The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

IT SEEMS THAT ONE DAY MANY YEARS BACK, WHEN CUBA AND THE
UNITED STATES WERE ON SPEAKING TERMS, CUBAN PEASANTS
WOULD TRAVEL TO FLORIDA TO PURCHASE SOME OF THE THINGS
THAT WERE NOT READILY AVAILABLE IN CUBA. ONE SUCH DAY,
PEDRO LANDED IN MIAMI AND WHILE SHOPPING HE DECIDED THAT
HE WANTED A PAIR OF WOOL SOCKS. HE WENT INTO A STORE
BUT COULD NOT ASK FOR THE PRODUCT BECAUSE HE SPOKE NO
ENGLISH. HE TRIED TO ASK, BUT THE CLERK COULDN'T
UNDERSTAND. SO HE STARTED LOOKING AND WHEN HE CAME
UPON THE RACK WITH THE SOCKS HE SHOUTED, "ESO SI QUE
ES!" TO WHICH THE CLERK REPLIED, "IF YOU KNOW HOW TO
SPELL IT, WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SO?"

Submitter comment: TRANSLATION: "THIS IS IT."
INFORMANT HAS TRAVELED A GREAT DEAL IN SPANISH
SPEAKING COUNTRIES AND THIS IS WHERE HE PICKED UP
THE STORY.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT

Date learned: 09-22-1967