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    Mösiehuali texts    

Āmatlapohualistli  
de Don Lázaro Cárdenas  
   


Āmatlapohualistli de Don Lázaro Cárdenas
A written account concerning Lázaro Cárdenas

by
Martín N. Méndez Huaxcuatitla


This text was written in the Mösiehuali (Tetelcingo Nahuatl - nhg) language, about the year 1976 or 1977. It tells of General Lázaro Cárdenas, President of México from 1934-1940, and of the relationship between him and the town of Tetelcingo, and particularly the author, Martín Méndez Huaxcuatitla. Ru Marti (as he was known in Mösiehuali) loved to tell this story, and at the urging of Richard S. Pittman he typed up the original of this document. One can almost hear the gusto with which he used to pronounce such resounding phrases as “ca iorden del Señor Presidente Don Lázaro Cárdenas” ‘by order of the lord President Sir Lázaro Cárdenas.’ (090).

This account is of considerable historical value because of the authentic view it gives, from an indigenous perspective, of one of the greatest figures of Mexican history; and also because of its description of the beginning of the friendship between Cárdenas and William Cameron Townsend, which was of such importance to the beginnings of the Summer Institute of Linguistics.*

Among the noteworthy characteristics of this text are two worth giving special mention: (1) The frequency and ease with which Ru Marti switches from Mösiehuali to Spanish and back. Even in the 1970’s this was quite typical for Mösiehuali speakers, because of the high incidence of bilingualism in the population. (2) Ru Marti’s rhetorical ability, which was a unique and individual gift of his own. The story of the dog and the tortillas, for example, is no mere clumsy digression. It is at once an interesting personal anecdote; an exercise in self-deprecating humor, fitting in with such humorous and self-deprecating touches as the pictures of himself as a rich man stripped bare (sentences 145-146) or as a squatter (163-164); an extended metaphor or parable (an “example”, Ru Marti calls it in (160)) of the difficulties one can undergo even when it has seemed that one's problems were taken care of; a skillful way to allude to his present difficulties without sounding like a complainer; and a lead-in for the expression of his hope that, despite the impermanent nature of their effects in this life, the excellencies of Cárdenas (and of other worthy people such as the author himself) will be recognized in the world to come.

The following divisions of the text will help the reader to locate the different kinds of material that Ru Marti included in his account.

  • 001-013 Prologue: An appreciation of Lázaro Cárdenas
  • 014-024 The expropriation of the oil industry and the friendship between Cárdenas and Townsend
  • 025-052 Cárdenas visits Tetelcingo: first meeting of Cárdenas and Townsend
  • 053-062 Benefits for Tetelcingo
  • 063-071 Second and third visits of Cárdenas to Tetelcingo
  • 072-088 Cárdenas’ interview with Martín Méndez
  • 089-120 Further benefits for Tetelcingo
  • 121-141 The legacy of Cárdenas
  • 142-145 Gratitude of Martín Méndez towards Cárdenas
  • 146-164 Current difficulties of Martín Méndez; anecdote of the dog and the tortillas
  • 165-171 Rewards in the world to come
  • 172-175 Epilogue
  • Notes


LázaroCárdenas
Lázaro Cárdenas del Río
President of México 1934-1940

Prologue: An appreciation of Lázaro Cárdenas

001 Amo nochi tlachihualistli de Don Lázaro nicpohuas, pero
not all deed of sir Lazarus I.will.recount.it but

    nicnequi nitlaānas desde cuac otlajtojcātic Carrānza.
I.want.it I.will.take.stuff.up from when he.governed Carranza
I won't tell about everything President Cárdenas did, but I'd like to start from the administration of Carranza.


 

002 Desde ipa inu tiempo, nionāqui de tlātlajtohuanime de
from in.it that time nobody of governing.ones of

    nochi Miexijco oquitlajpalo sente pueblo para quijtas tli
all Mexico he.visited one village for he.will.see.it what

    necesidades quipiya.            
needs it.has.it            
Since back in that time, none of the national rulers of Mexico ever visited a village to find out what its needs were.[1]


 

003 Tlā quijtus quitlajpalohua sente estado, quimāmajqui miac escolta
if he.will.say.it he.visits.it one state they.bore.him much escort

    para quixutisqui.
for they.will.watch.over.him
If one of them visited a state, a large escort would go with him to protect him.


 

004 ¿Tli ipampa oquimāmajqui miyac escolta?
what on.account.of.it they.bore.him much escort
¿Why would they go with a large escort?


 

005 Por que amo oquipijpiyaya confiānza ca pueblos.
for that not they.had.it confidence with villages.
Because they mistrusted the people in the villages.


 

006 Pero Cárdenas amo oquipix desconfiānza ca pueblos.
but Cárdenas not he.had.it distrust with villages
But Cárdenas did not mistrust the village people.


 

007 Omāsu para nochi pueblos humildes quieme Tetelcingo.
he.stretched.his.hand/arm.out for all villages humble like Tetelcingo
He opened his arms to humble villages like Tetelcingo.


 

008 Tetelcingo oquipix inu privilegio.
Tetelcingo it.had.it that privilege
Tetelcingo had that great privilege [of having Cárdenas visit there].


 

009 Cuac Cárdenas quintlajpalojtinemia pueblos, amo oquipiyaya necesidad para
when Cárdenas he.was.going.around.visiting.them villages not he.had.it necessity for

    quinbicatinemis soltārojte quiemi ocsequi tlātlajtoānime quichihuaya.
he.will.go.around.taking.them soldiers like others governing.ones they.were.doing.it
When Cárdenas went around visiting the villages, he didn't need to take a bunch of soldiers around with him, the way the other rulers did.


 

010 Cárdenas oquimprubejijtac tli porubejte.
Cárdenas he.saw.them.poor that poor.ones
Cárdenas had compassion on the poor.


 

011 Cárdenas amo sa mochijchicuatlasojtlac.
Cárdenas not only he.crookedly.loved.himself
Cárdenas' love was not self-centered, but was sincere.


 

012 Cárdenas oquitlapo iyulo para nochi itlācaicnihua tli chāntijticate
Cárdenas he.opened.it his.heart for all his.brother.men that they.are.dwelling

    ipa ini nānca āltepietl de Miexijco.
in.it this here country of Mexico
Cárdenas opened his heart to all his fellow-men who live in this country of Mexico.


 

013 Cárdenas, por cuali iyulo nochi quiejquich caltientlāca oquipixqui
Cárdenas for good his.heart all how.many farmers they.had.him

    quienami sente teocuitlatl.
like one treasure
Because of his good heart, all the country folk considered Cárdenas to be a treasure.

Cardenas on horseback greeting a group of country folk
Cárdenas quintlasojtlaya caltientlāca hua yejua oquipixqui quienami sente teocuitlatl
Cárdenas loved the country folk and they considered him to be a treasure



To the index

The expropriation of the oil industry and the friendship between Cárdenas and Townsend

014 Cárdenas oquichi miyac obras ipa nochi ininānca āltepietl
Cárdenas he.did.it many works in.it all this.here country

    de Miexijco.
of Mexico
Cárdenas did many good things all over the Republic of Mexico.


 

015 Cuac tlajtohuanijtic tocni Cárdenas nochi inu campos petroleros
when he.governed our.brother Cárdenas all those fields petroleum.producing

    de ini nānca āltepietl, omohuaxcatijqui compañías extranjeras.
of this here country they.took.possession companies foreign
When our brother Cárdenas became president, foreign companies had taken over all the oil fields of the country.


 

016 Pero cuac otlajtojcātic totlajtojcā Cárdenas, yaja omocuajpitso para
but when he.became.leader our.leader Cárdenas he he.became.tough for

    ocsajpa ini nānca toāltepie oquireconociero, noso omohuaxcati.
again this here our.country he.acknowledged.it or he.took.possession
But once Cárdenas was in power, he acted strongly bring recognition to the nation once again; he laid claim [to the oil industry].


 

017 Compañías extranjeras ocuajcualānqui contra Cárdenas.
companies foreign they.got.angry against Cárdenas
The foreign companies became angry with Cárdenas.


 

018 Pero ipa inu tiempo, Don Guillermo C. Townsend
but in.it that tiempo, sir William C. Townsend

    oquijcuilojqui miyactie librojte ca inglés, cāni tlajtlajtulohuaya
he.H.wrote.it many books in.it English where he.H.was.speaking

    a favor de toāltepie, hua de Cárdenas,
at favor of our.country and of Cárdenas

    hua de tli justicia hua deriecho quināmiquiya toāltepie.
and of what justice and right it.met.it our.country
But in that time, Mr. William C(ameron) Townsend wrote many books and articles in English, in which he defended our country and Cárdenas, and spoke in favor of the rights and justice due to our country.[2]


 

019 Don Guillermo obilohuac ca Estados Unidos.
sir William he.H.went with States United
Mr. Townsend went to the United States.


 

020 Otiecājtiehualuc tiesohua Doña Elvira hua obilohuac.
he.H.left.her.H his.H.woman madam Elvira and he.H.went
He left his wife, Madam Elvira, (en Tetelcingo) when he went.


 

021 Bejcābihua yieyi mietstli.
he.H.delays.away three moon
He was gone three months.


 

022 Oquichijqui miyac propaganda a favor de toāltepie.
he.H.made.it much propaganda at favor of our.country
He produced a lot of publicity in favor of our country.


 

023 Hua por inu sacrificio tli oquichijqui Don Guillermo,
and for that sacrifice that he.H.made.it sir William

    por inu tequitl tli oquichijqui, Cárdenas otiereconociero quienami
for that work that he.H.made.it Cárdenas he.recognized.him.H like

    sente ciudadano de toāltepie, quiemi mexicano.
one citizen of our.country like Mexican
And because of this sacrifice and labor of Mr. Townsend's, Cárdenas considered him to be a citizen of our country, a Mexican.


 

024 Ipa inu tiempo, Don Guillermo ca totlajtojcā
in.it that time sir William with our.leader

    Cárdenas nechijchihualuc lalibis amigos.
Cárdenas they.H.made.each.other very friends
At that time, Mr. Townsend and our President Cárdenas became fast friends.


 


To the index

Cárdenas visits Tetelcingo: first meeting of Cárdenas and Townsend

025 Don Guillermo Townsend, antes de que yejuatsi quichihuas
sir William Townsend, before of that he.H he.will.make.it

    propaganda de in[u] expropiación de inu campos petroleros,
propaganda of that expropriation of those fields petroleum-producing

    cuac chāntihuaya ca tlaijtec ipa inu plazuela -
when he.H.was.dwelling with inside in.it that little.plaza -

    ipa inu tiempo Cárdenas totlajtojcā oquivisitāro topueblo
in.it that time Cárdenas our.leader he.visited.it our.village

    de māsiehualte.
of natives.of.Tetelcingo
In the time before Mr. William Townsend started his publicity campaign regarding the expropriation of the oil fields, when he was living in the central square [of Tetelcingo], our President Cárdenas visited the village of us Mösiehuali speakers.


 

026 Ye cuaquinu naja niyeya de tlajtohuani ipa topueblo
already when.that I I.was of authority in.it our.village
I was village mayor at the time.[3]


 

027 Ipa inun tunalte oncā oyejyeya profesores amo tlamachtiyāya.
in.it those days here they.were professors not they.were.teaching
There were some schoolteachers living there at the time who didn't teach very much.


 

028 Pero oyejyeya esfiela; ompa ochajchāntijtaya.
but they.were escuela there they.were.dwelling
But they were in the school, in fact they lived there.


 

029 Belis otiyejyeya quiemi a las diez de ca
possibly we.were like at the ten of with

    isi cuac naja niyehuataya ipa āmāyetl[4] ixpa ayudantía,
early when I I.was.seated on.it amate.trunk in.front.of.it town.hall

    cuac sa de repiente oniquijtac sente quixtiyāno ohualāya
when only of sudden I.saw.him one outsider[5] he.was.coming

    ca notlac, de tejāno, de pantalo, hua de
with next.to.me of Texan(hat) of trousers and of

    chaquieta.
jacket
It must have been about ten o'clock one morning, when I was sitting in front of the town hall on an amate tree trunk, when I suddenly saw a stranger from the city approaching me, dressed in a cowboy hat, citified trousers, and a jacket.

Cardenas viajando
Oniquijtac se quixtiyāno de tejano, de pantalón y de chaquieta
I saw a stranger from the city, dressed in a cowboy hat, trousers, and a jacket

030 Naja amo onicchi cāso de yaja.
I not I.made.it notice of he
I didn't pay any attention to him.


 

031 Naja nicseguiro niyehuatica ipa inu āmāyetl.
I I.followed.it I.am.seated in.it that trunk
I stayed there, sitting on the trunk.


 

032 Por fin omopacho notlac hua oniechtlajpalo.
for end he.approched next.to.me and he.greeted.me
Finally he came up and greeted me.


 

033 Nuyijqui naja onictlajpalo, pero niyehuatica.
also I I.greeted.him but I.am.seated
I greeted him back, but stayed sitting there.


 

034 Ye cuaquinuju oniechilfi inu quixtiyāno, -¿Amo tiniechixomati?
already when.that he.said.to.me that outsider not you.know.me
Then this outsider said to me "Don't you recognize me?"


 

035 Naja oniquilfi, -Amo, Señor.
I I.said.to.him not sir
"No, sir," I said.


 

036 Yaja oniechilfi, -Naja niPresidente de la República, Lázaro
he he.said.to.me I I.president of the republic Lazarus

    Cárdenas.
Cárdenas
He said to me, "I am Lázaro Cárdenas, President of the Republic."


 

037 Ye cuaquinuju onoquetstiquis hua onitieilfi[6] ca en castilla,
already when.that I.suddenly.stood.myself.up and I.said.to.him.H with in.it Castilian

    -Señor Presidente ¡perdóneme!
sir president forgive.me
I jumped to my feet and said to him, in Spanish, "Señor President, forgive me!


 

038 No le conocía.
not you I.was.knowing
I didn't realize who you were."


 

039 Cárdenas oniechtlajtlani hua oniechilfi, —¿Āquimejua chajchānti ijtec
Cárdenas he.asked.me and he.said.to.me who.are.they they.dwell inside.it

    inu cali?
that house
Cárdenas asked me, "Who are the people that live in that house over there?" en esa casa?


 

040 Naja oniquilfi, -Yejua profesores.
I I.said.to.him they professors
"They are some schoolteachers," I told him.


 

041 Oniechilfi, -Xiquintsajtsili ma hualācā.
he.said.to.me call.to.them may they.should.come
"Go call them," he told me, "and tell them to come here."


 

042 Ye cuac inu naja onomerā oniquintsajtsilito.
already when that I I.ran I.went.and.called.them
So I ran and called them.


 

043 Yejua ohualajqui.
they they.came
They came.


 

044 Otlajtojqui ca yaja.
they.spoke with he
They spoke with him.


 

045 Ocsajpa oniechtlajtlani neli āquinu chānti itsintla mimisquicuabitl.
again he.asked.me reportedly who.that he.dwells below.it mesquite.palo
Then he spoke to me again, and asked me who was living under the mequite tree.


 

046 Naja oniquilfi, -Señor Presidente, chānti sente americano.
I I.said.to.him sir president he.dwells one American
"Mr. President", I said, "an American lives there.


 

047 Naja onicmacac permiso para ma mochānti oncā ca
I I.gave.him permission for may he.make.himself.dwell here with

    tejua para tiechpaliebi ipa ini nānca plazuela.
we for he.helps.us in.it this here little.plaza
I gave him permission to live here in the town square with us and help us."

The Townsends in front of their house ca. 1939
Itsintla mimisquicuabitl chānti se americano tli ohuala tiechpaliebico
Under the mesquite tree there an American is living, who came to help us

048 Yaja oniechilfi, -Xictsajtsili ma huala.
he he.said.to.me call.to.him may he.should.come
"Call him and tell him to come," he told me.


 

049 Naja onomerā onitietsajtsilito Don Guillermo.
I I.ran I.went.and.called.him.H sir William
I went running and called Mr. Townsend.


 

050 Yejuatsi hualquixohuac, oquitlajpalojqui, hua yaja nuyijqui otietlajpalo.
he.H he.H.emerged.hither he.H.greeted.him and he also he.greeted.him.H
He came out of the house and greeted Cárdenas, and Cárdenas greeted him in return.


 

051 Ocajcalacohuac ca tiecalijtec Don Guillermo.
they.H.entered with inside.his.H.house sir William
Together they went into Mr. Townsend's house.


 

052 Ye ompa onenunutsaluc tieca Don Lázaro Cárdenas, totlajtojcā.
already there he/they.H.talked.together with.him.H sir Lazarus Cárdenas nuestro.líder
There they talked, Mr. Townsend with our President, Lázaro Cárdenas.


To the index

Benefits for Tetelcingo

053 Onechijchihualuc amigos, amo sa para yehuatsi Don Guillermo
they.H.made.themselves friends not only for he.H sir William

    ca tiesohua, tlācamo nuyijqui nechijchihualuc amigos ca Presidente
with his.H.woman but also they.H.made.themselves friends with president

    Cárdenas para que topueblo de Tetelcingo quipiyas icnuijtalistli
Cárdenas for that our.village of Tetelcingo it.will.have.it pity

    de Cárdenas.
of Cárdenas
They didn't make friends just for the benefit of Mr. Townsend and his wife, but his and President Cárdenas' becoming friends resulted in Cárdenas having mercy on our village of Tetelcingo.


 

054 Toyesojcāicni Cárdenas, ca Don Guillermo, nechijchihualuc de amistad
our.blood.brother Cárdenas with sir William they.H.made.themselves of friendship

    amo sa para yejuantsitsi tlācamo asta para tejua
not only for they.H but until for we

    de Tetelcingo.
of Tetelcingo
The friendship which began between Cárdenas, our kinsman, and Mr. Townsend, was not just for the benefit of the two of them, but also for the benefit even of us Tetelcingans.


 

055 Desde ipa inun tunali que nenojnunutsac, Cárdenas otieilfijtie
from in.it that day that they.H.talked Cárdenas he.left.it.said.to.him.H

    Don Guillermo que ipa quiejquich tunalte quihualtitlanis el
sir William that in.it how.many days he.will.send.him.hither the

    Coronel del Río ca sente sementera de turo
colonel of.the river with one breeding.stock of bull

    hua sente vāca, ocsente sementera de chivos, hua
and one cow other breeding.stock of goats and

    ocsente sementera de pitsome.
other breeding.stock of hogs
On that day when they first talked, Cárdenas left Don Guillermo with the promise that in a few days he would send Colonel Del Río with good breeding stock for cattle, goats, and hogs.


 

056 Pos melāhuac.
well true
And sure enough, he did.


 

057 Ipa quiejquich tunalte ohuala Coronel del Río ca
in.it how.many days he.came colonel of.the river with

    sente camión lalibis bieyi cāni quihualicaya inu yulcāme
one truck very big where he.was.bringing.it those animals

    tli oquijtojtie Cárdenas.
that he.left.it.said Cárdenas
A few days later, here came Colonel Del Río with a very big truck, bringing the animals Cárdenas had promised.

Townsend sitting on the bull
Don Guillermo Townsend yehualutica ipan turo tli Cárdenas oquinmacac māsiehualtie
Townsend seated on the bull that Cárdenas gave to the people of Tetelcingo

058 Sātiepa de ini nānca, ca iorden del General
afterwards of this here with his.order of.the General

    Don Lázaro, ohuala Lic.
sir Lázaro, he.came Bachelor.of.Law
    Genaro Vázquez ca Profesor Uranga.
Genaro Vázquez with professor Uranga
After this happened, Mr. Genaro Vázquez and Professor Uranga came, under orders from General Cárdenas.


 

059 Lic. Genaro Vázquez ipa inu tiempo oyeya Jefe del
Bachelor.of.Law Genaro Vázquez in.it that time he.was chief of.the

    Departamento del Trabajo, hua Profesor Uranga oyeya Vocal
department of.the work and professor Uranga he.was representative

    de inu Departamento.
of that department
At that time, Mr. Genaro Vázquez was head of the Department of Labor, and Professor Uranga was official representative of the same Department.


 

060 Pos ohualajqui inu unteme personas por mando de
well they.came those two persons for command of

    Don Lázaro Cárdenas para ma quiinspeccionārucā tlālte de
sir Lazarus Cárdenas for may they.should.inspect.it lands of

    riego de Casasāno.
irrigation of Casasano
These two came by order of President Cárdenas to examine the irrigated lands near the town of Casasano.


 

061 Oncā ochicumetijqui asta senamo oquiyequijijtaqui inu tlālte.
here they.spent.seven until that.not they.examined.it.well those lands
They spent a week here, not leaving until they had checked those lands out thoroughly.


 

062 Ye cuac inu oyajqui.
already when that they.went
Then they left.


 


To the index

Second and third visits of Cárdenas to Tetelcingo

063 Sātiepa de miyac tunalte Cárdenas ohuala ocsajpa.
afterwards of many days Cárdenas he.came again
A good while later Cárdenas came again.


 

064 Pero para cuac inuju, Don Guillermo ayecmo chāntihuaya
but for when that sir William no.longer he.H.dwelt

    pan plazuela tlācamo ye chāntihuaya ipa icorrāl de
in little.village.square but already he.H.dwelt in.it his.corral of

    Don Refugio Rodríguez.
sir Refugio Rodríguez
By then Mr. Townsend had moved from the village square to a lot belonging to Mr. Refugio Rodríguez.


 

065 Ipa incorrāl ocsajpa otietlajpaluco Cárdenas.
in.it their.corral again he.came.to.visit.him.H Cárdenas
There in that lot Cárdenas visited Mr. Townsend again.


 

066 Ocsajpa onenunutsaluc Don Guillermo ca toyesojcāicni Cárdenas.
again he.H.talked sir William with our.blood.brother Cárdenas
Once again Mr. Townsend talked with our kinsman Cárdenas.


 

067 Cárdenas otiemacac Don Guillermo sequi piezas de telas
Cárdenas he.gave.him.H sir William some pieces of cloths

    hua pantalunte de meztlilla para ma quinmajmacacā giente
and trousers of denim for may he.H.should.give.to.them people

    de tochā.
of our.home
Cárdenas gave Mr. Townsend some lengths of cloth and some denim pants for him to give to our villagesfolk.

Mujeres de Tetelcingo con sus hijos
Sohuame māsiehualtie ca tiehua impiljua, hua sente bescomatl
Tetelcingan women with their children, and a bescomatl granary in the background

068 Nuyijqui telas oquixiexelojqui ca sohuame de nicā tochā.
also cloths he.H.distributed.it with women of here our.home
The cloths he also distributed among our village's women.

Sewing with a machine donated by Cárdenas
Sente sohuatl tlajtzoma ca sente mācna oquitiemacac Cárdenas
A woman of Tetelcingo sewing on a machine donated by Cárdenas

069 Para ca yexpa ohuala Cárdenas.
for with three.times he.came Cárdenas
A third time Cárdenas came.


 

070 Ye oquihualicac isohua ca itielpuch Cuauhtemoc.
already he.brought.her his.woman with his.son Cuauhtémoc
He brought his wife, and his son Cuauhtémoc.


 

071 Ipa inu tiempo oc tsitsiquitsi oyeya.
in.it that time yet little he.was
He was still a little boy at that time.

La familia Cárdenas
Don Lázaro Cárdenas ca tiehua Doña Amalia hua Cuauhtémoc
Lázaro Cárdenas with his wife Amalia and son Cuauhtémoc



To the index

Cárdenas' interview with Martín Méndez

072 Cuac ca ujpa ohuala Cárdenas, oquinunutsqui Don Guillermo
when with two.times he.came Cárdenas he.H.talked.with.him sir William

    que naja oniyeya de soltāro, hua Cárdenas oquinec
that I I.was of soldier and Cárdenas he.wanted.it

    nechixomatis.
he.will.know.me
During Cárdenas' second visit, Mr. Townsend told him that I had been a soldier, and Cárdenas wanted to get to know me.


 

073 Don Guillermo oquihualicajqui cāni naja niyeya calijtec.
sir William he.H.brought.him where I I.was inside.the.house
Mr. Townsend brought him into the house where I was.


 

074 Oniechtlajpalo, hua oniechilfi, -¿Taja otiyeya de soltāro?
he.greeted.me and he.said.to.me you you.were of soldier
He greeted me, and asked, "Did you serve as a soldier?"


 

075 -Melāhuac oniyeya de soltāro, Señor Presidente.
true I.was of soldier sir president
"That is right, I was a soldier, Mr. President."


 

076 Oniechilfi, -¿Quiejquich xibitl oticchi?
he.said.to.me how.many leaf you.made.it
"How many years did you do?" he asked me.


 

077 Naja oniquilfi, -Majtlactli huan ume xibitl onicchi ipa
I I.said.to.him ten and two leaf I.made.it in.it

    inu ejército.
that army
"I did twelve years in the army," I responded.


 

078 -¿Hua amo tli otictlā?
and not what you.gained.it
"And, weren't you paid anything from your service?"


 

079 Oniquijto, -Amo yitla onictlā.
I.said not algo I.gained.it
"I didn't get a thing," I said.


 

080 -Pos xiquijta.
well see.it
"Look here.


 

081 Naja timitztlāocolis sente terreno para ica tomopaliebis.
I I.will.give.you.gratis one property for by.means.of.it you.will.help.yourself
I will give you a piece of property for you to make your living with.


 

082 Naja oniquijto, -Tlasojcāmati Señor Presidente.
I I.said gracias sir president
"Thank you, Mr. President!" I said.


 

083 Yaja oniechilfi, -Xikpejpena semillas de ini xuchitl tli
he he.said.to.me choose.it seeds of this flower that

    taja ticpiya para nochā.
you you.have.it for my.home
He told me, "Pick out some seeds from this flower that you have, for me to take home with me."


 

084 Hua uya Cárdenas ca tiecalijtec Don Guillermo.
and he.went Cárdenas with inside.his.H.house sir William
And Cárdenas went back to Mr. Townsend's house.


 

085 Naja sanima onictejtec inu semilla.
I immediately I.cut.it.off that semilla
I immediately cut off some seeds of the kind he'd asked for.


 

086 Onictlāli ijtec sente puxajtli de āmatl hua onicmacato.
I.placed.it inside.it one bag of paper and I.went.and.gave.it.to.him
I put them in a paper bag and went to give it to him.


 

087 Por fin uya Don Lázaro ca Miexijco.
for end he.went sir Lazarus with Mexico
And finally President Cárdenas went back to Mexico.


 

088 Don Guillermo onecāhualuc.
sir William he.H.left.himself
Mr. Townsend remained behind.

Ru Marti Méndez with his family
Ru Marti Méndez ca tiehua Xohuānajtzi hua imichpuch Eusebia
Martín Méndez with his wife Juana and daughter Eusebia



To the index

Further benefits for Tetelcingo

089 Pero ipa quiejquich tunalte nuyijqui Don Guillermo obiloac
but in.it how.many days also sir William he.H.went

    ca Miexijco.
with Mexico
But a few days later, Mr. Townsend also went to Mexico.


 

090 Mientras Don Guillermo ilohuaya ompa Miexijco, oasico Profesor
mientras sir William he.H.was there