The Four Corners Abroad Page 5

  CHAPTER V

  A FIESTA

  ALTHOUGH Mercedes could not speak English she knew French very well,and therefore through this medium the girls were able to become wellacquainted. They found this new friend a simple-hearted, gentle Spanishgirl with an eager mind, and such accomplishments as gave a denialto the impression that Spanish girls must not be expected to be inthe least intellectual. She and her sister had a French governess forseveral years and were to have an English one the following year. "So,"said Mercedes, "the next time you come I shall speak to you in English."

  "It makes me quite ashamed of myself to hear how well she speaksFrench," said Nan, "and to know that she expects to master English andGerman, to say nothing of Italian. I feel now that I must work harderthan ever at languages. What stupid things we are compared to her. Shespeaks French like a native, is quite at home with Italian, and has areading knowledge of German. When shall I know so much as all that?Don't you like her, Mary Lee? She has such lovely dark eyes and suchpretty soft hair, then she is so ready to do things for you and tothink of things to please you."

  "I think she is a dear," agreed Mary Lee. "I am wild to see her in her_aldeana_ costume. She is to wear it to-morrow, and she is teaching methe _jota_. We must both learn it, Nan, and you must get the music forit. It would be fun to have costumes and do the dance when we go home."

  "That would be great," declared Nan. "I wonder why they call them_aldeana_ costumes?"

  "Oh, don't you know? _Aldeana_ simply means peasant, or as we wouldsay, country costumes. I asked Miss Dolores. Mercedes will wear thepeasant costume of this part of Asturias, you see."

  "I understand. There come two of those funny squeaking cow-carts. Whata noise they make. I am glad it is the haying season, for I thinkthose carts piled up with hay and led by a tall man or a peasant womancarrying a long pole across the shoulders are such picturesque things."

  "Everything is picturesque," agreed Mary Lee. "I love those dear littlesoft-nosed burros, only I wish the people treated them better. I sawa girl on one this morning. She was making it go very fast, and Iwondered why it was going at such a gait till I saw she was sticking along pin into it every few steps."

  "They are cruel to the donkeys," acknowledged Nan, "but I think theyare very good to the other animals. The poor burros get the worst ofit, and seem to be creatures made only for ridicule and abuse. Oh,Mary Lee, I do believe that is a band of gipsies coming, real Spanishgipsies. Aren't they interesting? I suppose they are coming for the_fiesta_. Look at those two children with scarcely a rag on. Did youever see such wild-looking, impish little things? And the man with thevelveteen coat and red sash, do see his big _sombrero_. I hope we shallsee them again." She turned from the window to greet Mercedes who camein to bid them come down to the _patio_ to practice the _jota_.

  Her pretty peasant dress was all ready for the morning, for it wasquite the thing for others than the mere peasants to adopt the localdress on such occasions. She would wear a short red skirt with bandsof black velvet around it, and smocked at the belt. Her brocade bodicetrimmed with jet would partly cover her white chemisette. Aroundher neck she would wear a long chain with a handsome old reliquaryattached to it. Very long filagree earrings would be fastened upon herears, and upon her head she would wear a gay silk handkerchief tied ina peculiar way. A fancy apron of yellow silk completed the costume.Miss Dolores had consented to wear a _manta de Manila_ or soft shawlwound gracefully around her, and in her hair a red _clavel_.

  "You, too, must wear a _clavel_," said Mercedes, "for you are to dancethe _jota_, and if you will, you can also wear _mantas de Manila_. Youshall have Antonio for a partner and when not him, I will dance withyou."

  The little village where the _fiesta_ was to take place was but ashort distance away. The entire Cabrales family, which included DonaTeresa, her son Antonio, Mercedes and the two younger daughters, MariaIsabel and Consuelo, went with their guests, so theirs was quite alarge party which arrived in front of the old church in time to hearthe rocket-bombs, and to see the great _ramas_, or pyramids of bread,carried inside. Then all entered the ancient, low-arched edifice, whereglimmering candles at the altar gave the only light. Upon the barefloor were many kneeling figures of women wearing black _mantillas_.The men occupied the gallery above the rear of the church, or stood atthe back near the door.

  "Isn't it solemn?" whispered Nan to her sister.

  Just then with the chanting of the priests was mingled the song of acanary, then another chirped up, and a third joined in, so that allthrough the service the little songsters did their part.

  "You will see the _danza prima_ here," Miss Dolores had told them. "Itis the most ancient and primitive of the Spanish religious dances. Itcan hardly be called a dance, in fact. And the _ramas_? They are hugepyramids on which are hung circular loaves of bread, and which areadorned with flowers and branches of green; that is why they are called_ramas_. They indicate the fruits of the harvest."

  So when the moment came for the young men of the village to bear forththe _ramas_, the girls watched eagerly to see the body of maidens, in_aldeana_ dress, taking a peculiar step backward, always backward, andbeating their tambourines and drums while they sang a monotonous chant.The figure of the Virgin, in dazzling array, preceded the _ramas_, andas the procession issued into the open air again the rocket-bombs wentup again. Women carrying tall lighted candles brought up the rear ofthe procession which moved around the church. The _ramas_ were set upagain outside while the Virgin was carried back to her shrine and thenthe real _fiesta_ began.

  "Almost all the _fiestas_ have some special feature, some religiousdance to distinguish them from one another," Miss Dolores told thegirls. "At Llanes they have a very old dance called the _danzaperegrino_, or dance of the pilgrims which is supposed to date back,no one knows how many centuries, to the days of the pilgrims, andthe cockle-shells and staves are still conspicuous in the dress thechildren wear when they give the dance. At Ribadasella they have aprocession of boats upon the water, which is quite pretty."

  "I'd like to see that," said Nan.

  "Perhaps we shall be able to. Now, we will wander about a while to seethe people and the booths before the dancing begins."

  "Why, it's just like a fair," remarked Mary Lee. And indeed, to see thestands where cakes, beer and wine were offered for sale, to see thewomen squatting on the ground in front of baskets of nuts or fruit, tosee the merry-go-round and the merry crowd made one think that it mightbe anything but a religious occasion.

  "The dancing has begun," cried Mercedes. "You must come." She urgedthe girls forward to where upon the grass two lines had formed, themen opposite the girls. A man with a violin and a woman with a drumwere beginning the music of the _jota_, and presently Nan found herselfopposite Don Antonio while Mary Lee had Mercedes for her _vis-a-vis_.Don Antonio was a tall, serious-looking lad of nineteen, but when witharms aloft, he snapped his fingers, and took graceful steps, he seemedquite a different person from the grave young man who had ventured buta few remarks to the American girls. Nan soon caught the spirit of thedance, while Mary Lee, under the teaching of Mercedes, was presentlysnapping her fingers and taking her steps with the best. It wasenergetic exercise and they were rather tired when the last notes ofthe _jota_ ended.

  "Now let us go and have some cider and cakes," proposed Mercedes.

  "Cider? Do you have cider here?" asked Nan.

  "Oh, yes," was the reply. "In Asturias we raise many apples, and cideris a favorite drink. I see Antonio has supplied us with cakes. We willgo over there under the trees and have our feast and then we will walkdown by the sea."

  "I am so glad to see so many in peasant dress. Why don't the men wearit?" Mary Lee put the question.

  "So few young men are here. Most of them have gone away and will comeback _Americanos_ when they have made money."

  MARY LEE WAS SNAPPING HER FINGERS AND TAKING HER STEPS.]

  "_Americanos?_"

  "Yes. They go to Buenos Ayres, to Mexico, to Venezuela,
and when theycome back they do not wear any more the _aldeana_ dress, and they arealways called _Americanos_."

  "And what are we?" Nan put the question, a little puzzled to know howshe and her sister would be distinguished. If they were not Americanswhat could they be?

  "Oh, you are _Inglesas_," Mercedes told her.

  "Because we speak English, I suppose." Nan was not quite sure that sheliked this method of classification.

  "Oh, yes, that is why, certainly," returned Mercedes. "See there is aman over there wearing the Asturian cap, the old man with a long peakedcap which hangs down one side."

  "And so you don't call us _Americanos_," Mary Lee returned to thesubject, after looking at the man with the peaked cap.

  Mercedes smiled and shook her head.

  "I always forget there is any America but the United States," saidMary Lee, "but of course South Americans have just as much right to becalled so as we have. Dear me, do see that poor deformed creature, andthere is another." She stood appalled and again Mercedes smiled.

  "They always come to the _fiestas_, and they are not so deformed asthey appear though they must be truly so, and must show that they areelse they might be taken for impostors." She stopped to give each ofthe supplicants a copper coin. "The big coppers are _perronos_ or thebig dogs," she explained, "the little ones, _perrinas_, or littledogs," and each of the Corner girls took a _perrono_ from her purse toput into the outstretched hands.

  "Ah, there are the Gallegos; you will like them." And Mercedes hurriedthem forward to join a crowd gathered around two women, one witha guitar, the other with a tambourine. They were saucy, mirthfullooking creatures who turned knowing eyes upon the strangers and afterwhispering to one or two of the nearest bystanders, broke forth into afresh song which caused much amusement.

  "What are they saying?" asked Nan, as she saw all eyes turned in herdirection.

  Mercedes laughed. "They are singing about you. They say you are likea _clavel_ with your pink cheeks, and that Mary Lee is a golden bird.They say you should be in the queen's court and that your husbands willbe sure to occupy high places."

  "Oh, dear!" Nan looked this way and that, feeling very conscious, tothe delight of the audience. To be made the subject of improvisationseemed to the girls a very unusual experience, but presently theyrealized that it was a very common thing here in Spain, that it wasmeant as a compliment, so when the tambourine was passed around eachgirl dropped in her offering and the Gallegos smilingly started in anew direction.

  More dancing and more feasting. The grass was trodden into thedust; the piles of cakes were perceptibly diminished; more peoplewere arriving. The train brought numbers from the nearest towns andvillages; carriages drove up with occupants dressed in their best.There were two sets of couples for the next _jota_ in which even smallchildren in the _aldeana_ dress joined, all being perfectly familiarwith the step.

  An Andalusian with a sweet worn voice trolled out his ballads in aminor key at one end of the grounds; at the other end a blind violinistdrew his bow raspingly and in cracked tones sang a wild Asturianmelody. The lame beggars hopped hither and thither, the paralyzed onescrawled nearer, the maimed accosted each newcomer.

  Soon the bright daylight began to fade. Long shadows crept acrossthe grass, the ancient church, ten centuries old, grew grayer inthe failing light. "One more look at the sea and then we go," saidMercedes. So they wandered down to the rocky shore where great cragsrose on every side. Beyond these sparkled the Cantabrian sea which,softening the air, made it possible for chestnuts and orange trees,palms and apple trees, to live in neighborly fashion.

  "We have flowers in our garden the year around," Mercedes told them,"and even when there is snow on the mountains it is not so very coldhere."

  "I know it is perfectly beautiful now," responded Nan. "August and nogreat heat, the sea so near and no sharp winds. It is perfect. The kindof weather that is just right, and that you don't have to think aboutone way or the other."

  "What wonderful caves there seem to be about here," said Mary Leelooking off toward the rocks.

  "There are a great many, and the old folks tell you that they areinhabited by fairy folk, the _inxanos_, we call them, tiny littlepeople who live underground and build these rocky houses forthemselves."

  "Oh, I'd love to hear about them." The subject appealed to Nan's fancy."Do people really think there are such fairies?"

  "Some of the peasants do, and they have great tales to tell. Then thereare the _xanos_ who are water fairies and live in the streams andfountains. You must see the great caves near our village. I will takeyou to them to-morrow. We must go up the mountain, too, and there is aplace not so very far away, from which you can see a great distance.We shall drive home to-day and you can see the Peaks of Europe, ourhighest peaks anywhere about."

  The Corners never did forget the drive home over the best of hardroads, above mountain streams and green valleys, the great Peaks ofEurope glistening far off, and the nearer mountains bathed in sunsetglory. They encountered a band of gipsies with their donkeys, travelingalong the white road which wound around a high hill, and these seemedmore than ever picturesque, the orange and red of their costumesshowing vividly against the gray background of rock.

  There were more _fiestas_ after this, but none that gave the girlsgreater enjoyment. They saw later the quaint little town of Ribadaselladecked in the Spanish colors, and they enjoyed the procession ofblossom-adorned boats when Santa Marina took place. They saw, too, thefeast of "Our Lady of the Hay" when the great hay harvest was over andhonor was done to the Virgin of a little chapel in the woods. Therewas a long day spent at Llanes which was very gay upon this feast ofSan Roque. It ended with a dance which kept up till very late. To thisthe girls did not go, though, at different times during the night, theyheard revelers returning home.

  Mary Lee and Nan had picked up a little Spanish when they were inCalifornia, and now continued to add constantly to their stock ofwords. In consequence they were soon able to carry on conversations,haltingly, to be sure, with Dona Teresa and Don Antonio, and managed tounderstand something of what was said to them.

  "I wish you had been here for our day of San Juan," Mercedes said tothem.

  "What did you do then?" asked Mary Lee.

  "We had a _fiesta_ at the house of our good doctor whose name is Juan.As it was his feast day we went very early to hang garlands about thegateway and the windows. We set up a tree in his _patio_, and manypersons from far and near brought presents to him. He provided cakesand other things for the feast and we danced till dark in front of thehouse. From all the neighboring villages the young people came dancingthe dance of San Juan all the way, singing as they came. It was verypretty."

  "Oh, what awfully nice things you do here," said Nan. "I think it islovely to celebrate days like that."

  Mercedes nodded. "Yes, we think it is. We enjoy our _fiestas_ and wehave many of them. If you were to be here you would see. I think youshould stay a year that you might understand what goes on at everyseason. Could you not stay a year?"

  "Dear me!" Nan smiled. "What a darling thing you are, Mercedes. We'dlove to stay but we must study. We go to Germany in the fall."

  "Oh, you could study here with the English governess and you couldlearn Spanish. Would it not do as well as German?"

  Nan gave her a hug. "I should love to do it, but we must do as ourmother says."

  "Of course. I understand that, but I should like you to stay and sowould mother, my brother also."

  "It is perfectly lovely for you to say so, but I suppose we must bethankful to have as much as a month here, and as we speak French allthe time I am losing none of my knowledge of that language, while I amalso learning a little Spanish. I hope some day you will come to ourcountry and then you will visit us in our home."

  "I should like much to do that. My cousin Dolores says I shall comeif my mother permits, and my mother says when I have learned to speakEnglish it will be time enough to talk of going, so I shall work veryhard, and when
you see me in your country I shall be saying more than'E ahm very glad to zee you.'" She laughed merrily.

  "You will come, of course you will. I shall speak often to Miss Doloresabout it so she will remember to write to your mother so often that shewill not forget about it."

  "We shall have to do all we can to have you see our Asturias, as muchas is possible, while you are here for this short month." And with thisintention to be carried out it was to be expected that the days didnot hang heavily. If there was not a _fiesta_ or a _feria_ there wasan excursion to the seashore, or to some neighboring town; there wasmaybe a fishing party or a long drive to some mountain village, andthe longer they stayed the more attached did the girls become to sweetMercedes, and the more interesting did they find the beautiful provinceof Asturias.

  CHAPTER VI

  SPANISH HOSPITALITY]