Madame Zeroni

Madame Zeroni is a fictional character from the novel Holes by Louis Sachar. She lived in Latvia and was described as "an old Egyptian woman... (who) had dark skin and a very wide mouth." She is the great-great-great grandmother of Hector Zeroni otherwise known as Zero. In the 2003 film, she is portrayed by singer Eartha Kitt. She lived in Latvia where Elya Yelnats visited her to listen to her stories of the past rather than "mud-wrestle with the other boys." Elya goes to Madame Zeroni for advice as he claims he has fallen for Myra Menke, daughter of one of the wealthier people of the town. Zeroni helps him, against her better judgement telling him to go to America. She gives him a piglet and tells him to carry it up to the river sing to it until it is big enough to challenge the pig of Igor Barkov. Elya does this on the condition he carries Zeroni up the mountain on the last day. He forgets, however, and Zeroni curses him and his descendants. The curse is broken when Elya's great-great-grandson carries her great-great-great-grandson up a mountain while at a work camp.