Legend of the Tragedy of Cape Girão

The people of the House of Wolves tells a legend passed in Cape Girão, many years ago.
In a village near the Penedia, there lived a beautiful girl, very cheerful, who was requested for
all parties. Danced and sang like no one else. Every boy in the place and other neighboring
places was looking for her to ask her to marry her. She, however, with a smile on her lips, all
repudiated. One time, his mother asked him:

-Mary, why do you despise the love of all the boys who seek you?

She shrugged her shoulders.

I don't know, man. I like everyone to dance but none to marry!

Mother grieved.

-But, daughter, you are now young and beautiful. But time runs out, and soon you'll be just
like me! I was young and pretty like you too. But I chose time husband! I wasn't choosy. Who
are you waiting for?

-For the one whom my heart chooses!

-And who is he?

-I don't know. We haven't met yet!

-What if it doesn't?

-I'm not getting married.

-Oh, daughter!...

She smiles.

-And what do you have, my mother? It is better to be single than to belong to a man who is
indifferent to us.

Mom shut up, but she wasn't convinced. There was a new party. It was a pilgrimage.

People came from many bands. And Mary noticed a strange boy in the place, who stared at
her. He had a desire to smile. She AproXimou around them, everybody danced. Without saying
a word, they entered the dance. Danced all afternoon. Always the two of them. He was
mumbling already. She'd notice. and smile happy. They sang and played as if they had known
each other for a long while. But they didn't even know their names. When the afternoon began
to decline and the couple dispersed, Mary extended

The hand to the fellow and said to him:

-I have to go too!

-See you soon?

He held his little hand.

-What's your name?

— Maria.

-My name is Pedro. I'm a farmer and I live in Porto Moniz. But I want to see you tomorrow.
That's why I'll stay here, in the Chamber of Wolves. Do you like it?

- Very!

-Why don't you still have a boyfriend, being so beautiful and young?

-because I haven't liked anyone yet.

— Perhaps you can have vir to Gostar de Mim?

-I like it! Ever since I saw you over there, leaning against that rock, alone, looking at me.

This sincere, spontaneous confession enchanted the boy. He shook his brunette hand.

-Maria, I want you to be my wife. I'll come see you tomorrow.

-you're going to see my house. I want you to meet my parents. We're not rich, but we live in
a fix.

-I have enough for you and me. The money doesn't grieve me.

-What ails you, then?

-The Wars! I haven't received the blood baptism yet. And I can be called from one moment to
the next.

She looked at him from the front, eye to eye, without smiling.

-Peter, when you are called, I will be waiting for you, either before or after our wedding.

- Do you swear?

- Swear!

An intense joy flooded the young farmer's face. I said to him:

-I'm going to walk you home. From now on, I don't want you alone down these roads.

From that day on, Mary and Peter no longer saw each other. The parents of the country were
happy. The daughter was finally engaged. I found the one that your heart was waiting for.
They scheduled the wedding right after Christmas. But the projects didn't come true. Peter
was recruited into the war. Maria cried. He was in a good, unexpectedly rebelled, all in vain.
Peter was forced to leave.

With the soul laden with sadness, the young man from Porto Moniz came to say goodbye to
the bride. Washed in tears, Mary could not speak. I wanted to take him up to Cabo Girão. The
boy has satisfied his will. And at the top, looking at the Emerald Sea, she spoke at last:

-Pedro beware! Don't expose yourself! Remember, you promised to marry me!

Stroking it, he replied:

"And you promised to wait!"

Soon she replies:

-and I will wait! I swear it again! From today to a year, I come here every day to look at the
sea. And I'll go down to the pier if I find any ships anchoring. And you will only be my thought!

The boy kissed her eyes full of tears.

— I will come back!

In a murmur, she replied:

- Believe! I believe you will come soon!

Down there, the Emerald sea mumbled something that the newlyweds did not understand.
A year passed. Twelve long months that seemed to drag. Mary, who kept herself collected at
home, began to leave. Every morning he went to Cabo Girão, and from the top he gazed at the
Emerald Sea, which was in waves along the coast. And the question changes that Mary was
throwing him, he sounds like in a secret: "Wait a little longer!"

Once Mary came down, she found herself face to face with a stranger. Seemed to wait for her.
He was richly dressed and a few steps away he saw a mount. The man embargoed his stride,
saying:

-Maria, wait a minute!

She startled. Asked restlessly:

-How do you know my name?

He tried to smile.

-I've memorized it for a long while. I saw you and I heard you sing at a party.

The young lady shrugged her shoulders:

- Oh! That was a long time ago!

-Not at all. It was just over a year ago.

-At that time my fiancé was with me!

-I was. For that reason I did not approach.

-and now... why did you come?

— because you're only. Here, Can I talk to you?

-For what?

-For you to come and inhabit my castle. I'm rich, I'm powerful. I can make you happy.

-I will only be happy with Pedro!

-he went to war, as I'm told.

-but it's coming back!

-Who knows if he'll come back?

-I will wait until the end of my life!

The man laughed, nervous.

-Stop rubbish! What's he worth more than me?

-I love him!

-I will also know how to love you! At least now, at this moment when I wish you with all the
strength of my being!

She got scared. shouted:

-Don't touch me!

He went on, laughing:

-You don't need to scream, because no one can hear us.

I wanted to grab her for an arm, but the girl dodged, running to the side of the sea.

He asked, uneasy:

-Where are you going?

-I'm going to Pedro!

-You're crazy! From the top of the penedia you have no way out. You know how high it is
between you and the sea.

-I'm less afraid of him than the men who are waiting for the maidens!

He tried to calm her down.

-Don't be hasty! A lot of people bite you with envy that I want you!

-Then go get them!

He referred to her.

-but only you desire and want!

She screamed again:

-Stay where you are!

He was gaining ground.

-Don't be silly! Shouting is no good to you. And if you fall from there, you will die a horrible
death.

-What if it doesn't fall?

-My arms will strengthen you with love!

At that very moment, the rich man held out his arms and arrested the girl, trying to kiss her.
Fight was fought. Fierce fight. She bit you like crazy. Even crazier, he was trying to subdue her.
Suddenly, she was unfastened and at that very moment the man felt the ground was missing.
Cried. His cry was lost in the wind. And the Emerald Sea received his body, muttering.
By squeezing the fountains, almost without breathing, Maria did not well with the tragedy
that occurred at Cape Girão. I opened my eyes in amazement. I couldn't see the man anymore.
Only, patient, the white horse was waiting. Tormented, looked at the sea. Down there he
smiled at him in a calling. He leaned over to make his delivery. But he heard the swearing to
Peter: ' I will wait! I swear it again! From today to a year, I come here every day to look at the
sea. And I will go down to the pier if I discover any ship anchoring... '

Maria straightened the body. Peered the horizon. Startled, beat his heart hard. It was a ship
that your eyes discovered. A ship from faraway lands. Maybe that's where Pedro came from.
Maybe!

He forgot the tragedy and began descending to the pier, like crazy, telling whom he found:
-There's a ship coming! Maybe I'll bring Pedro! I want my Pedro! I want him!

People looked at her in distress. Would she have lost her mind? Asked. But the girl always ran
on the way to the pier. Behind her was also a white horse without a knight. And the Emerald
Sea kept for itself the secret of the tragedy in the Girão.

Only later, when Peter returned, wounded but saved, he knew from the mouth of his
betrothed what had happened. And as much as he wanted to make her see that she was not
to blame for that death, Mary did not become the same as she was once. Your oath was only
half-fulfilled. She waited for her fiancé. His body only belonged to him. But his thought, this,
shared him with that of the mighty man who by his rebellion had fallen from Cape Girão.