Juan Bobo Sends the Pig to Mass

In Puerto Rico, there are many stories about Juan Bobo, a young man with a good heart but little common sense. 

Juan Bobo, which translates to “Simple John”, is featured in a series of humorous folktales from Puerto Rico. The story is retold by Arí Acevedo-Feliciano. It is a classic tale about a mother and her foolish, young son who lacks common sense. One morning, Juan's mother asks her son to take care of their pig while she goes to church for mass.

While she is gone, Juan hears the pig squealing and grunting, so he thinks that the pig is sad because she wanted to go to mass, too. In an attempt to be helpful, he dresses up the pig in his mother's clothes and jewelry, then he sends her off to mass. When Juan's mother returns from church, she is furious when she discovers the pig rolling in the mud with what is left of her dress. Still, Juan just doesn't understand why the pig never made it to mass. These Cuban folktales feature stories of pigs and fools. Readers will learn the importance of resourcefulness, responsibility and trustworthiness.