July 6. Story of the Day: Ram in the Chile Patch

This story is from Folktales of Mexico by Americo Paredes. The story was collected from Maria del Refugio Gonzalez of Tepatitlan in Jalisco. I have paraphrased the story in my own words, emphasizing the formulaic elements.

The story is an example of ATU 2030. The Old Woman and her Pig, but instead of a pig who won't jump over a stile, this is a ram who won't get out of the chile patch. Another distinctive feature is the dialogue at the end with the final character in the chain.

The version here is not cumulative, although it would be easy to make a cumulative version, having either the little boy or his animal helpers recite the chain of failures before the final success.

Looking for more stories? Click here for previous Stories-of-the-Day.


THE RAM IN THE CHILE PATCH
(retold by Laura Gibbs)



There was once a boy, and he had a patch of chile peppers; he earned his living selling chiles.

Then one day a ram got into the little boy's chile patch and started eating the chiles. So the boy yelled, "Ram, hey ram, get out of my chile patch."

"You rude boy!" replied the ram. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to stay right here and eat all the chiles."

The little boy tried to push the ram out of the chile patch, but the ram pushed right back. The boy pushed the ram again, and this time the ram kicked the boy and knocked him down. The little boy got up and then ran out of the chile patch, crying.

A cow saw him crying and asked, "What the matter, little man?"

The boy told the cow, "A ram knocked me down."

"Why did he do that?"

"Because I tried to make him leave the chile patch. The ram's in the chile patch, and I can't make him go out!"

The cow then went into the chile patch and mooed, "Ram, hey ram, you need to get out of that boy's chile patch."

"You big fat cow!" replied the ram. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to stay right here and eat all the chiles."

The cow used her horns to try to push the ram out, but the ram pushed back and drove that cow right out of the boy's chile patch.

Meanwhile, the boy kept on crying because the ram was eating all the chiles in his chile patch.

The dog saw what happened, so he went into the chile patch and barked, "Ram, hey ram, you need to get out of that boy's chile patch."

"You worthless dog!" replied the ram. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to stay right here and eat all the chiles."

The dog snarled at the ram to try to make him leave, but the ram used his horns to push that dog right out of the boy's chile patch.

Meanwhile, the boy kept on crying because the ram was eating all the chiles in his chile patch.

The rooster saw what happened, so he went into the chile patch and crowed, "Ram, hey ram, you need to get out of that boy's chile patch."

"You noisy rooster!" replied the ram. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to stay right here and eat all the chiles."

The rooster pecked the ram to try to make him leave, but the ram used his hooves to push that rooster right out of the boy's chile patch.

Meanwhile, the boy kept on crying because the ram was eating all the chiles in his chile patch.

The burro saw what was happening, so he went into the chile patch and brayed, "Ram, hey ram, you need to get out of that boy's chile patch."

"You ugly burro!" replied the ram. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to stay right here and eat all the chiles."

The burro rushed at the ram to try to make him leave, but the ram pushed back and drove the burro right out of the boy's chile patch.

Meanwhile, the boy kept on crying because the ram was eating all the chiles in his chile patch.

Finally, a little ant came and saw what was happening. The boy said to the ant, "Ant, hey Ant, if you will get the ram out of the chile patch for me, I will give you lots of corn."

"How much corn?" asked the ant.

"A bushel of corn!" said the boy.

"Oh, that's too much," replied the ant.

"Half a bushel," said the boy.

"That's too much," replied the ant.

"A kilo of corn," said the boy.

"Still too much," replied the ant.

"A handful of corn," said the boy.

"That sounds good," said the ant.

The boy went away to grind the corn while the ant went into the chile patch. The ant didn't say anything; she just walked up to the ram, step by step by step. The ram didn't even see her. Then the ant crawled up one of the ram's legs, step by step by step. The ram didn't even feel her. And then the ant crawled right up to where she could sting the ram's butt. 

And as soon as the ant stings the ram, the ram jumps and runs, shouting, "Oh no, oh no, something stung me in the butt.  Oh nooooooo!"

And that is how the ant was able to drive the ram out of the boy's chile patch at last.





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