Month: June 2023

Loteria

Loteria



1 El gallo (“the rooster“)
El que le cantó a San Pedro no le volverá a cantar.
The one that sang for St. Peter will never sing for him again.
2 El diablito (“the little Devil“)
Pórtate bien cuatito, si no te lleva el coloradito.
Behave yourself buddy, or the little red one will take you away.
3 La dama (“the lady“)
Puliendo el paso, por toda la calle real.
Improving her gait, all along the main street
4 El catrín (“the dandy“)
Don Ferruco en la alameda, su bastón quería tirar.
Sir Ferruco in the poplar grove, wanted to toss away his cane.
5 El paraguas (“the umbrella“)
Para el sol y para el agua.
For the sun and for the rain.
6 La sirena (“the mermaid“)
Con los cantos de sirena, no te vayas a marear.
Don’t be swayed by the songs of the siren.
7 La escalera (“the ladder“)
Súbeme paso a pasito, no quieras pegar brinquitos.
Ascend me step by step, don’t try and skip.
8 La botella (“the bottle“)
La herramienta del borracho.
The tool of the drunk.
9 El barril (“the barrel“)
Tanto bebió el albañil, que quedó como barril.
So much did the bricklayer drink, he ended up like a barrel.
10 El árbol (“the tree“)
El que a buen árbol se arrima, buena sombra le cobija.
He who nears a good tree, is blanketed by good shade.
11 El melón (“the melon“)
Me lo das o me lo quitas.
Give it to me or take it from me.
12 El valiente (“the brave man”)
Por qué le corres cobarde, trayendo tan buen puñal.
Why do you run, coward? Having such a good blade too.
13 El gorrito (“the little bonnet“)
Ponle su gorrito al nene, no se nos vaya a resfriar.
Put the bonnet on the baby, lest he catch a cold.
14 La muerte (“Death“)
La muerte tilica y flaca.
Death, thin and lanky.
15 La pera (“the pear“)
El que espera, desespera.
He who waits despairs.
16 La bandera (“the flag“)
Verde blanco y colorado, la bandera del soldado.
Green, white, and red, the flag of the soldier.
17 El bandolón (“the mandolin“)
Tocando su bandolón, está el mariachi Simón.
There playing his lute, is Simon the mariachi.
18 El violoncello (“the cello“)
Creciendo se fue hasta el cielo, y como no fue violín, tuvo que ser violoncello.
Growing it reached the heavens, and since it wasn’t a violin, it had to be a cello.
19 La garza (“the heron“)
Al otro lado del río tengo mi banco de arena, donde se sienta mi chata pico de garza morena.
At the other side of the river I have my sand bank, where sits my darling short one, with the beak of a great blue heron.
20 El pájaro (“the bird“)
Tu me traes a puros brincos, como pájaro en la rama.
You have me hopping here and there, like a bird on a branch.
21 La mano (“the hand“)
La mano de un criminal.
The hand of a criminal.
22 La bota (“the boot“)
Una bota igual que la otra.
A boot the same as the other.
23 La luna (“the moon“)
El farol de los enamorados.
The street lamp of lovers.
24 El cotorro (“the parrot“)
Cotorro cotorro saca la pata, y empiézame a platicar.
Parrot, parrot, stick out your claw and begin to chat with me.
25 El borracho (“the drunkard“)
A qué borracho tan necio ya no lo puedo aguantar.
Oh what an annoying drunk, I can’t stand him any more.
26 El negrito (“the little black man“)
El que se comió el azúcar.
The one who ate the sugar.
27 El corazón (“the heart“)
No me extrañes corazón, que regreso en el camión.
Do not miss me, sweetheart, I’ll be back by bus.
28 La sandía (“the watermelon“)
La barriga que Juan tenía, era empacho de sandía.
The swollen belly that Juan had, was from eating too much watermelon.
29 El tambor (“the drum“)
No te arrugues, cuero viejo, que te quiero pa’ tambor.
Don’t you wrinkle, dear old leather, since I want you for a drum.
30 El camarón (“the shrimp“)
Camarón que se duerme, se lo lleva la corriente.
The shrimp that slumbers is taken by the tides.
31 Las jaras (“the arrows“)
Las jaras del indio Adán, donde pegan, dan.
The arrows of Adam the Indian, strike where they hit.
32 El músico (“the musician“)
El músico trompas de hule, ya no me quiere tocar.
The rubber-lipped musician does not want to play for me anymore.
33 La araña (“the spider“)
Atarántamela a palos, no me la dejes llegar.
Beat it silly with a stick, do not let it near me.
34 El soldado (“the soldier“)
Uno, dos y tres, el soldado pa’l cuartel.
One, two and three, the soldier heads to the fort.
35 La estrella (“the star“)
La guía de los marineros.
Sailor’s guide.
36 El cazo (“the saucepan“)
El caso que te hago es poco.
The attention I pay you is little.
37 El mundo (“the world“)
Este mundo es una bola, y nosotros un bolón.
This world is a ball, and we a great mob.
38 El Apache (“the Apache“)
¡Ah, Chihuahua! Cuánto apache con pantalón y huarache.
Ah, Chihuahua! So many Apaches with pants and sandals.
39 El nopal (“the prickly pear cactus“)
Al nopal lo van a ver, nomás cuando tiene tunas.
People go to see the prickly pear, only when it bears fruit .
40 El alacrán (“the scorpion“)
El que con la cola pica, le dan una paliza.
He who stings with his tail, will get a beating.
41 La rosa (“the rose“)
Rosita, Rosaura, ven que te quiero ahora.
Rosita, Rosaura, come, as I want you here now.
42 La calavera (“the skull“)
Al pasar por el panteón, me encontré un calaverón.
As I passed by the cemetery, I found myself a skull.
43 La campana (“the bell“)
Tú con la campana y yo con tu hermana.
You with the bell and I with your sister.
44 El cantarito (“the little water pitcher“)
Tanto va el cántaro al agua, que se quiebra y te moja las enaguas.
So often does the jug go to the water, that it breaks and wets your slip.
45 El venado (“the deer“)
Saltando va buscando, pero no ve nada.
Jumping it goes searching, but it doesn’t see anything.
46 El Sol (“the sun“)
La cobija de los pobres.
The blanket of the poor.
47 La corona (“the crown“)
El sombrero de los reyes.
The hat of kings.
48 La chalupa (“the canoe“)
Rema que rema Lupita, sentada en su chalupita.
Lupita rows as she may, sitting in her little boat.
49 El pino (“the pine tree“)
Fresco y oloroso, en todo tiempo hermoso.
Fresh and fragrant, beautiful in any season.
50 El pescado (“the fish“)
El que por la boca muere, aunque mudo fuere.
The one who dies by its mouth, even if he were mute.
51 La palma (“the palm tree“)
Palmero, sube a la palma y bájame un coco real.
Palmer, climb the palm tree and bring me a coconut fit for kings.
52 La maceta (“the flowerpot“)
El que nace pa’maceta, no sale del corredor.
He who is born to be a flowerpot, does not go beyond the hallway.
53 El arpa (“the harp“)
Arpa vieja de mi suegra, ya no sirves pa’tocar.
Old harp of my mother-in-law, you are no longer fit to play.
54 La rana (“the frog“)
Al ver a la verde rana, qué brinco pegó tu hermana.
What a jump your sister gave, as she saw the green frog.

 

24XX – Gotham Tales of future past

24XX – Gotham Tales of future past


Teenage wannabe Ghostbusters adventures in steampunk New York.

Almost midsummer, still a clouded sky at noon…
Patrolling the city, four teenage scouts discovered a body in an alley in the bad part of town.
It was April, the up and coming new show star! Did she have a falling out with her (ex?)lover Lou the mobster?
Her body was already cold and very pale, and she had two small punctures in her neck, maybe bite marks?
Now what?
Considering the fact that one of the scout was a second generation immigrant from Cuba, it was not a good idea to go to the corrupt police who would immediately blame a person of colour.
The teens decide to carry the covered body in a wheelbarrow to their headquarters.
After reporting to their mentor, they decided to investigate further.
Arriving at the theater, where April was supposed to perform, the billboard announcement showed the banner ‘canceled’!
Apparently April did not show up for rehearsals since a few days, dismissal letter was already issued by the director Michael.
Sneaking into the theater, the teens discovered a grisly item in a hidden corner of Aprils dressing room!

A voodoo doll!
Investigating the doll with psychometry,  the psychic teen discovered a link with a witch, but at the same time there was the feeling that the sighting went both ways! Hurriedly the teens left the room, leaving the doll alone.

After reporting at headquarter, they heard the news that another aspiring star, Beverly, was found dead!
The tabloids were already blaming the minorities.

The teens consulted their Cuban connection, the santero ‘uncle Juan”….
‘April was killed with blood magic!’
Juan was willing to help them further with a price: 
‘My grandmother clock was jinxed during my spiritual battle with a witch, can you fix it?’
The nerdy teen tried his best, but destroyed the clock during the process, the jinx transferred itself to him!
Juans price went up: ‘get me the most powerful weapon from the witch Rita’

…
Discovering the fact that Rita was an ageing star who was supplanted by younger starlets, the teens decided to raid her house.

Bingo! On the altar they saw a magic statue!
‘Grab and run!’

Uncle Juan was very happy with this trophy:
‘Yes, this confirms the witch had a strong connection with Lady Death, enabling her to use blood magic in rituals! She needed to sacrifice three young women, two were already taken, still one to go…you are running out of time, what are you waiting for?’
April and Beverly were already victim of the witch, who’s next?

Apparently Janice, a friend of April, was also part of the theater crew!

The teen quickly approached Janice, offering her sanctuary in the headquarter.
Recently Janice was dating Lou the mobster, but she was not sure if he would be willing to protect her ‘it is complicated’
…
Uncle Juan said: ‘to catch a tiger you need a goat!’

…
They set up an ambush:
Janice announced a press conference ‘to uncover some findings on the recent killings of young women’

…

The night before the press conference, the witch invaded the headquarter!

A chaotic battle ensued….

Uncle Juan chanted his protection spells, while the teens took the witch down…
The coupe de grace was finally delivered using Juans holy weapon!