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222 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 23<br />

roots opened wide. It was hollow now. He went in<br />

there like a weasel.<br />

That's all there is.<br />

The woodcutter's prayer for deliverance is expressed more in<br />

prose lines of irregular length than in tight couplets, so I have<br />

not tried to force it into poetic format.<br />

It appears from the conclusion of this tale that for Tonik there<br />

is no distinction between Our <strong>Lo</strong>rd and the Earth <strong>Lo</strong>rd, because<br />

the description of the man's death fits the model of those who<br />

have made a pact with the Earth <strong>Lo</strong>rd, and who at their death<br />

must therefore depart bodily to serve him until their debt is paid.<br />

This accounts for the confusing and seemingly confused discussion<br />

of the woodcutter's burial but only partial death.<br />

Despite the European elements of this tale (a spirit appearing<br />

There was a tiny old man. He suffered. He was<br />

poor. He had nothing at all. He was alo—ne with his<br />

wife. Begging, begging, he would arrive at his neighbor's<br />

house or whatever.<br />

He would go, go get fi—re wood. On the way<br />

ba—ck he would sell his little bit of wood. Then he<br />

would eat, if his firewood had arrived.<br />

Then if his firewood arrived or was bought, then<br />

he would buy his tortillas to eat with his wife. On the<br />

way back he would rest under a madrone tree,<br />

because there was a madrone on a rise where he<br />

could set down his firewood.<br />

God,<br />

My <strong>Lo</strong>rd,<br />

Whenever will I be freed of this, my hardship?<br />

Whenever will I be freed of this, my suffering,<br />

My <strong>Lo</strong>rd?<br />

I am wretched.<br />

With difficulty I find the pay,<br />

For Thy sunbeams,<br />

Thy shade.<br />

I cannot stand it, it seems,<br />

I cannot bear it, it seems.<br />

I grow weary,<br />

Faint with exhaustion,<br />

Every afternoon, every afternoon,<br />

Selling wood, selling wood, as I do,<br />

My <strong>Lo</strong>rd,<br />

he kept saying, every time, every time the poor old<br />

man rested there under the tree.<br />

I don't know how many times [he had rested]<br />

when he was pitied by, who knows what he was,<br />

whether Thunderbolt or what. A little old man<br />

appeared. "What are you doing, son? Why do you<br />

sell wood?" asked the little old man.<br />

"God, My <strong>Lo</strong>rd, sir, I sell woo—d because I'm so<br />

wretched. I have no money. I have nothing at all. I<br />

am all alone with my wife. I have nothing to live<br />

on," he said.<br />

The Poor Woodcutter<br />

T144<br />

ti yisim te7 7une, pujul xa la te la 7och ech'el 7un<br />

chak k'u cha7al saben.<br />

Va7i 7un, ja7 yech yepal laj chak taj 7une.<br />

from between tree roots to bestow a magic cane on a poor man),<br />

I am unaware of the plot being repeated in tales from any other<br />

source.<br />

In 1963 Tonik told this story briefly to Victoria Bricker.<br />

Again, the woodcutter rests under a madrone tree and bewails<br />

his fate. An old man appears from between the roots to give him<br />

a magic walking stick. He baptises his baby, celebrating the<br />

event with a dance. The king, who has been informed by an<br />

envious neighbor, arrives and interrogates him. Because he had<br />

buried his charm, it is never discovered, and the king is convinced<br />

of his innocence (Bricker, T67). See also T144 and notes.<br />

7Oy jun 7unin mol 7abol sba me7on mu k'u 7oy<br />

yu7un ta j-mek stu—k xchi7uk yajnil, k'an-limuxna<br />

k'an-limuxna la chk'ot tzna jun mi slak'-na mi k'usi<br />

xi.<br />

Va7i 7un, chba—t ba skuch tal si—7, ta sut tale—1<br />

chchon ti yunen si7e ja7 to chve7 ti me yul ti ssi7e.<br />

7Ora, mi yul mi ch'am i ssi7 7une ja7 7o tzman tal<br />

yot chve7 7o xchi7uk ti yajnil 7une, k'alal ta xul talel<br />

7une, ja7 la tzkux yo7, ta yolon j-petz 7on te7, yu7n<br />

la 7o j-petz 7on te7 lek toyol ti balamil yo7 bu<br />

chchepan ti ssi7 7une.<br />

Yo7s,<br />

Kaiva71,<br />

K'u to 7onox 7ora xkol li jvokol Ii7i,<br />

K'u to 7onox 7ora xkol li kik'ti7 Ii7i,<br />

Kajva71,<br />

7Abol ti jbae,<br />

Vokol ta jta ti stojol,<br />

Taxojobale,<br />

Tanak'obale,<br />

Mu xu7 ya7el 7un,<br />

Mu xkuch ya7el 7un,<br />

Chilub,<br />

Chijiltzaj,<br />

Ju-jun xmal ju-jun xmal,<br />

Ti chon-si7 chon-si7 ta jpase,<br />

Kajval,<br />

xi la batel ju-ten ju-ten tzkux ti prove yo mol yo7 ti<br />

yolon te7 7une.<br />

Va7i 7un, mu jna7 ta sjayibal to bwelta k'uxubaj ta<br />

yo7on ti, na7tik k'usi yabtel, mi mi 7a li chauk mi<br />

k'usi, lok' la tal jun 7unin mol. "K'usi chapas 7un,<br />

7ijo, k'u yu7un ti chachon si7 7une?" xi la ti 7unin<br />

mol 7une.<br />

"Yo7s kajva71, senyor, ta jchon si—7 yu7un batz'i<br />

7abol jba ch'abal jtak'in ch'abal k'u 7oy ku7un jtuk<br />

xchi7uk kajnil mu k'u cha7al xive7," xi la 7un.

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