El Retablo de las Maravillas

The Puppetshow of Wonders by Miguel de Cervantes tells the story of two con artists, Chanfalla and Chirinos, who come to a town to put on an unusual show. Onstage, puppets tell a story that supposedly cannot be seen by those who are 'bastard' children born out of wedlock or who do not have 'pure blood', that is, those who were not old Christians without any Muslim or Jewish ancestry. The audience members who attend the show belong to the upper classes of the town. There is a comical scene where Chanfalla describes the 'wonders' that appear on stage (Samson, a bull, mice, lions and even bears) and, in reality, nothing is happening at all. There is only an empty wooden box, an expectant audience, and a narrator inventing a story. However, the members of the audience pretend to be able to see the great wonders that are told, for fear of being considered illegitimate children or Jewish converts.