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There was a man whose wife died.
The man went to look for work in Simojovel. I
don't know if he worked for maybe three weeks, if
that's how long he worked. Then they came back
from work.
He had three friends. He said to his friends ....
They neared San Juan [el Bosque], San Juan Chamula,
as we say. It used to be the town of Chamula,
but it isn't anymore. It has changed. The women's
clothes [skirts] are blue now like the women's here.
Yes! ,
Well, since the man's wife had died he wanted to
look for a replacement for his wife.
"Uncle," he said to his friends, "you go on while I
pass by and visit in the town here," he said. They
were on the road passing by the town of San Juan.
They were coming from Simojovel, because they
were returning home.
"What are you going to look for?" they asked.
"I think I'll go look and see if there are any
cigars," he said, since [the people of] San Juan make
cigars. The only work they do is with tobacco,
tobacco for cigarettes, for cigars. "I'll pass by. I'll
pass by and look for some, I'll go ask for some to
smoke. I'll see if there are any cigars already made,"
he said.
He arrived. He found a man sitting there.
"Are you there?"
"I am here," he said.
"Have you any cigars made? I'll buy some," he
said.
"No, there aren't, but if you want some I'll make
them right away. Sit down a minute or so," he said.
The man knew. He knew. He knew the gossip that
there were girls there. The people of the town are
kind-hearted. He had brought a liter of cane liquor.
"Well, won't you drink a little? Come on, let's
drink!" he said. He was sitting there by the door.
"No, what's in it for you?" said the old man.
"Nothing in particular. We'll drink and chat. Let's
drink a little."
After they drank up the liter then he started to tell
him, "Ah, do you happen to know if there aren't,
where there are, if there is any place where there is a
woman who can be petitioned here, because my wife
is dead," he said when he arrived.
"Eh, do you want to stay here?"
"I want to come here [and stay] for good."
"Ah, if you come here, women there are!" he said.
"There are women, but if you take her home with
you we certainly won't give her away," he said.
"But if you come here, if you leave your country
MANVEL K'OBYOX 359
A Bride for a Liter
T92
7Oy la jun vinik 7a li 7icham yajnil.
Bweno, li vinike bat la ta sa7-abtel ta Tzima7
Jobel, mu jna7 mi 7abtej nan 7oxibuk xemana k'u
cha7al 7i7abtej la 7un, 7isutik tal ta 7abtel 7une.
Bweno, 7oy 7oxibuk 7ox-vo7 schi7iltak la 7un,
7iyalbe li schi7iltake 7oy te, 7oy te, yu7un tzk'an 7oy
te ta San-jwan 7une, San-jwan Chamula xkaltik 7une,
ja7 ti jtek-lum Chamu7 to 7ox pero ma7uk xa,
k'exem, yox xa sk'u7 chak k'u cha7al li 7antzetik H7e.
Ji7 la.
Bweno, li komo chamem yajnile che7e, tzk'an la
tzsa7be sk'exol li yajnil 7une.
Bweno, 7a li "Jun tot," xut la li schi7il 7une.
"T'abuk to batan, te to chi7ech' ta vula7al H7 ta
jtek-lume," xi la 7un. Ta jtek-lum San-jwan 7une te
7ech' ta be 7un, likik tal ta Tzima7 Jobel yu7n tzut
tal tzna.
Bweno, "K'u ch7ech' 7asa7?" xi.
"Ch7ech' jsa7 ka7tik mi 7oy puro," xi la. Komo
sna7ik smeltzan puro li San-jwan 7une, naka naka
moy sna7 x7abtejik, moy skwenta sik'alal, skwenta
puro. "Chi7ech' chi7ech' jsa7, ja7 ta jk'an taj
chisik'alaj, ta jk'el mi 7o meltzanbil puro," xi la.
Bweno, k'ot la, te la chotol jun mol te, te sta 7un.
Bweno, "Mi H7ote?"
"Li7one," xi.
"Muk' 7ameltzanoj puro ta jman," xi la.
"Mu7yuk pero ti mi chak'an chak'ane ta jmeltzan
ta 7ora, chotlan j-likeluk," xi la 7un.
Bweno, 7a li vinike, sna7oj sna7oj i yu7un
sna7ojbe la sk'oplal k'u la 7o la tzebetik te yo7 7une,
lek yo7on ti jtek-lum 7une, ssa7oj la ech'el jun litro
trago 7un. "Bweno, muk' chavuch' j-tz'ujuk, Ia7
kuch'tik!" xut la. Te la chotol ta ti7 na 7un.
"Mo7oj, k'u stu 7avu7un?" xi la ti mol 7une.
"Yech no 7ox chkuch'tik xilo7ilajotik kuch'tik
j-tz'ujuk."
Bweno, laj la yuch'ik li jun litro 7une, ja7 to la lik
yalbe 7un. "7A mi mu xana7, mi mu, bu 7oy, mi mu
no 7ox bu 7oy 7a li 7antz stak' jak'el 117 toe porke
chamem kajnil?" xi la yulel 7un.
"7E, mi7n chak'an H7 chakome?"
"Yu7un ta jk'an H7 chital ta j-moje."
"7A ti mi yu7un chatal Ii7 toe, 7a li 7antze 7oy!" xi
la 7un. "7A li 7antze 7oy, pero ti mi7n chavik' ech'el
ta 7anae mu xkak'tikotik ech'el 7un bi 7a," xi. "Yan ti
mi chatal Ii7 toe chavikta komel 7alumale, mi chatal