Zorrino

Zorrino is a character from "The Adventures of Tintin" series of classic comic books drawn and written by Hergé.

Zorrino appeared in "Prisoners of the Sun". He was an indigenous Indian Peruvian boy who made a living by selling oranges in the mountain town of Jauga. Tintin and Captain Haddock arrived in Jauga on the trail of their friend Professor Calculus; he had been kidnapped by Indians who maintained the cult and traditions of the Inca civilisation in a hidden city in the mountains.

Although they were aware of Calculus' fate, fear of the Incas led the locals to simply answer "No sé" (Spanish for "I don't know") to Haddock and Tintin's questions.

Tintin then noticed Zorrino who was selling oranges and was about to question him when the boy was bullied by a pair of local white men. Tintin fought back in Zorrino's defence and Snowy chased the two goons away. Out of gratitude, and thinking that Tintin would protect him from the Inca, Zorrino offered to guide him and Haddock to the Temple of the Sun and rescue Calculus. They arranged to meet in the morning at a bridge outside of town.

The fight had been witnessed by Huascar, an agent of the Inca, who had previously made an attempt on Tintin and Haddock's life by sabotaging a train. He was surprised that a white man like Tintin would selflessly defend an Indian boy against other white men. He approached Tintin and tried to talk him out of rescuing Calculus, knowing that Tintin himself faced death if he did. When Tintin stubbornly refused Huascar gave him a medallion which he claimed could keep danger away.

("Prisoners of the Sun" was originally published in "Tintin Magazine" in 1946 and had many scenes which were not included when it was published in book form. In the magazine version Tintin and Haddock are at the bridge when they meet Huascar, who tells them that their guide has fallen ill. He smiles at Haddock's insults and walks away. Zorrino then calls them over to the bridge. He claims that Huascar took him prisoner but that he escaped. Later, while walking through the mountains, Haddock discovers a skull mounted on a pole. A terrified Zorrino says that it is a warning that he is under sentence of death for guiding foreigners to the Temple of the Sun.)

Tintin, Haddock and Zorrino then set off on a long trek through the mountains and jungles, much of it taken up by Haddock's misadventures with the local wildlife including bears, anteaters and alligators. Zorrino himself was kidnapped by other agents of the Inca, but Haddock and Tintin rescued him, showing their commitment to keeping him alive come what may.

Eventually the three travellers found themselves in the Temple of the Sun where they were captured by the Incas who lived there. Tintin then remembered Huascar's medallion and, guessing that it was a talisman which would spare the life of its owner, gave it to Zorrino. They were then taken before the Great Inca who ordered Zorrino to be killed for betraying his race. Zorrino showed the sacred medallion and the Great Inca was forced to allow him to live, though he was to remain at the Temple for the rest of his life.

Tintin, Haddock and Calculus were sentenced to be burned at the stake in spite of Zorrino's own protests. Tintin had asked to be burned on a certain day, which, he knew from a newspaper, was the day of a solar eclipse. The eclipse made the Incas believe that the Sun God did not want Tintin and his companions to be sacrificed and they were released (though as worshippers of the Sun and experienced astronomers, the Incas would have been able to predict a solar eclipse almost as well as any modern scientist).

Zorrino chose to stay at the Temple.

In other media

*In the animated film "Tintin and the Temple of the Sun", made in 1969, Tintin does not receive the medallion and Zorrino is sentenced to be burned at the stake with Tintin, Haddock and Calculus, in spite of the pleas by the Great Inca's young daughter who has taken a liking to him. The eclipse spares their lives and Zorrino stays at the Temple with the girl.

*In the original story Haddock used the newspaper to light camp fires. In a musical version of the adventure staged in 2001 [http://www.tintinologist.org/guides/stage/temple.html] , Tintin makes a paper boat out of a newspaper to entertain Zorrino after he has been attacked by the two men in Jauga. Taken prisoner at the Temple, Zorrino returns the paper boat and Tintin reads about the eclipse that saves them.