Axes and Hoes

THEN they began again to accomplish their deeds, to manifest themselves before
the face of their grandmother and before the face of their mother. First they worked the
maizefield:

“We are going to farm the maizefield, our grandmother and our mother,” they
said.

“We are the substitutes for our older brothers,” said Hunahpu and Xbalanque.

Thus they took up their axes and their hoes, carrying them on their shoulders.
Each of them also shouldered his blowgun and departed their home, having first left
instructions with their grandmother to bring their food:

“At midday come to give us our food, grandmother,” they said.

“Very well then, my grandsons,” said their grandmother.

Then they arrived there to farm the maizefield. They merely stuck the hoe into the
ground, and it truly began to plow the earth. All by itself the hoe did the plowing for
them.

As for the axe, they just stuck it into the fork of a tree, and by its own strength
it would fell it. Thus the one axe chopped and felled all the trees and bushes, feverishly
working to cut down the trees all by itself.

Now this, the hoe, would break up countless stalks and briars. Just the one hoe
would clear countless mountains, both small and great, as it went.

Then they gave instructions to an animal, Turtle Dove by name. Hunahpu and
Xbalanque placed it atop a great stump and spoke to it:

“When you see our grandmother coming to bring our food, immediately cry out
that she has arrived. Then we will take up the hoe and the axe.”

“Very well,” said the Turtle Dove.

Thus they merely hunted with their blowguns. They didn’t truly farm the maize.
And when the Turtle Dove cried out, they came quickly, the one taking up the hoe while
the other one took up the axe.

They would then put field debris on their heads and rub dirt on their hands. The
one would dirty his face as if he had truly farmed the maizefield, while the other one
would scatter wood chips on his head as if he had truly been cutting down trees.

In this way they were seen by the Grandmother, and thus they were given to eat.
They did not truly farm the maize, and so it was unmerited that she went to give them
their food.

And when they returned home they would say, “We are truly tired, our
grandmother.” And they would rub and stretch their legs and arms in front of their
grandmother to deceive her.


- Popol Vuh