The Pincoya's Dance

The Pincoya's Dance

Long ago in Chile, two brothers lived with their parents in a village by the sea. Their father had grown too old to work. " You must feed the family now, " the old man said. “ Remember not to fish too long in any one place, or you will anger the pincoya. " Once the brothers had sailed out a way, the younger one asked, " Do you believe in the pincoya?"

" We've been fishing with Papa for years, " the older brother replied. " If there were a goddess who controls the bounty of the ocean, I think we'd have seen her. " The brothers found a perfect cove to fish in. No matter how many times they threw the net, it came back full. They fished there every day.

One morning when they came to the cove, the brothers spotted something golden moving in the water. A woman with blond hair popped up above the waves! She stepped onto the beach and danced with her back toward them. The brothers watched in awe. " Could it be . . . ?" the younger brother asked. " I don't know, " the older one said.

The brothers caught only seaweed that day, and the next. Soon, fishermen throughout the village were complaining of empty nets. People began to go hungry. The boys' mother asked, “ Have you noticed anything strange out on the water?" The brothers looked at each other. The younger one told her about their favorite cove and the woman who danced with her back to the water.

" The pincoya! " she exclaimed. Their father shook his head. " I warned you not to fish in just one spot. " " She didn't look angry, " the older brother said. “ But she danced with her back to the water, " his father replied. " When she turns to face the water, then we'll have fish. "