TRADICIONES PERUANAS

(RICARDO PALMA)
Is a story written by the Peruvian Ricardo Palma, is part of a series
of stories. The set of these writings is known by the name of
Peruvian Traditions. Ricardo Palma was born in Lima in 1833 and
died in the same city in 1919. His "Tradiciones Peruanas" gave him
great popularity, although he also published other types of books.
Within the Peruvian Traditions, Ricardo Palma dedicated some stories to Santa Rosa de Lima. This was
a Peruvian mystic, very followed by the locals in its time and today. Her followers attribute a multitude of
miracles and endow her with extraordinary abilities. Among what is told about her is her story with the
cock and, of course, that of the mosquitoes.

LOS MOSQUITOS DE SANTA ROSA DE LIMA

Santa Rosa was credited with a special relationship with all kinds of animals, who respected and obeyed
her in all her requests. According to legend, the house of Santa Rosa had a kind of orchard, with puddles
and ditches. Naturally, this attracted a large crowd of mosquitoes, which
kept bothering mysticism while praying. When he decided to build a
hermitage on those grounds, he reached an agreement with the annoying
animals: she promised not to disturb them and they would do the same
with her. The agreement worked so well that it is said that when Rosa
praised God, the mosquitoes continued to offer him a kind of trumpet
concert. However, one day a friend of the Saint, Blessed Catherine
appeared in the garden. This one, which the mosquitoes did not respect,
killed one with a blow.

At that moment Rosa imposes peace. Ask Blessed not to kill anyone
again and to mosquitoes that do not bite their friend again:

"Let them live, sister: do not kill any of these poor little ones, which I offer
you, they will not bite you again, but they will have with you the same peace and friendship they have
with me."

Different was the case of another Blessed, Francisca Montoya. He did not even dare to approach the
garden for fear of the multitude of mosquitoes that had settled there. It seems that Santa did not like
such preventions, so he decided to send him a punishment. He chose three mosquitoes and asked them
to bite the Blessed: "Well, three of you have to bite now," said Rosa, "one in the name of the Father, one
in the name of the Son and one in the name of the Holy Spirit."