1907.] Wheeler, Fimgu-s-groicmg Ants of North America. 673 



"Very Avell," they replied. Then all the ants set out to fetch the flowers 

 of the garden of Hun-Came and Vukub-Came. These had apprised the 

 guardians of the flowers of Xibalba in advance: "As to you, give heed to 

 our flowers ; do not let these two young men, whom we have taken in ambush, 

 carry off any of them. Where else could they go to get those we have desig- 

 nated? There are none elsewhere. Watch closely therefore throughout 

 the night." — "It is well," they replied. 



"But the sentinels of the garden heard nothing of what was going on. 

 In vain they went about, walking on their legs, among the branches of the 

 trees of the garden, and repeating the same song. "Xpurpurek, Xpurpurek! 

 sang one. — "Puhuyu, puhuyu!" repeated the other. 



"Puhuyu was the name of the two sentinels of the plantations of Hun- 

 Cam6 and Vukub-Came. But they did not notice the ants stealing away 

 what had been committed to their charge, going and coming in innumerable 

 hordes, cutting down the flower beds, moving along with the flowers which 

 they bore away in their jaws above the trees, while under the trees the 

 flowers exhaled a sweet odor. 



"jNIeanwhile the sentinels kept shouting with all their might, without 

 noticing the teeth that were sawing at their tails and wings. ^ There was a 

 harvest of flowers mown down by their jaws and borne all odoriferous by 

 their jaws into the House of the Lances. 



"Very soon the four vases were filled with flowers, and they were quite 

 full when the day dawned. Soon thereafter the messengers came to seek 

 them. "Let them come," said the King, "and let them bring forthwith 

 what we have demanded," said they to the young men. 



"Very well," said they. Thereupon they proceeded to fetch the four 

 vases of flowers. Then, having presented themselves before the king and 

 the princes, these took the flowers whose sight it was a pleasure (to behold). 

 Thus were those of Xibalba tricked. 



"It was the ants alone who had been dispatched by the young men, and 

 who in a single night had carried away all the flowers and placed them in 

 the vases. At this sight all the (princes) of Xibalba changed color and their 

 faces paled on account of the flowers. 



"Then they sent the men to seek the guardians of the flowers: "Why 

 did you permit our flowers to be stolen. Are these not our own flowers 

 which we here behold? " said they to the guardians. — " We did not notice 

 an}i;hing, my lord. They did not even spare our tails," they replied. Then 

 they split the lips of the guardians, to punish them for having permitted the 

 theft of that which was committed to their charge. 



' The commentator states that he is unable to understand this allusion. The guardians 

 are evidently conceived as birds, as shown by the above reference to their "walking on their 

 legs," although this is not clearly stated till the end of the passage. 



