The Lazy Boy and the Bunny |
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Translated by Ashley Smith and Faith Vanderburg
In a certain town lived this man, his wife, and their son. This man went daily to see his field, bring it mulch, and horse or cow manure. So, when he plowed the land that year, he could sow it right away, and the horse manure, mulch, and dung would yield colorful and ripe fruits. That is how it happened. The planting month arrived and after fifteen days the corn, the beans, the red tomatoes, the green tomatoes, and the green chilis rose, and they sang and danced in the field. When they stopped, they got drunk. So, they put a straw house there to shelter from the rain. The boy had to take care of the land so that the animals did not enter. This his dad ordered him, take care.
That night he slept there and did not know how or when the rabbits entered and ate a furrow.
When they entered the field, nobody scolded or said anything to the bunnies. After sunrise, the lazy boy went around the field and saw who knows what type of animal, had already eaten a bean furrow. In his house, his mom got up very early every day to make tortillas and hurried to send her tortillas and bean mole, and meat because he was taking care of the fields and was not going to let him go one day without eating.
“Take it early.”
At that time, no one in his household knew that the lazy boy was only lying under the sun. He no longer knew what to do, what to put on those animals, whether to poison them, hunt them, or warn his dad. He didn’t want to tell his dad even though his dad wouldn’t hit him.
The bunny already knew where it was. Once he left the field, he went to find the hares and said to them:
“What are you doing, good little hares?”
“Nothing good, bunny. What did you come here to do?”
“I came for a walk, little hare.”
“Good bunny, do you know where we could go to eat anything, a field where good men plant beans, corn, or something tasty and nice?”
“Of course! Do you want to go? I will take you, but you will not be the only ones going. I already invited other animals that have told me we will go together.”
“Okay”, replied the hares, “and what animals are those?”
“I am going to tell them: a techalote, my rabbit brothers, a ferret, no more than ten badgers, a deer, a tlalcoyote, and others that I don’t remember. We will meet at the meeting place.”
“Where?”
“Look, you know, next to the saltpeter, in that field that has a big, thick strawberry tree with happily blooming branches that makes a very thick shade.”
“We will wait for you there with the others: invite them, and we will meet there at night. We will not say goodbye; we’ll see you in the place you already know.”
“I’m leaving.”
The rabbit took through the hills and left. The animal guests got together that night and carried out a coup in the field that was so well sown.
While on the one hand the animals were invited, the lazy boy, on the other, who was tired of asking around to the other field owners that surrounded his. He saw them in their field and asked them:
“Dear sir, what do you think would be good to put on those animals that are destroying my field?”
“Look, I am going to give you bad advice, here: tell me, what kind of animals come in? Are they deer or oxen, or pigs? Where do they come in?”
“From under a fence.”
“Go, set a trap as I tell you.”
“I’m going to do it now.”
“Even if you spend a day getting it ready,” said the men, “it doesn’t matter.”
The lazy boy went to his field, set the trap wide open at the edge of a hole and the lazy boy walked away very happy that he had set the trap with which he expected to catch the animals. Later that night when it got dark, the big-headed ants arrived first and entered where the trap was. They passed the trap and nothing, it did not catch an ant. The mice came right away and when they passed through the trap, they smelled the fat that was in the trap and then they started to gnaw on it. The boy greased the trap, believing that it was best because with the grease it would slip, and he would catch the thief.
As soon as the little mice gnawed it with their teeth and found that it was not tasty, they left it and continued on their path. Arriving at the field they began to gnaw, and gnaw, and gnaw and the boy slept like he was dead.
All the animals were seen next to the old tree; the badgers, the armadillo, the rabbit, the hare, the tlalcoyote, the fox and other animals had gathered. That night when they were all together, they lined up with the deer in the lead. When they reached the edge of the field, the deer said:
“Stop awhile so I could hear if something is coming.”
He stopped and listened and said:
“I don’t hear anything, nor do I see anything; let’s hurry. We’re already at the edge of the field.”
They came and the deer said to them:
“I’m going to jump like I’m flying, and you will see how I don’t even move a stone.”
That was actually the case and the rest also passed; some over the fence, others through the hole. They entered in a hurry and everyone ate, and ate, and ate and the boy slept like a rock and heard nothing. The next day he got up and went to see the field. Again, they had eaten it; he went to see the trap and said:
“I see there were many animals coming in, maybe one of them has fallen.”
He examined the trap and saw that it was destroyed by teeth. He did not know what to do. Again, he went to ask what he had to do since the animals got in anyway and ate the field.
“Give them poison.”
“I am going to give them some.”
He put it there, but it didn’t work. Again he went to ask them and they said:
“Are you done with the animals?”
“No; they just threw the poisoned food on the floor and didn’t eat it.”
“It could be that they would not eat it like that; put out pumpkin with foxglove.”
He put it there, but it didn’t work and again he went to ask, and they said:
If nothing you have put out for them worked, the best you can do so that they don’t laugh or make fun of you is to buy a shotgun and watch them when they enter.”
Then he bought his shotgun.
The next night, he was watching, and they didn’t enter. Because of this he was happily saying they would no longer enter and so he went to tell them about it. He arrived home, said hello, and said:
“I have new news: as of tonight the animals will no longer enter my field.”
“Well didn’t I tell you? It’s better with the shotgun. And, if they do enter, as soon as you see them, fire, and they will be frightened and won’t return.”
“Thank you very much. I’m leaving.”
The next night he saw that they did not enter, but the next night, when he was asleep, they entered again. The next day at dawn, he saw that they had eaten again. Then he got so angry and went to ask a different man. He entered another house and asked:
“I come to ask you what to do; the animals are eating away at my field.”
“Why?”
“I’ve already set traps up. I have put out poison for them and none of those work.”
“Now buy yellow wax, make a doll and place it where they enter, and you will see how they fall.”
He went to buy what he was told. He made the doll and put it to the side of the hole. Even so it did not fall; and he left it there. On another occasion, when the rabbit arrived and tried to pass, he said to the doll:
“I’m going to pass, move over.”
The doll did not answer.
“What? Did you not hear that I told you to move over? If you don’t, I will slap you in the face, hard.”
It did not answer.
“Did you not hear?”
The bunny slapped him and his hand stuck to the doll.
“Let go of me. If you don’t, you’ll see what happens. With my other hand I’ll scratch you.”
The doll didn’t answer.
“Didn’t you hear that I’m going to scratch you?”
He scratched it and got stuck again; both of his hands were now stuck. Then, the bunny said to the doll:
“I’ve already told you twice to let go. You don’t want to? Know that I’m going to kick you, let me go!
The doll didn’t answer.
“You are just making fun of me! You don’t let me go so I will kick you!”
He kicked it and got stuck again.
“You won’t let me go?”
It did not answer.
“If you don’t want to let me go, I’ll kick you with my other leg. You don’t believe me?”
The doll didn’t answer.
“What I see is that you’re just making fun of me, mocking me. This is it, with my sharp teeth I will bite your head; I’m going to bite you, you already know that!”
The doll didn’t answer.
“Now, seriously, I won’t say anything more: you let me go or I will bite you and hurt you.”
He bit it and his teeth got stuck. He then began to squirm but was still stuck. He was imprisoned and hung up on the doll and was just squirming. While this was happening, the boy who looked after the field arrived and told the rabbit:
“You are done in my field, devil rabbit. Now I will eat you.”
He took the rabbit, hit it on the ground, and killed it. He thanked the yellow wax doll. When the next year came, he already knew how to catch the animals that entered his field.
In a certain town lived this man, his wife, and their son. This man went daily to see his field, bring it mulch, and horse or cow manure. So, when he plowed the land that year, he could sow it right away, and the horse manure, mulch, and dung would yield colorful and ripe fruits. That is how it happened. The planting month arrived and after fifteen days the corn, the beans, the red tomatoes, the green tomatoes, and the green chilis rose, and they sang and danced in the field. When they stopped, they got drunk. So, they put a straw house there to shelter from the rain. The boy had to take care of the land so that the animals did not enter. This his dad ordered him, take care.
That night he slept there and did not know how or when the rabbits entered and ate a furrow.
When they entered the field, nobody scolded or said anything to the bunnies. After sunrise, the lazy boy went around the field and saw who knows what type of animal, had already eaten a bean furrow. In his house, his mom got up very early every day to make tortillas and hurried to send her tortillas and bean mole, and meat because he was taking care of the fields and was not going to let him go one day without eating.
“Take it early.”
At that time, no one in his household knew that the lazy boy was only lying under the sun. He no longer knew what to do, what to put on those animals, whether to poison them, hunt them, or warn his dad. He didn’t want to tell his dad even though his dad wouldn’t hit him.
The bunny already knew where it was. Once he left the field, he went to find the hares and said to them:
“What are you doing, good little hares?”
“Nothing good, bunny. What did you come here to do?”
“I came for a walk, little hare.”
“Good bunny, do you know where we could go to eat anything, a field where good men plant beans, corn, or something tasty and nice?”
“Of course! Do you want to go? I will take you, but you will not be the only ones going. I already invited other animals that have told me we will go together.”
“Okay”, replied the hares, “and what animals are those?”
“I am going to tell them: a techalote, my rabbit brothers, a ferret, no more than ten badgers, a deer, a tlalcoyote, and others that I don’t remember. We will meet at the meeting place.”
“Where?”
“Look, you know, next to the saltpeter, in that field that has a big, thick strawberry tree with happily blooming branches that makes a very thick shade.”
“We will wait for you there with the others: invite them, and we will meet there at night. We will not say goodbye; we’ll see you in the place you already know.”
“I’m leaving.”
The rabbit took through the hills and left. The animal guests got together that night and carried out a coup in the field that was so well sown.
While on the one hand the animals were invited, the lazy boy, on the other, who was tired of asking around to the other field owners that surrounded his. He saw them in their field and asked them:
“Dear sir, what do you think would be good to put on those animals that are destroying my field?”
“Look, I am going to give you bad advice, here: tell me, what kind of animals come in? Are they deer or oxen, or pigs? Where do they come in?”
“From under a fence.”
“Go, set a trap as I tell you.”
“I’m going to do it now.”
“Even if you spend a day getting it ready,” said the men, “it doesn’t matter.”
The lazy boy went to his field, set the trap wide open at the edge of a hole and the lazy boy walked away very happy that he had set the trap with which he expected to catch the animals. Later that night when it got dark, the big-headed ants arrived first and entered where the trap was. They passed the trap and nothing, it did not catch an ant. The mice came right away and when they passed through the trap, they smelled the fat that was in the trap and then they started to gnaw on it. The boy greased the trap, believing that it was best because with the grease it would slip, and he would catch the thief.
As soon as the little mice gnawed it with their teeth and found that it was not tasty, they left it and continued on their path. Arriving at the field they began to gnaw, and gnaw, and gnaw and the boy slept like he was dead.
All the animals were seen next to the old tree; the badgers, the armadillo, the rabbit, the hare, the tlalcoyote, the fox and other animals had gathered. That night when they were all together, they lined up with the deer in the lead. When they reached the edge of the field, the deer said:
“Stop awhile so I could hear if something is coming.”
He stopped and listened and said:
“I don’t hear anything, nor do I see anything; let’s hurry. We’re already at the edge of the field.”
They came and the deer said to them:
“I’m going to jump like I’m flying, and you will see how I don’t even move a stone.”
That was actually the case and the rest also passed; some over the fence, others through the hole. They entered in a hurry and everyone ate, and ate, and ate and the boy slept like a rock and heard nothing. The next day he got up and went to see the field. Again, they had eaten it; he went to see the trap and said:
“I see there were many animals coming in, maybe one of them has fallen.”
He examined the trap and saw that it was destroyed by teeth. He did not know what to do. Again, he went to ask what he had to do since the animals got in anyway and ate the field.
“Give them poison.”
“I am going to give them some.”
He put it there, but it didn’t work. Again he went to ask them and they said:
“Are you done with the animals?”
“No; they just threw the poisoned food on the floor and didn’t eat it.”
“It could be that they would not eat it like that; put out pumpkin with foxglove.”
He put it there, but it didn’t work and again he went to ask, and they said:
If nothing you have put out for them worked, the best you can do so that they don’t laugh or make fun of you is to buy a shotgun and watch them when they enter.”
Then he bought his shotgun.
The next night, he was watching, and they didn’t enter. Because of this he was happily saying they would no longer enter and so he went to tell them about it. He arrived home, said hello, and said:
“I have new news: as of tonight the animals will no longer enter my field.”
“Well didn’t I tell you? It’s better with the shotgun. And, if they do enter, as soon as you see them, fire, and they will be frightened and won’t return.”
“Thank you very much. I’m leaving.”
The next night he saw that they did not enter, but the next night, when he was asleep, they entered again. The next day at dawn, he saw that they had eaten again. Then he got so angry and went to ask a different man. He entered another house and asked:
“I come to ask you what to do; the animals are eating away at my field.”
“Why?”
“I’ve already set traps up. I have put out poison for them and none of those work.”
“Now buy yellow wax, make a doll and place it where they enter, and you will see how they fall.”
He went to buy what he was told. He made the doll and put it to the side of the hole. Even so it did not fall; and he left it there. On another occasion, when the rabbit arrived and tried to pass, he said to the doll:
“I’m going to pass, move over.”
The doll did not answer.
“What? Did you not hear that I told you to move over? If you don’t, I will slap you in the face, hard.”
It did not answer.
“Did you not hear?”
The bunny slapped him and his hand stuck to the doll.
“Let go of me. If you don’t, you’ll see what happens. With my other hand I’ll scratch you.”
The doll didn’t answer.
“Didn’t you hear that I’m going to scratch you?”
He scratched it and got stuck again; both of his hands were now stuck. Then, the bunny said to the doll:
“I’ve already told you twice to let go. You don’t want to? Know that I’m going to kick you, let me go!
The doll didn’t answer.
“You are just making fun of me! You don’t let me go so I will kick you!”
He kicked it and got stuck again.
“You won’t let me go?”
It did not answer.
“If you don’t want to let me go, I’ll kick you with my other leg. You don’t believe me?”
The doll didn’t answer.
“What I see is that you’re just making fun of me, mocking me. This is it, with my sharp teeth I will bite your head; I’m going to bite you, you already know that!”
The doll didn’t answer.
“Now, seriously, I won’t say anything more: you let me go or I will bite you and hurt you.”
He bit it and his teeth got stuck. He then began to squirm but was still stuck. He was imprisoned and hung up on the doll and was just squirming. While this was happening, the boy who looked after the field arrived and told the rabbit:
“You are done in my field, devil rabbit. Now I will eat you.”
He took the rabbit, hit it on the ground, and killed it. He thanked the yellow wax doll. When the next year came, he already knew how to catch the animals that entered his field.
