1 La Leyenda de ADO
Gold
Leane Garcia-Hernandez; Abi Jones; Betzaida L. Roman; and Sherzod Saburov (illustrator)
The Legend of ADO
Deep in the jungles of Tikal, where los ecos of the ancient civilization de Maya still whispered through the trees, lived the legendary luchador, Aurelio. Los Chapines, or locals, knew him as “Abrazos de Oro,”, “Hugs of Gold” or “Ado” for short, given to him for his shiny mascara de oro and matching billowy cape.
¡Pero, Aurelio was no ordinary luchador! He was made entirely of gold! His golden strength birthed his “Halcyon Hug.” He had a “Golden Glow” creating a blinding spectacle, “Golpe Dorado Fundido,” a move where he can momentarily heat his body to mimic molten gold, enabling him to deliver a scorching slam. His “Gilded Defense” creates a temporary golden barrier around himself much like gold’s ability to resist corrosion. This shield deflects attacks and absorbs the energy of blows being thrown at him. His signature move is, “The Golden Lariat.” The Golden Lariat involves Aurelio spinning around his opponent multiple times, creating a golden vortex of energy, sends his foes flying, then finally delivering a devastating blow to finish pin.
Aurelio’s family was just as extraordinary, each member embodying the different periodic metales. His papá, El Don Ferrum, was as strong as hierro, iron, he has iron fists, grasps, and iron will, his mamá, La Doña Plata, as swift as silver, silver evasion, and silver strike. His hermana, Cobreña, as nimble as copper, electrifying strikes, copper coil grapple, and the copper comet dive, and his big hermano, Estannito, as flexible as tin, reflective distraction, Tin Tornado spin, and metallic mimicry, and tin shield. Juntos, they were known as the “Los Metales Legendarios de Lucha Libre’’ or the “Legendary Metals of Wrestling.”
However, not all elements in their mundo were friendly. The villains of this tale were Los Elementos, led by the wicked Azufre, who could conjure fiery explosions, emit thick clouds of smoke from his body to disorient, sulfuric regeneration like sulfur forming new compounds to different exposures, and sulfuric eruption, a devastating body slam. Azufre and his gang of elementos locos, with the likes of Fòsforo who can manipulate smoke and fog, create a blinding light, and ignite spontaneous fiery strikes. Clorino, a noxious foe who could release poisonous gases, to name a few, were constantly plotting to conquistar the jungle, steal its ancient treasure like jade, silver, platinum, and gold, and rule over los Chapines forever.
Un dia, Azufre’s gang attacked the unsuspecting gente of Tikal, causing big, raging explosions that threatened the paz of the jungle. Aurelio tried to fight them off alone, he always thought he could defeat anyone alone, but to no avail. HE realized he could not defeat them. He needed his family’s help!
With determination in his corazón de oro, Aurelio called out to his papá El Don Ferrum, his mama La Doña Plata, sus hermanos, Cobreña and Estannito. His family was too lejos! They could not hear his cries for ayuda! Aurelio was desperate and looked around to find the magnificent sacred quetzal bird appear in the sky. The quetzal had flown to and called his family to help!
Papá shouted, “We must unite our strengths. Just as the elements en la tabla periódica do! Together, we can destroy Azufre and protect nuestra gente.”
Aurelio’s family learned the importance of unity and unlocked his new power, Golden Unidad. They formed a protective circulo around him, holding hands. Don Ferrum’s iron strength created a sturdy shield, Doña Plata’s silver agility formed a protective barrier, Cobreña’s copper quickness ensured they remained agile, and Estannito’s tin flexibility helped them adapt to any situation thrown at them. Using Aurelio’s strength lies in his ability to work seamlessly with his familia.
As the ravenous explosions drew cerca, Aurelio and his family stood together, their combined powers overwhelming Azufre and his gang. The villains were driven away, leaving their home safe once more.
Aurelio realized a profound verdad that day. Just like gold, he was at his strongest when he stood with his familia. Their diversity and unique abilities were their greatest fortaleza, much like the elements in the periodic table. They didn’t need to be the same, their differences were what made them insuperable. The quetzal, a symbol of libertad, joined forces with the clan to protect its home, the jungle, and the local gente. She perched herself high in the árboles and sang her happy cancion, a song of her approval and satisfaction.
From that day on, “The Legendary Metals of Wrestling” aka “Los Metales Legendarios de Lucha Libre” became an even stronger team, using their unique abilities to protect the jungles and Guatemala from any threat. Their legend grew, reminding todos that unidad and cooperation can overcome any challenge, just like the elements in the periodic table and the harmony of the Chapines and their ancestors of the great Mayan civilization.
And so, the leyenda de “Abrazos de Oro,” the Golden Luchador, and his increible Clan Metal de Lucha Libre family, intertwined with the quetzal, became a beloved story in the corazon de Guatemala y los Chapines, un historia de Fortaleza, unidad, and the power of familia, siempre va a vivir en Guatelinda. El fin.
Interesting facts about gold:
- It is a “noble” metal. This means, it does not rust nor lose it’s shine!
- This is the ONLY yellow metal!
- It is EXTREMELY soft! That’s why jewelry comes gold plated and why gold when mixed with other metals, is stronger!
- Gold is nontoxic! You can eat and drink gold flakes without ANY repercussions!