Today’s legend comes from the Guaraní culture in the countryside of Paraguay. The Guaraní tell of a short, hairy man who comes out at night to cause a variety of problems. He is “El Pombero”. While the Pombero is not necessarily considered “peligroso”, or dangerous, he is “travieso”, or mischievous. You can get on the Pombero’s good side by leaving him “regalos” or gifts. But you can also get on his bad side by saying his name at night or copying his whistle. This legend is told in the present tense. Repeated words include “cree” (believes), “tiembla” (trembles), “silba” (whistles), and “tiene miedo” (fears/is scared). No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way.

You can find a transcript of the story and read along at https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2021/01/10/simple-stories-in-spanish-la-leyenda-del-pombero/

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