When the day of their birth arrived, the girl named Xquic gave birth; but the grandmother did not see them when they were born. Instantly the two boys called Hunahpú and Xbalanqué were born. There in the wood they were born.
Then they came to the house, but they could not sleep.
"Go throw them out! "said the old woman, "because truly they cry very much." Then they went and put them on an ant-hill. There they slept peacefully. Then they took them from the ant-hill and laid them on thistles.
Now, what Hunbatz and Hunchouén wished was that they [Hunahpú and Xbalanqué] would die there on the ant-hill, or on the thistles. They wished this because of the hatred and envy[144] Hunbatz and Hunchouén felt for them.
At first they refused to receive their younger brothers in the house; they would not recognize them and so they were brought up in the fields.
Hunbatz and Hunchouén were great musicians and singers; they had grown up in the midst of trials and want and they had had much trouble, but they became very wise. They were flautists, singers, painters, and carvers; all of this they knew how to do.
They had heard about their birth and knew also that they were the successors of their parents, those who went to Xibalba and died there. Hunbatz and Hunchouén were diviners, and in their hearts they knew everything concerning the birth of their two younger brothers. Nevertheless, because they were envious, they did not show their wisdom, and their hearts were filled with bad will for them, although Hunahpú and Xbalanqué had not offended them in any way.
These two [last] did nothing all day long but shoot their blowguns; they were not loved by their grandmother, nor by Hunbatz, nor by Hunchouén; they were given nothing to eat; only when the meal was ended and Hunbatz and Hunchouén had already eaten, then the younger brothers came to eat. But they did not become angry, nor did they become vexed, but suffered silently, because they knew their rank, and they understood everything clearly.[145] They brought their birds when they came, and Hunbatz and Hunchouén ate them without giving anything to either of the two, Hunahpú and Xbalanqué.
The only thing that Hunbatz and Hunchouén did was to play the flute and sing.
And once when Hunahpú and Xbalanqué came without bringing any bird at all, they went into the house and their grandmother became furious.
"Why did you bring no birds?" she said to Hunahpú and Xbalanqué.
And they answered: "What happened, grandmother, is that our birds were caught in the tree and we could not climb up to get them, dear grandmother. If our elder brothers so wish, let them come with us to bring the birds down," they said.
"Very well," the older brothers answered, "we shall go with you at dawn."
The two younger brothers then discussed the way to overcome Hunbatz and Hunchouén.[146] "We shall only change their nature, their appearance; and so let our word be fulfilled,[147] for all the
[144] X-c'ah rumal qui chaquimal, qui gag vachibal puch cumal Hunbatz, Hunchouén.
[145] Xere qu'etaam ri qui qoheic, queheri zac ca qu'ilo.
[146] X-caminac cut qui naoh qui cabichal chirech qui chaquic Hunbatz, Hunchouén. This passage was not understood by Brasseur de Bourbourg. Of the translators of the Popol Vuh, only Ximénez has interpreted it correctly as: "And the two having talked to each other, about the overthrowal of Hun-batz and Hun-chouen."
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