"Tatuana's Tale," retold by Miguel Ángel Asturias, unfolds a mesmerizing world where the vivid imagination of the Guatemalan Indian intersects with the ancient Maya's worldview. This enchanting legend blurs boundaries of time, place, and existence, echoing concepts familiar to the modern mind in dreams and fairy tales. It introduces us to a protagonist who embodies the magical and the mystical.

The Shape-Shifting Master

The central figure in this tale is Master Almondtree, a mystical entity capable of morphing between human and tree forms. As a priest, his resplendent attire leads "the white men" to marvel at him as if he were "made of gold." This enigmatic character possesses deep knowledge of healing herbs and a remarkable ability to interpret the whispers of obsidian and the stars. Aged and wise, with a distinguished "frosty beard," Master Almondtree embodies the "tree that walks," having appeared in the forest, fully matured, as if by magic.

The Division of the Soul

Under the glowing light of the Owl-Fisherman moon, Master Almondtree embarks on a curious journey, choosing to divide his soul among the four roads. Each road bears a distinct color and name: "the black one, sorcerer night; the green, spring torment; the red, Guaycamayo or tropical ecstasy; white, promise of new lands." As the roads traverse their paths, they encounter corresponding symbols—a white dove, a red heart, and a green vine—all seeking their share of the Master's soul. Yet, steadfastly, the roads refuse to yield. However, it is the Black Road, "speediest of all," that diverges into the marketplace, exchanging the Master's soul with the Merchant of Priceless Jewels "for a little rest."

A Desperate Exchange

Upon discovering the fate of his soul, Master Almondtree transforms into his human guise and marches determinedly to the city. There, in the bustling marketplace, he confronts the Merchant of Priceless Jewels, who has locked away the precious fragment of his soul. Eager to reclaim what is his, Master Almondtree offers the Merchant a wealth of treasures—"a hundred arrobas of pearls . . . a lake of emeralds . . . amulets, deers’ eyes to bring water, feathers against storms, marihuana for his tobacco." Yet, the Merchant remains unmoved, intent on using the soul to acquire a captivating slave girl. Defeated but resolute, the Master leaves behind his curse.

Fateful Journey and Storm

One year later, the Merchant, now accompanied by thirty servants, journeys through the mountains on horseback with the newly acquired slave girl. She, starkly unclad save for the cascade of her black hair, stands beside the Merchant, who boasts a "mantle of goat’s hair" draped across his shoulders. The Merchant extols her worth, envisioning a life of opulence and ease, with an old woman to foretell their destinies: "My destiny, she says, is the fingers of a gigantic hand." The slave girl remains silent, her gaze fixed on the horizon. Suddenly, a tempest descends from the tranquil skies. Horses scatter, and as the Merchant's horse collapses, lightning strikes a nearby tree. In a surreal moment, the tree's roots snatch him up and hurl him into the abyss.

A Year of Wandering

Throughout this time, Master Almondtree roams the city streets, his demeanor wild and unsettling to those he encounters. He converses with animals, taps on doors, and startles passersby with his "green tunic and frosty beard," a ghostly specter in their eyes. As the Owl-Fisherman moon graces the sky once more, he finds himself at the Merchant's door. Answering it is the beautiful slave, the sole survivor of the storm's wrath. Twice, he poses the query that has become his mantra: "For how many...