In Brazil there is this story of what we call the “homem do saco” which translates to the bagman. It’s sort of a bedtime story that if you don’t behave well, this random guy will come during your sleep and put you in his bag and kidnap you. He would carry you and take it with him. It’s something that my grandma used to tell me when I was young and misbehaving. It used to scare the hell out of me, so I carried that with me, I guess. Of course I don’t believe in it and I have never seen this man before, but I used to believe in the story not only because a grownup would tell me, which made it more authentic but also because she used to say that it had happened with people she knew.

Although I am from Brazil, this was the first time I ever heard about this story. According to Artur it is really common, perhaps from the state he is from because I had not heard of it. I believe it is an extremely effective way of teaching kids a lesson or thinking twice before they misbehave. Children tend to believe in these stories when they are young and they actually change their behavior for the better. That’s why at a young age, in my personal opinion, adults sometimes lie to kids to educate them through these stories, which have been efficient.