Negrinho do Pastoreio

Negrinho do Pastoreio (Grazing Black Boy) is an afro-christian legend popular in the south of Brazil. The most widespread version of this legend says a story about a farmer who abused his slaves. Below the version of this legend taken from the book "Lendas e mitos do Brasil".

On a very cold day, the mean farmer said to a slave boy to go herd horses. At the end of the day, the boy returned to the farm, but one of the horses was missing, and the farmer became angry with the boy and hit the kid, who started bleeding.

Scared, the boy went searching the lost horse and found it. The animal was feeding, the boy tied it, but the rope tore and the boy lost the horse again. Back in the farm, he told the farmer again that the horse was lost, and the farmer hit the boy again and tied him naked over an anthill. In the next day, the farmer went to see the boy's body, but got scared because he was still alive with no marks. Standing on the boy's back, stayed the Blessed Virgin Mary and all the horses, including the lost one. The farmer, in shock, asked for forgiviness, but the boy didn't listen to him. Instead he just kissed the Blessed Virgin Mary's hand, got on the horse and left.