Then they [the two boys] talked among themselves and agreed: "Do not play ball; only pretend to play; I shall do everything alone," said Xbalanqué.[206]
At once he gave his orders to a rabbit: "Go and take your place over the ball-court; stay there within the oak grove,"[207] the rabbit was told by Xbalanqué; "when the ball comes to you, run out immediately, and I shall do the rest," the rabbit was told, when they gave him these instructions during the night.
Presently day broke and the two boys were well and healthy. Then they went down to play ball. The head of Hunahpú was suspended over the ball-court.
"We have triumphed! [said the Lords of Xibalba].You worked your own destruction,[208] you have delivered yourselves," they said. In this way they annoyed Hunahpú.
"Hit his head with the ball,"[209] they said. But they did not bother him with it;[210] he paid no attention to it.[211]
Then the Lords of Xibalba threw out the ball. Xbalanqué went out to get it; the ball was going straight to the ring, but it stopped, bounced, and passed quickly over the ball-court and with a jump went toward the oak grove.
Instantly the rabbit ran out and went hopping; and the Lords of Xibalba ran after it. They went, making noise and shouting after the rabbit. It ended by all of the Lords of Xibalba going.
At once Xbalanqué took possession of the head of Hunahpú; and taking the turtle he went to suspend it over the ball-court. And that head was actually the head of Hunahpú and the two boys were very happy.
Those of Xibalba ran, then, to find the ball and having found it between the oaks, called them, saying:
"Come here. Here is the ball. We found it," they said, and they brought it.
When the Lords of Xibalba returned, they exclaimed, "What is this we see?"
Then they began to play again. Both of them tied.
Presently Xbalanqué threw a stone at the turtle, which came to the ground and fell in the ball-court, breaking into a thousand pieces like seeds, before the lords.
"Who of you shall go to find it? Where is the one who shall go to bring it?" said the Lords of Xibalba.
And so were the Lords of Xibalba overcome by Hunahpú and Xbalanqué. These two suffered great hardships, but they did not die despite all that was done to them.
[206] The text here should read: Mana qui c'at chaahic, xaqui ch'a yecuh avib. Xa in hun qui qui banouic, x-cha xbalanqué chire.
[207] Chupam pixc. Ximénez translates "in the tomato patch," taking pixc for pix. Brasseur de Bourbourg translates entre les glands de la corniche. Villacorta and Rodas say, "Inside the hole of the roof." Schultze Jena says "cornice." Pixc, in Quiché and Cakchiquel, is the evergreen oak and its fruit, the acorn, gland in French.
[208] Mi-x-y bano qui yan, in the original.
[209] Ch'a caca ri holom chi quic. Brasseur de Bourbourg interprets this sentence fancifully, according to his whim. Cac means "to stone," "to hit."
[210] In the original: Ma cu chi qui ca caxou chic.
[211] Chi yecoub quib, literally, to "pretend" or "dissimulate."
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