The stories in this unit are trickster tales (one of the characters plays tricks on other characters in the story). In "El duende travieso" (Colombia), the main character can change form in order to fool his victims. In  "Juan Bobo y el caldero" (Puerto Rico), Juan Bobo gets out of doing chores when he acts foolish. In "La costurera malvada" (Argentina), the main character steals clothes from her customers and suffers an unusual punishment. The main themes that might be explored in a curriculum unit linked to these tales are: tricks, right and wrong, laziness, punishments, and Latin America (Argentina, Colombia and Puerto Rico).

El duende travieso

Click on the vocabulary words and print out each slide: 

• algún día: un día en el futuro
• confundir: desorientar
• convertirse: cambiarse, transformarse
• duende (el/un): un espiritu o fantasma
• entretenido/a: divertido
• fino/a: elegante, caro, refinado
• impresionante: notable, grandioso, emocionante
• imprisionar: atrapar, encarcelar, encerrar
• listo/a: preparado
• parecerse: en su opinión es...
• regalar: dar como un regalo
• ser humano (el/un): una persona
• travieso/a: persona que hace malicias


• Pre-teach the vocabulary by using each slide in a magic box.
• Have students read the introduction and discuss the origin of the story: http://www.columbia.edu/~ljl17/duende.html
• Have students read the story:  http://www.columbia.edu/~ljl17/duende1.html
• Check for understanding by asking comprehension questions. 
• Discuss the story with students by asking their opinions about the events.
• For more information about the coffee-gowing region of Colombia, have students visit: http://www.juanvaldez.com/espanol/

Juan Bobo y el caldero

• Click on the vocabulary words and print out each slide: 

• cuidado: atención, protección, ¡Ten cuidado!: presta atención
• descuidado/a: falta de atención
• esconderse: taparse, evitar la vista
• gallina (la/una): hembra del pollo
• infelizmente: no feliz, con tristeza
• olla (la/una): un pote para cocinar, una casuela
• pata (la/una): pierna - de un animal u objeto
• patada (la/una): "dar una patada"=pegar con el pie
• pedazo (el/un): una porción más pequeño
• perezoso/a: no le gusta trabajar
• pesado/a: no liviano
• prestar: dar temporariamente
• romper: quebrar
• tierra (la): donde crecen las plantas, el suelo, el piso


• Pre-teach the vocabulary by using the slides as flash cards.
• Have students read the introduction and discuss the origin of the story: http://www.columbia.edu/~ljl17/bobo.html
• Have students read the story: http://www.columbia.edu/~ljl17/bobo1.html
• Check for understanding by asking comprehension questions. 
• Discuss the story with students by asking their opinions about the events. 
• For more information about Puerto Rico, have students visit: http://hechoenpuertorico.org/borinquen/coqui1.htm

La costurera malvada

• Click on the vocabulary words and print out each slide: 

• costurera (la/una): persona quien arregla ropa
• duro/a: no suave
• maltratar: abusar


• Pre-teach the vocabulary by asking students to predict each word based on the accompanying illustrations.
• Have students read the introduction and discuss the origin of the story: http://www.columbia.edu/~ljl17/costurera.html
• Have students read the story http://www.columbia.edu/~ljl17/costurera1.html 
• Check for understanding by asking comprehension questions. 
• Discuss the story with students by asking their opinions about the events. 
• For more information about the Academia Argüello, have students visit: http://www.aa.edu.ar

Culminating activity suggestions:

• Have students create their own trickster tales.
• Ask students to find trickster tales from their own culture. 
• Encourage students to share their stories with the class, other classes or members of the community. They might create a picturebook, record the story on audio or videotape, write and perform a play or paint a mural.