Abuelita Zapatona: Granny Big Shoes

translated and retold by Marisa Montes

Many years ago, high in the hills of Puerto Rico, in the tiny town of Ciales, lived a kind-hearted old lady. Because she wore very, very big shoes, everyone called her Abuelita Zapatona, or Granny Big Shoes.

Abuelita Zapatona was a hard worker. Everyday she swept and dusted and washed her little house till it glowed. One sunny day, as she swept the patio, she spied a shiny object under a fern. She picked it up, and to her delight, discovered it was a gold coin!

"¿Qué haré con esta moneda? What shall I do with this coin?" she said, holding up the coin to admire it. "I know! I'll go to the market and buy a fat turkey, that's what I'll do!"

The market was a long way off, and with her big shoes tripping her all the way, Abuelita Zapatona arrived tired and dusty. But her efforts were not in vain. Her gold coin bought her the biggest, fattest pavo she'd ever seen. The turkey was so big and so fat, it could hardly walk.

With a piece of string tied to the turkey's neck, Abuelita Zapatona began her journey home. Soon they reached a fence that blocked their path.

Abuelita Zapatona tried to push the turkey under the fence. But he was too fat.

She tried to lift him over the fence, but he was too heavy.

She tried to make him fly over, but the turkey refused.

"¿Qué haré? ¿Qué haré? What shall I do?" Abuelita Zapatona looked around, but there was no one to help her.

She walked and walked, searching for help. All the while she asked herself, "Who will help me get my turkey to jump the fence?"

Finally, she spotted a dog.

"Señor Perro," she said to the dog, "please, please bark at my pavo. He won't jump the fence, and I'll never get home."

The dog rolled over and began to snore.

Abuelita Zapatona moved on. "Who will help me with my turkey?" she wondered as she clomped along in her big floppy shoes.

Soon she saw a long, thin stick, spinning and twirling and dancing over the countryside.

Approaching the stick, she said, "Lovely dancing stick, lindo palito bailador, please strike the dog, so he'll bark at my turkey, so he'll jump the fence, or I'll never get home."

The dancing stick pirouetted past her and twirled away.

The old woman kept walking till she stumbled upon a campfire.

"Fuego, fire, burning bright," Abuelita Zapatona said, "burn the stick so it will strike the dog, so he'll bark at my turkey, so he'll jump the fence, or I'll never get home."

The fire crackled and snapped, but as the others it paid her no mind.

Again Abuelita moved on. "Someone must help me. Someone will help me. ¡Yo lo sé! I know it!"

At last, she came to a well.

Leaning into the well, she called down, "Agua, water, clear and fresh, spray the fire so it will burn the stick, so it will strike the dog, so he'll bark at my turkey, so he'll jump the fence, or I'll never get home."

Abuelita Zapatona listened and listened, but no sound came from the well.

As before, she walked on. "Who will help me with my turkey?" she wailed.

Suddenly she heard a moo. Nearby stood an ox, grazing in the field.

"Señor Buey, kindly buey," she said to the ox. "Won't you please drink some water to spray the fire, so it will burn the stick, so it will strike the dog, so he'll bark at my turkey, so he'll jump the fence, or I'll never get home."

The ox lumbered to another clomp of yerba fresca and kept grazing.

Abuelita Zapatona was weary, and her feet were beginning to hurt. She stumbled along the path and almost tripped on a coil of rope.

"Amiga soga, friend rope," she said, "please tie the ox so he'll drink some water to spray the fire, so it will burn the stick, so it will strike the dog, so he'll bark at my turkey, so he'll jump the fence, or I'll never get home."

But the rope didn't move a strand.

Sad and disheartened, Abuelita Zapatona searched on. About to give up, she spied a rat.

"Oh, little rat! Wonderful, beautiful ratita!" Abuelita stomped her big shoes for joy. "You'll help me, I know you will!"

"What do you need?" asked the rat.

"Please, please gnaw the rope so it will tie the ox, so he'll drink some water to spray the fire, so it will burn the stick, so it will strike the dog, so he'll bark at my turkey, so he'll jump the fence, or I'll never get home."

"Seguro, of course, I will help you," said the rat. "But I'm weak from hunger, tengo mucha hambre. First you must bring me a piece of cheese."

Abuelita Zapatona didn't have to be asked twice. She ran to the cheese maker with renewed energy.

"Dear, dear cheese maker," she said, "por favor, won't you give me a piece of queso so I may give it to the rat, so he'll gnaw the rope, so it will tie the ox, so he'll drink some water to spray the fire, so it will burn the stick, so it will strike the dog, so he'll bark at my turkey, so he'll jump the fence, or I'll never get home."

"I'd like to help you, Abuelita," said the cheese maker, "but I'm fresh out of milk. No tengo leche."

Abuelita Zapatona was so disappointed, she plopped down on the floor and buried her face in her hands. "Ay, ay, ay! Now I'll never get home!"

The kind cheese maker took pity on her. "Don't give up, Abuelita. If you can find me some milk, I'll make up a batch of creamy queso, and you can take a piece to the rat."

Abuelita Zapatona sprang up and clapped her big shoes in delight. "I'll bring back a pail of leche. I will!"

With a wave of her hand and click of her heels, she ran off to find a pail of milk. Soon she saw a boy limping along the road, leading a cow to pasture.

"Ay, muchacho! Dear, generous, kind boy!" cried Abuelita Zapatona. "Won't you please spare me a pail of milk so that the cheese maker can make me some cheese, so I may give it to the rat, so he'll gnaw the rope, so it will tie the ox, so he'll drink some water to spray the fire, so it will burn the stick, so it will strike the dog, so he'll bark at my turkey, so he'll jump the fence, or I'll never get home!"

The boy eyed the old woman. When he saw her big shoes, his eyes opened wide.

"I will give you a pail of milk, Abuelita, but only if you will give me your shoes. You see, my feet are so big, I cannot find shoes to fit. No tengo zapatos." The boy held up his bare, blistered feet.

Gladly, Abuelita Zapatona slipped off her shoes and gave them to the boy. The boy tried on the big shoes and stomped about.

He marched in a circle.

He sprang into the air and clapped the soles.

He clicked his heels and grinned.

"You may have your pail of leche, Abuelita. And I shall keep your big shoes."

Abuelita Zapatona rushed the pail of milk to the cheese maker. The cheese maker whipped up a batch of creamy cheese and gave her a generous chunk.

Then the old woman took the chunk of cheese to the rat, who devoured it instantly. "Gracias, Abuelita." The rat smacked her lips. "Now I will help you."

As the rat began to gnaw the rope, the rope cried out: "No, please, Señora Rata, don't gnaw me! I will help Abuelita!"

The rat stopped gnawing, and the rope slithered off in search of the ox. The ox was resting in the field, and the rope entwined itself around the ox's tail.

"No, no, strong rope!" cried the ox. "Por favor, don't tie me up! I will help Abuelita!"

Slowly and lazily, the ox lumbered toward the well. As he was about to take a drink, the water cried out: "Please don't drink me, mighty ox. I will help Abuelita!"

And a splash of water flew from the well and headed for the campfire. When the fire felt the cool drops of clear water, it cried: "¡Ay, ay, agua clara! Please, don't douse my flame! I will help Abuelita!"

A long tongue of flame reached out to the stick. When the stick felt the heat, it cried out: "Please don't burn me, gran fuego! I will help Abuelita!"

The stick flung itself on the sleeping dog and gave him a great whack on the rump. The dog jumped up and yipped. "No more, O powerful stick! Por favor, don't hit me again. I will help Abuelita!"

In a flash of fur, the dog raced up to the turkey, barking as though a thousand sticks were beating him. The turkey, who had been snoozing beside the fence, awoke in such a frenzy, he half scrambled, half flew, onto the fence, landing head first on the other side.

And so, Abuelita Zapatona, in her stocking feet, led the turkey home, and together they lived happily for a good many years.

Y colorín colorado, ¡ya mi cuento está acabado!