[CAMPBELL] THE ANCIENT LITERATURE OF AMERICA 53 



looked upon with .some suspicion, but substantial!}' agree with other 

 accounts of ancient events compiled by Spanish writers. His patriotism, 

 which may occasionally have warped his judgment, is as creditable to 

 him as is that of Ixtlilxochitl and Tezozomoc to these scions of Mexican 

 nobility. It is strange that no trace of writing has been found among 

 the Peruvians, and that they should have been able, by their different 

 coloured qwippos or knotted cords alone, to hand down to posterity the 

 large amount of literary material contained in their extensive histories. 

 What is still more remarkable in this connection is the fact that 

 the Chibchas of Colombia, their nearest civilized neighbours, evidently 

 practised the graphic art, although they left no literature beyond a few 

 brief inscriptions. 



Here is a story taken b}^ Ixtlilxochitl from the Annals of Tezcuco. 

 '' King Nezahual-coyotl loved to go out in disguise into the streets of his 

 capital or to stroll through the suburbs, either alone or with a very small 

 escort ; his desire was to place himself in a position to learn for himself 

 what the people thought of his government, and whether they had any 

 just cause of complaint against those employed by him. Being out one 

 day dressed as a huntsman accompanied by a single officei-, he met a poor 

 child, who with great (difficulty had gathered some wretched sticks of 

 wood to carry home. The king said to him, 'Why don't you go 

 into the forest ? you will find more dry wood there than you can carry 

 away.' 



' I shall never do anything of the kind,' replied the child, 'for the 

 king would have me killed.' 



' But who is the king ?' responded Nezahual-coyotl. ' He is a 

 miser,' ci-ied the child, ' for he takes away from the people what God 

 gives them full-handed.' " 



Yainly the monarch endeavoured to get him to transgress the limits 

 decreed, promising that nobody would say anything about it. But the 

 child fell into a rage, and said to him, " You are nothing but a traitor and 

 the enemy of my parents, since you advise me to do a thing that might 

 cost them their lives." The king then returned to his palace, leaving the 

 officer behind with orders to follow the boy, and to bi'ing him into his 

 presence along with his parents. They came terror-stricken, not knowing 

 why JSTezabual-coyotl had sent for them. On their appearance before 

 him, he put into their hands, by means of his intendants, several bundles 

 of stuffs, maize, cocoa, and other presents ; then he dismissed them, 

 thanking the child for the lesson he had given him, and complimenting 

 him for his strict obedience to the laws. From that moment he repealed 

 his former statute, and allowed everybody to enter the royal forests to 

 pick up or cut down dead wood, on condition that they should not touch 

 living trees. 



The following extract is from Tezozomoc, and tells how the Mexicans 



