Ballgame

Then they summoned all of the lords:

“Let us play ball, boys,” they were told.

But first they were questioned by One Death and Seven Death:

“Where did you really come from? Would you tell us, boys?” they were asked by
the Xibalbans.

“We must have come from somewhere, but we don’t know.” Only this they said.
They told them nothing.

“Very well then. We will just go and play ball, boys,” the Xibalbans said to
them.

“Fine,” they replied.

“Here is our rubber ball that we will use,” said the Xibalbans.

“No, we will use ours,” said the boys.

“Not so. We will use this one that is ours,” said again the Xibalbans.

“Very well,” said the boys.

“It appears to be a skull, but it is merely drawn on the ball,” said the Xibalbans.

“It is not. It is a skull we tell you,” said the boys.

“Not so,” replied the Xibalbans.

“Very well then,” said Hunahpu.

Thus the Xibalbans threw down their rubber ball, which landed before the yoke of
Hunahpu. And when the Xibalbans saw this, the White Dagger came out of their rubber
ball. It clashed about over the ground of the entire ballcourt, threatening the boys.

“What is that?” asked Hunahpu and Xbalanque. “You just want death for us. Did
we not answer your summons when your messenger came? Have pity on us. We will just
go, then,” said the boys to them.

It was their desire that the boys would straightaway die there because of the blade.
They were to have been defeated. But it was not so. It was the Xibalbans who were now
defeated by the boys.

“Don’t go, boys. We will just play with your ball,” the boys were told.

“Very well then,” they replied.

Thus they took out their rubber ball, and it was thrown down. Then their prizes
were chosen:

“What will we win?” the Xibalbans asked.

“Surely it is your choice,” the boys said.

“Our prize shall be merely four bowls of flowers,” said the Xibalbans.

“Very well. What kinds of flowers?” the boys asked the Xibalbans.

“One bowl of red petals, one bowl of white petals, one bowl of yellow petals,
and one bowl of the large ones,” said the Xibalbans.

“Very well,” replied the boys.

So then the ball was dropped into play. They were equal in strength, but the boys
made many plays with the ball for they played with all their hearts. At last, the boys gave
themselves up to be defeated, and the Xibalbans thus rejoiced at their defeat:

“We have done well. We have already defeated them at the first attempt,” said the
Xibalbans. “Where shall they go to get the flowers?” they asked in their hearts.

“You will give to us the flowers as our prize early in the morning,” the boys
Hunahpu and Xbalanque were told by the Xibalbans.

“Very well. We will play ball again early in the morning,” they said. Then they
made their plans together.


- Popol Vuh