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                                                                                                           LOCAL Wednesday 19 June 2024






























             The legend of the Kibrahacha tree




             (Oranjestad)—The Kibrahacha is a famous tree  Kudawecha. Upon telling Kudawecha that her
             known locally for its bright, yellow flowers that  father was sick, he immediately accompanied
             blooms for just three days. Scientifically known as  Aretima back to her hut, where he encountered
             Tabebuia billbergii, and in English as the Yellow  her father in a bad state. Not willing to waste any
             Poui, this tree is native to the Caribbean islands of  time, he told Aretima that the only thing that can
             Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao, and is considered  cure her father is a home-made potion made
             among locals as one of the most spectacular  out of the Kibrahacha flower. At the time the
             trees on the island. But did you also know that  Kibrahacha was not yet in her blooming season,
             the beautiful yellow flowers have a story behind  but the stubborn Kudawecha was determined to
             them?                                           bring back Aretima’s father back to health, and
                                                             so off they went to the nearest Kibrahacha tree.
             The Kibrahacha is said to have extremely hard
             wood—so hard that it can break an axe. In fact,  When they arrived at the tree, they saw that it
             that’s what its name means in Papiamento: “kibra”  was covered head to toe in thorns, with only a
             (break) “hacha” (axe). The flowers bloom around  few closed flowers at the very top. Kudawecha,
             April and May, but this only last for about three  experienced veteran in all things Aruban flora and
             days, as the flowers start to fall off and the tree  fauna, told Aretima to start plucking the thorns
             starts growing its green leaves. The Kibrahacha is  of the tree to climb to the top where the flow-
             especially particular, as it’s the only one among  ers are. Aretima, just as determined to save her
             its neighboring trees to starts blooming first.   father, didn’t hesitate to start.

             The legend of the Kibrahacha                    To her surprise, every time she plucked a thorn  it to her sick husband. Miraculously, after just one
             Written by Hubert (Lio Booi)                    of the tree, a bright, yellow flower bloomed in  sip of the tea, the father’s fever left his body im-
                                                             its place. The thorns were hard to pluck out, but  mediately, and he opened eyes and sprung up
             One day Aterima, who lived west of the hill Sero  Aretima continued plucking with enthusiasm and  feeling new.
             Warawara, woke up one day to find her father  wonder at the unfolding sight before her. Not too
             sleeping in his hammock, suffering a bout of ter-  long after she was able to fill her entire satchel  The next morning, they all visited the same Kibra-
             rible fever. Her mother was very worried, and as  with the yellow flowers. Kudawecha, satisfied to  hacha tree that saved the life of Aretima’s fa-
             was the custom in the olden days, asked Aterima  see Aretima so happy and encouraged to help  ther and they saw another miracle. The tree was
             to go fetch Kudawecha, who was a epistemo-      her father, took her back to her hut.          covered again in the same bright, yellow flowers,
             phile, to come see his father.                                                                 with not a thorn in sight. And as the legend goes,
                                                             Upon arriving back at the hut, Aretima’s mother  from that day on, the Kibrahacha tree no longer
             Aterima wasted to time and went to go fetch  quickly made a tea out of the flowers and gave  produced any more thorns.q

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