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"Ah!" he said. "There is, but just by the job," said
the person who lived there.
"Oh fine, I guess I'll see, then, if it can be done, if I
can finish the job. I guess I'll try it out. I guess I'll
work if you give me the job," said John Skin.
"Go to work, then!" said the boss. He went to
work. He didn't give a thought to any of the jobs at
all. He earned a lot in a day. Who knows how many
jobs he finished in a day of work. Every day his
grass was piled up there.
But you see, little by little it was learned that there
was somebody by the name of John Skin. A king
heard. The king sent for him because there was a
huge serpent that came to the king's house. At
midnight it [came] looking for a meal. The serpent
would come. The serpent would lure the people
away so that it could eat them, so it could fill its
belly. That's why [John Skin] was summoned to
another country. "Well, I'm going, then!" said John
Skin. "Are you there, Your Majesty?" said John Skin
when he arrived.
"I am here," he said.
"Ah, what do you wish? What is your bidding?"
asked John Skin.
"There is no mandate. I am simply asking you if
you don't wish me to make you my son, if you don't
wish to become my son, if you don't wish me to give
you one of my daughters, if you don't wish to marry
her," said the king.
"Ah!" he said. "Where is your daughter?" he
asked.
"She is here. She will come. Wait! I will send for
her," he said.
"Ah!" said John Skin. "Send for her, then!" he
said. The king summoned his daughter. She came.
She spoke to him.
"I have come now. Enjoy yourself! Shall we live
together? Don't you want me?" said the king's
daughter.
"I do!" said John Skin.
"Ah!" she said. "Fine, but that's only if we stay
here for certain—if you don't run away later on, if
you don't ever leave, if you stay for good," said the
girl.
"Well, agreed!" said John Skin. The sun set. Night
fell.
"Well, I am sleeping here. You go sleep over there
with my daughter, in another room a little further
away. Go and sleep over there," said the old man,
the girl's father.
"Well, that's fine," said John Skin. He went to
spend the night alone with his wife. [The king] let
him take her. He was going to sleep with her the
very first night. He left [with her]. He was overjoyed
because he was going to be with his wife now.
ROMIN TERATOL 33
"7Aj!" xi la. "7Oy, pero naka taria," xi la ti yajval
lum 7une.
"7A bweno ta jk'el kik che7e mi xlok'e mi xlok'
ku7un i tariae, ta jpas kik preva, chi7abtej kik mi
chavak'bon kabtele," xi la ti Jwan Kwero 7une.
"7Abtejan che7e!" xi la ti yajval 7abtele. 7I7abtej
la 7un, ke mu la kwentauk xa7i ju-jun taria ta j-mek
7un, 7ep la spas kanal ta k'ak'al, jna7tik la jayib taria
ta j-mek xlok' ta k'ak'al yu7un ti 7abtel 7une, te la
tzelel sjobel ta j-mek ju-jun k'ak'al 7un.
Buy 7un, k'unk'un la vinaj 7un ti 7oy jun Jwan
Kwero sbi 7une, 7iya7i la jun rey 7un, 7a ti rey 7une,
7itakvan la ta 7ik'el 7un, porke yu7un la 7oy te j-kot
muk'ta chon ta xyul te ta sna ti jun rey 7une, yu7un
la ta ssa7 sve7el ta 7ol la 7ak'ubal, ta xyul ti chone,
yu7un la ja7 yech taslo71o 7o ech'el ti krixchanoetik
yo7 xti7e 7o 7une, yo7 xnoj 7o xch'ut ti chon 7une,
yech'o ti 7istak ta 7ik'el ta jun lum 7une. "Bweno,
chibat che7e!" xi la ti Jwan Kwero 7une. 7Este, "Mi
Ii7ote, senyor rey?" xi la k'otel ti Jwan Kwero 7un.
"Li7one," xi la.
"7A, k'usi chaval k'usi mantal?" xi la ti Jwan
Kwero 7une.
"Mu k'usi mantal, Ii7 chakalbee, mi mu xak'an
xajch'amalin, mi mu xak'an xakom ta jch'amal, mi
mu xak'an chakak'be jun jtzeb, mi mu xak'an xavik',"
xi la ti rey 7une.
"7A!" xi la. "Buy latzeb 7une?" xi.
"Ja7 Ii7e, ta xtal, malao ta jtak ta 7ik'el," xi la.
"7A!" xi la ti Jwan Kwero 7une. "Tako ta 7ik'el
che7e!" xi la 7un. 7Istak la ta 7ik'el stzeb ti rey 7une,
7ital la 7un, 7isk'opon la 7un.
"Li7 litale, kux 7avo7on mi chkik' jbatik mi mu
xak'anon?" xi la ti stzeb rey 7une.
"Ta jk'an!" xi la ti Jwan Kwero 7une.
"7A!" xi la. "Bweno pero yu7un me li j-moj
chikomotik 7o 7une, mu me k'unuk to xajatav 7un,
mu me bu xabat 7un, yu7un me li chakom 7o 7une,"
xi la ti tzeb 7une.
"Bweno, yechuk!" xi la ti Jwan Kwero 7une. Mai
la ti k'ak'al 7une, 7och la 7ak'ubal 7un.
"Bweno, 7a li vo7one Ii7 chivaye, 7a li vo7oxuk
xchi7uk i jtzebe, ba vayanik Ie7 ta jun kwartoe, 7a li
mas nomnomtik ba vayanik te yo7e," xi la ti mol
7une, stot i tzeb 7une.
"Bweno, stak'," xi la ti Jwan Kwero 7une. Stuk ba
vayuk xchi7uk ti yajnil 7une, 7i7ak'bat yik', 7ixchi7in
primero 7ak'ubal to 7ox 7un bi, 7ibat 7un, xmuyibaj
xa 7un, yu7un xa chchi7in yajnil.