Boitatá - Brazilian

My name is Caci. I am a little monkey. I love to swing in the big, green forest. One day, a great rain came. It rained and rained. The rain covered everything in water. The whole world became dark and scary. It was a very long night. My animal friends and I were cold. We huddled together in a deep, dark cave. We waited and waited for the warm sun to come back. While we waited, we heard a whisper. The whisper was about a great protector. The protector was a fiery serpent. This story is called The Great Darkness and the Serpent of Light.

After many days in the dark, we saw a beautiful light. It was a glowing light at the front of our cave. The light came closer and closer. It was a giant snake. A snake made of shimmering fire. He slithered through the dark waters. It was the Boitatá. He was not scary to us. He was a bright protector for the forest. His body was made of warm fire. He could see anyone who tried to hurt our home. If someone made a bad fire, he would chase them away. He kept all the trees and all the animals safe. He was our guardian. He was a warm, glowing light in the darkness.

The waters finally went away. The sun came out to play. Hooray. Our forest was safe again. It was all thanks to our fiery friend. We tell the story of the Boitatá to everyone. His story reminds us to be kind to the forest. It reminds us to never play with fire. Even today, when children see a little flicker of light dancing in a field at night, they smile. They whisper, “It’s the Boitatá.” His story helps us remember that even a fiery snake can be a hero. He protects the beautiful world we all share.