The Ant and The Dove
(American tale)

One day an ant went to the river to get a drink, while drinking he got carried away by the river and was at the point of drowning. Just then, a dove sitting that was sitting in a tree plucked a leaf and dropped it near the ant.  The ant crawled on the leaf and floated to safety.
A little while later a bird catcher came and laid lime-twigs under the tree to try and catch the dove. The ant, knowing what the bird catcher wanted to do, crawled up stung him. The bird catcher threw down the
twigs and the noise startled the dove and it flew away.  
The moral of the story is: one good turn deserves another.

The Armed One
(Mexican legend)

There at the beginning of the XVI the habitants of the capital of the New Spain saw this mysterious man walking through the Alley of llescas that today is the street of Pedro Asencio. Silent and barely speaking in case saluting with: "Go with God" or "Holy and good evening for you", or "God keep you", and he was lost between the shadows of the alley of Los Gallos, crossing the swamps and until he reached the Corpus Christi church. In there always waling slowly he reached the doors of The Convent of San Francisco and went inside with purpose he would kneeled down at the altar and the chapel of Senor de Burgos to pray.
Big and prolonged moans escaped from his chest, thick streams of tears streamed down his face and through the iron bars of his cell and in one flash of swords and armors, would lean down until he kissed the floor seven times.
There he stayed praying, moaning and asking for forgiveness without anyone approaching to find out what class of faults he was asking forgiveness for. Then, he rose and continued his way until he found another church where to continue his crying.
At first the people looked at him with fear, suspicion and afterwards with respect and pain because you could see that he was indeed very sorry and wanted forgiveness of his faults. He would continue this way until midnight where you could see him walking through the streets until he finally ended in the Illescas.
Without a doubt it must be a noble person because of his dress; all black of silk covered with a steel armor of a knight.
Year after year and night after night you could see him in his daily penitence through the churches till he was finally called "The Armed One".
A woman who was his servant was cold and distant with everyone. She would only venture out to buy what was needed to eat that day and to listen to mass in the church of "Concepcion" but nobody ever asked her about the noble man. The people said the he was a very well know noble who as a young man raped women and deceived husbands with their wives. He had maltreated the Indians and deceived them and had lived a bad life.
At last one day when the servant was going out to buy the food she found her master handing from one of the balconies of the magnificent house.
The servant ran to call the police and after a while the officers were there.
The took down the body of "The Armed One" and you could still the regret and pain in his face.
On the hand grip of his sword there was written one word; peace with two stars. Inside his house which was magnificent they found boxes of gold and silver, jewels and many fine works of art. How he had all that wealth and everything that a noble person could have because of his position? Nobody ever knew and what became of the riches either.
Years later and at the beginning of this century people
would talk about the "The Armed One" hanging from the balcony of his house. Those brave enough to enter the falling down house could still hear him moaning and asking forgiveness for his deeds with the tears rolling down his face.
Nobody every knew his name and the people baptized that street with the name of "The Armed One" in memory of this mysterious event.
By Mario Gamez and Luis Fernando Morales
The store takes place in the 19 th century.
drawings: Masha (Russia), Jesse (USA), Jimena (Mexico)