Page 8 - AHATA

A9
LOCAL Wednesday 27 august 2025

The legend of the Kibrahacha tree

(Oranjestad)—The Kibraha- growing its green leaves. nied Aretima back to her top where the flowers are.
cha is a famous tree known The Kibrahacha is especially hut, where he encountered Aretima, just as determined
locally for its bright, yellow particular, as it’s the only one her father in a bad state. Not to save her father, didn’t
flowers that blooms for just among its neighboring trees willing to waste any time, he hesitate to start.
three days. Scientifically to starts blooming first. told Aretima that the only
known as Tabebuia billbergii, thing that can cure her fa- To her surprise, every time
and in English as the Yellow The legend of the Kibraha- ther is a home-made potion she plucked a thorn of the
Poui, this tree is native to the cha made out of the Kibrahacha tree, a bright, yellow flower
Caribbean islands of Aruba, Written by Hubert (Lio Booi) flower. At the time the Kibra- bloomed in its place. The
Bonaire and Curacao, and is hacha was not yet in her thorns were hard to pluck
considered among locals as One day Aterima, who lived blooming season, but the out, but Aretima continued
one of the most spectacu- west of the hill Sero War- stubborn Kudawecha was plucking with enthusiasm ther’s fever left his body im-
lar trees on the island. But awara, woke up one day to determined to bring back and wonder at the unfold- mediately, and he opened
did you also know that the find her father sleeping in his Aretima’s father back to ing sight before her. Not too eyes and sprung up feeling
beautiful yellow flowers have hammock, suffering a bout health, and so off they went long after she was able to new.
a story behind them? of terrible fever. Her mother to the nearest Kibrahacha fill her entire satchel with the
was very worried, and as tree. yellow flowers. Kudawecha, The next morning, they all
The Kibrahacha is said to was the custom in the olden satisfied to see Aretima so visited the same Kibraha-
have extremely hard wood— days, asked Aterima to go When they arrived at the happy and encouraged cha tree that saved the life
so hard that it can break an fetch Kudawecha, who was tree, they saw that it was to help her father, took her of Aretima’s father and they
axe. In fact, that’s what its a epistemophile, to come covered head to toe in back to her hut. saw another miracle. The
name means in Papiamen- see his father. thorns, with only a few closed tree was covered again in
to: “kibra” (break) “hacha” flowers at the very top. Ku- Upon arriving back at the the same bright, yellow flow-
(axe). The flowers bloom Aterima wasted to time and dawecha, experienced hut, Aretima’s mother quickly ers, with not a thorn in sight.
around April and May, but went to go fetch Kudawe- veteran in all things Aruban made a tea out of the flow- And as the legend goes,
this only last for about three cha. Upon telling Kudawe- flora and fauna, told Aretima ers and gave it to her sick from that day on, the Kibra-
days, as the flowers start to cha that her father was sick, to start plucking the thorns husband. Miraculously, after hacha tree no longer pro-
fall off and the tree starts he immediately accompa- of the tree to climb to the just one sip of the tea, the fa- duced any more thorns.q

Birds of Aruba; Caribbean Parakeet- Prikichi

(Oranjestad)—If we go back 15 years ago,
visitors of Aruba could delight at seeing
flocks of native, wild parakeets roaming the
countryside, sometimes coming near some
of the resorts that maintain native vegetation.
Unfortunately, this bird has experience steep
declines in recent years, apparently due to
introduced boa’s. Although efforts are under-
way to eradicate the snake, such a task is
proving difficult.

To try and locate Brown-throated Parakeets,
listen to their loud, raucous shrieks. The birds
may appear green at first glimpse, but a
closer view will reveal the beautiful bluish col-
ors in the wings, the yellow under the tail, and
the yellowish eye ring. Parakeets from Aruba
are described as a distinct subspecies and
are drabber than the subspecies from Cura-
çao and Bonaire, which have brighter yellow
on the face and throat. q