Twist Drill

They rejoiced that they could practice their shooting. But there were no clay
pellets in their blowguns. When they shot them, they merely blew at the birds. Thus
Cabracan was amazed.

Then the boys used a twist drill to make their fire, upon which they roasted the
birds. They covered the skin of one of the birds with quicklime until it was coated with
white earth.

“We will give this to him when he becomes ravenous with hunger. When he
savors the aroma of our birds, he will be defeated. We will put earth on its skin. We will
cook it in earth. In the same way, therefore, he himself will be buried in the earth. This
must be if the great sage, the one to be framed and shaped, is to be sown and to have his
dawn,” the boys said.

“Cabracan shall desire with all his heart to eat what we will cook. This shall be
the desire of the heart of Cabracan,” said Hunahpu and Xbalanque to each other.

Then they roasted the birds until they had been cooked to a golden brown. They
would drip with fat from their skins and give off a fragrant aroma. Thus Cabracan desired
to be fed. His mouth watered. He just gulped and drooled saliva and spittle because of the
fragrance of the birds.

Thus he begged of them:

“What is it that you are eating? Its aroma is truly delicious to smell. Give me a
little,” he said therefore.


- Popol Vuh