Cantiga 178 of the Cantigas de Santa Maria of Alfonso X

The Mule that was Revived
A farmer gave his son a mule as a pet. The boy was pleased with the mule and looked after it carefully.

One night the mule died.

The farmer, who did not want his son to find out, took him to the field where he was working. The mother ordered a servant to skin the mule.

The farmer and his son returned, and the boy saw the mule being skinned. The boy told them to leave the mule alone and said that he had vowed it to Holy Mary of Salas, who would be sure to come to his aid.

The hind legs of the mule had already been skinned, and the mother rebuked the boy for being silly. He paid no heed, however, and used his belt to measure the beast. Then he made a candle of the same length as the dead mule.

When the candle had been presented, the mule sprang to life and the boy gave it some food. Everyone praised the Virgin.
Source: upenn.edu Reproduced from the Edición facsímil del Códice T.I.1 de la Biblioteca de San Lorenzo el Real de El Escorial, Siglo XIII. Edilán, 1979. Made available open access by the University of Pennsylvania.

Referenced by: The Gothic Anamorphic Gaze - Regarding The Worth Of Others by Francisco Prado-Vilar



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