tests, when you reach the other side of the river, you will have a great treasure with you.

All that the girl said without even introducing herself. The man thought for five minutes, put the logs aside, and said:

-Okay, I accept it.

The farmer took the girl on his shoulders and started to cross the river. After taking a few steps, he felt tentacles grab his feet and press on them. There was pain in him, but he remembered what the girl had told him, thought of riches, and continued.

A while later he felt a huge weight on his shoulders. The girl who two meters ago weighed only 30 kilos now felt like 100 kilos. The peasant couldn't help being curious, and turned to see. As he did so, he noticed that what had previously been a girl was now a furry black monster, with a huge mouth full of serrated teeth that looked as if he were going to eat it.

The man did not hesitate to throw that monstrosity into the water and run to shore. He did it so fast, that in seconds he was on the other side.

When we reached the shore, there was the girl.

-I told you it was fast and that nothing would happen, except a scare. If you had finished your homework, you would now be a millionaire, but you didn't. Now it's your turn to lead a life of misery, 'said the girl, and then she disappeared.

The man came to his little ranch and the woman asked him about the wood, then he told her everything.

"You should have carried it to the end, now it will be bad for us for life," said his wife.

The man couldn't handle that and told his wife that they would leave. And so they did.

On the way they came across an old man, fainting, leaning against a tree. The peasant approached him, gave him food and water and took good care of him without his asking.

-You have done me good without knowing who I am, even though all those who passed by left me, forgotten. I am the owner of that mansion you see on the hill. Here, this is the key, I know I will die here, but I have no family and I would like a noble man like you to keep my riches.

As soon as the man finished speaking, he passed away. The peasant and his wife took the body and carried it to the mansion. Indeed, the keys were those of the place.

The old man was buried with honors by them and they never lacked anything, because inside there was gold and jewels. However, the peasant could never let go of his regret that he had not taken the girl to the other side of the river.

End.

Achagua founding myth

A long time ago, among the hamlets of the first Achagua settlers, a huge and voracious serpent that enjoyed eating the inhabitants of Orinoquía moved at will.

The animal was so large that it could eat an entire population in one bite. The inhabitants of Orinoquía feared him a lot, because there was no human or animal way to face it, he was like a god of flesh and blood capable of devouring whatever he wanted.

One day, the surviving men met and decided to ask heaven, the all-powerful noble God Purú, to help him with that enormous enemy that was the serpent.

Soon after, the God Purú heard them from heaven and told his daughter, the great celestial warrior Nulú, to come down and fight the animal.

An arrow of light from Nulu was enough just in the forehead of the immense serpent so that it fell dead on the ground.

After its fall, the snake began to release a strange black fire and decompose, and strange golden worms sprouted from its body. These, upon touching the ground, became strong and noble warriors who swore to defend men from any snake-like threat until the end of days.

And so it has been, and that is why the men and women of Orinoquía still exist.

End.

U'wa founding myth

The story of the U'wa tells that at first the universe we know consisted of only two spheres, one of which was pure light, very hot and lacked water, while the other was full of darkness, a deep void, and in it were thick waters.

Just when the known universe decided to move, then the spheres came together, the light and its heat with the darkness and its moisture. During the union, lightning and lightning began to be generated, and the earth element began to take shape, amidst tremors, lights, smoke and darkness.

Everything was strongly intermingled, and from the cosmic chaos that was happening, the planet as we know it sprouted, its waters, its air, its plains and mountains and its clouds. There, then, the plants and animals rose and man arose.

This world that originated was called "The in-between place", "The place of humans", and contrary to the spheres that formed it, this place was fragile and unstable. By itself the intermediate world could not support itself, therefore, the bases that allow the land of humans to exist are in what cannot be seen.

Now, in this middle world in which the primary spheres were fused, mud arose, from the union of the dry with the humid, and from the mud life flourished, so that each being that breathes has water and earth within itself., decomposed into its different basic elements.

It was, then, thanks to the gods who united the sphere of light and darkness that the known earth appeared and after it life and also death, as we perceive them.

End.

The son of man is the best (Manuel Iseas. Argentina,

On a high mountain were a great black horse, a huge bull and a fierce tiger. Everyone, at the time, had heard of the son of man.

"So the son of man is brave, right?" That rules every beast and puts everything under heaven at his feet, right? Who would have him in front of him to whip him and teach him a lesson for being a braggart and conceited - said the horse.

-Yes, they say so, horse. They also say that he is very intelligent, and that no one resists him, wherever he takes a trap and dominates anyone. But she doesn't know me, and if I approach her with my sharp horns, I'll destroy her, ”said the bull.

-It is that this son of man does not know my claws, if you kill him easily, what can I not do with my fangs and my claws? I have it easy with him, and if I approach him, from the front or from the back, I'll finish him off just because, because he won't be able to do anything against me.

Thus, then, each one of the animals boasted, one after another, putting the man as a believed that in a few seconds he could be on the ground.

"I'll go down first and teach him a lesson," said the horse, and ran down the mountain.

Upon arriving at the man's ranch, the animal broke the doors with strong kicks. It was early, and the son of man got up by the noises, he could see the black horse and took a rope and threw it around his neck. In moments the horse was tamed by the son of man.

Two months passed and the stocky black animal escaped and returned to the mountain. Upon arrival, his hair was cut off, as was the hair on his tail, and he had horseshoes on his legs.

-What have they done to you, horse? That man will pay me! You'll see! said the bull, and came down the mountain furious.

The tiger looked at everything attentively and laughed.

Upon reaching the ranch, the bull was with forces against a wall and destroyed it. It was early, and the man was sleeping, so the noise knocked him out of bed; he could see the animal go against him, so he took his rope and ran out of the house to better face it.

It was a difficult fight for the man, but after avoiding several attacks from the bull, he ended up taming him and locking him in the corral.

Two months passed, and the beast managed to escape and climb the mountain. When he arrived with the others, he no longer had horns, no tail, he was skinny, and they had put horseshoes on his legs.

-How they put you, bull! But I will avenge them both! You'll see! said the tiger.

"They will make you roast a tiger, for being conceited, that son of man is a cunning being, you'll see," said the bull, and the horse nodded.

At all these the tiger laughed and ran quickly down the mountain. When he got to the man's house, the first thing he did was go into the corral and eat a cow. It was early, and the son of the man could hear the cow's bellowing, so he stood up, took his rifle, and looked out into the corral.

There was the tiger devouring the cow. The beast saw the man and said:

-How tasty your cow, but now I'm going for you and you…

The tiger did not finish speaking when an accurate shot was heard that knocked him down. That day he ate roast beef and tiger. The bull and the horse came down from the mountain and saw from afar the skin of the tiger stretched out and understood that, indeed, the son of man was the best.

End.

Uncle Cat, Uncle Mouse and the whale

A long time has passed since Uncle Mouse last escaped from Uncle Cat's clutches. The feline nape has been able to fulfill the dream of devouring the poor mouse, and that to achieve it has chased it through heaven and earth, again and again throughout the extension of Venezuela.

Tío Ratón, already tired of Tío Gato finding him, decided to move to Margarita Island, and there he set up a ranchería to live off fishing. In order not to lose habit, the mouse set up a field next to his house where he sowed potatoes, lettuce, tomatoes and where he also tied up a dairy cow that allowed him to make his precious cheese.

Uncle Mouse lived very happy on the shores of the Caribbean Sea. In the mornings she went early to fish until noon and in the afternoons she dedicated herself to working her garden. At night he would take his storybook and entertain himself with the stories and their characters, and when he was very inspired, he would also write.

One of those beautiful days where the cheese lover had such a good time that he did not remember the persecutions of his arch enemy, the unexpected happened. Tío Ratón was in his boat fishing, it was a bit far from the coast and he had a very good catch of snappers and corocoros, native fish of the area.

Suddenly, on the horizon, the mouse could see another lone ship slowly approaching. No one was on deck. Little by little the ship approached the rodent's boat until it touched it. The curious cheese eater looked out to see what was inside, and Uncle Gato jumped out and rushed him.

"I finally found you! Now I will eat you, you elusive mouse!" said Uncle Cat.

-How did you find me? I swore you wouldn't find me here! Uncle Mouse answered.

-My desire to eat you are many, I could find you anywhere! said Uncle Cat and then he pounced on the rodent to try to eat it.

The mouse, without thinking, jumped into the sea. Two years had passed since Uncle Mouse had been on the island, so swimming was easy for him. Uncle Cat was not far behind and lunged after the cheese lover to devour him.

"Let's negotiate, Uncle Cat! Don't eat me!" said the mouse.

-I'm tired of your traps, mouse! Today I eat you just because! replied the cat.

"Well, I warned you!" said the mouse, and began to swim with greater force.

Strangely, the rodent did not swim to shore, but moved away, and behind him was the cat with great force.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a huge mouth came out of the sea and swallowed the cat. It was a whale.

-Get me out of here! -the cat was heard saying from the whale's stomach.

"Hello, Uncle Mouse, I saw you in danger and I came to fulfill my promise to take care of you," said the whale to the rodent. As she spoke the cat could be seen inside her huge mouth.

-Thank you, María Ballena. Please leave him on the lonely island in front, so he can leave me alone, 'said Uncle Mouse.

And that's how María Ballena left Tío Gato on Cubagua Island and prevented him from eating the rodent.

It turns out that some time ago Tío Ratón had found María Ballena trapped in some nets on the coast. He released her, and she returned to the sea and promised that when the opportunity came, she would help him.

End.

The three lilies

This was once a very old and very powerful king who lived in a huge kingdom and had three sons. The oldest was called Josué, the middle one was called Ibrahim and the last was called Emilio.

One day the king got seriously ill in his eyes, and he was very sad about it. One morning he got up in despair and began to say: "Find a lily, a white lily, that is the cure I need!"

It turns out that the king dreamed that if a white lily passed his eyes, he would then regain sight. The only problem is that in his entire kingdom and in neighboring kingdoms that flower did not grow.

Josué, his eldest son, said to his father: "I will go to the end of the world to look for your priest father, just provide me and guarantee that when you return with your priest you will inherit the kingdom."

The king found his son's proposal a good one, so he asked that they give him enough gold for the trip, the best horse and supplies.

"I put only one condition on you, son," said the king.

-What will it be, father? Josué replied.

-Come back in exactly one year, or I won't keep my word.

-So be it.

Josué went far away and came to a slightly poor town, but with very pretty women. Three of them who were sisters, and, after seeing her arrive, they agreed to wrap her with their charms, and they succeeded. In less than a month the man had forgotten to look for the lily, spent all the money and was left bankrupt in that old and secluded place.

He had no choice but to work as a waiter in a bar to support himself, because he could not return home like that.

After the year, Ibrahim told his father:

-Father, Josué won't come back. I will go and fulfill what he said, just give me the same as him.

The two reached an agreement, and history repeated itself. So much so that Ibrahim arrived in the same town where Josué was deceived by the same women and ended up poor and working in the same place as his brother.

After a year, Emilio spoke to his father.

-Dear King, it is evident that my brothers will not return. I will go for the lily, I only ask that my faithful squire Julio accompany me, and that you give me just enough to support myself. From the throne, don't worry, I don't want another king more than you.

The king heard him, and wept, and gave him twice as much as his other two sons and sent them away.

Emilio went the same way and reached the same town, but the difference was that when the women approached him to seduce him, he told them to get away, that he had gone to find a remedy for his father.

Some time later he found out what had been done to his brothers, made the women confess and return the money and returned it to his own.

After that, the three brothers and the squire left town in search of the precious lily. After a while they came to a road divided into three and separated. Emilio and his squire for one, and the other two brothers for the rest.

It wasn't long when Joshua and Ibrahim went back to the start, they were weak men to persevere. However, Emilio was constant.

The man and his squire came to a large mountain where there was a ferocious dragon emitting groans. The knights hid behind a rock, but Emilio could see that the animal had a stake in its leg, so he went, very slowly, and removed it.

The dragon, out of nowhere, changed the groan into a deep voice.

-Who was it? -said the immense animal.

"It was I, Emilio, the son of King Faust, ruler of the yellow lands of the North," replied the young man.

-Thank you, my name is Absalom, and I will reward you for your gesture and courage. I see in your eyes that you are looking for something, what is it?

-A white lily to heal my father.

-You ask for a not very easy thing, but I have the only copy, and please, I will give it to you. But please, take three, why you will find out later, I only ask you one thing: do not trust the lazy.

"So be it, Absalom."

After that the dragon took flight and went to a cloud, and when it descended it had a white lily in its right claw, and in its left a golden one and a silver one.

-You know which one is real and what you should do.

Emilio left with the three lilies and his squire, both very happy. Arriving at the place where the road divided, he met his brothers.

-Did you get the cure? they both asked maliciously.

"Of course, here they are, at the end it was a silver one and a gold one," Emilio said and took them to his pockets.

That night they camped under the stars, and while Emilio slept, his brothers went through his pockets and took out the two lilies, the gold and the silver, and before they left, they threw him off a rock. The squire did not wake up but in the morning, and when he saw no one, not even his master, he was alarmed.

As he leaned out of the rock he could see Emilio, dead and all battered. He scrambled down and pulled the white lily out of his pocket. When passing it without wanting by the body of Emilio, this one revived and his wounds were healed.

Meanwhile, in the castle, the criminals of Ibrahim and Josué gave the king the two stolen lilies to pass through his eyes. The result was the worst they could imagine, the king not only did not cure his sight, but he lost it completely and, in addition, a terrible plague fell on him.

-How did they do this to me! To jail! said the king, and the men were immediately imprisoned.

A short time later Emilio arrived with his faithful squire Julio, they told the king everything and passed the lily over his eyes and body. Instantly the sovereign recovered his sight, health and strength.

Emilio, by order of his father, was crowned king, his squire was left as second in command, and his brothers never left as traitors to the kingdom.

End.

Outstanding stories by Latin American authors

The feather cushion - Horacio Quiroga

Horacio Quiroga was a Uruguayan short story writer from the late 19th century. His stories deal with nature but adding fearsome features, being known as the Edgar Allan Poe of Argentina.

In the story The feather pillow, Quiroga tells a story of newlyweds in which the woman falls ill, but no one imagines the reason for her illness.

The Aleph - Jorge Luis Borges

Another of the best known authors of the late nineteenth century in Argentina is Jorge Luis Borges. He is also noted for being one of the greatest writers of the 20th century.

The Aleph has become a cult work for many readers, where Borges raises the inability of the human being to face eternity. It is a book that attends to various interpretations and highlights the irony of the author

The Axolotl - Julio Cortázar

Julio Cortázar has been another of the great writers of Argentine literature. He has been considered one of the most innovative authors of his generation.

In The Axolotl he tells the story of a man who goes to see the Axolotls in the aquarium every day, because he believes that he can understand what they are thinking just by looking into their eyes, so he thinks that he can also be one of they.

The trace of your blood in the snow - Gabriel García Márquez

Gabriel García Márquez is a Colombian author, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature.

In his compilation of 12 pilgrim stories we can find the story of The trace of your blood in the snow that tells the story of a young married couple and the tragedy that occurred on their honeymoon.

The switchman - Juan José Arreola

Juan José Arreola was a Mexican writer in the early 20th century. He is considered one of the most important authors of the contemporary fantasy tale in Mexico.

The interpretations of this book are multiple and it is very difficult to distinguish what is its main theme. But all scholars of literature agree that it is a critique of industrialized societies and their governments.

The insignia - Julio Ramón Ribeyro

Julio Ramón Ribeyro is a great Peruvian writer who is included in the Generation of 50. He is one of the best storytellers in Latin American literature.

In the story of La insignia, he tells the adventures of a man who finds a insignia in the trash and the things that happen to him after finding it.

Lonely Hearts - Rubem Fonseca

Rubem Fonseca is a Brazilian author and screenwriter. He is not a well-known author in Spain despite the high quality of his works.

In the story of Lonely Hearts, he tells how a run-down chronicler gets a job in a love consultancy, where he leads our reporter to write publications under a female pseudonym.

Tell them not to kill me! - Juan Rulfo

Juan Rulfo, another great author of the Mexican Generation of 50s, exposes in this story the struggle of class inequality.

This story is collected in the compendium of short stories from El llano en llamas, first published in 1953.

It is a story that calls to think because it exposes how far man is capable of going for revenge, when he is convinced that revenge is the only solution.

The crocodile - Felisberto Hernández

It is the best known work of the Uruguayan author Felisberto Hernández. The crocodile recounts the nomadic life of a concert piano player who travels around the world.

He is dedicated to crying to get what he wants, hence he is called the crocodile because his tears are false.

The Hunchback - Roberto Arlt

This story contained in the first publication by Roberto Artl, an Argentine writer, deals with the problems of evil and the lack of communication in confession.

It relates the problems that arise in bourgeois society and the marginalized that arise due to the problem of industrialization. Through this story he tries to find a way out for those outcasts of society.

The meat - Virgilio Piñera

This 20th century Cuban writer tells us the terrifying story of the paradox where to eat is to die.

The characters themselves eat parts of their bodies, which prevents them from maintaining social relationships.

Through the story, surreal images are formed that point to a cannibalistic satisfaction of one's own body.

In memory of Paulina - Adolfo Bioy Casares

This Argentine writer, winner of several awards, in his story tells the story of Don Adolfo, when he realizes that he is in love with Paulina.

But Paulina will end up falling in love with another and Don Adolfo will go around the world to forget his beloved. The problem was when he returned from his trip and discovered the bitter truth of what had happened.

Telephone calls - Roberto Bolaño

Roberto Bolaño is a Chilean writer who belongs to the infrarealist movement. In this love story, the lovers end their relationship through a phone call, and when years later they meet again, they are different and cannot rekindle the flame of love, and a tragic event happens.

Better Than Burning - Clarice Lispector

One of the few recognized Latin American authors of the 20th century tells us the story of Clara, a girl who decides to become a nun due to pressure from her family. In the convent her life is torture and she decides to abandon it

Punk Girl - Rodolfo Fogwill

This Argentine tale has become a cult tale, which tells the story of an Argentine traveler and a punk girl in London. The play offers an amusing view of their love affair.

The younger brother - Mario Vargas Llosa

This story by the Peruvian Vargas Llosa corresponds to the storybook "Los Jefes", however, since 1980 this collection of stories was published together with his short novel, "Los Cachorros".

The story narrates the injustice committed by the brothers Juan and David, who decide to carry out a family reckoning against an Indian, whom his sister Leonor accuses of having outraged her.

In reality, Leonor only made up that story to get rid of the care of the Indian.

The hand - Guillermo Blanco

The story La Mano by Chilean Guillermo Blanco, is the story of Mañungo, an alcoholic man who seeks his pleasure through the abuse and fear he generates in his wife. It is a testament to human despair.

Manungo will try to erase the traces of what he has done, but a brand will follow him to the end. This story is characterized by its rawness and machismo.

Paco Yunque as Cesar Vallejo

It is an emblematic Peruvian story, widely read in all schools, although it is not written only for children.

It is realistic and has great social value, it denounces the inhuman outrages against the child Paco Yunque. We can say that it is a story of social denunciation.

Paco Yunque symbolizes the poor social class while Humberto Grieve embodies the upper social class.

The author makes a story where he shows the excessive abuse of Humberto Grieve against Paco Yunque and the injustices that occurred in the school they attend.

Two pesos of water - Juan Bosch

This story is one of the shorter works of the Dominican author Juan Bosch.

He recounts the discontent that the residents of the Paso Hondo people lived in the face of the terrible drought they were suffering.

Everyone was pessimistic except old Remigia, who always remained optimistic and hopeful that the rains would come if she gave money to light candles for the souls.

It leaves as teaching that what we want can bring us unexpected consequences.

A gift for Julia - Francisco Massiani

A gift for Julia is a story by the Venezuelan writer, popularly known as Pancho Massiani. It is part of the book "The first leaves of the night" published in 1970.

It narrates the insecurity shown in the actions of Juan, the protagonist. She faces the difficulty of choosing a very special birthday present for Julia, the girl of her dreams, with whom she is in love.

Juan is an indecisive and insecure young man. After contemplating different options, due to his inexperience and few financial resources, he decides to give him a chicken, but in the end doubts and fears play a trick on him.

Hunch - Mario Benedetti

It is a short story by Uruguayan Mario Benedetti. In the Benedetti he describes the social and family morality of Uruguayan society and, in this case, the unequal relationships that exist between social classes.

The protagonist, Celia Ramos, is guided by her hunches to achieve her goals. By getting a job at the home of a wealthy family, she suffers discrimination that prevents her from having relationships with the family's son, Tito, because he is from a higher social class than hers.

To achieve his goals and thanks to his hunches or hunches, he saves evidence, photos and letters that compromise some members of the family.

August afternoon - José Emilio Pacheco

It is the second story in the book The Beginning of Pleasure and Other Stories, by the Mexican writer José Emilio Pacheco.

Tarde de Agosto is a short story in which the protagonist stops being a child and becomes something else thanks to an experience that marks and transforms him.

It occurs when this boy is forced to accompany his cousin Julia and her boyfriend Pedro for a walk around the city.

Even knowing that his love for Julia could not be, since they were cousins ​​and were six years apart, he felt an enormous need to love her and be loved.

Through a simple scene, the story describes how the boy, embarrassed by his cousin's boyfriend, crying and disappointed in himself, gives up on being innocent.

Everything ends thanks to a simple but crucial experience, in which everyone is separated, and that child abandons his old life and his childhood.

The glass of milk - Manuel Rojas

The glass of milk of the Argentine Manuel Rojas, tells the story of a young sailor who wanders in a port where he was abandoned when he was discovered inside a ship.

Shy and penniless, he gets a job carrying packages. However, his hunger was so great that he could not wait for payment, and knowing the risks of eating without paying, he goes to a dairy to eat something and asks for a glass of milk with the intention of not paying it.

The story not only describes feelings of despair, anguish and the poverty of the young adventurer, but also the atmosphere of general misery that is lived, because like him there are many begging in the city.

In this environment, charitable characters appear willing to help the protagonist overcome his hunger.

Let as teaching never give up.

The return - Emilio Díaz Valcárcel

Emilio Díaz Valcárcel is one of the current referents of Puerto Rican literature.

This story is part of the book El asedio published in 1958, worthy of the Puerto Rican Literature Institute award.

He describes the trauma suffered by soldiers after going through the Korean War, an experience that he himself lived and that marked his work.

He tells of the return of a military man who, wearing his uniform, goes to visit the woman of his dreams with whom he had an affair before going to war.

Now he felt the impossibility of being loved because of the marks left by the war wounds.

Díaz Valcárcel is excellent at delving into the psychology of his characters.

Revenge - Manuel Mejía Vallejo

In the story La Venganza, Colombian Manuel Mejía Vallejo addresses the social problem of parental abandonment and handles it as a vicious cycle of damage and revenge, in which forgiveness appears too late.

The father, a rooster, abandons his mother promising to return and leaves a rooster as collateral. The father never returns and the mother dies hopeful.

The son, turned into a gallero, undertakes the search for his father with the spirit of revenge. However, when he finds him, something happens that leads him only to defeat him in a cockfight.

References

1. GUGELBERGER, Georg; KEARNEY, Michael. Voices for the voiceless: Testimonial literature in Latin America. Latin American Perspectives, 1991, vol. 18, no 3, p. 3-14.
2. POLAR, Antonio Cornejo. On Latin American literature and criticism. Ed. Of the Faculty of Humanities and Education, Central University of Venezuela, 1982.
3. FRANCO, Jean. Decline and fall of the literate city: Latin American literature during the cold war. Editorial Debate, 2003.
4. PIZARRO, Ana. Towards a history of Latin American literature. Colegio de México, Center for Linguistic and Literary Studies, 1987.
5. RINCÓN, Carlos. The current change in the notion of literature: and other studies of Latin American theory and criticism. Colombian Institute of Culture, 1978.