Tragic history and collection of dolls

In the south of the Mexican capital is the region of Sochimilko - the oldest Aztec settlement. Here, on the floating islands of the Lake Texcoco, Indians grew flowers for the Aztec Imperial Palace, and the crop of fruits and vegetables, which were shot three times a year, satisfied Mexico City until the beginning of the twentieth century.

This settlement is shrouded in many legends and mysterious stories, which stand alone Axolotl, who became the heroes of the eponymous story by Julio Cortasar. Here is one of these legends.

In the mid-70s of the twentieth century, a lonely peasant don Julian Santana Barrera lived on one of the islands of Xochimilco. On the island he grew fruits and vegetables, which earned him a living.

One day a girl drowned near the island, and the voice of the baby began to seem to Don Julian, the crying and wailing of the drowned woman gave no rest to the old man. Don Julian began to retrieve discarded or lost dolls from the canal and hang them in the trees. The dolls frightened away the restless spirit of the girl and protected the owner of the island from evil spirits.

For 25 years, the flow brought strangers unnecessary toys to the secluded shores, and don Julian tirelessly hung everything he found, complementing the collection with plastic heads, feet and hands, taken from nearby garbage dumps.

Don Julian with his strange passion inspired fear in the neighbors. Only his nephew, who found him dead, drowned in the same place as the unfortunate girl, at the age of 80, cared about the peasant.