Mama Ocllo

Hello, my name is Mama Ocllo. The sun was so warm and the water of the big lake sparkled like shiny jewels. My brother, Manco Cápac, and I appeared right out of the water. Our father, the great sun god Inti, gave us a very special job to do. To help us, he gave us a shiny golden staff. This is the story of how we founded our home, the city of Cusco.

Mama Ocllo and Manco Cápac began their long journey through the tall Andes mountains. They saw fluffy llamas with soft white wool and colorful birds that sang sweet songs. At every place they stopped to rest, Manco Cápac would gently tap the golden staff on the ground. Tap, tap, tap. But the ground was always too hard, like a big rock. They knew they had to keep looking for the perfect spot for their new home.

After many days, they found a beautiful, sunny valley where flowers grew. Manco Cápac lifted the golden staff one more time and tapped it on the soft soil. This time, it sank deep, deep, deep into the earth and disappeared. They had found their home. Hooray. They gathered the people who lived nearby and decided to build a city right there. They named their new home Cusco, which means the center of the world.

Mama Ocllo showed the women how to spin the soft llama wool into thread and weave it into warm, colorful clothes. Manco Cápac taught the men how to farm the land, planting seeds for yummy corn and potatoes. Everyone learned to work together and help each other like one big family. Their small village grew into a big, happy city. This story taught the Inca people that it is important to work together and build a community. It reminds us that when we share our skills, we can create wonderful things.