As a child I heard many legends that blew up my childish imagination. Many of those stories belonged to my grandmother and her tribe of Cumanagotos Indians; others were invented by her and my father, whoever had the ability to create wonderful and incredible worlds with words.

Many of the stories I remember have to do with the power that some people had in transforming themselves into animals and even making themselves invisible. According to my father and grandmother, witches or healers claimed to be able to transform themselves into animals in order to learn things or watch over their enemies. They are usually transformed into birds, because they can fly and travel great distances in a short time, but it is also known that they become snakes, felines and even trees.

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If we review the books, we will find that in the American continent, especially in the indigenous peoples, there are an infinity of legends that have this type of beings as protagonists. For example, in Mexico there are witches or shamans also known as nahuales or naguales, who had the capacity to become any animal. These witches or shamans, who normally went out at night, believed that there should be a kind of affinity between the soul of the animal and the soul itself, so that transformation could take place. According to certain beliefs, in order to prevent naguals from attacking, the doors and windows of the house must be protected with crosses, needles and rosemary. It is believed that these witches enter houses and suck people's blood and energy to become stronger.

In Venezuela there is a town called Chacopata, in the state of Anzoátegui, where it is said that there are many men capable of transforming themselves into tigers at night. Most of these men are sorcerers, with a lot of power, who take advantage of that power to transmute themselves and thus have the agility and ferocity of the jaguar. This power is normally used to harm their enemies, those who can kill or devour. In order to recognize a man-tiger and be able to capture him, it is necessary to follow him in his nocturnal races, always behind him, so that he does not realize that he is persecuted and wait until dawn and when he returns to his natural state, since it is the only way to make him vulnerable.

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One of the most memorable stories is that of Mrs. Hilda. It was about an old woman who, despite her age, some said was over 100 years old, was very agile and active. Like Hilda, there were other elderly women who were characterized by their young spirit and as if time didn't pass through them. However, it was Hilda who attracted the most attention because there was a belief that she had made a deal with the devil. No one dared to speak ill of her or create a problem for her, and whoever did, would surely get sick and then die. So powerful was the old woman.

They say that one night, while a group of boys were playing in the garden of Mrs. Hilda's house, she came out furious and said that she would turn them into animals if they did not leave their land soon. The boys mocked and came out screaming: Hilda, witch; Hilda, witch. That night, they all said that they had seen a black bird lurking above some houses and that they felt it land on some of them. Also, that the bird produced a song that resembled a lament coming from beyond.

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The next morning, some of the boys could not get out of bed because they had a high fever and some bruises on their skin. The whole town did not hesitate to point to Hilda as the cause of that tragedy, so they devised a plan to put an end to the old woman's esoteric activities. So at nightfall, some people hid behind some trees waiting for the transformation to take place. Before her eyes the old woman lay face down and from her lying body came a black bird with a sharp beak. When the bird tried to fly, the men came out of their hiding place and caught it. They beat him and plucked some feathers from him, and then set him free, almost dying. When the sun came up, some neighbors decided to go to Mrs. Hilda's house and found her lying on the bed, all bruised and very weak. After that event, it is said that Hilda left town and no one ever heard of her nor heard the sad and funereal song of that black bird.

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Having a childhood in which stories opened up a different and magical world for me, perhaps it didn't make me a better or worse person, but it did make me more curious, dreamy and even more creative. Telling legends to children can be a rewarding activity not only for them, but also for the adult. Telling stories to children will make them more reflective, stimulate their memory, language, and intelligence. Stories can be an emotional and magical tool in a child's early years.

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