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Ambeco and Aguatí

This is the story of Ambeco which means deer in the Carabalí or venado in the Spanish spoken in Cuban, and of Aguatí, the tortoise — known as jicotea on that Caribbean island.

Once upon a time the venado (that is, the deer) and the jicotea (that is, the tortoise) — that is, Ambeco and Aguatí — met and challenged each other to a race. Everyone knows that the deer runs fast and the tortoise goes very slowly. That is why everybody imagined that Ambeco would win the contest easily.

“I'll give you a three-day start!”, Ambeco said.

“I don't want any start — all I want is a fortnight to get ready”, answered Aguatí.

So the deer gave the tortoise a fortnight to prepare for the contest and each went their own way, arranging to meet on the day of the race.

While the deer, that is Ambeco, entertained himself by mocking the tortoise amongst the local people and the rest of the animals, the jicotea (that is, the tortoise) — that is, Aguatí — called upon two tortoise friends and arranged for them to position themselves each in two villages the race had to pass through, in order to greet the deer when he would come in running.

The day of the race arrived. The two tortoise friends took up position in each of the two villages and Aguatí joined Ambeco to start the contest. They were off! Both began to run and Ambeco lost sight of Aguatí in no time at all. Then Aguatí, instead of racing, hid under some bushes. Ambeco continued racing, from time to time singing a local ditty,

Ambeco rimagüe quindan-dá, core nyaó,

ambeco rimagüe quindan-dá, core nyaó,

ambeco rimagüe quindan-dá, core nyaó.

On arriving at the first village, Ambeco believed that he had arrived with such a big start that he had time to have a shave and so went into the barber's shop — still chanting,

Ambeco rimagüe quindan-dá, core nyaó,

ambeco rimagüe quindan-dá, core nyaó,

ambeco rimagüe quindan-dá, core nyaó.

But when he was half way through having a shave he saw a tortoise outside on the road, a tortoise who was singing the following verse,

Aguatí langué, langué, langué,

aguatí langué, langué, langué,

aguatí langué, langué, langué.

Which, in the Carabalí language, means “The tortoise has arrived, has arrived, has arrived”.

Ambeco, on seeing and hearing the jicotea, believed it was Aguatí singing and so jumped out of his barber's chair and started running without finishing shaving. This is why, today, the deer has hairs only on one part of the face.

The deer continued racing, trusting in his superior speed and, believing he had lost the first bit of the race, was determined not to lose the rest and began to sing again,

Ambeco rimagüe quindan-dá, core nyaó,

ambeco rimagüe quindan-dá, core nyaó,

ambeco rimagüe quindan-dá, core nyaó.

He arrived at the second village. He was hungry and, thinking he had more than enough time, he went off happily to have some lunch,

Ambeco rimagüe quindan-dá, core nyaó,

ambeco rimagüe quindan-dá, core nyaó,

ambeco rimagüe quindan-dá, core nyaó.

But he saw a tortoise on the road outside the tavern, once again singing,

Aguatí langué, langué, langué,

aguatí langué, langué, langué,

aguatí langué, langué, langué.

Ambeco once again thought it was Aguatí who had arrived and, panic-stricken, started running without finishing his meal.

Ambeco rimagüe quindan-dá, core nyaó,

ambeco rimagüe quindan-dá, core nyaó,

ambeco rimagüe quindan-dá, core nyaó.

But Aguatí heard Ambeco's singing, came out of the hiding place and started to run as fast as possible to the finishing line — and got there before Ambeco! He was singing,

Aguatí langué, langué, langué,

aguatí langué, langué, langué,

aguatí langué, langué, langué.

When Ambeco arrived all the town and the other animals laughed at him because he had lost the race to Aguatí. He went to the mountains and never came back again. And this is why today the deer lives in the mountain and does not want to come down to the town.