The Orange Tree Deer

The Orange Deer

In 1567 explorer Pedro Menendez came to Tampa where he encountered the native Tocobaga tribe. Among the tribe he found and rescued several Europeans who had been taken captive, including Diego Cerón, a man with a remarkable tale of survival.

Cerón told his rescuers that he was part of a small expedition out of Cuba that was shipwrecked nearby. He and the other survivors had run out of all of their supplies and in desperation he decided to use some discarded orange seeds as ammunition. He went into the woods and found a large buck and shot it right in the side but it got away. 

A few months later everyone but Cerón had perished and, just as he was sure he was going to join them, he found an orange on the ground. He couldn't believe his eyes and gobbled the whole thing right up. He kept walking and soon he found another, and another.

It wasn't long before Cerón was headed back to camp, pockets full of oranges, when he heard a sound. He turned to see that same buck he shot a few months back but it looked quite different. The buck had two full sized orange trees growing right where it's horns normally would be.

Cerón followed the deer, surviving off of its oranges for years until he was eventually captured by the Tocobaga tribe. The oranges dropped by the buck are said to have seeded the first orange trees throughout Florida.

Chopping Off A Head

Spoonbill and the otter

Spoonbill and Otter had been friends so long they started growing tobacco for the cigars rollers in Ybor City. Spoonbill was up early one morning waiting to get started on their crops when a cold wind started to blow. With such a long neck he was able to tuck his head under his wing to stay warm. Right about then otter started making his way to the fields and shouted "Morning, spoonbill. What ever happened to your head?" Spoonbill was a bit of a rascal so he replied "I chopped off my head left it at home for Mrs spoonbill to comb it real good and get all the bugs out." So, otter decided he wanted to do the same thing so he ran on back home, brought an axe to his wife and said "Hey, take this axe and chop off my head. While I'm out in the fields working you can comb my hair nice and get all the bugs out." 

"Chop off your head? You fool, you'll be dead." Cried Mrs Otter

"No, I won't. I just saw spoonbill and he cut off his head and he's as alive as either of us. Now chop it off quick, I tell you. Chop it off!" 

So, Mrs. otter took the axe and chopped Mr. otter's head clean off. He wobbled around around for a few seconds and then fell over dead. After that, spoonbill ended up with the whole tobacco farm for himself.

Desidero The Catfish Merman

In the heart of Tampa, a young woman named Isabella yearned for love. Seeking guidance, she visited a sacred spring, Palma Ceia. There, she met a mysterious man, Desiderio, and fell deeply in love. However, Desiderio had a secret: he was a merman. He warned Isabella never to follow him to the spring. Unable to resist her curiosity, she did, and witnessed his transformation. Heartbroken, Isabella later gave birth to a child, half-human, half-catfish. She released the child into the spring, where it grew into the legendary walking catfish of Florida.