Myths and legends

The Procission of Souls

 

   This is a myth from south of Brazil. It talks about an old single woman, who has a dog called Rex, living at a village.
   Her name is Carmelina, and she has nothing to do. So, all the time, she stares out of the window to see what happens outside. She knows about everyone's life, and if someone wants to know something, they  just look for her and ask.
  Carmelina is not someone that everybody want to be friend. She gossips too much, and the most of her neighbors think she is a gossiper for not getting married.
   The olds say: "do not try to know anything that has nothing to do with you. Curiosity has its price". Carmelina knows about that, but she does not care. She likes knowing about all.
  Someday, Rex was barking a lot. Everyone in the house was spleeping, except Carmelina, because she was observing a young couple in the street. When the clock was showing midnight, Carmelina saw lights on the street. She knows it was not any church stuff, because she knows about all that could happend that week and, when there is a procission, they ring the bells of the church.

  Looking at that, she realizes they really are persons, and each person is holding a lightning candle. A woman in procission walked towards her. Carmelina was paralised. 
  -Please, hold this for me. Tomorrow I will come back to take it - said the woman. Carmelina just took the candle and the woman returned to her spot.
  Carmelina put the candle on her bedside table, and layed on her bed to sleep. When she woke up in the following morning, she seached for the candle, but she just saw a bone. A femur.
  Desparete, Carmelina told her family about it and they said she should go to church. She did it. The priest told her to pray all day and wait for the woman at night. 
  At night, Carmelina was so nervous. She prayed all day, as the priest said. She was at the window again and, at mignight, that procission was there. 
  The same woman came back there. She looked at Carmelina and said:
  -Good that you listened to priest's advice. Next time you will not have a chance - she tooks the bone back. Carmelina learned that she should never watch her neightbords lives and care about herself.

  The story moral is: look to yourself, do not care others lives. Do not be a gossiper, and pray.