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In the lush jungle, a slow, gray beetle walked across the ground. She was minding her own business until she ran into a gray rat. The rat was fast and mean. He stood up on his hind legs and said, “Look at you, you old beetle. Don’t you wish you could run fast like me?” The beetle just nodded. |
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A wise parrot in a tree thought, “I just bet the old beetle has a trick up her sleeve. What might it be?” “Why don’t we have a race to find out which of you is the fastest?” the parrot called down. “To the winner I will give a beautiful coat of feathers. Deal?” The beetle
and rat both called back, “Deal!”
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The parrot said, “You must race to the stump in the middle of the forest when I tell you to start.” When the parrot yelled, “GO!” the rat pumped up his hind legs and ran and ran. He was fast, but to his surprise the beetle was already there. “How did you get her so fast?” asked the rat. “I used my wings,” said the beetle and tucked them away. “As you can see, I can go very fast with them.” The rat had been tricked, and had nothing to say. The beetle had won the beautiful coat of colors. That’s why
today beetles have beautiful colored coats and wild rats are dull and gray.
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| This folktale is one of many passed from generation to generation in Puerto Rico. |
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Hola, my name is Martin Stephen Torres.
I invite people to know more about my Puerto Rican Heritage through my
family stories. “Look Through the Eyes of Boricuas” includes
my grandparents' stories of coming to New York (which I have put under
the interviews). I also include below a story about a beetle and a poem
I wrote about Juan Bobo, a folktale character every child in Puerto Rico
comes to know.
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| “Boricua” means “Brave Lord” and comes
from the word “Borinquen” (the name given to Puerto Rico by the Arawak
natives meaning, “Land of the Brave Lord.”). After Christopher
Columbus encountered the island on November 19, 1493, its name was changed
to Puerto Rico, which means “Rich Port.”
Many Boricuas have migrated to the United States mainland. Just like my family, many generations have made New York City their home. Children like me have been enriched by the flavor, sounds and customs of the Puerto Rican culture. |
| Boricuas have a lot of pride. For me, the colors red, white and blue are a symbol of my past, present and future. These are the colors of both the American and Puerto Rican flags. Both represent me. I hope that in this story you see the beauty, unity and strength of my people. |
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There once a man
from Puerto Rico,
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**This is a poem I wrote in the third grade on Juan Bobo, a folktale character from Puerto Rico. He is the creation of Puerto Rican country folk, or jibaros. His tales are a mixture of Spanish, African and native Taino cultures. Juan Bobo is kind-hearted, but often gets into trouble for misunderstandings. Juan Bobo has many adventures. Did you know that Juan Bobo’s name means “Foolish John?” |
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