Dead End
The protagonist of this coming of age story by Rudolfo Anaya faces a difficult decision: to honor a promise made to her dying mother, or risk ending a budding romance with the most sought after boy in school. Whichever choice she makes is likely to lead to a “dead end” of sorts. She comes close to a decision while ‘making out’ with the boy in his car. Fortunately, a childhood memory and plaintive sob from a passing bag lady help clear her mind. Themes: determination, family responsibility, dreams (a better future vs. ‘fitting in’ with the gang), sexuality, life choices
In this story by 
In this folktale from the American Southwest, a misunderstanding arises due to a priest’s poor choice of words. In soliciting donations, he alludes to the biblical concept expressed in Mark 10:30, whereby he who gives up everything for God will be rewarded a hundredfold. A misled, or more likely wily, parishioner donates a cow and takes a hundred of the priest’s cattle in return. The story’s message is to make sure you understand the culture of people you are dealing with before making promises and, even then, be careful what you say.