El Cuco
Every country has its legends, myths, and folklore. Most of these stories originated with a purpose. Usually the purposes for these stories is to teach lessons of respect or discipline. In most Latin American countries misbehaving children are told about a dark and scary creature “El Cuco” that comes at night to eat them if they continue to misbehave. Like any good parent of a young six or eight year old, my mother told me the story of El Cuco at night whenever I didn’t want to go to bed early or clean up my mess of toys.
“Dania!” my mother would shout, “come and clean up your mess and get ready for bed!” As a six or eight year old, I had no interest in cleaning my mess or sleeping, so I didn’t pay attention to my mother until she…show more content… You know what will happen to him?” she asked. Then she answered her own question, saying, “El Cuco will eat him!” When she said this, I was shocked! I didn’t know that children could be eaten!
My mother continued to tell me how El Cuco is the Latin American equivalent of “the Boogeyman”. El Cuco was a creature that knew when children are misbehaving horribly and have no respect for their parents. While she was telling me about El Cuco, we heard the boy yelling at his parents outside of our house. I didn’t believe my mother until she told me what would happen to the disrespectful neighbor if he continued this way. I guess after she told me about El Cuco, I started to behave better.
“El Cuco knows when we misbehave. And if you misbehave a lot, he will watch you for days. You see, maybe El Cuco is next door, waiting for the boy in his room, or even outside. Or what is really happening is that El Cuco is following the boy as he is outside alone at night and is in every dark alley or corner, following the boy until he is scared. El Cuco will be the sounds he hears, the shadows he sees, and the person he feels is watching him.” As soon as my mother said that, we heard a door
