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Printable Edition: El Cucuy's Big Red Ear
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Mrs. Jimenez, my fourth grade teacher, was thinking about putting up a new bulletin board display in our classroom about Latino Culture.
She wanted some input from the class so she asked us for some ideas as to what she could showcase.
“Latinos in sports!” Maunelito yelled.
“Famous Latinos!” Maria called out.
“Like who,” Mrs. Jimenez asked.
“Cesar Chavez,” Maria said, “or Ellen Ochoa.”
I knew about Cesar Chavez and the Farm Workers Union, but not about Ellen Ochoa. “What is she famous for,” I asked Maria.
“She’s an astronaut,” Maria said, “She has been on three NASA Space Shuttle flights and has lived over 719 hours in space, traveling four million miles in one mission alone!”
I could tell Maria was a big fan of Ms Ochoa. I was going to thank her for sharing, but before I could say anything, Carlos, the class troublemaker, said, “Forget that. We should draw pictures of La Llorona, El Cucuy, and El Chupacabra and hang them on the bulletin board so everyone can see them.”
“That’s interesting, Carlos,” Mrs. Jimenez said, “but does anyone know what they look like?”
Manuelito raised his hand and when Mrs. Jimenez called on him, he said, “We only know what they look like based on what our parents have told us.”
“Besides,” Juan, another boy in my class, added, “everyone knows they’re not real. Our parents only tell us stories about them so we’ll behave.”
“Speak for yourselves,” troublemaker Carlos crowed. “I’ve seen La Llorona, El Chupacabra and El Cucuy!”
The class let out a nervous laugh.
“Really,” Mrs. Jimenez said to Carlos, “can you describe them for us.”
“Sure,” Carlos said proudly, “El Cucuy is tall and has hair all over his body. He has sharp teeth, long fingernails and a big red ear!”
“A big red ear?” I asked.
“Yes,” Carlos said, “a big red ear.”
“This ear,” I asked, “is it on the left side of his head or on the right side?”
“What difference does it make,” Carlos demanded to know.
Smiling, I answered, “I was just wondering.”
“Well,” Carlos said, as he looked around the room, “it was on the right side of his head.”
I didn’t need to ask Carlos anything else. I knew he wasn’t telling the truth. Do you know how I figured out he was lying?
Click here for the answer.
She wanted some input from the class so she asked us for some ideas as to what she could showcase.
“Latinos in sports!” Maunelito yelled.
“Famous Latinos!” Maria called out.
“Like who,” Mrs. Jimenez asked.
“Cesar Chavez,” Maria said, “or Ellen Ochoa.”
I knew about Cesar Chavez and the Farm Workers Union, but not about Ellen Ochoa. “What is she famous for,” I asked Maria.
“She’s an astronaut,” Maria said, “She has been on three NASA Space Shuttle flights and has lived over 719 hours in space, traveling four million miles in one mission alone!”
I could tell Maria was a big fan of Ms Ochoa. I was going to thank her for sharing, but before I could say anything, Carlos, the class troublemaker, said, “Forget that. We should draw pictures of La Llorona, El Cucuy, and El Chupacabra and hang them on the bulletin board so everyone can see them.”
“That’s interesting, Carlos,” Mrs. Jimenez said, “but does anyone know what they look like?”
Manuelito raised his hand and when Mrs. Jimenez called on him, he said, “We only know what they look like based on what our parents have told us.”
“Besides,” Juan, another boy in my class, added, “everyone knows they’re not real. Our parents only tell us stories about them so we’ll behave.”
“Speak for yourselves,” troublemaker Carlos crowed. “I’ve seen La Llorona, El Chupacabra and El Cucuy!”
The class let out a nervous laugh.
“Really,” Mrs. Jimenez said to Carlos, “can you describe them for us.”
“Sure,” Carlos said proudly, “El Cucuy is tall and has hair all over his body. He has sharp teeth, long fingernails and a big red ear!”
“A big red ear?” I asked.
“Yes,” Carlos said, “a big red ear.”
“This ear,” I asked, “is it on the left side of his head or on the right side?”
“What difference does it make,” Carlos demanded to know.
Smiling, I answered, “I was just wondering.”
“Well,” Carlos said, as he looked around the room, “it was on the right side of his head.”
I didn’t need to ask Carlos anything else. I knew he wasn’t telling the truth. Do you know how I figured out he was lying?
Click here for the answer.
