Clemencia y Jose

(Clemencia and Jose)


Hace mucho tiempo vivía en un pueblo un matrimonio que tenía una hija llamada Clemencia.

La madre, que era una bruja, no quería a Clemencia porque decía que era muy tonta y que siempre se mantenía en la iglesia.

Un día, las cosechas del padre de Clemencia fueron tan abundantes, que se vió obligado a ocupar un muchacho para que le ayudara en el campo. Este joven se llamaba José. No pasó mucho tiempo sin que Clemencia y José se enamoraran y quisieran casarse luego. Al pedir el consentimiento de los padres de la joven, el viejo no puso ningún obstáculo para que se celebrara la boda, pero la bruja se negó rotundamente a dar su permiso.

Sin embargo, Clemencia y José siguieron queriéndose más y más, aumentando la cólera de la bruja.

Un día estando José en el corral con las mulas, decidió la vieja matarlo para que no se siguieran queriendo y para hacer sufrir a Clemencia. Salió la bruja en busca de su marido, a quien le dijo:

- Viejo, dile a José que salga al campo y se traiga una mula negra que anda por allí.

Clemencia al oír aquellas palabras se dió cuenta de que su madre quería matar a José y corriendo se fué al corral y le dijo al joven:

- Mira, José, ahorita va a venir mi padre a decirte que montes la mula negra que esta en el campo para que te la traigas al corral. Esa mula negra es mi madre y si la montas empezará a respingar, si te tira, te mata. Así es que escucha bien lo que te voy a decir: Cuando estés montado en la mula, y ésta empiece a respingar, le muerde la oreja derecha y verás cómo la dominas. Te la traes y la metes al corral, pero no le digas a nadie nada de lo que pase.

Todo pasó exactamente como le había dicho Clemencia, y José dominó la mula y la metió al corral. Cuando llegó la hora de la cena, José notó que la vieja, madre de Clemencia, traía un parche en la oreja derecha.

Esa noche Clemencia y José decidieron irse de una vez de la casa, y quedaron en que a las once Clemencia iría a despertar a José para emprender la fuga.

A las once llegó Clemencia al cuarto del joven, lo despertó y le dijo: -Escupe en tu cama, yo también así lo hice. Salieron del cuarto y se fueron. Al poco rato despertó la vieja y comenzó a llamar a Clemencia, pero la saliva que había dejado la joven en su cama, le contestó: ¡Madre!

La vieja al oír la voz de Clemencia se volvió a quedar dormida. Pasó un buen rato y volvió a despertar la vieja y llamando una ve más a Clemencia no obtuvo contestación porque la saliva que la joven había dejado, estaba ya seca. Se levantó la vieja encolerizada y fué al cuarto de su hija. Al ver que no estaba alli, fué volando al cuarto de José, pero no encontró a ninguno de los dos. Adivinando entonces lo que había sucedido, esperó a que amaneciera y volviéndose águila emprendió el vuelo en busca de los jóvenes. Después de volar un buen rato, los divisó, pero en el mismo instante Clemencia y José notaron que el águila que los seguía era la vieja bruja. Clemencia que había aprendido bastante magia de su madre, inmediatamente dejó caer al suelo un peine, levantándose al momento un espeso bosque en su derredor impidiendo que el águila cruzara. Tuvo que descender y transformándose otra vez en bruja, empezó a deshacer el encanto para desaparecer el bosque. Cuando hubo quitado el bosque por completo, se volvió águila una vez más y siguió persiguiéndolos.

José y Clemencia se habían alejado bastante pero por fín notaron que el águila ya los alcanzaba otra vez. Entonces la joven tiró un espejo transformándose en un inmenso lago, tan ancho, tan ancho, que el águila no lo podía cruzar.

Al notar la inmensidad de aquel lago, descendió el águila y volviéndose bruja deshizo el encanto quitando el lago. Volviose águila y emprendió el vuelo en busca de la joven pareja. Una vez más los divisó, pero Clemencia presintiendo que el águila no tardaría en alcanzarlos cogió un puñado de cenizas y esparciéndolo por el aire se volvió niebla, tan espesa que el águila no pudo penetrarla. Como ya estaba amaneciendo la bruja tenía que estar en su casa antes que saliera el sol y ya le quedaba muy poco tiempo para seguir a los jóvenes, pero antes de regresar a su casa la bruja maldijo a su hija diciéndole:

- Mala hija, acuérdate que tu amante te abandonará en el primer pueblo que lleguen.

Clemencia y José no hicieron caso y siguieron caminando sin descansar. Por fín llegaban al primer pueblo, y en las afueras sentose Clemencia a descansar porque estaba rendida de tanto caminar y sus zapatos estaban rotos.

- Espérame aquí mientras voy al pueblo a comprarte unos zapatitos y tambien a traer algo que comer, dijo José.

Clemencia no queria que la dejara, pero tanto insistió José, que se quedó esperándolo. Llegó la noche, y el joven no vino; pasó otro día y José no regresó, por fin, acordándose Clemencia de la maldición de su mamá emprendió la marcha hacia el pueblo, llorando por todo el camino. Cuando llegó al lugar, tuvo que ponerse a trabajar, y un día que se sentía más triste que nunca, se pararon en la ventana de su cuarto dos palomitos que pareciendo consolarla le decían "currucutucu, currucutucu."

Clemencia las coió y con paciencia las enseñó a hacer muchas suertes. Así pasaron algunas semanas y cuando las palomitas estaban bien amaestradas las llevó a la plaza para que hicieran sus suertes.

Mucha gente se acercaba a admirar las suertes de las palomitas. Clemencia siempre estaba pendiente a ver se entre toda la gente dividaba a José. Por fín, uno de tantos días, reconoció a José entre la muchedumbre, pero éste no la reconoció. Entonces Clemencia con una varita tocó a la palomita que empezó a dar vueltas al derredor del palomito mientras le decía:

- Currucutucu, currucutucu, ¿Te acuerdas, palomito mío, cuando me decías que me querías?

- ¡No! contestaba el palomo.

- Te acuerdas, le decía la palomita, -que nos venimos de mi casa. ¿Te acuerdas que me dejaste en el camino?

- ¡No! repetía el palomo.

- ¿Te acordarás, palomito mio, que me dejaste en el camino para ir por unos zapatitos para poder entrar el pueblo calzada?

El palomo dijo entonces:

- ¡Si, ya me acordé!

Al miso tiempo, José que había estado observándolo todo dijo: - Yo tambien ya me acordé. Tu eres mi Clemencia, mi amada. Y acercándose a ella la tomó en sus brazos diciendo que ya nunca jamás se separarían. Se casaron y vivieron muchos años muy felices.

Very long ago there lived a couple who had a daughter named Clemencia.

The mother, who was a witch, did not like Clemencia because she said the girl was a fool who was always going to church.

One day, the crops were more abundant than usual and Clemencia's father was forced to hire a youth named José to help with the harvesting. In a short time, José and Clemencia fell in love and wanted to marry as soon as possible.

When they asked for her parents' approval, the father gave his permission, but the witch denied it.

Nevertheless, Clemencia and José fell more and more in love with each other, thus increasing the anger the witch bore them.

One day when José was in the corral taking care of the mules, the mother decided to kill him, hoping to end the love affair and make Clemencia suffer. The witch went in search of her husband and said to him, "Old man, tell José to go to the pasture and bring back the black mule that is grazing there."

Clemencia, when she heard her mother say this, guessed that the witch was trying to kill her loved one.

"Look, José, shortly my father will come to tell you to bring a black mule from the pasture and put it in the corral. That black mule is my mother. If you ride her, she will buck; and if she unseats you, she will kill you. So listen closely to what I am going to tell you. When you mount the mule and she starts to buck, bend over and bite her right ear. This will render her powerless. Bring the mule and put it in the corral but be careful not to tell anybody anything."

Everything happened exactly as Clemencia had predicted. José rendered the mule powerless and brought her safely to the corral. When it was time for supper, José noticed that the old woman was wearing a bandage on her right ear.

That night Clemencia and José decided to elope. They agreed that at eleven Clemencia would wake José and both would flee.

At eleven Clemencia went to José's bedroom. She shook him awake and said, "Spit on your bed, I have already spat on mine." Then they left.

Soon after, the old witch awoke and began calling Clemencia, but the spittle the daughter had left on her bed answered, "Mother?"

The old woman, hearing Clemencia's voice, went back to sleep. A long time went by and Clemencia's mother woke again. She called Clemencia again but this time there was no answer. The spittle had dried. The angered witch got up and went to Clemencia's bedroom. Not finding the girl there, she ran toward José's bedroom. She didn't find him either. Guessing what had happened, the witch waited for daylight, then turned herself into an eagle and flew in search of the youths. After flying a long while, the witch saw them. Clemencia also saw the eagle and knew it was her mother. Clemencia, who had learned a good deal of magic from her mother, dropped a comb on the ground, whereupon in a moment a huge forest sprang up. The eagle could not fly over it so she came down to earth and changed back into the witch. With counter-magic she made the forest disappear. Then she turned into an eagle once more and continued her pursuit of the lovers.

José and Clemencia had gained some ground but soon noticed that the eagle was almost upon them again. The girl then threw down a mirror which became a lake so broad that the eagle could not fly over it.

Seeing the huge size of the lake, the eagle landed, became a witch again, and caused the lake to disappear. Trying her magic again, she turned back into an eagle and flew in pursuit. again the eagle saw the couple, but Clemencia threw a handful of ashes in the air. The ashes turned into a dense fog which the eagle could not cross. as it was getting dark, the witch could not follow the lovers any more. The witch lost her powers with the setting of the sun.

Before flying home, however, the witch cursed the lovers saying, "Bad daughter, remember that your lover will leave you as soon as you arrive at the first village."

Clemencia and José did not pay attention but kept on without stopping to rest. At last they came to a village. As they neared the outskirts of the town, Clemencia sat down to rest because she was very tired and because her shoes were torn from walking so much.

"Wait here for me while I go into the village and buy you a pair of shoes and something to eat," said José.

Clemencia did not want José to leave her, but he insisted so much that she let him go.

It grew dark and José did not return. Another day went by and he still did not return. Finally, remembering her mother's curse, Clemencia went into the village, crying all the way.

Failing to find her lover, Clemencia had to go to work. One day when she was feeling more sad than usual two doves flew down to her windo. It seemed that they were trying to cheer Clemencia as they cooed and cooed.

Clemencia captured the doves and patiently taught them many tricks.

Thus several weeks went by, and when the doves had learned their tricks well, Clemencia took them to the city square where they began to perform.

Many people came to see and admire the clever stunts the doves could do. Clemencia meanwhile kept a sharp eye out for José, always trying to locate him in the crowd. Finally, one day she saw José, always trying to locate him in the crowd. Finally, one day she saw José, but he did not recognize her. She then touched the female dove with a wand and the bird began walking in cirles around the male, saying all the while: "Currucutucu, currucutucu, do you remember when you used to tell me that you loved me?"

"No!" the mail would answer.

"Do you remember," the little dove asked, "that we left my home? Do you remember that you left me by the road?"

"No!" the pigeon would answer.

"Do you remember that you left me by the road, because you went for some shoes that I could wear when we entered the village?"

The pigeon exclaimed, "Yes! I remember now."

At the same time José, who had been watching, said, "I also remember now. You are my Clemencia, my love." And taking Clemencia in his arms, José told her that they would never part. So they were married and lived happily for many, many years.

NOTES FOR CLEMENCIA Y JOSE

So far as I have been able to ascertain, "Clemencia y José" has not heretofore been recorded. That the tale itself is well known there is no doubt, since I have heard three variations very closely related to each other. It could, of course, be the outgrowth of another tale.

The use of magic objects to hinder a pursuer is a common device. The earliest example of the "Magic Obstacles" theme occurs in the ancient Egyptian tale of the "Two Brothers" translated by Maspero in Stories of Ancient Egypt, p.8. Norman F. Penzer has also discussed this "Magic Obstacle" motif in his Ocean of Story, Vol. II., p. 121: Vol. III., pp. 236-39, and Vol. IV., p. 151. In Bolte-Polivka's Haus Märchen "magic obstacles" are referred to in Vol. II., pp. 140-46.

The use of spittle to answer the call of the mother during the night is unusual. We have other devices in which a magic object answers for the fugitive (Thompson general motif D-1611). Other objects are speaking buttocks (Thompson motif D-1610.6.3), and speaking privates (Thompson motif D-1610.6), as well as any other part of the body.

Relationship of "Clemencia y José" to tales of the same general type.

Similarities:

1. The use of obstacles to hinder pursuit (motif D-672) include

a. Comb to form forest.

b. Mirror to form lake.

c. Ashes to form dense fog.

2. Transformation of the pursuer into animal form - in this case and eagle.

3. Powers of witch vanish with the sun.

4. Casting of a curse by the witch on the fleeing lovers.

The central incident contained in the foregoing part one is literally world wide and the "obstacle flight," as it is known, is a standard part of any tale in which a pursuer needs to be delayed. The incident in art two may also be a portion of the tale or a portion of the motif of the "Magician and His Pupil," Aarne Thompson Type 325, since the mother had evidently taught her daughter some magic. This magic, then, enabled the girl to enchant her spittle so that it would act as the heroine's substitute and thus answer when the girl's name was called. The casting of a curse by the witch is common and requires no special explanation.

Differences:

1. Spittle as a substitute for the heroine.

2. Spittle's magic powers are limited. As soon as it is dry, the spittle loses its magic answering power.

3. The witch must assume human form in order to counteract the heroine's magic (from eagle to witch, then back to eagle).

4. The training of the doves by the heroine to bring back the memory of her amnesiac lover.

Giambattista Basile in his Pentamerone has two examples of a tale somewhat similar to this. They fulfill the requirements of Thompson Type 313 C. "The Girl as Helper in the Hero's Flight," is followed by the "Forgotten Fiancé" theme. For lack of better comparative motifs and types, these stories have been used as part of the comparative classification of "Clemencia y José."

Comparative Classification:

Aarne-Thompson: Type 313C.

Basile: The Pentamerone Day II, Tale 7; Day III, Tale 9.

Narrator:
Sra Rayo Piñón-Rubí
age 44
El Paso, Texas.

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