Se hace de noche is a traditional rhyme in Spanish that tells the story of a vampire, or a witch in some versions. It does not really have anything to do with Halloween originally, but it fits in well with other Halloween vocabulary. The story starts out sounding spooky and the suspense builds. Then there is a silly, harmless ending that makes children laugh. It is really a Spanish joke, and kids love it.
This is a story that children learning Spanish can learn to tell. The vocabulary is basic, and they can learn actions that reinforce the meaning of the words. The rhyme is very short and they have fun learning it and telling it with spooky voices.
This is the most common version. Luis Pescetti performs this version wonderfully, and with an echo, so that kids can practice with him. You can hear him tell the (not) scary story in Spanish on his website. Luis Pescetti is a master of Spanish jokes for children!
Here are the words to that traditional version and a translation:
Se hace de noche. / Night is falling.
Se ve un castillo. / You see a castle.
Se abre la puerta. / A door opens.
Sale un vampiro. / A vampire comes out.
Toma un cuchillo / He takes a knife
yyyyy…/ and…
unta pan con mantequilla, / spreads bread with butter,
unta pan con mantequilla, / spreads bread with butter,
unta pan con mantequilla. / spreads bread with butter.
There are other versions, like this one about a witch. This version has even more common vocabulary, but there is really no rhyme scheme.
Se hace de noche. / Night falls
Sale la bruja, / The witch appears
volando en su escoba. / flying on her broom
Llega a su casa, / she gets home
entra a la cocina, / goes into the kitchen
¡saca un cuchillo! / pulls out a knife!
y le unta mantequilla a su bolillo / and spreads butter on her roll
y le unta mantequilla a su bolillo. / and spreads butter on her roll
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