recovered, re-affixed to his shoulder, and all ended satisfactorily for the hero-gods.

But their mission was not yet complete. The sons of Vukub-Cakix K'iche': "Seven Macaw," the arrogant bird-demon defeated on the previous page., Zipacna The elder son, a giant and "creator of mountains." and Cabrakan The younger son, whose name means "Earthquake" or "Two-Legs," known for destroying mountains., remained to be accounted for. Zipacna consented, at the entreaty of four hundred youths These youths are known in the original text as the "Motz"; their death later explains the origin of the Pleiades star cluster., incited by the hero-gods, to assist them in transporting a huge tree which was destined for the roof-tree of a house they were building. Whilst assisting them he was beguiled by them into entering a great ditch which they had dug for the purpose of destroying him, and when once he descended was overwhelmed by tree-trunks by his treacherous acquaintances, who imagined him to be slain. But he took refuge in a side-tunnel of the excavation, cut off his hair and nails for the ants to carry up to his enemies as a sign of his death, waited until the youths had become intoxicated with pulque A fermented alcoholic beverage. While usually associated with Central Mexican agave wine, here it refers to the ceremonial intoxicants used by the K'iche' Maya. because of joy at his supposed demise, and then, emerging from the pit, shook the house that the youths had built over his body about their heads, so that all were destroyed in its ruins.

But Hun-Ahpu K'iche': "One Hunter." and Xbalanque K'iche': "Jaguar Sun." were grieved that the four hundred had perished, and laid a more efficacious trap for Zipacna. The mountain-bearer, carrying the mountains by night, sought his sustenance by day by the shore of the river, where he lived upon fish and crabs. The hero-gods constructed an artificial crab which