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- Bodas que fueron famosas del Pingajo y la Fandanga
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Bodas que fueron famosas del Pingajo y la Fandanga (1965), José María Rodríguez Méndez
The Great Day When Pingajo and Fandanga Got Wed, translated by Gwynneth Dowling
SCENE ONE
- Context:
- Pingajo has won Fandanga’s hand in marriage after a bet with her father, Petate. Pingajo and his friends plan the best wedding imaginable.
- Sample text
-
- SALAMANCA:
The wedding to end all weddings! Just what the people deserve! (To PETATE.) I give you my sneaky fingers (Pointing to his hand.) – they’re a little worn after 25 years inside, but I’ll put them to work on wallets out there. There won’t be one that’s a match for my fingers!
- TUERTO:
You have here your man to serve you all the wine you need so that no one goes thirsty.
- PINGAJO:
Yes sir! Now we’re talking. This is what friends are for. (Raising his glass.) Long live Spain and death to the Yankees!
- Copyright
-
The above sample taken from the translation The Great Day When Pingajo and Fandanga Got Wed by Gwynneth Dowling is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
SCENE TWO
- Context:
- Little Fandanga is introduced to Pingajo for the first time. Her mother looks on, horrified at the thought of her daughter marrying so young.
- Sample text
-
- PETATE:
Come here, dear heart. You know your daddy loves you more than anything, don’t you? And do you love your daddy?
- FANDANGA: (Babyishly.)
Yes daddy.
- MOTHER MARTINA:
Who do you love more? Daddy or mummy?
- FANDANGA: (Smiling mischievously.)
Daddy …
-
Carmela’s sobs get louder. MOTHER MARTINA goes to console her. CARMELA turns her back angrily.
- PETATE: (Bringing his daughter closer to the soldier.)
Come and give this gentleman a kiss. He loves you very much and is going to take you with him.
- CARMELA:
No, no …
-
MOTHER MARTINA tries to calm her down.
- FANDANGA: (Looking at PINGAJO.)
Who is he?
- PETATE:
A gentleman who loves you very much. (PINGAJO takes a lollipop out of his pocket and offers it to her, smiling. The girl immediately grabs it.) What do you say?
- FANDANGA:
Thank you.
- PETATE:
Go on, now give him a kiss. Don’t you want to give him a little kiss?
-
Urged on by her father, the girl gives PINGAJO a peck on the cheek. Seeing this tender exchange, CARMELA seems to calm down a little.
- Copyright
-
The above sample taken from the translation The Great Day When Pingajo and Fandanga Got Wed by Gwynneth Dowling is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
SCENE FOUR
- Context:
- Pingajo has arranged to bring Fandanga to the barracks so that his Lieutenant can deflower her. Later in the scene he feels guilty and decides not to take her there.
- Sample text
-
- PINGAJO:
Listen, do you want to come to the barracks with me? We can see real soldiers. Shall we go later?
- FANDANGA: (Clapping her hands.)
Yes! Yes! Yes!
- PINGAJO:
Just you wait, you’ll see – we’ll see all the soldiers. We’ll hear them play the trumpet …
- FANDANGA: (Very excited.)
Yes! Yes! Yes! Let’s go! Let’s go!
- PINGAJO:
Not just now, no. Later, later …
- FANDANGA: (Whining.)
No. Now. I want to go now.
- PINGAJO:
Later, kiddo, later. You’ll see. There’s a man there, a general who loves you a lot and who’ll give you ‘sweets’.
- FANDANGA:
I want to go.
- [ … ]
- PINGAJO:
We’re going to dress you up as a bride, did you know that?
- FANDANGA:
Me?
- PINGAJO:
Yes.
- FANDANGA:
How lovely. I want to, I want to!
- PINGAJO:
Of course you do. Because we’re engaged and we’re going to get married.
- FANDANGA: (Babyishly.)
Yes! Yes! Let’s play at that.
- PINGAJO:
Play? Ha! What a game!
- FANDANGA:
With a really long veil. Like the Queen.
- PINGAJO:
Like the Queen. You’ll be beautiful, really beautiful. Then you’ll come with me and …
- FANDANGA:
And we’ll go for a walk. We’ll go for a walk every day.
- PINGAJO:
We’ll come here every day for ice cream.
- FANDANGA: (Clapping her hands.)
Yay! (Pause. PINGAJO watches her and scratches his head.)
- PINGAJO: (To himself.)
What have I let myself in for? (In the evening light, a chorus of little girls are singing the song ‘Long Live Queen Isabel’.) Well, it’s done now. What do I do next?
- FANDANGA:
Shall we go to the barracks? I want to see the little soldiers.
- PINGAJO:
There is no barracks. Quiet down about it. Come on – why don’t you go play with those girls?
- FANDANGA:
Because I’m grown up now. And I want to go to the barracks. (Whining.) I want to go to the barracks.
- Copyright
-
The above sample taken from the translation The Great Day When Pingajo and Fandanga Got Wed by Gwynneth Dowling is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
Entry written by Gwynneth Dowling. Last updated on 1 December 2011.
