El Duende
A SMALL, GNOMELIKE CREATURE from Spanish and Latin American folklore with a prominent place in Mexican-American oral tradition of the US Southwest. Described as a tiny old man or child-like figure wearing a large hat and carrying a walking stick, El Duende lives in forests, caves, abandoned buildings, and rural areas. His most distinctive feature is his backward feet, making it easy to identify his tracks but difficult to follow him. He is known for playing tricks on humans — stealing food, hiding objects, tangling hair, leading travelers in circles through the woods, and making strange noises