Martina the Beautiful Cockroach - A Cuban folktale

Author:  Retold by Carmen Agra Deedy

Genre:  Traditional or Folk Literature

Martina had turned 21 and was ready to be wedded.  Her grandmother told her to do the ultimate test to see if you can marry the prospects.  That was to spill coffee on their shoe.  Her grandmother said it would make the men mad and is a true test of their temper showing how they will speak to you when you are married.  Martina would meet her suites at the balcony for her family to see from above.  First came Don Gallo (a rooster).  After she did the coffee test on him, he told her that she would learn manners when they got married and she turned him down.  Next who came to see her was Don Cerdo (a pig).  After she did the coffee test on him he was furious and he walked away saying that she would be cleaning after him all the time when they were married.  Next was Don Largarto (a lizard).  From the picture, it looked like he was a little too close for comfort.  She spilled the coffee on him and he became mad and accidently let it slip that he was going to eat her!  She said he was too cold-blooded for her to marry.  She then approached Tikitin, the mouse, and he seemed very nice to her.  She didn’t want to do the coffee test on him but he beat her to it.  He spilled it on her.  She was too delighted to be mad.  She asked how did you know about the coffee test?  He said mi amor I too have a Cuban grandmother.

I would use this book as a read aloud to my class and discuss after how she was treated.  I also would extend the lesson and ask the students to tell me how they reacted when something had been accidentally done to them or tell everyone a story about when they have accidentally spilled something and what was the person’s reaction.  I would ask how they felt about that reaction from the other person.  I would hope that this would reinforce how we speak to people and never lose our temper over an accident because it could be a test of the type of person we are.  This book would relate to life lessons in how to treat others and have patience.