Many, many years after four rulers appeared in Subinal - Balam Kiche, Balam Akab, Mahu-kutah and Iki Balam, there was a terrible drought there. Everything is dry. The fields were burned. Thirsty wild animals came out of the forests and descended into the villages.
At first people extracted moisture from plants, but then it ran out. Then the priests decided to turn to the gods for help and sent messengers with offerings to the mountains, where many rivers originate.
It was there that the trees growing around were felled and a huge fire was made. Because of such powerful heat, the water in the springs began to boil and began to rise, taking the shape of huge pumpkins. These water gourds should have reached Subinal within three suns.
But Subinal's people continued to suffer from unbearable thirst. And the water floated past across the sky without even stopping. Then the High Priest climbed to the top of the pyramid and announced that in order for water to spill onto the ground, it was necessary to pierce the heavenly pumpkins with an arrow from the bow of Balam Akaba!
This bow, no one remembers from when, hung on the wall of an ancient temple. The priest summoned the five strongest warriors and ordered each of them to shoot one of the five arrows stored with the bow. However, not one was able to even pull the bowstring.
Everyone was bitterly disappointed. The beautiful girl Nick, having left the square with everyone, saw an unfamiliar young man on the mat in front of the entrance to her house. She called upon her people to trust him to shoot the bow of Balam Akaba.
Deftly, without the slightest effort, the unfamiliar young man pulled the bowstring and shot an arrow into the sky. But she didn't hit the clouds. Then she took aim a second time and fired again. But the clouds continued to float by.
The young man became furious, grabbed the bow by one of its ends and threw it with all his might into the sky.
And immediately the long-awaited downpour broke out, which moistened the fields and gave water to thirsty people and animals.
As a reward for his feat, the young man demanded a girl as his wife, who called on the people to trust him to shoot Balam Akaba with a bow.
They were married that same day, with the gift of a house, a new grain grinder and a new mat. When Nick, having lit the fire, turned to her husband, she was surprised to find that he had disappeared.
The next day the same thing happened.
The whole next day the husband sat on the mat, without drinking or eating anything, and in the evening yesterday’s story repeated itself.
Three suns later, the girl went to the mountains to get firewood. Having passed one of the seeded areas, she heard a voice and stopped in amazement, since there was not a soul around. From the depths of the hollow pumpkin, where some water remained, her husband’s voice was heard:
- Do you want to be my wife, girl mom?
“But aren’t you my husband?”
- No, that's not what I'm asking you about. Tell me, do you really want to become my wife, girl mom?
“I want to follow you, my lord.”
- Do you want to know who I am?
- You are my husband, sir.
- That's not what I'm asking you. Do you want to know who I am?
- Yes, my lord.
- Girl mom! I am Balam Akab, one of the four ancient lords of the tribe. I live in the blissful village of my ancestors, and therefore, if you decide to follow me, then you must also go to the village of your ancestors.
Before the new moon was born, the girl died. They found her as if sleeping, and next to her was a vessel made of a pumpkin, and in it there was a little glistening water at the very bottom.
Since then, from time to time, after the rain, a highly curved arc of a bow thrown by Balam Akab appears in the sky. This is a sign that under the midday sun illuminating the village of the ancestors, the smile of the young girl Mam still pleases the heart of the hero Balam Akaba - one of the four legendary lords.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru