EMPIRES CHILDREN: THE PEOPLE OF TZINTZUNTZAN FOSTER 



35 



porch has its flower pots, filled with a vast 

 variety of flowers — roses, shasta daisies, morn- 

 ing-glories, snapdragons, iris, carnations, pop- 

 pies, and larkspur. Farther back in the garden 

 other flowers appear, elephant ears, cannas, ge- 

 raniums, and hollyhocks. The poppy and lark- 

 spur, Natividad Pena tells me, are always plant- 

 ed on tlie day of the Candelaria, February 2. 

 If the family are potters, the circular oven, 

 often covered with a crude roof of maguey 

 leaves, may be to one side. Space also must 



Figure 2. — Window latches. 



be provided for the animals, the burros, mules, 

 or horses which a large number of people keep. 

 This usually takes the form of a simple roofed 

 stall against one side of the house or a side 

 wall of the patio, with a feeding trough at the 

 rear. 



Few families will be found without their 

 fruit trees — zapotes and peaches first of all, 



and if space permits, a sprinkling of other 

 varieties, all tied up during blossom time with 

 red ribbons to prevent the new fruit from fall- 

 ing. The ubiquitous chayote is found in most 

 houses, its large-leafed vine sprawling over a 

 framework of quiote, the dry stalk of the ma- 

 guey. Between houses one finds an adobe wall, 

 a low stone wall, perhaps a barbed-wire fence, 

 and, at times, a hedge of the colorin, which is 

 also popular to divide the rich but small milpas 

 which are found sprinkled between houses in 

 the town. 



Most houses have a dirt floor. Around the 

 plaza and along the highway the finer homes 

 have square tile floors, needless to say much 

 cleaner and more pleasant. Except for the poor- 

 est houses all have a few windows, of a standard 

 type. The large space is closed with double 

 swinging panels latched with an iron lock (fig. 

 2). Inside each panel is a smaller one which 

 independently can be opened, above eye level 

 of a passerby, so that air and light are admit- 

 ted, but privacy guarded. All houses are so 

 arranged that once inside from the street one's 

 attention passes to the rear porch and patio. 

 Often the kitchen is a separate house at the 

 rear, or a separate room adjoining the main 

 house. Wliatever its location, the kitchen is the 

 focus of the day's activities. Unlike the Indian 

 homes, where a good deal of the cooking may 

 be done over three stones on the floor, most 

 Tzintzuntzan kitchens have a raised hearth of 

 mamposteria, a construction of mortar, adobe, 

 and stone often 2 m. square, table height, with 

 the clay griddle or comal carefully set over a 

 fireplace, and with a couple of other small fire- 

 nlaces over which pots can be placed (fig. 3). 

 Most of the pottery is of local manufacture. 

 Nevertheless, a good many homes will have glaz- 

 ed bowls of the type made in Dolores Hidalgo, 

 Guanajuato, and sold in all the markets of 

 Mexico. Metal spoons for soup and a few case 

 knives are found, as well as paring knives and 

 larger cutting knives. Forks are rare, since most 

 food can be eaten either with fingers or spoons. 

 For cooking, large wooden spoons from the sier- 

 ra are ever present. 



In her new kitchen, Natividad has a shelved 

 cupboard set into a wall, in which her prettiest 

 plates are shown. Other kitchens may have the 

 same arrangement, or simply wooden shelves 



