The Calabazas Funeral

p. 137

The Calabazas Funeral

ONE TIME I sowed lots of corn and beans and squashes, many, many squashes. When I harvested, I filled my whole house full of squashes. When I had put them all away, I fell sick. But I wasn't sick for very long, because I died. By afternoon, just about time for the sun to go down, I fell down dead.

I was alone in my house. Soon all the important people gathered to attend my funeral. Well, these great people are supposed to be served lots of food at a fiesta or a funeral and there was nothing in my house but squashes, squashes, nothing more.

Prey made great fires and began to cook squashes all night long. And the drum kept talking and accusing the people of eating squashes. It said,

kamak kamak kamak kamak kamak
kamak ka kam kamak ka kam kamak.

This means, "sweet squashes, squashes, squashes." All night long the drum kept saying this. And it is absolutely true. Those people finished every single squash. At dawn there wasn't one squash in the house.

When they were about to bury me, I noticed that there were no more squashes, so I revived.