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52 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY NUMBER 23
Long ago there was a man who loaded a cart to be
drawn by a pair of oxen. The oxen were standing in
the middle of the road. Coyote arrived. "What are
you doing, Ox?" he asked.
"I'm not doing anything. I have a load," said [Ox].
"Who gave you your load?" asked Coyote.
"Man did," said Ox.
"What's Man like? Is he terribly strong? Can't you
What's Man Like?
T3
Bweno, 7a ti vo7nee, 7o la jun vinik 7iyak'be
yikatz 7iskil kareta jun mankornal vakax, te la
kotajtik ta 7o71ol be ti vakax, 7ital la 7ok'il. "K'usi
chapas, toro?" xi la.
"Mu k'u ta jpas 7oy kikatz," xi la.
"Buch'u layak'be lavikatze?" xi ti 7ok'ile.
"Ja7 li vinike," xi ti vakaxe.
"K'u x7elan li vinike, mi toj mas tzotz, mi mu stak'
eat him? I'll eat him," said Coyote. "Why don't you ti7el ta jti7," xi la ti 7ok'ile. "K'u yu7un ti mu xapoj
defend yourself? You should gore him," said Coyote. abae k'ojo ti yechuke," xi la ti 7ok'ile.
"But how can I gore him? He'll stick a pole up our "Pero k'usi ta xkut, ta jk'oj ta spaj te7 ta jchaktik."
ass."
"But exactly what does Man look like?"
"Well, like a man. He walks on two legs. [He has]
two arms. He stands."
"Well, what's the use! There's nothing I can do for
you. Take care! I'm going!" said Coyote.
A tiger arrived. "What are you doing, Ox?" he
asked.
"Nothing, I'm just walking along here," said Ox.
"Who owns your load?" asked Tiger.
"It's Man," he said.
"What's Man like?"
"Well, he walks on two legs," he said.
"Hell, you're so stupid. You should gore him," he
said.
"Oh god, there's nothing you can do. If you act up
he kills you and eats you," said Ox.
"Ah, but as for me, I have to eat him!" said Tiger.
"If I see him anywhere I'll eat him," said Tiger.
"Watch out, then!" said Ox. He went on. Tiger
walked along. He met a mule. It had a load.
"What are you doing, Mule?" asked Tiger.
"Nothing. I'm walking. I'm going to leave the
load," said Mule.
"Who gave you your load?"
"It was Man."
"But, hell, I'd like to see what Man looks like,"
said Tiger.
"Well, he looks like a man. He can walk fast," said
[Mule].
"Pero k'u toj x7elan li vinike?"
"Pwes vinik yilel, chib yok, ta xxanav, chib sk'ob,
xva7et."
"Bweno, te k'alal che7e, mu k'u xa jcha71etik, k'el
aba, chibat 7un," xi la ti 7ok'ile.
Bweno, 7ital j-kot bolom. "K'usi chapas, toro?" xi
la. "Yech Ii7 no 7ox chixanave," xi la ti vakaxe.
"Buch'u yajval 7avikatze?" xi la ti bolome.
"Ja7 li vinike," xi.
"K'u x7elan li vinike?"
"Pwes, chib yok, ta xxanav," xi la.
"Karajo, toj sonsoot, yechuke chak'oj," xi la.
"7Aj dyos, mu k'u 7acha71e 7a ti xatoy abae
chismilotik, 7i chisti7otik," xi la ti vakaxe.
"7A, pero xchi7uk vo7one ta jti' ta pwersa!" xi la ti
bolome. "7A ti mi 7o bu kile ta jti7," xi ti bolome.
"Te xak'el avil!" xi ti vakaxe. 7Ibat, 7ixanav ech'el
ti bolome, 7ista j-kot mula, 7oy yikatz.
"K'usi chapas, mula?" xi ti bolome.
"Yech, chixanav, chba kak' 7ikatzil," xi ti mulae.
"Buch'u 7iyak' lavikatze?"
"Ja7 li vinike."
"Pero 76mbre chak jk'el ka7i k'u x7elan li vinike,"
xi la ti bolome.
"Pwes vinik yilel, sna7 xxanav tzotz," xi la 7un.
"Well, if I see him anywhere I'll eat him. He has a
habit of tormenting animals," he said. "Why don't
you kick him?" asked Tiger.
"If I kicked him he would whip me more. He'd
pull my ears."
Bweno ti mi 7o bu kile, ta jti7 xkom ta manya ta
x7ilbajin 7animaletik," xi la 7un. "K'u yu7un ti mu
xatek'e?" xi la ti bolome.
"7A ti jtek'e chak' mas 7arsial chistzakbe jchikin."
"Oh well, I guess I'll see. As for me, I guess I'll
see," he said.
"I'm going!" he said. He went on. He reached a
forest where there was a man splitting wood.
"Is that you, Man?" asked Tiger.
"It's me. How come?" he said.
"7 A bweno te ta jk'el kik, te ta jk'el kik vo7on," xi
la 7un.
Bweno, "Chibat che7e!" xi la. 7Ibat la 7ik'ot la ta
te7tik te la yolel ta xt'ox si7, ti vinik 7une.
Bweno, "Mi vo7ot ti vinikote?" xi la ti bolome.
"Vo7on, k'u cha7al?" xi la.