He told his pot to make rice, but it did not. The spoon did not even produce one drop of gravy. Juan’s mother beat him for telling lies. He cried and ran back to the forest with his machete, straight to the magical tree, shouting that it had deceived him.

“I did not deceive you, Juan,” said the tree. “It was your friend. Here is something that will punish all those who do you harm.” The tree split open and out came an ordinary-looking stick.

“Now listen, Juan,” said the tree. “You have only to say ‘Boombee Boombay’ and the stick will do its work until you tell it to stop. Now go, and leave me in peace forever, otherwise you will die.”

After that the tree never spoke to him again.

So Juan set off for home. Soon enough, Jaime came out to meet him. “What did you find this time?” Jaime asked. “A stick? Only a stick?”

“Boombee Boombay,” Juan replied. Then the stick flew out of his hand toward Jaime, who received a severe beating. The beating went on and on. Finally Jaime cried: “Please stop! I will return all the things I have taken from you! I will never do it again! Please forgive me!”

At last Juan told his stick to stop. Jaime ran home to fetch the silver-vomiting goat, the rice pot, and the spoon. He presented them to Juan, then fled, looking anxiously at the stick in Juan’s hand. He never came near Juan again.

Juan went home with his treasures and put them in his room. Then he locked the door. That night a gang of thieves broke into the house. They wanted to steal his new possessions, for they had already heard rumors about these wonders. Juan had gone to bed with the stick by his side. As soon as he heard the burglars, he shouted, “Boombee, Boombay!”

The stick immediately began belaboring the thieves, until they all fell down. The next morning Juan told the guardia civil (police) what had happened, without telling them of his magic stick. The guardia civil tied up all the burglars and put them in prison.