Was a beautiful weekend in the sector The Lighthouse,
place where the marines entrusted to supply the island's lighthouses.
To this place a couple had arrived with their son nine years old.
This blond child was crossing the sector from a place to another to
satisfy his curiosity. One day he met other children of the same age
and they went to play in a corner the shore of the mountain, breaking
woods, collecting flowers, watching insects and running continuously.
Suddenly, a great storm comes, those one when in winter one doesn't
desire to put the top of the nose out, with thunders, lightnings,
rain and strong winds that drag everything what they plunder from
a place to another one. When the children saw that it was getting
dark and, knowing what was coming for them, doubted not even a second
to move away and to go to their houses, but the foreign child, or
the "continental one" did not even give importance to the
calling from the other children, and he continued exploring, even
listening to the callings and warnings from his friends who were running
full speed crossing the field to come soon to their houses.
When the evening came, the child's parents saw that their son was
not returning, and they started worrying, and they went out to look
at him in the local surroundings. As it was getting dark quickly,
they decided to go out and look for him, asking even in the houses
of the neighbors if they had seen him, but nothing.
The fear and the desperation started doing prey of them; even making
they think that something serious had happened to his son. They asked
for help to the neighbors, who, meeting with torches, lamps, and when
they formed groups of four or more people, began the search.
The shouts and callings were resounding for all the corners of the
island. Occasionally, the whirled wind, extinguished the lamps and
did not allowed that the shouts should de listened.
Suddenly it started raining with such force that was impossible to
go on with the search and they should have returned with the sadness
and the disappointment in the faces of those people that nothing could
do against the implacable nature that was refusing to give the opportunity
to find the missed child.
It rained for two days and the parents of the child, with a renewed
hope, they began the search again, asking for help to the authorities
and neighbors that as the first time, they wanted to collaborate.
They began to search in the surroundings and in the very small forests
that they were finding in the way where the child had disappeared.
When suddenly, they saw smoke at the feet of the mountain. They ran
in this direction without stopping and, which would be his surprise
when they found the child sleeping calmly in the shore of a bonfire,
totally dry and without a scratch in the skin.
They woke him up and the child looked at them as if nothing had happened,
but on having seen the frightened faces of those who were looking
at him, he remembered everything and told his parents and neighbors
that when it started raining, he got scared and not having seen his
friends, he started to cry desperately.
Then, in front of him a very high and thin man who was
dressed all in black apeared, invited him and I took him to a place
unknown for him, where there was so much fire.
This gentleman in black, as the child calls him, had given him food
without saying anything. Then, he slept, and woke up in the place
where he was found healthy and safe.
Those who listened to the statement, especially the elderly mas, were
praying and doing the sign of the cross, afraid of that " Man
in black " could return to the place to look for the child. The
child, after telling what had happened, returned to his house to rest
and then to make his suitcases for returning to the continent.
The local elders assure that that " Man in black " was not
other one that the Devil who patrols the dark cold nights of winter,
looking for a soul to take it to him.
Note: This legend was compiled by the student Gregorio Joaquín
Guzmán Cruzat, 5th grade at the G-501 school in Mocha island
in 1992, and it was selected for a competition organized by the Mapuche
Museum of Cañete`s friends Cultural Corporation, 8th Region.