Continuing the series about my English learning process, I share you an amazing tale, very representative of our culure, It remembers that respect for nature and family is sacred.

Long ago in Valledupar, there lived a beautiful young girl named Rosario Arciniegas. She was from the Cañaguate neighborhood and was known for her long hair and strong will. Rosario always did whatever she wanted, even when her parents told her not to.

One Holy Thursday during Semana Santa, her parents strictly told her not going to the Guatapurí River. They warned her that it was a sacred time and that something bad could happen if she disobeyed. But Rosario ignored them.

When no one was watching, she slipped away and walked to the deep pool known as Hurtado.There, she climbed onto a high rock, and jumped into the water. When Rosario tried to climb out, she felt a strange weight, looking down in horror, she saw that her feet and legs had disappeared, now she had a long fish tail. The next morning, on Good Friday, people searching for her saw Rosario sitting on the same rock. She said goodbye with a sad look, and disappeared into the river.

From that day, she became the Mermaid of the Guatapurí. Even today, some people who stay near the river at night say they hear a soft, beautiful voice or see a figure with long hair and a fish tail swimming in the water. The legend of Rosario still lives in Valledupar as a warning about the consequences of disobedience and as one of the city’s most famous traditional stories.

JOSE LUIS ROPERO
Aprendiz SENA, Valledupar.