I have the story on barriga verde as it was told to me!
Once upon a time when ships were sailing between Spain and here, a young boy, the son of a prince, was playing in the port and went on board a wooden sailing ship. But the ship sailed before he could leave and he had to hide all the way here. Once the ship docked in Santo Domingo he left the ship. Very hungry (as it was a long crossing) and very white. He walked through the streets and it looked very strange to him. An old man stopped him as he had never seen anyone so strange. He was so white and so thin that you could see his veins on his stomach through his translucent skin. So the old man christened him barriga verde. The old man taught him to steal, rob, rifle through bins. Eventually the childs father sent an envoy to look for him and took the child home to Spain. The old man was sad as they had become good friends. Once he got home the boy arranged for someone to go and find the old man and bring him to Spain which they did. And once the old man got to Spain he was showered with riches as the prince was very rich. So it all ended happily ever after!!!! And now a barriga verde means someone who is 'bruto'!!!
(Why it was green veins and not blue I have no idea!!!)
Matilda
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