IN THE OLDEN TIME. 
241 
“ 6 We do not wish to/ said they; ‘ but go, you cannot 
lose your way. Go up stream, turn to the right, and you 
will be in front of it under a great hill; it is making a 
noise and making hovol: you will go straight to it/ said 
Hunahpu and Xbalanque. 
“ 6 0 miserable me ! if perchance you had not found it/ 
said Sipacua. ‘ I will go and show you where there are 
plenty of birds; you will shoot them with the blow-gun. 
I alone know where they are, and in return for them I 
will go under the rock/ 
“ L And shall you truly be able to catch it ? Do not make 
us return for no purpose ; because we tried to catch it, and 
could not, because we crawled in on our bellies and it bit 
us; and so by a trifle we could not catch it. So it will be 
well for you to go in pursuit tail-end first/ 
“ ‘ It is well/ said Sipacua. 
u And then they went with him to the gulch, and the 
crab was lying on his side, and his shell was very bright- 
colored ; and here under the valley was the secret of the 
youths. ‘Hurrah!’ said Sipacua, joyfully; and he wished 
to eat it, for he was dying with hunger. And he tried to 
enter lying down; but the crab rose up, and he at once 
retreated. And the youths said to him, — 
“ ‘ Did n’t you catch it ? ’ 
“ ‘ I did n’t catch it, I just missed it; but as it has gone 
up high, it will be well for me to enter head first.’ 
u And immediately he crawled in head first; and when 
he had got in all but his knees, the mountain toppled down 
and fell quietly down upon his breast, and he returned no 
more. And Sipacua became stone. And thus was Sipa¬ 
cua conquered by the youths Hunahpu and Xbalanque, 
and they tell that in ancient times it was he who made 
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