Ladino is the archaic written idiom of the Spanish-speaking Jews; in it are found translations of the Bible, of liturgy, and of didactic works, and even of some original ethical tracts. The term “Ladino” is commonly but mistakenly applied to the vernacular language of the Sephardim, which is, properly, “Judezmo.” Ladino, printed in rabbinic Hebrew characters, has a number of interesting “folk” stories, such as the one below on the discovery of America. (In it, however, there is no mention of Columbus, nor any hint that the discoverer was in any way Jewish.) The story as given is the translation of some pages from a work bearing the Hebrew title Sefer Derkhe ha-Adam (“The Book of Man’s Ways”), which was published in Salonika in the year 5603 (1842/3), with the “approbation” of Sultan Abdul Medjid. The heterogeneous contents of the volume as a whole are of a derivative authorship. The compiler admits quite freely that most of its incidents are from chapter two of the Sefer ha-B’rith, that to this he has added a bit of preachment and a number of parables from the Sefer ha-Dorot, from Shebet Yehudeh and such like, all of which he has “translated into Ladino.” In retranslating this “folk” version I have attempted to reproduce the direct narrative style of the original.

The second story was told to me in Judezmo, and is one of a large number of folk tales that I have gathered by word of mouth which the Sephardic Jews still call by the Spanish term consejas, “short moral stories.” The one I retell was given me by the naive wife of Rabbi Franco, of the then very small Sephardic community in the only city of the Dodecanese Island of Chios.

—William Milwitzky

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The New World

Said King Solomon in Ecclesiastes that there is no new thing in this world which was not before. Yet what we see now seems a new thing to us. May you know for certain that it has been, long before.

And there be those who ask: “What see we now! How many new things come forth each day! How, then, could King Solomon say that there is nothing new?” And the answer is simply that what King Solomon did say is: “There cannot come forth new things.” Thus, by way of example, there are seven metals in the world: that an eighth may evolve—that cannot be. For, ever since Blessed-Be-His-Name created the world, He for certain created seven metals. Now, that some sort of new grasses or trees should come forth, even that is something that cannot be. Or again, that some new beast or new animal should evolve, neither can that be. And, since all these things in the world cannot come forth as new creations—that is why King Solomon said: “And there is nothing new under the sun.”

However, things of artifice that appear each day, such as, by way of example, the steamship—that Solomon did not say. For it is not the metal that has sprung up as a new thing: it is rather the old iron, which is now needed for the steamship, and the various woods. Thus also the rest of the things that are needed, they are already in the world, except that they had to be worked as instruments for the iron and the wood. Likewise is this true for every kind of utensil that has evolved and will evolve. All are worked with old metals; all these metals already existed, indeed ever since the world was created.

However, as for the Americas, which they found in the year five thousand two hundred and fifty-eight (as is written in the Sefer Divre ha-Yamim), they call it the New World, and the Turkish language calls it Yení Dunyá. Yet, it is not true that it is new. For, ever since Blessed-Be-His-Name created the earth, it was already created together with the Americas. Only this: it has been called new for the reason that it was hidden from our eyes. And now I shall teach you how America came to be found.

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There was a man who lived in the city of Castile. His name was America; he was a Spaniard. And he had a great ship. So he gathered much victuals, which he put inside the ship, for his heart yearned to go upon the Great Sea, which is called Okeanos. And so he moved far away from the seat of the world, traveling many days upon the water whither the foot of “the son of man” had not yet passed, not since the time when Blessed-Be-His-Name had created the world. Nor did he behold other than the heaven and the sea.

And they traveled into the wide gulf, until they no longer saw the star by which sailors travel. And this star is called the “Tramontane.” In another place I shall teach you that nowadays the sailors do not travel with this star, but rather with the binnacle, which came forth only a little while ago. And I shall teach you how they used to travel by watching this star.

But now that the above-said star was lost to them, they did not know whither to go. And they went as if drunk. Then they sought to turn back; but they could not. Then, at last, their victuals on the ship gave out, and they began to exclaim, each to his God, and they said: “Since there is not the means of returning to dry land, and we are going to die of hunger, all of us together, and since this is surely so, let us cast lots. And upon whom the lot falls, him let us eat, so that we may keep our souls alive. And perhaps, traveling farther forward into the gulf, we shall find land.”

And just when they were engaged in these discussions, the captain raised his eyes, and he beheld land far off. And he shouted: “Brothers! I have just seen land!” Then the men became happy; they descended upon land, and they came upon a little town. The people that were in it went about naked, with their shame showing. But they were not ashamed.

And they spoke with these men, but they did not know the sailors’ languages and could not understand, except that some sailors knew how to speak the Ishmaelite tongue; and they asked them for bread. Now they brought them a loaf, very dry and black, a loaf that was not of wheat, but rather of the root of a grass that grew there. This root they dry and stamp on, and make it something like a dry flour; then they make it into a loaf and they eat it.

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The people of this little town now marveled much at seeing these Spaniards with their weapons. And when they heard the voice of the gun they marveled much more. Terror took hold of them, and they kept saying: “These are not sons’ of men, but rather angels from the heavens. And there is none that may say to them: ‘Why do you thus, seeing that you burn us with your breaths?’” And they were much afraid. However they led them to their houses, and gave them much gold and silver, while the Spaniards gave them knives and other things that are not found in that place.

And the Spaniards took enough victuals for the way, and much silver and gold, since much of it is found in this place. Then they came to Spain, to their city, happy and gay at heart. And they told their brethren and comrades whatever passed through their heads.

Now many other captains became jealous. Many of them, however, found nothing, and nothing more was heard of them. While many others did find this little town, and they returned thence with much riches.

The King of Spain, since he saw that this land was very good and that in it there was much gold and silver, sent ships with an army, and took a goodly portion of this land. They called it America, because he who found it first was called America; but they also called it New Spain. And the Spaniards built houses, and have remained there to this day. They took the people of this place for slaves, and their daughters for handmaidens. But they dared not talk to their masters since there entered into them the fear of the guns, which they had never seen.

And the Spaniards remained upon the land. They seeded it and planted in it fruit and flower gardens. They also built cities in it, and put their names upon them to be the names of the cities in which they now dwelt. And they taught the people that were in the land rules and law and judgment, according to their own will. But the greatest marvel which the people of this land discovered was the following: that if one “son of man” is in another city, and he wishes to acquaint his companion to send him such things as can be found there, and he cannot go to the place where his companion is, he sends him a letter and writes him what he is in need of. And they marveled at what they beheld: that by taking a piece of paper and by taking a piece of reed and then making some black marks, which are the letters, that by accomplishing this feat they let each other understand, be it in the case of an associate or of a friend. And these people of this land kept saying: “A great thing of wonder is this!”

Then, thereafter, the French king sent ships with much armed force, and seized another quantity of the land of those people of whom we have spoken. And he called it New France.

Thus also did the Hollander.

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Now you must also know America is below us, as is written in the Sefer ha-B’rith. And to us who are dwelling on the continent of Europe, America comes below us, feet against feet. Further must you know that this world which is called Earth is round, like a ball. And the Earth is hung in the air, as it is said: “The Earth is hanging upon nothing.” But be not imposed upon mat the Earth is in touch with the Sky, as appears in front of yourself. On the contrary, in all directions is the Earth hung upon the air; in all the six parts of the Earth there is Heaven above. This means that above the Earth and below it over the four points of direction (which are North, South, East, and West), in none of these directions does the Earth touch the Sky Quite the contrary; just as great as is the distance from here to the Sky, let us say for example from Salonika, just so great is the distance from all the six parts [i.e. of the earth].

And since this is so, America is below us, feet against feet, as we have shown. And if as yet you have not understood, well! Then you must look at the figure which is printed below this page.

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Civilizing the Americans

One day were the King and the Queen [i.e. the royal couple of any tale or legend] seated by the window. She [the Queen] spread out a little kerchief, and it began to flutter in the air. Said the Queen: “How curious! Here there must be some land!” When the King heard this he said: “Hold! We shall see whether there is land!”

He ordered two ships and victuals, and sent them to discover a city. They traveled a long time, five months, but found nothing. They turned back, and said to the King that there is nothing and that their bread gave out; that they were dying of hunger.

He filled a much greater ship with bread and ordered that they search for a city. They traveled a long time. They found America. And they saw some men who were like savages. They took a small number of them, and brought them to where the King was. And he saw that they were just so many savages. He put them to school; he taught them to read and write, and made them civilized.

After some time, he sent them back to America. And afterward, all the Americans became civilized.

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