My informant has been somewhat influenced by her hispanic culture, often having heard stories when she was a child of a creature that has its roots in Mexican culture. However, in this tale, it clearly is an adaptation or variation of an existing folklore.

Informant:

“My parents told me about this monster, El Coqui when I was a child. It’s like a monster that hides in my backyard ( i think it’s folk monster from Mexican mythology that my parents re-created to keep me from going out at night as a child) The monster was named Coqui, like the little frog.They would just say it would sneak around the dark, and steal children…what it would do was never said…”

My analysis

This tale is clearly meant to be utilized by parents as a means in which to instill obedience in children. By implying that the monster is always nearby,it causes a sense of foreboding dread in the child, that there is some presence nearby that is just waiting for them to make a careless move. The name of the creature being familiar may add more legitimacy to the tale, as the child will associate it even subconsciously with a real animal. The vagueness of the motives for the monster also add to the effectiveness of this story by creating an uncertainty about the monster that makes it more frightening. I believe the variant of this tale makes it unique,  in adding familiarity to a familiar legend.