One common thread runs through all the legends. La Llorona always kills her children. A favored story goes that her lover selfishly gave La Llorona an ultimatum; either she give up her young children or she give him up. Blinded by love, the foolish young woman made a fateful decision that would haunt her into eternity. She drowned her children so that she could keep the love of her man.
Freed from the responsibilities of motherhood, she enjoyed one adventure after another with her handsome lover. For a time the two of them lived a happy carefree life. Then one day she saw a young mother and her children laughing happily in the marketplace and the horror of what she had done to her own children came rushing back to her.
La Llorona became withdrawn and sullen. The laughter that once surrounded her little cottage was replaced by deed sorrowful sobs. Her long lustrous hair, greatly admired by all, turned dull and stringy. Filled with guilt and remorse, she slowly lost her beauty. Little by little her mind became unhinged. Late at night, she began wandering along the water's edge calling for her children.
One evening the handsome man walked out of the cottage, never to return. When she finally realized that her unfaithful lover had ran away with another woman, La Llorona decided to put an end to her suffering.
In a pitiful attempt to atone for the murders of her offspring, she poisoned herself and died an agonizing death. But, there would be no resting in peace for La Llorona. Shortly after her burial in a pauper's cemetery, people started to see her ghost walking forlornly along the banks of the river, wailing loudly.
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