Toribio’s Expensive Black Sheep and the Condemned
In a town of the Peruvian Andes lived a family that had a lot of economic power and was recognized by the people of the town. This family consisted solely of a father and his daughter and they carried out the activities required for raising animals and growing crops.
This family had a lot of possessions such as much land for farming, many head of cattle, and much jewelry, especially of gold and silver. Some people were jealous of what this family possessed. Don Toribio was one of those werefelt jealousy. He belonged to another family that was also well recognized in the town and whose members were friends with the other family.
Don Toribio wanted to have the jewelry that the other family had. One day the rich family’s daughter became gravely ill. Before she died she said her last wish was to be buried with all her jewelry. The family hired guards wo keep watch over her jewels. Only her family could come into the place and, in this way, they placed a barrier that kept out any one who might want to steal her valuable treasure.
Since Don Toribio was a family friend, he was able to enter into that safe room with no problem. After many hours inside he left as if nothing had happened though he carried with him all of the jewelry that had been placed on the young woman’s body.
Some days later he sold all the jewelry so that he could not be found and be blamed for the theft. With the money he obtained he bought an expensive black sheep that was rare and unusual as if to brag about what he had.
When he returned home, content with what he had obtained, he dicded to rest so that the next day he could show the whole town what he had bought. In the middle of the night Don Toribio tossed ad turned from nightmares. When he awoke he saw that the sheep had become a monster. Before his eyes was one of the damned and it looked like the young woman who had died as well as like the sheep he had bought.
The condemned one had come for Don Toribio because he had deceived and had stolen the belongings of the other family. He fled towards a lake that was close to the town and without thinking twice about it, threw himself in the water and floted so that the damned on could not trap him and eat him.
The night was still young and the condemned one waited on the shore for Don Toribio to come out. After being in the water for a long time, Don Toribio drowned and died having received no help from the town. The next day he was found on the lake shore. His friend from tehother family decided to bury him next to the tomb of his daughter so that he could take care of both graves.
They say that at night you can hear Don Toribio scream and beg forgiveness for what he had done.
