The story is told that more than fifty years ago,in 1940 to be exact, three men dressed in dark suits, came to Mojácar. They said that they represented Walt Disney Studios and that they were looking for the birth certificate of José Guirao, who was born in Mojácar in 1901. They claimed that Walt Disney and José Guirao were the same person. They spent several days investigating the municipal archives, but documents from that period had been lost during the Spanish Civil War, ( they had been sold to a paper factory !). In 1940 Mojácar had no electriciy, no telephone, and nobody knew who Walt Disney was; but they knew very well who Isabel Zamora was.

The beautiful laundress had emigrated with her newborn son to Chicago, where her brother was living. The long journey with the baby had left her exhausted and disoriented and her brother suggested that she leave the child in the care of some neighbours, Elias and Flora Disney who, he assured her, were good people who already had three children.

The story recounts that the little boy was baptised for the second time in Chicago, in 1902, and with his new name he stayed with his new family. This would be the beginning of the story of Uncle Walt, the Mojaquero who left the village to bring happiness to millions of children all over the world.

 

Tito del Amo
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