On Tue, 08 Jul 2003 08:24:49 +0930, Greg Mayman wrote:

> Hi List buddies!

<snip>

Thanks for the story.  Maybe it is from this story that we have
the popular expression about the "other side of the coin".

Speaking of coins, I want to tell you guys about a story I heard
about "The Enchanted Money".  The story was told to me by several
local folks when I was vacationing in Monterrey, Mexico, ca. 1972.
They say that they know the story is true because they have been
to the place of the enchanted money so that they could see it for
themselves.  They told me that if I don't believe the story they
would gladly lead me to the place of the enchanted money so that I
too might see the enchanted money myself.  It would be a very long
rugged hike to the place of the enchanted money.  They would charge
me only a very nominal and reasonable fee for their services as
guides.

This is how the story goes:

In the very early 19th century there lived in the region around
Monterrey a very famous robber.  The story tellers told me what the
name of this famous robber was, but I have long since forgotten it.
I just remember that it was a very glamorous-sounding swash-buckling
name.  I have never forgotten the rest of the story.  The robber was
a highway man who accosted only very rich people to liberate them
from their money at the point of his sword.  He had an awesome
reputation for being very swift and highly refined in the art of
using the sword.  He always told his robbery victims that after he
retires from his career as a highway man he would distribute to the
poor all of the money he had robbed.  After several years of his
having committed many highly successful highway robberies to liberate
hundreds of rich people from their money, his activities suddenly
ceased and he was not heard from since.

Around the turn of the 20th century some children discovered a cave
somewhere in a mountain near Monterrey known as El Cerro de la Silla.
They went inside the cave.  Inside the cave the children found a human
skeleton and a sword and dozens of huge piles of solid gold and silver
coins.  Upon making the discovery, all of the children reminded each
other of the fabulous story that their parents had told them about the
famous 19th century highway man who robbed the rich and who always said
that the money would be distributed to the poor.  The children of course
figured that the cave must have been the famous robber's secret hideout
and that the human remains were those of the famous robber.  The money
was the money that he had robbed and had intended to distribute to the
poor.  The children then went to the local priest to tell him of their
find.  They led the priest to the find and they asked the priest what
should be done with the money.  The priest replied that absolutely
nothing should be done with the money because the money is enchanted.
The priest declined to comment on what might happen to people who
handle enchanted money.  It seems that nobody wants conduct any tests to
find out what might happen to a person who handles enchanted money.  All
of the enchanted money remains to this very day in the place where it
was found.  The entrance to the cave where it was found is never
guarded.  Anybody inquiring about where the enchanted money is can
easily find people who will lead him to the spot for only a very nominal
and reasonable fee for guide service.  Thousands of people have visited
the place of the enchanted money.  Nobody has ever questioned the fact
that the money is enchanted because it is free for the taking and nobody
has ever taken any of it.  The Enchanted Money is accessible to anyone
who can endure taking a very rugged hike.

Did I take the story tellers up their offer to take me on a very rugged
hike?  No, but I thanked them very much for the story and I wished them
very good luck at finding somebody who would want to go with them on a
very rugged hike.

Sam Heywood
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