Author Archives: Ryan Drobnich

The Chupacabra: A Second Grader’s Insight to Hispanic Folklore

Nationality: American
Age: 7
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles

The Chupacabra

 

“There was were a animal called a chupacabra that had a black ring but didn’t go all the way around. It had red eyes and sharp teeth. There was 2 soldiers, 4….. I think 5 maybe more and one little kid that was only 10 years old. Then they went to this place and the cops followed them and then the soldiers… well not like soldiers but they were en like strong, with guns and then they locked em up and then dey heard something.”

 

“De chupacabra had a powers that could like freeze em and make them into stone. But the the man who had a knife right here *points to hip* in the case. He was gonna get it to stab him, but he missed so the chupacabra got really mad because he hates knifes and so he froze him into stone. Then he touched him and then he broke apart. Then the boy and the other guys; the boys brother was there and he locked him up. But like he didn’t lock him up he like” *Kid interrupts with question*  “Was the boy mean or nice” he answers, “he was both mean and nice, at the same time. And so he locked the door and let them out and then they heard something and the two brothers went this way.”

 

“The two guys went this way and then the other guys went here. So then they crashed into each other and then they went to a tunnel and that was a tunnel that the two boys were goin’ to. So then… then… what happens was stuff from the ceiling was covered in like dust… then the ceiling fell on them but nothing happened to them. Just the brother, he was like drunk…. But he wasn’t and then… and then the boys friend was a ghost. It was a girl. She was sassy. So then she got them too and they found skulls. And then what happened was they went together and then nothing happened but then something happened and the chupacabra found the family and killed them.” -Carlos Martinez

 

Carlos told me that he heard this story from his parents and it’s told to warn kids against going out at night. He didn’t really know what it meant except that he said that he doesn’t go out at night alone any more after he was told the story.

 

This story was told during one of the sessions for JEP. He knew the story from before and so when we began to tell it he would chime in and try to help us. I got his full version later. Carlos is a second grader at Norwood elementary.


His storytelling abilities are sometimes distracted, but the overall story is very interesting and I think he gets the point. Although he parts of the story are confusing and not completely accurate to the actual story, the gist and goal still gets him to the same place.

I Went to a Chinese Market, to Buy a Loaf of Bread Bread Bread

Nationality: Latino
Age: 7
Occupation: Student
Primary Language: English
Language: Spanish

Hailey Benavides showed me this very fun game.

“I went to a Chinese restaurant

To buy a loaf of bread.
They asked me what my name was,
And this is what I said:
My name is E.I., E.I. Nickelye, Nickelye
Pom pom poodle, willy willy whiskers.
My name is
FREEZE

I went to a Chinese restaurant to buy a loaf of bread bread bread
The waiter asked my name and this is what I said said said:
My name is Eli Eli
Chickali Chickali
Pom Pom Beauty
Extra Cutie
I know karate
Punch you in the body Oops! I’m sorry
Tell my Mommy
Don’t wanna miss yah
Don’t wanna kiss yah
Chinese
Chapstick
Indian
Freeze!” -Hailey Benavides

___________________________________________

 

Other versions of which I looked up online include:

I went to a Chinese restaurant
To buy a loaf of bread, bread, bread,
The waiter asked me what my name was
And this is what I said, said, said,
My Name is L-I-L-I chickle-li chickle-li,
Pompom beauty, extra cutie,
My name is sit in the back seat
Had a baby in the Navy
Boys go [kiss] [kiss]
Girls go Whoopsie!

I went to a Chinese restaurant to buy a loaf of bread bread bread
They wrapped it up in a five pound note and this is what they said said said
My name is
Elvis Presley
Girlfriend Leslie
snogging in the bathroom
baby’s bathroom
woohoo!

I went to a Chinese restaurant
to buy a loaf of bread bread bread
they asked me what my name was
and this is what I said said said
I’m Choo Choo charlie
I know karate – punch in the stomach
Oops I’m sorry. I’ll call your mommy
Cheese Cheese
American Cheese
Don’t you stare those eyes at me!
(Clap your hands and say) “You Blinked!”

 

Hailey showed me this fun clapping game that for the most part every kid in the class knew. It was traced back to one girl in the class who claimed to have seen this from her babysitter. Playing this game is actually fun. When I went to do a makeup session for JEP, we played this game during their recess time.

 

The game is played between two people sitting across from each other. The left hand is facing up while the right is down. Hands are clapped vertically, then in a waving orientation hit directly in front of the opposite person. Last, you clap your own hands and repeat. The only variation of this when the words are repeated three times, the high-five clap occurs three times as well. Hailey is a second grader at Norwood Elementary.

 

It is interesting because I remember playing this clapping game when I was younger going through school. There are many variations of the game because one my classmates I was telling this to knew it as “I went to a farmer’s market” rather than chinese. Folklore is a lot like the game of telephone where one thing is told to the person next to you and by the time it comes all the way around it’s completely different. I love this clapping game and will show the kids I teach at home how to play.