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TONIK NIBAK 183<br />
The Spook and the Brother-in-Law<br />
T127<br />
Once there was a man who went to Chamula. On<br />
the way back he met his brother-in-law on the trail.<br />
"Let's drink, brother-in-law," he said. He and his<br />
brother-in-law got drunk. They came along drunk.<br />
They passed by Stzellej Minax [Mine Ridge].<br />
They went on, because the man's house was in Na<br />
Chij [Deer House].<br />
They went beyond Na Chij. A comadre of his<br />
brother-in-law had a house there. "Comadre, won't<br />
you sell me a half-pint or a pint or so?" he said,<br />
because she was a shaman [and would have leftover<br />
cane liquor].<br />
His comadre [answered], "Take it, compadre, take<br />
it. Do you just want a pint?"<br />
"Just one [pint], comadre," said his brother-in-law.<br />
They took it. They drank it. The brothers-in-law<br />
walked down [the trail] just a short distance together.<br />
They would be going along for [the last] stretch<br />
of the trail.<br />
But you see, [one of] the brothers-in-law got<br />
drunk. He had drunk a strong dose when they parted<br />
company. His brother-in-law's house was probably<br />
nearby. "Won't you sleep here in my house, brotherin-law?<br />
Will you spend the night?" asked [the second]<br />
brother-in-law.<br />
"No, brother-in-law, because [my wife], your<br />
younger sister, is waiting up, watching the night go<br />
by. She doesn't lock the door, she just pushes the<br />
door closed for the night. Something might happen<br />
to her," said the [first] brother-in-law.<br />
He meant to go on. He meant to arrive home.<br />
But he never arrived home. He jumped over the<br />
stream. Toch' they call it, in Na Chij. He jumped.<br />
He landed way off on his knees. He landed rolling,<br />
"Oh, hell, I guess I'll sober up," he said. Then he<br />
tried to sober up. He fell asleep. He slept soundly.<br />
He didn't wake up, not until the devil went and<br />
woke him in the evening. He didn't wake up until he<br />
felt [his head] being lifted up and jostled.<br />
Then he felt his hair being wetted down. He felt<br />
the cold, then, it seems. Then, "How come he's<br />
burning?" said the Spook. He stood back, he moved<br />
away because [the man] was burning. The Spook<br />
was scared because he was burning. "Oh, but why<br />
did I get burnt?" said the Spook.<br />
He fled this far away, then he returned again. "I'll<br />
put [the fire] out with water. I'm going to bring the<br />
water in my mouth. I'm going to scoop it up in my<br />
hands," said the Spook.<br />
But it was no fire! It was because the man was<br />
7A ti vo7ne 7oy la jun vinik 7ay la ta Chamu7 sut<br />
la talel 7un, 7ista la ta be sbol. "Kuch'tik 7a li, bol,"<br />
xi la. 7Iyakub la xchi7uk ti sbol 7une, jyakubelik la<br />
tal 7un.<br />
Va7i 7un, 7i7ech'ik la ta Stzellej Minax, 7ibatik la<br />
7un yu7un la Na Chij sna ti vinik 7une.<br />
Va7i 7un, k'otik la ta sjelavel Na Chij 7un, 7o la te<br />
jun sna skumale taj sbol 7une. "Kumale, mi muk' bu<br />
xachonbon junuk kwarta junuk meria mi k'u xi?" xi<br />
la 7un. Yu7un la j7ilol 7un.<br />
Va7i 7un, 7a ti skumale 7une, "7Ich'o, kumpare,<br />
7ich'o, mi jun nox meria chak'an?"<br />
"Jun nox, kumale," xi la ti bolil 7une.<br />
Va7i 7un, yich'ik la 7un, yuch'ik la 7un, 7a ti bolil<br />
7une, naka xa no la jun soral li xchi7in sbaik yalel<br />
7un, stuk xa la bat j-tuch' be.<br />
Bu xavil, ti mu bolil 7une, 7iyakub la 7un, tzotz xa<br />
la yuch'oj taj 7ixch'ak sbaik, yu7un nan nopol xa sna<br />
ti sbole. "Mi muk' chavay H7 ta jnae, bol, mi<br />
xach'amun na?" xi la ti bolil 7une.<br />
"Mo7oj, bol, ja7 ta ja7 ti 7avixlel te ta xmalavan te<br />
xk'elk'on chbat 7ak'ubal, ja7 la mu sna7 smak snae,<br />
naka nox tznup' vayuk i snae, naka me 7u k'u spas,"<br />
xi la ti bolil 7une.<br />
Va7i 7un, bat la ti chal 7une, xa7uk la xk'otuk ti ta<br />
sna.<br />
Bu, muk' la xk'ot li ta sna 7une, sp'itu la li 7uk'um<br />
7a li Toch' xkaltik ta Na Chij 7une, p'it la 7un.<br />
Bu, taj to la kejel 7ik'ote xbalet to la k'ot 7un. "7Ii<br />
kavron, jkux ka7tik," xi la 7un. Lajeltza tzkux la ti<br />
chal 7une, 7och 7o la svayel, vay la ta j-mek 7un, mu<br />
la bu yul xch'ulel 7un, ja7 to la ba tijvanuk ti pukuj ta<br />
7ak'ubaltik 7une, ja7 to la cha7i ti toyilanat tijulanat,<br />
mu la bu yul 7o xch'ulel.<br />
Va7i 7un, ja7 to la cha7i ti yolel xa stzebiltasat<br />
7une, cha7i xa sik ya7el 7une. Ja7 to, "K'u van yu7un<br />
ti chtile?" xi la ti j7ik'al 7une. Chlok' lok' la ech'el ti<br />
chtil 7une, ta la xxi7 7un, yu7un la chi7 ti mu j7ik'al ti<br />
chtil 7une. "7A pero k'u yu7un 7a ti xik'ak'e?" xi la ti<br />
j7ik'ale.<br />
Va7i 7un, chjatav la ech'el xi snatil, ja7 7o la tzsut<br />
tal noxtok. "Ta jtup' ta vo7, chba jkum tal vo7, chba<br />
jk'et tal ta jk'ob," xi la ti j7ik'al 7une. Sk'et la tal ti<br />
vo7 7une, ta la xtal stup' ti k'ok' 7une.<br />
Buy, mu la ma k'ok'uk 7un, yu7un la ma jyakubel