In a small quiet house by the edge of the swamp,

Down there Mrs Ramona lived;

a very hardworking woman

who, by the way, was sick.

Her only company was her son: Carao. 

One evening, Mrs Ramona felt a lot of pain.

She gave her son all the money she had and asked him to go for some medicine.

On his way to the town, the young man saw there was a party.

And the music, the ladies seduced him into it, so he decided to stay there.

He started drinking and dancing chamamé.

Look how things are when the devil tempts you, my friend.

Carao was dancing with the most beautiful girl in the party.

And he danced, drank, and laughed; Carao was happy. 

The night fell when a neighbour arrived to the party, with great sadness he said

“So sorry for interrupting you, my friend Carao, but your mother is already dead.”

But Carao was really lost in the moment he was spending there and said:

It doesn’t matter. I’m not leaving. Anyway, there’ll be time for crying”

Poor Carao! The spell of the party blinded him to all his misfortune.

But the girl, who was with him, heard everything

Immediately, she advised him to go back home

Because he should be with his departed mother.

When Carao listened to this, he finally realized it.

So, he told everyone that his mom passed away

Said goodbye. Then, in tears he got back home.

There, he found his mom lying in bed

Poor mom! She died waiting for her medicine that never arrived.

And the story goes that right there! Because he was an ungrateful son
God punished him.

Wearing him with a black plumage

The Carao was doomed to cry forever above the swamp.