Saturday, December 28, 2024

Olvidado Rey Gudú

The Goblin and the Magician have been directed by the Queen to remove young Prince Gudú's capacity to love, since it constitutes an unacceptable vulnerability:

Then the Goblin very carefully took hold of the boy's head and blew on his forehead, which opened with the sweetness and gentleness of a flower. He did the same to his breast, and when the heart blossomed, the Magician deftly closed it up in a chalice, transparent but strong.

The boy's forehead presented dreams of horses, a great coarse red sun, a clash of swords, and a poplar tree rocked by the wind. "Nothing dangerous," said the Goblin. "Say, while we're at it, shall we take out anything else? Intelligence? Innocence?" Suddenly the Queen felt a great grief, and covering her eyes with her hands, burst into tears. 

"Enough," she said. "Enough. That's fine."

Well, I'm loving this novel. 

1 comment:

Dale said...

My translation. There doesn't seem to be a English translation, which is, as Derek would say, a shame and a sin. WTF?