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18 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 23
They would bring a jug of cane liquor to get them
drunk.
When the people got us drunk they would castrate
us. They would fatten us up. When we were fat they
would turn us into oil. Who knows what we would
be turned into.
Every time, every time that our countrymen
reached [Guatemala] they would always remain.
They would always remain. They wouldn't return
any more.
In olden times the elders were stronger. There was
Thunderbolt. There was Butterfly. There was
Hawk. There was Blowfly. There was Whirlwind.
Once the elders grew angry. They went. They left
together. They went to look for a cave. When many
of our countrymen had been lost, the elders grew
angry.
They found a cave. "Go," Butterfly was told. "Go
see what they are doing," said Thunderbolt. [Butterfly]
went. Waving [his wings] he reached the center
of the town.
"I'm back," he said [when he returned to the
cave].
"What are they doing?" asked Thunderbolt.
"Well, their minds are at ease. They aren't doing
anything," he said.
"Now you go, I guess," Hawk was told.
"Go pick out all the big fat hens and bring them
back," Hawk was told.
"I'm going!" he said. He went to pick out, to
catch, and bring back all the very best hens.
He kept on catching and bringing back the
chickens. "We'll cook the meal here," said Thunderbolt.
"Fine," they said. All [the chickens] were killed.
[Hawk] picked them all out and brought them back.
The Guatemalans got a bit upset.
[The elders] had a feast. They finished eating.
"Look, Blowfly," Blowfly was told, "You go
now, go see, I guess, what they're doing," he was
told.
"Fine!" he said. He went. A big pot of food was
boiling. There were many cooks there while the
food was being cooked.
Blowfly quickly left maggots on top of the broth.
The cook came. He stirred the broth.
All that came to the top was maggots.
He told one of the generals.
"That's bad. Our enemies have come. There are
enemies [here]," said the general. Ooh, they blew
limeton pox ta xyakubtasvan.
Bweno, ti mi yakub yu7un ti krixchanoe, ta la slok'
kattik.
Bweno, ta la xisjup'esotik, mi lijup'otike, ta la
xi7ochotik ta 7asete, mu jna7tik k'usi chi7ochotik 7o.
Bweno, ju-jun bwelta ju-jun bwelta ta xk'ot ti
jchi7iltaktike, syempre ta xkom, mu xa sut tal.
Bweno, 7a ti vo7nee, mas to 7ox tzotzik ti
moletike, 7oy to 7ox la chauk, 7oy to 7ox la pepen,
7oy to 7ox la xik, 7oy to 7ox la yaxal vo, 7oy to 7ox
la sutum 7ik\
Bweno, 7ikap sjol ti moletik vo7ne 7une, 7ibatik,
7istzob sbaik ech'el, 7ik'ot ssa7ik jun ch'en, ti k'al
yu7un xa 7ep 7ich'ay ti jchi7iltaktik 7une, 7ikap sjol
ti moletike.
Bweno, 7istaik jun ch'en. "Batan!" x7utat li
pepene. "Ba k'elo k'u tzpasik!" xi ti chauke. 7Ibat,
xlichlon k'otel ta yutil jtek-lum.
Bweno, "Lisut tal," xi.
"K'usi tzpasik?" xi li chauke.
"Pwes, jun yo7onik, mu k'usi tzpasik," xi.
Bweno, "Batan xa kik vo7ot che7e," x7utat li xike.
Bweno, "Ba t'ujo tal skotol butik lek muk'tik me7
kaxlanetike," x7utat li xike.
Bweno, "Chibat che7e!" xi. 7Ibat, 7a stzak tal,
7ist'uj tal skotol butik lekik ta j-mek li me7
kaxlanetike.
Bweno, pas 7o segir, tzak 7o tal li kaxlane. "Li7 ta
jmeltzantikotik li ve7elile," xi li chauke.
Bweno," xi. Laj skotol, 7ist'uj tal skotol.
Bweno, 7ikap xa j-set' sjol li Vatimalae.
Bweno, 7ive7ik lek, laj ve7ikuk lek.
Bweno, "K'el avil, yaxal vo," x7utat li yaxal voe.
"Batan xa vo7ot, ba k'elo kik k'usi ta spasik," x7utat.
"Bweno!" xi. 7Ibat, lakal jun perol ve7elil, te 7ep
jkusineroetik yolel xta7aj li ve7elile.
Bweno, li yaxal voe, likel 7iyak' komel xuvit ta sba
li kaltoe.
7Entonse, 7ital jkusinero, 7isnikes tal li kaltoe.
7Entonse, 7imuy tal pero naka xa xuvit.
Bweno, 7iyalbe la ya7i jun totil soltero.
Bweno, "Chopol xa me 7un, tal xa me jkrontatik,
7oy xa me kronta," xi li totil solteroe. Jii, 7iyok'esin