Informant: My uncle who was told by his mother from Arkansas
Original Script: “When you are sick, eat a orange peel because the acid eliminate the germs in the body”
Background: When you eat an orange peel the acidic properties of the peel kill of the germs in your body
Main piece: There were once two neighbour towns that were separated by a canyon, and from each town there was a person that went to the canyon to hang around. These two people did this for many years and they saw each other every day, but didn’t utter a word to each other. One day one of them started singing a song at the top of his lungs, and the other one followed him. They discovered they could talk to each other if the talked loud enough, so the started talking to each other every day. The years passed and they became best friends by talking about their days to each other, and they always hoped that one day the towns would be united so that they could hug. Anyways, the years went by and they remained best friends until they were old, and when they both died they buried them on their ends of the canyon so that they would always be facing each other. One day many years later, they built a bridge that united the two towns, and at the ends of the bridge are the graves of the two friends.
Background information about the piece by the informant: Simon claims to have learned this story from locals while he was in a trip to the Mexican state of Oaxaca. The locals told him that the towns were real and near the city, but they had no specific names to give.
Context on the performance: This story was told to Simon in a restaurant where everyone seemed to know the story, which suggests that it is popular in that region of Mexico.
Thoughts on the piece: The tale shows a way to make connections with people without the need for physical closeness. Not only that, but the two friends were from completely separated towns, figuratively and literally, which send an inclusive message that says anyone can form bonds with someone that isn’t part of his in-group.
Informant: My friend who is from Brazil
Original Script: ” In the amazon rainforest there is a myth of the pink dolphin that lives there that transforms into a handsome man that sleeps with woman at night and during the day is a dolphin again”
Background: A myth in the Amazon rainforest
Thoughts: There are many different variations of this story in the countries near the Amazon rainforest, the were-dolphin is a known character that circulates in this area.
Informant: My dad used to say this to my sister and I when we where younger and asked for a pet, specifically a cat
Original Script: ” we can’t have a cat, they lick the butter”
Thoughts: When I was a little girl and asked my parents for pets specifically, a cat my dad would say they licked the butter, when i got older I asked him why they licked the butter? He just started laughing and said he made it up, that he just saw it on a t.v show.
Informant: An elderly man told my mom when she was young
Original Script: “because you are left-handed you owed the devil as days work”
Background: This is a old belief that if someone is left handed they are on the devil’s side because of the phrase ‘the right hand of God’. The right hand was perceived as good and holy, while the left hand is perceived as evil and hateful.