PEPITO MANALOTO Drama

Pepitone Manaloto Drama

Pepitone Manaloto (aka PEPITO) is a telemetry published story written by Jose P. Estrella, the famous writer of the Vagabond Boy and other storytellers. It is about a young boy who was abandoned by his father at a tender age. He was raised by two maids in a neighboring house with the help of his nanny. One day, the nanny disappeared along with her maid's ring. A search of the area failed to bring back the missing person and so the police were informed of the incident.

Shortly thereafter, the son returned home and reported that his nanny had been stolen. Neighbors warned the boy that his "aunt" would come and pick him up and take him away. When the boy resisted, his "aunt" threatened that she would kill him if he ever returned to the house. Seeing the futility of resistance, the boy relented and promised to return home safely. He promised to be good and to behave well.

Two weeks later, the "aunt" picked up the boy and took him to a cabin for the night. She chained him to a post above the ground and left him there for three days. He managed to escape during the first night and after making a full circle, he saw a figure emerging from the darkness and making his way towards him.

As he got nearer, panic began to grip him and he started to scream. However, the apparition vanished when he bumped into a wall. Several months passed before he noticed the ring on his finger. The next thing he remembered was being bundled into a car and driven off somewhere.

Thereafter, Pepitone Manaloto was featured in a number of works, most of them were short plays. In 1840, he was arrested for attempting to assassinate the foreign ambassador. He spent a short time in jail but was released after paying heavy fines. He retired to live the simple life.

As for the story behind the Manaloto Doll, some believe that she may have been a victim of infanticide, as her father was never able to pay off his debts. Others say that the character was based on a real girl called Mano who lived around the same region in Brazil. In modern times, she has become a beloved character in Brazilian folk culture. Pepitone Manaloto is considered the first true romantic Brazilian story. She remains to this day a national icon.