The Angry God

In a small Mexican village, a vendor tells a North American the legend of Mapoli and Colima, the god of the volcano: Zateco, the god of all gods, created the earth and one living being, Colima, who fashioned doll-like figures from dried corn husks, creating man and woman and the entire panoply of living creatures. Over the centuries Colima was pleased with his work; everywhere on the face of the Earth there was peace and joy and crops were abundant. Occasionally Colima would materialize in the form of a typical person of the valley. One day while in his human disguise, Colima is walking near the river, when he hears a young girl, Mapoli, singing. He sees her bathing and develops a great passion for her. Mapoli's betrothed, Nezatl, goes hunting and passes Colima as he enters the village. Colima introduces himself to Mapoli and asks if he can rest a while. She brings him wine and resumes weaving her wedding veil. When Colima tells her that he is infatuated with her and wants her to leave with him, Mapoli insists that she was only extending kindness to a stranger and asks him to leave. However, Colima continues to pursue Mapoli and also observes Nezatl. Later, Colima offers a villager a gift so that he can take his place in a masked dance which includes simulated battles with real machetes. Colima and Nezatl fight and when Nezatl knocks off his mask, Colima leaves in disgust. Mapoli and Nezatl are discussing their upcoming wedding when Colima, assuming the form of an owl, warns Mapoli that she must be his. Enraged by Mapoli's continued rejection, Colima uses more of his supernatural powers and materializes as a kindly old man. He prepares a magic potion, which he offers to Nezatl as he returns from a hunt. After the the potion makes Nezatl dizzy, Colima uses other magic to make him lose his memory. Nezatl returns to the village dazed and disoriented and does not recognize Mapoli. She accuses Colima of bewitching Nezatl and driving him mad, and swears she will never belong to Colima as her love for Nezatl will overpower all of Colima's trickery. The villagers drive Colima out, stoning him. Colima swears vengeance and disappears in front of their eyes, then creates a giant thunderstorm and volcanic eruption, which causes the villagers to flee. Mapoli goes to Colima at the volcano and offers her own life in exchange for the villagers'. However, Zateco speaks from the heavens and condemns Colima to spend the rest of eternity in the volcano. Nezatl and Mapoli reunite and peace is restored to the Earth.