Cuentos de La Selva E-Book

Horacio Quiroga

• Herausgeber: CLXBX
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 90

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2026

Beschreibung

Cuentos de la Selva is a captivating collection of short stories by Uruguayan writer Horacio Quiroga, first published in 1918. Written originally for children yet rich enough to engage readers of all ages, these tales transport us deep into the vibrant, mysterious world of the South American rainforest—a setting that pulses with life, danger, wonder, and wisdom. Drawing inspiration from his years living in the Misiones jungle in Argentina, Quiroga crafts stories where animals speak, reason, and feel, yet remain true to their wild nature. Turtles, parrots, jaguars, bees, and caimans become unforgettable characters, navigating friendship, survival, rivalry, and cooperation beneath the dense canopy of the forest. Through these vivid narratives, Quiroga blends adventure with gentle moral insight, creating stories that are as entertaining as they are meaningful. Unlike traditional fairy tales set in distant kingdoms, Cuentos de la Selva unfolds in a lush and tangible natural environment. The river currents, towering trees, tropical storms, and hidden dangers of the jungle are described with striking realism. Quiroga's deep respect for nature shines through every page, portraying the rainforest not merely as a backdrop but as a living force that shapes the destiny of its inhabitants. Each story carries themes of solidarity, courage, gratitude, and ingenuity. In "La tortuga gigante," an unlikely friendship between a man and a turtle highlights loyalty and sacrifice. In "Las medias de los flamencos," humor and imagination intertwine in a playful tale explaining the flamingos' distinctive legs. Throughout the collection, Quiroga balances lighthearted storytelling with subtle lessons about kindness, humility, and coexistence. What sets Cuentos de la Selva apart is its seamless fusion of simplicity and depth. While accessible to young readers, the stories resonate with adults through their emotional nuance and vivid portrayal of life's struggles. Quiroga's prose is clear and dynamic, filled with energy and movement that mirrors the rhythm of the jungle itself. Beyond its literary charm, the collection stands as a classic of Latin American children's literature and a testament to Quiroga's narrative skill. His ability to capture both the beauty and peril of the natural world gives the stories authenticity and lasting impact. The jungle in these pages is not sentimentalized; it is a place of both wonder and challenge, where survival depends on intelligence, cooperation, and respect. Timeless, imaginative, and richly atmospheric, Cuentos de la Selva continues to enchant generations of readers. It is a celebration of storytelling, nature, and the enduring bond between humans and the wild—a book that invites us to listen closely to the voices of the forest and the lessons they carry.

Leseprobe

Cuentos de La Selva

Horacio Quiroga

Copyright © 2026 by Horacio Quiroga

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Contents

1. THE GIANT TORTOISE

2. THE FLAMINGOS' STOCKINGS

3. THE BALD PARROT

4. THE WAR OF THE CAIMANS

5. THE BLIND DOE

6. The Story of Two Coati Cubs and Two Human Cubs

7. THE YABEBIRI CROSSING

8. THE LAZY BEE

Chapter1

THE GIANT TORTOISE

Once upon a time, there was a man who lived in Buenos Aires, and he was very happy because he was a healthy and hardworking man. But one day he fell ill, and the doctors told him that only by going to the countryside could he recover. He didn't want to go because he had younger siblings whom he had to feed; and he grew sicker every day. Until one day, a friend of his, who was the director of the Zoo, told him:

"You're a friend of mine, and a good, hardworking man. That's why I want you to go live in the mountains, to get plenty of exercise outdoors to heal yourself. And as..."You have great aim with the shotgun, hunt animals in the woods to bring me their hides, and I will give you money in advance so that your little brothers can eat well.

The sick man agreed and went to live in the mountains, far away, even farther than Misiones. It was very hot there, and that did him good.

He lived alone in the forest, and cooked for himself. He ate birds and wild animals, which he hunted with his shotgun, and then he ate fruit. He slept under the trees, and when the weather was bad he could build a shelter out of palm leaves in five minutes, and there he would sit and smoke, quite content in the middle of the forest that roared with wind and rain.

He had made a bundle of animal hides and was carrying it on his shoulder. He had also caught many live poisonous snakes and was carrying them inside a large gourd, because there they have gourds as big as a kerosene can.

The man had regained his healthy color, was strong, and had an appetite. Precisely.One day, when he was very hungry because he hadn't hunted anything for two days, he saw a huge tiger on the shore of a large lagoon. The tiger was trying to eat a turtle, standing it on its side so it could stick a paw inside and pull out the meat with its claws. When the hunter saw the man, the tiger let out a terrifying roar and leaped at him. But the hunter, who was an excellent shot, aimed between the tiger's eyes and smashed its head. Then he skinned it; the hide was so large that it alone could have served as a rug for a room.

—Now —the man said to himself,— I'm going to eat turtle, which is a very tasty meat.

But when he approached the turtle, he saw that it was already injured, and its head was almost separated from its neck, and the head was hanging by almost two or three strands of flesh.

Despite his hunger, the man felt sorry for the poor turtle, and dragged it with a rope to his hut and bandaged its head with strips of cloth he took from his shirt, because he only had one shirt, and he had no other choice.rags. He had dragged it along because the turtle was immense, as tall as a chair, and weighed as much as a man.

The turtle huddled up in a corner, and there it spent days and days without moving.

The man treated her every day, and afterwards he patted her back with his hand.

The turtle finally recovered. But then the man fell ill. He had a fever, and his whole body ached.

After that, he could no longer get up. His fever kept rising, and his throat burned with thirst. The man then realized he was seriously ill, and he spoke aloud, even though he was alone, because he had a very high fever.

"I'm going to die," the man said. "I'm alone, I can't get up anymore, and there's no one to give me even water. I'm going to die here of hunger and thirst."

And after a short while the fever rose even more, and he lost consciousness.

But the tortoise had heard it, and understood.what the hunter said. And she thought then:

"The man didn't eat me last time, even though he was very hungry, and he healed me. I'm going to heal him now."

She went to the lagoon, found a small turtle shell, and after cleaning it well with sand and ash, filled it with water and gave it to the man to drink. He was lying on his blanket, dying of thirst. She immediately began searching for nourishing roots and tender weeds, which she brought to the man to eat. The man ate without realizing who was feeding him, because he was delirious with fever and didn't recognize anyone.

Every morning, the tortoise roamed the mountain looking for increasingly rich roots to give to the man, and she regretted not being able to climb the trees to bring him fruit.

The hunter ate like this for days and days without knowing who was giving him food, and one day he regained consciousness. He looked all around and saw that he was alone, for there was no one there.more than he and the tortoise, which was an animal. And he said again aloud:

"I'm alone in the woods, the fever will come back again, and I'm going to die here, because only in Buenos Aires are there remedies to cure me. But I'll never be able to go, and I'm going to die here."

And as he had said, the fever returned that afternoon, stronger than before, and he lost consciousness again.

But this time too the tortoise had heard it, and said to itself:

—If he stays here in the mountains he's going to die, because there are no remedies, and I have to take him to Buenos Aires.

Having said this, he cut some thin, strong vines, which are like ropes, carefully laid the man on his back, and secured him well with the vines so he wouldn't fall. He made many attempts to arrange the shotgun, the hides, and the gourd filled with snakes, and finally achieved what he wanted without disturbing the hunter, and then set off on his journey.

The turtle, thus burdened, walked and walked.And she walked day and night. She crossed mountains, fields, swam across rivers a league wide, and crossed swamps in which she was almost buried, always with the dying man on top of her. After eight or ten hours of walking, she would stop, untie the knots, and carefully lay the man down in a place where there was dry grass.

She would then go and fetch water and tender roots, and give them to the sick man. She ate too, although she was so tired that she would have preferred to sleep.

Sometimes he had to walk in the sun; and since it was summer, the hunter had such a high fever that he was delirious and dying of thirst. He kept shouting, "Water! Water!" And each time the tortoise had to give him a drink.

So she walked for days and days, week after week. Each time they were closer to Buenos Aires, but each day the tortoise grew weaker, her strength diminishing, though she never complained. Sometimes she lay completely still, utterly exhausted.*Wham!* And the man partially regained consciousness. And he said aloud:

"I'm going to die. I'm getting sicker and sicker, and only in Buenos Aires could I get better. But I'm going to die here, alone in the mountains."

He thought he was always in the shelter, because he didn't notice anything. The tortoise would then get up and set off again.

But one day, one evening, the poor tortoise could go no further. She had reached the limit of her strength, and she couldn't go on. She hadn't eaten for a week to get there faster. She had no strength left for anything.

When night had completely fallen, she saw a distant light on the horizon, a glow illuminating the sky, and she didn't know what it was. She felt herself growing weaker and weaker, and then she closed her eyes to die alongside the hunter, thinking sadly that she hadn't been able to save the man who had been kind to her.

And yet, she was already in Buenos Aires, and she didn't know it. That light thatWhat he saw in the sky was the glow of the city, and he was going to die when he was already at the end of his heroic journey.

But a city mouse — possibly the Tooth Fairy — found the two dying travelers.

"What a tortoise!" said the mouse. "I've never seen such a big tortoise. And what's that you're carrying on your back? Is it firewood?"

—No—the turtle replied sadly.— It's a man.

"And where are you going with that man?" added the curious mouse.

"I'm going... I'm going... I wanted to go to Buenos Aires," replied the poor turtle in a voice so low it was barely audible. "But we're going to die here, because I'll never get there..."

"Oh, silly, silly!" laughed the little mouse. "I've never seen a sillier turtle! You've already arrived in Buenos Aires! That light you see over there, that's Buenos Aires."

Upon hearing this, the tortoise felt immensely strong because she still had time to save the hunter, and set off.

And when it was still early morning, the director of the Zoological Garden saw a muddy and extremely thin tortoise arrive, carrying on its back, tied with vines to keep him from falling, a man who was dying. The director recognized his friend, and he himself ran to get remedies, with which the hunter was cured at once.

When the hunter learned how the tortoise had saved him, how she had traveled three hundred leagues so he could take medicine, he never wanted to be separated from her again. And since he couldn't keep her in his house, which was very small, the director of the Zoo agreed to keep her in the garden and care for her as if she were his own daughter.

And so it happened. The tortoise, happy and content with the affection shown to her, wanders all over the garden, and she is the same large tortoise that we see every day eating the grass around the monkey cages.