Uruguayan stories, Dionisio Díaz

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My grandma used to tell me the tale of Dionisio Díaz when I was a kid.

Once upon a time, one night, somewhere in the region of Treinta y Tres, within uruguay’s countryside, one old drunk man returned home to beat his daughter, and grandson, with whom he lived. Being a not very populated area, the noises disturbed no one. That particular night the drunk man snapped, went crazy, and attacked his daughter, who was holding his little baby girl in her arms. Dionisio, the nine year old grandson, woke up with the fighting noises, and the drowned shout of his mother, killed by his grandfather. He lit his candle, grabbed his bible, and went for his little sister. The madman caught him in the run and slashed him with a knife in his belly. He freed himself from his granddad grip, caught the baby from the floor, by his dead mother's side, and escaped mortally wounded in search for assistance.

The ranch was close to a creek, and the story goes that nine year old Dionisio walked eleven kilometers by the creek’s shore with his baby sister in one arm, and the other one getting a hold on his wounded belly. He survived only enough to deliver his sister to the local police office, where he arrived carrying only his sister and his bible, where he passed away.

When I first heard it from my grandma it really disturbed me the idea of a dear one going nuts, and attacking everyone, being the elder an all, I pictured myself trying to save my own little brother. Doing some research I found that this actually happened the 9th of May,1929. The creek is called “Arroyo de oro”(golden creek, or creek of gold), and since then the story is known as the story of “the little hero of golden creek”. I’ve heard that there are still descendants of the surviving sister living in the region of Treinta y tres.

(the picture was taken from here) ...