Cho'oko Baso

p. 176

Cho'oko Baso

NEAR the hill of Maatale lived a Yaqui named Cho'oko Baso who worked at collecting bark from trees with which to make dyes and to tan hides. The hides he sold for fruit and roots with which to feed his sons.

One day he was walking over a stretch of coarse sand and, on passing close to a cliff very late in the evening, he saw in the middle of the cliff a white light. But he saw no windows or doors. He was standing there for some time when suddenly there appeared before him an elderly man in a long shirt, a sort of tunic, and the man asked him, "What do you search for?"

Cho'oko Baso replied, "I walk here in search of woods for use in tanning hides."

"But look," said the old man, "don't work so hard. Take this little stick and touch that rock."

Cho'oko Baso did so, and the rock opened before him: A beautiful girl appeared and said to him, "Take this little stick. When you find yourself in need, tell it to give food to your sons. Say, 'Give me money' and it will be given to you."

This is what Cho'oko Baso did. And from then on he was very rich.

But it is said that after some twenty years, Cho'oko Baso was passing by that same place and to him appeared the same old man. And the old man told him to go over to that same rock. "Touch that rock with the stick," the old man said as before.

And Cho'oko Baso did this. And the young woman appeared as before and said, "Come in."

Cho'oko Baso went inside the rock to remain there enchanted, forever.

Now when Yaquis pass by that place they turn their heads away.