246

Talk About It
Many settlers
SideTxt xxx Bold
came
xx toItalics
the
xxx. Xxxxx during
Southwest xx xxxx.the 18th
X xx
th
and
xxxx19xxx centuries.
xxxxx. XxxWhat
xx
do you know
xxxxxx about
xxx. Xxxx xxxthese
xxxxx
settlers?
xx xxxx xxx xxxx.

URLTxt
Find out
xxxmore
xxx xxxx
about
xxx
the
xxxxx
Old Southwest
xxxxxx xx xxxxx
at
www.macmillanmh.com/
www.macmillanmh.com
reading

247
 Vocabulary
foreman gloated
by Victor Sanchez
employee flourish
gritted vigorously B!Dibmmfohf
fulfill gleefully
Maria’s family had just arrived in
Greensboro, North Carolina. Her father
was going to take over as foreman in
Word Parts
charge of a big building project. As
Prefixes are word parts
added to the beginning
an employee who worked for a large
of Base Words. Suffixes construction company, Maria’s dad was
are added to the end of sent to many places. This time his family
base words. Both prefixes
had moved, too. Maria missed her life and
and suffixes change the
meanings of words. friends back home.
employ = “hire” Maria sighed and gritted her teeth. She
-ee = “a person who is” bit down so hard it hurt. Then she entered
An employee is “one who the classroom. The first day of school was
has been hired.” not easy for someone who was shy.

B!Ufbn!Qmbzfs
Mr. Hall, the teacher, greeted the
students with an announcement. They
would research how different parts of the
nation had changed over time. The group
with the best report would win a prize.
Maria felt hopeful when she got her
assignment. Her group was to learn about
the Old Southwest. Maria and her family
were from New Mexico. Perhaps she
would be able to fulfill her role and be a
real member of this team.
Anasazi bowl

248

Maria’s team met and made a list
of the groups who had lived in the Old
Southwest. The list included Native
Americans, Spanish, Mexicans, and
settlers from other parts of the United
States and the world. The team also made
notes about resources to use. “This is
useful,” said Keith. “We also need some
interesting information about the customs
and the influence of these different
groups.”
Maria spoke up. “My grandfather still
lives in New Mexico,” she said. “He has
collected many stories and examples of
folk art of the region. We could e-mail
him with questions.”
“Way to go, Maria!” gloated Sara with
a big grin. “Now we have a real chance
of winning.”
Reread for Comprehension
Story Structure
Character, Plot, Setting
A Character, Plot and Setting Chart
helps you understand the structure of
a story. Recording key events in a story
will help you recall what you have read.
Take note of the narrator, the characters,
the setting, and the events of the story.
Use the chart as you reread
“A Win-Win Week.”
Vocabulary and Comprehension
B!Xpoefsgvm!Xffl
A week later, Maria’s team was ready.
The result was a winning presentation
about the Old Southwest. They showed
slides of the old ranches, of the fiestas held
there, and of Native American artifacts.
Since the area was always known for
abundant crops, they showed pictures of
the ones that still flourish today. They
even had a tape recording of a Mexican
folk tale. The class applauded vigorously
as the team finished the presentation.
They clapped loudly and cheered.
For Maria it was fun to be in touch
with her grandfather, and she was proud
of their presentation.
“We couldn’t have done it without
you,” Sara and Keith told Maria.
Maria smiled gleefully. She was very
happy. “I enjoyed working with you too.”
Character Plot Setting
249
 Comprehension
Genre
A Folk Tale is a story based
on the traditions of a people
or region which is handed
down from one generation
to the next and becomes
legendary.

Story Structure
Character, Plot, Setting
As you read, use your
Character, Plot and Setting
Chart.

Character Plot Setting

Read to Find Out

How does Juan prove to be
honest?

250
 Main Selection

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251
252
ONE LATE SUMMER DAY a group of wealthy rancheros
was gathered on the village plaza, joking and laughing and
discussing events on their ranches.
One of the men, whose name was don Ignacio, had a
fine apple tree on his land. The rancher called the apple tree
el manzano real—the royal apple tree—and was extremely
proud of it. It had been planted by his great-grandfather, and
there was something about the soil it grew in and the way
the afternoon sun struck it that made the apple tree flourish.
It gave sweeter and more flavorful fruit than any other tree in
the country round about.
Every rancher for miles around knew about el manzano
real, and each year they all hoped don Ignacio would give
them a small basket of its sweet fruit. And so each of the
ranchers asked don Ignacio how the fruit of the apple tree
was doing. To each one don Ignacio replied, “It’s doing
beautifully, amigo, beautifully. My foreman takes perfect care
of the tree, and every evening he reports how the fruit is
ripening.”
When don Ignacio said this to his friend don Arturo, the
other man replied, “Do you mean to say, don Ignacio, that
you don’t tend your magnificent tree yourself? How can you
have such faith in your employee? Maybe he’s not doing all
he says he is. Maybe he’s not telling you the truth.”
Don Ignacio wagged a finger at his friend. “Mi capataz has
never failed me in any way,” he insisted. “He has never told
me a lie.”
“Are you sure, compadre?” said don Arturo. “Are you sure
that he has never lied to you?”
“Absolutely certain, compadre, absolutely certain. The young
man doesn’t know how to tell a lie. His name is Juan Valdez, but
everyone calls him Juan Verdades because he is so truthful.”

253
 “I don’t believe it. There never was an employee who didn’t
lie to his boss. I’m sure I can make him tell you a lie.”
“Never,” replied the proud employer.
The two friends went on arguing good-naturedly, but
little by little they began to raise their voices and attract the
attention of the other men on the plaza.
Finally don Arturo declared loudly, “I’ll bet you whatever
you want that within two weeks at the most I’ll make this Juan
Verdades tell you a lie.”
“All right,” replied don Ignacio. “It’s a deal. I’ll bet my ranch
against yours that you can’t make my foreman lie to me.”
The other ranchers laughed when they heard that. “Ho-ho,
don Arturo,” they said, “now we’ll see just how sure you are
that you’re right.”
“As sure as I am of my own name,” said don Arturo. “I
accept the bet, don Ignacio. But you must allow me the
freedom to try anything I wish.” The two friends shook hands,
and the other men in the group agreed to serve as witnesses
to the bet.
The gathering broke up, and don Arturo and don Ignacio
rode confidently away toward their ranches. But as don Arturo
rode along thinking of what he had just done, he no longer
felt so sure of himself. When he arrived home and told his wife
and daughter about the bet, his wife began to cry. “What will
we do when we lose our ranch?” she sobbed. And don Arturo
began to think he had made a terrible mistake.
But his daughter, whose name was Araceli and who was
a very bright and lively young woman, just laughed and said,
“Don’t worry, Mamá. We’re not going to lose our ranch.”
Araceli suggested to her father that he make up some
excuse for them all to spend the next two weeks at don
Ignacio’s house. “If we’re staying on don Ignacio’s ranch,” she
said, “we’ll surely discover a way to come out the winners.”

Plot
What is the challenge facing
don Arturo and his family?

254
255
 The next day don Arturo rode to don Ignacio’s ranch and
told his friend, “My men are mending the walls of my house
and giving them a fresh coat of whitewash. It would be more
convenient for my family to be away. Could my wife and
daughter and I stay at your house for a while?”
“Of course, my friend,” don Ignacio answered. “Feel
perfectly free.”
That afternoon don Arturo and his family moved into don
Ignacio’s house, and the next morning Araceli rose at dawn,
as she always did at home, and went to the ranch kitchen to
prepare coffee. The foreman, Juan Verdades, was already there,
drinking a cup of coffee he had made for himself and eating a
breakfast of leftover tortillas. She smiled at him, and he greeted
her politely: “Buenos días, señorita.” And then he finished his
simple breakfast and went off to begin his day’s work.
That night don Arturo and his daughter made up a plan.
Araceli rose before dawn the next day and went to the
kitchen to prepare coffee and fresh tortillas for the foreman.
She smiled sweetly as she offered them to Juan. He returned
her smile and thanked her very kindly. Each morning she did
the same thing, and Juan Verdades began to fall in love with
Araceli, which was just what the girl and her father expected.
What Araceli hadn’t expected was that she began to fall in
love with Juan Verdades too and looked forward to getting up
early every morning just to be alone with him. She even began
to wish she might end up marrying the handsome young
foreman. Araceli continued to work on the plan she and her
father had made—but she now had a plan of her own as well.

256
257
 Of course, Juan knew that he was
just a worker and Araceli was the
daughter of a wealthy ranchero, so he
didn’t even dream of asking her to marry
him. Still, he couldn’t help trying to
please her in every way. So one morning
when they were talking, Juan said to
Araceli, “You’re very kind to have fresh
coffee and warm food ready for me
every morning and to honor me with the
pleasure of your company. Ask me for whatever you want from
this ranch. I’ll speak to don Ignacio and see that it’s given to
you.”
This is exactly what the girl and her father thought would
happen. And she replied just as they had planned. It was the
last thing Juan expected to hear.
“There’s only one thing on this ranch I want,” she said. “I’d
like to have all the apples from el manzano real.”
The young man was very surprised, and very distressed as
well, because he knew he couldn’t fulfill her wish.
“I could never give you that,” Juan said. “You know how
don Ignacio treasures the fruit of that tree. He might agree to
give you a basket of apples, but no more. I would have to take
the fruit without permission, and then what would I say to don
Ignacio? I can give you anything else from the ranch, but not
what you’re asking for.”
With that the conversation ended and they separated for
the day. In the evening Juan reported to don Ignacio, and they
exchanged the exact words they said every evening:
“Good evening, mi capataz,” the rancher said.
“Good evening, mi patrón,” replied the foreman.
“How goes it with my cattle and land?”
“Your cattle are healthy, your pastures are green.”
“And the fruit of el manzano real?”
“The fruit is fat and ripening well.”

258
 The next morning Juan and Araceli met again. As they
sipped their coffee together, Juan said, “I truly would like to
repay you for the kindness you’ve shown me. There must be
something on this ranch you would like. Tell me what it is.
I’ll see that it’s given to you,”
But again Araceli replied, “There’s only one thing on this
ranch I want: the apples from el manzano real.”
Each day they repeated the conversation. Araceli asked
for the same thing, and Juan said he couldn’t give it to her.
But each day Juan was falling more hopelessly in love with
Araceli. Finally, just the day before the two weeks of the bet
would have ended, the foreman gave in. He said he would go
pick the apples right then and bring them to the girl.
Juan hitched up a wagon and drove to the apple tree.
He picked every single apple and delivered the wagonload
of fruit to Araceli. She thanked him very warmly, and his
spirits rose for a moment. But as he mounted his horse to
leave, they sank once again. Juan rode away alone, lost in his
thoughts, and Araceli hurried off to tell her father the news and
then to wait for a chance to talk to don Ignacio too.
Juan rode until he came to a place where there were several
dead trees. He dismounted and walked up to one of them.
Then he took off his hat and jacket and put them on the dead
tree and pretended it was don Ignacio. He started talking to it to
see if he could tell it a lie.
“Good evening, mi capataz,” he pretended he heard the
tree say.
“Good evening, mi patrón.”
“How goes it with my cattle and land?”
“Your cattle are healthy, your pastures are green.”
“And the fruit of el manzano real? “
“The . . . the crows have carried the fruit away. . . .”
But the words were hardly out of his mouth when he heard
himself say, “No, that’s not true, mi patrón, I picked the fruit. . . .”
And then he stopped himself.

259
 He took a deep breath and started over
again with, “Good evening, mi capataz.”
And when he reached the end, he
sputtered, “The . . . the wind shook the
apples to the ground, and the cows came
and ate them. . . . No, they didn’t, mi
patrón. I . . . ”
He tried over and over, until he realized
there was no way he could tell a lie. But he
knew he could never come right out and say what he had done
either. He had to think of another way to tell don Ignacio. He took
his hat and coat from the stump and sadly set out for the ranch.
All day long Juan worried about what he would say to don
Ignacio. And all day long don Ignacio wondered what he would
hear from his foreman, because as soon as Araceli had shown
the apples to her father he had run gleefully to tell don Ignacio
what had happened.
“Now you’ll see, compadre,” don Arturo gloated, “You’re
about to hear a lie from Juan Verdades.”
Don Ignacio was heartsick to think that all his apples had
been picked, but he had agreed that don Arturo could try
whatever he wanted. He sighed and said, “Very well, compadre,
we’ll see what happens this evening.”
Don Arturo rode off to gather the other ranchers who were
witnesses to the bet, leaving don Ignacio to pace nervously up
and down in his house. And then, after don Ignacio received
a visit from Araceli and she made a request that he couldn’t
deny, he paced even more nervously.
All the while, Juan went about his work, thinking of what he
would say to his don Ignacio. That evening the foreman went as
usual to make his report to his employer, but he walked slowly
and his head hung down. The other ranchers were behind the
bushes listening, and Araceli and her mother were watching
anxiously from a window of the house.

Character
How do you think Juan will account for the
missing apples? Support your answer.

260
261
 The conversation began as it always did:
“Good evening, mi capataz.”
“Good evening, mi patrón.”
“How goes it with my cattle and land?”
“Your cattle are healthy, your pastures are green.”
“And the fruit of el manzano real?”
Juan took a deep breath and replied:
“Oh, patron, something terrible happened today.
Some fool picked your apples and gave them away.”
Don Ignacio pretended to be shocked and confused.
“Some fool picked them?” he said. “Who would do such
a thing?”
Juan turned his face aside. He couldn’t look at don
Ignacio. The rancher asked again, “Who would do such a
thing? Do I know this person?”
Finally the foreman answered:
“The father of the fool is my father’s father’s son.
The fool has no sister and no brother.
His child would call my father ‘grandfather.’
He’s ashamed that he did what was done.”
Don Ignacio paused for a moment to think about Juan’s
answer. And then, to Juan’s surprise, don Ignacio grabbed his
hand and started shaking it excitedly.
The other ranchers ran laughing from their hiding places.
“Don Arturo,” they all said, “you lose the bet. You must sign
your ranch over to don Ignacio.”
“No,” said don Ignacio, still vigorously shaking Juan’s
hand. He glanced toward the window where Araceli was
watching and went on: “Sign it over to don Juan Verdades.
He has proved that he truly deserves that name, and he
deserves to be the owner of his own ranch as well.”

262
263
 Everyone cheered and began to congratulate Juan. Don
Arturo’s face turned white, but he gritted his teeth and forced
a smile. He shook Juan’s hand and then turned to walk away
from the group, his shoulders drooping and his head bowed
down.
But Araceli came running from the house and put her arm
through her father’s, “Papá,” she said, “what if Juan Verdades
were to marry a relative of yours? Then the ranch would stay in
the family, wouldn’t it?”
Everyone heard her and turned to look at the girl and her
father. And then Juan spoke up confidently, “Señorita Araceli, I
am the owner of a ranch and many cattle. Will you marry me?”
Of course she said she would, and don Arturo heaved a
great sigh. “Don Juan Verdades,” he said, “I’ll be proud to have
such an honest man for a son-in-law.” He beckoned his wife to
come from the house, and they both hugged Juan and Araceli.
The other ranchers hurried off to fetch their families, and
a big celebration began. It lasted all through the night, with
music and dancing and many toasts to Juan and Araceli.
And in the morning everyone went home with a big basket of
delicious apples from el manzano real.

264
265
 s z uf m mjo h !x jui!Kpf!boe!Kptfqi
Tup

Joe Hayes loves stories. When Joseph Daniel Fiedler lives

he is not writing, Joe is a
professional storyteller. He
recreates traditional stories, such
as this one, and then crisscrosses
the country, telling them to kids
in schools and at festivals. How
did he get started? By telling
stories to his own children!
in Talpa, a small village in the
Hispanic Highlands of New
Mexico. He is an award-winning
artist of children’s books and his
paintings hang in art shows and
galleries, too. He’s a busy artist,
but he has help—two cats named
Iko and Obeah.

Other books by Joe Hayes:

Find out more about Joe Hayes
¡El Cucuy! and Watch Out for and Joseph Daniel Fiedler at
Clever Women! www.macmillanmh.com

Author’s Purpose
Joe Hayes entertains the reader
with this traditional folk tale.
What makes Juan Verdades
informative, too?

266
 Comprehension Check

Summarize
Character Plot Setting
Use your Character, Plot and Setting
Chart to summarize Juan Verdades.
How do plot events lead to a
satisfactory conclusion?

Think and Compare

1. What plot developments ruin don Arturo’s plan to get
don Ignacio’s loyal employee to tell a lie? Story Structure:
Character, Plot, Setting

2. If the entire story were told from Araceli’s point of view, what
would be different? What would be the same?
Synthesize

3. If you were Araceli and your father asked you to help

trap Juan Verdades in a lie, what would you do? Evaluate

4. If Juan Verdades did lie about the apples, how would

that affect the entire community? Evaluate

5. Read “A Win-Win Week” on pages 248–249. Pretend you are

in Maria’s group and have to complete the presentation
on the Old Southwest. Think of Juan Verdades as a folk tale
that Maria’s grandfather has e-mailed. What information from
the story would you include in the presentation? Reading/
Writing Across Texts

267
 Social Studies
Genre
Informational Nonfiction
gives facts about real
things, people, or events.
America’s First True Cowboys
Text Feature by Russell Freedman
A Map typically shows the
relative position and size of
the places represented.

Content Vocabulary
ranchos
feat
conquistadores

Introduction: In the early days of the

American Southwest, private landowners
found many Native American vaqueros,
or herders, to help in the rounding up of
animals on the ranchos. Author Russell
Freedman describes what went into the
work of the vaqueros.

268
 Social Studies

Tools of the Trade

Over the centuries, ranching changed very little in New Spain.
The most important tools for working cattle on the open range
continued to be the vaquero’s horse and his lariat.
He looked upon his lariat as his good right arm, and it was
seldom out of reach of his nimble fingers. With it, he was ready for
almost any task that came along.
He made his lariat himself, cutting long strips of untanned
cowhide, which he soaked and stretched until they were pliable.
Then he braided the leather strips into a rope, which he stretched
again, oiled, and softened, working it over with loving care until he
was satisfied that it was ready to use.
A typical lariat was about 60 feet long and as thick around as a
man’s little finger. There were longer ropes, reatas largas, which ran
to 110 feet or more. Children had their own pint-sized lariats. It
seemed that everyone was always roping for practice, and that every
target was fair game. Dogs, pigs, and chickens became as expert at
dodging the rope as the vaqueros were at throwing it.
Coyotes were considered the toughest wild animals to rope, and
a man who managed to snare one was greatly admired. While he
took pride in his feat, he would say with modesty, “Ese fue un supo,”
“That was a lucky throw.”

CANADA

Oregon Wisconsin
Unorganized Territory
Country
Territory
Iowa
Territory

Pacific
Ocean MEXICO

Atlantic
Ocean
The Republic
of Texas

State Gulf of
Territory Mexico

This map shows the Southwest in 1840.

269
 Vaqueros also made fine
horsehair ropes, mecates, which were
used for reins and halters. Different
colors of hair were blended together,
forming ropes that were not only
strong but beautiful.
In the early days, vaqueros made
their own saddles as well. They
took as a model the old Spanish war
saddle on which the conquistadores
had ridden into Mexico, and they
gradually transformed it to meet the
special needs of cowhands working
in cattle country.
They added a large round-topped
saddle horn as a sturdy anchor to
which their lariats could be secured
A Vaquero by Frederic Remington
circa 1881–1909 when they roped a steer. They made
the saddle’s stirrup straps longer,
allowing the rider to get a better knee grip. The stirrups themselves
were carved out of wood. They were big enough to let a man stand
upright while riding down a steep slope or trotting along the trail.
Saddles became stronger and more compact. At first, vaqueros
placed a blanket, a piece of leather, or an animal skin over the seat
of the saddle to provide a little comfort. Later they devised the
mochila, a removable leather covering that fit snugly over the entire
saddle and often had built-in saddlebags.
Vaqueros working in brush country covered their stirrups with
leather casings called tapaderas, or taps, which shielded the rider’s
feet from cactus thorns. In the deserts of northwestern Mexico,
saddles were rigged with armas, huge slabs of cowhide that hung
down from the saddle on either side, covering and protecting the
rider’s thighs and lower legs.

270
 Later, vaqueros attached smaller, lightweight armitas directly
to their legs. These in turn developed into seatless leather leggings
called chaparreras, or chaps, for protection while riding through
mesquite and chaparral thickets. Chaps also protected a rider against
rope burns, abrasions from trees and corral posts, and horse bites.
They were made of smooth buckskin, or of goat, sheep, wolf, bear,
or lion pelts with the wool or fur left on the outside of the chaps.
Since the vaquero often spent his days from sunrise to sunset
in the saddle, no single piece of equipment was more important. A
well-made saddle, lovingly maintained, was important to his horse,
too. A rider with a gentle hand and a good rig could travel for hours
and still have a healthy horse, but a poorly made saddle could make
a horse sore in no time at all.

Connect and Compare

1. Study the map on page 269. What are some of the differences
between this map and the United States today? Reading a Map

2. What would happen to a vaquero if his saddle was lost or

damaged? Analyze

3. Think about this selection and Juan Verdades. How is Juan’s

life the same as and different from that of a vaquero? Reading/
Writing Across Texts

Social Studies Activity

Research information about vaqueros. Then imagine that
you are a vaquero living on a California rancho. Write a
journal entry that describes your day. Include information
that you learned from your research.

Find out more about vaqueros at www.macmillanmh.com

271
 Writer’s Craft
Voice
A writer’s individual voice is
important when describing
someone. Voice can also
tell something about the
narrator. Choose words that
make your writing more
interesting.
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272
 Fictional Narrative

Your Turn
Write a few paragraphs about
an interesting fictional person
or animal. Be sure that readers
can tell what your view of
this character is through your
use of a specific voice and
descriptive words. Use the
Writer’s Checklist to check
your writing.

Writer’s Checklist
Ideas and Content: Is my character sketch clear?

Organization: Did I develop my character sketch

around a central theme?

Voice: Do the details and the voice tell how I feel?

Do they make my writing more interesting?

Word Choice: Did I choose strong action verbs to

tell what happens?

Sentence Fluency: Did I vary my sentence structures

and lengths?

Conventions: Do my subjects and verbs agree? Did I

check my spelling?

273
 Fictional Narrative

Your Turn
Write a few paragraphs about
an interesting fictional person
or animal. Be sure that readers
can tell what your view of
this character is through your
use of a specific voice and
descriptive words. Use the
Writer’s Checklist to check
your writing.

Writer’s Checklist
Ideas and Content: Is my character sketch clear?

Organization: Did I develop my character sketch

around a central theme?

Voice: Do the details and the voice tell how I feel?

Do they make my writing more interesting?

Word Choice: Did I choose strong action verbs to

tell what happens?

Sentence Fluency: Did I vary my sentence structures

and lengths?

Conventions: Do my subjects and verbs agree? Did I

check my spelling?

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