cuentos de barro - DSpace Universidad Don Bosco

Una tarde dioro en que el negro estaba
curando una ternera trincada, con una
pluma de pollo untada de creolina,
Chabelo se decidió por fin; y, un tanto
encogido, se acercó y le dijo:
—Mirá, negro, te pago dos bambas
si me decís el secreto de la flau ta. Vos
le bis hallado algo que le pone esa
malicia... Seya chero y me lo dice...
El negro se enderezó, desgreñado,
blanca la boca de dientes amigos y
franca la mirada de niño. Tenía abiertos
los brazos como alas rotas, sos teniendo
en una mano la pluma y en la otra el
bote.
Miró luego al suelo empedrado y meditó
muy duro. Luego, como satisfecho de
su pensada dijo al pitero.
—No me creya egóishto, compañero, la
flauta no tiene nada: soy yo mesmo, mi
tristura..., la color...
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A golden afternoon in which “the
Blackman” was trying to cure a sick calf
that he had lying on the ground by
using a chicken feather smearded with
creoline, 353 Chabelo approached him:
“Hey negro, I’ll pay you two bambas354 if
you tell me the secret of the flute. You
have found that certain something... be
a pal and tell me...”
“The Blackman” stood up, with his
messy hair, his mouth white with
friendly teeth and with a earnest look of
a child. His arms were open like broken
wings, holding in one hand the feather
and the bottle in the other.
He glanced at the cobbled ground and
meditated hard. Then, satisfied with his
thinking, he said to the flutist:
“Don’t think me selfish, partner. The
flute ain’t got nothing. It’s just me, my
sadness... my color...
353. In this context, creoline is a pesticide product used to make wounds heal faster by killing larvas or
other insects that may have entered it. In Latin America, Creolina is an inexpensive bathroom (septic
tank) cleaner. Amigofoods.com advertises it as “Coal Tar Deodorant Cleaner. Cleans bathrooms, floors,
garbage cans and other applications.”
354. Coins used in the XIX century. They were the size of a silver dollar.