The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1905-04-25
THN PLUMED sERPENT.


At the corner of one of the village
streets is well from which opens
vast cavern extending, the natives say,
many miles toward Merida. Steps lead
down the side Of the well to the water
4 and from the pool at the bottom the
Indian women bring the water in great
Jars on their heads.
The natives will not venture far into
this great cavern, for somewhere in the
depths, they say, still turks the mother
of the Dwarf Of Uxmal.
In the long years before Christopher
Columbus, when Mani was rich city
and Yucatan was part of powerful
empire, this old woman, having made
her son governor of the city Of Uxmal,
retired from the splendors Of his court
and Travelled many a weary mile till she
came to Mani, where she took up her
abode in the cavern.
In the cavern she met big serpent
with a plumed head. Under large
tree by the side Of a river that ran
through the cavern she used to sit with
the serpent for hours at time.
One day she said to the serpent that
she was very fond Of children.
$50 am r." replied the serpent with a
sly look in his little eyes-''for eating"
The old woman was Mortified at first
but finally she became so fond of the
serpent that she agreed to help him to
his favorite food. So the old woman
went into the city and told the Gov
ernor that hereafter the water of the
well would be Sold not for money, but
for a child. If the tribute was not fur
nished then the big serpent would
come out Of the cavern and eat up the
people who came for water.
There was great grief in the city of
Mani when the heraIds went about pro-
claiming the demands of the old
woman. The rich would not give up
their children, and when the officers
of the Governor tried to seize upon
the children Of the poor there was a
riot, and the people chased the Gov
ernor back to his palace, tearing his
splendid feather cloak and knocking
off his plumed head dress of gold and
gems.
SO the Governor summoned his
guards about him and shut himself up
in his palace.
days, for nobody dared to visit the
well where the great plumed serpent
lay in wait for them.
On the morning of the fourth day
there appeared at the Governors pal
ace a beautiful boy about fourteen
years old. He was dressed like the
poorer class of citizens, and when the
Governor saw him, he exclaimed:
s'What do you here? Are you come to
slay me?'' mo, exceilency," replied
the boy, II am come to offer myself
as food for the serpent"
Good cried the Governor. "Good;
bring rich food and rich clothes. You
shall feed well yourself before you are
food for the serpent"
The boy, whose name was Pentemit,
was quickly dressed in the splendid
clothes of young nobleman, and
eagerly attacked the food which was
Set before him, for his mother was a
poor widow, and 1t was seldom that he
had all he wanted to eat.
Then he went at the head Of great
procession to the mouth of the well,
while all the Inhabitants Of Mani
heaped blessings upon him.
Over his shoulder Pantemit had
large bag, filed with something SO
heavy that it was difficult to carry, but
he refused all assistance.
He descended into the well and
walked down the great cavern until
he came to whore the old woman sat,
under the tree by the river, with the
great plumed serpent at her side.
"Ah," cried she. when she saw Pan
TENT approaching, "here comes your
dinner"
Then, as the boy stopped at a little
distance, she asked: 'WelI, do the
people want to buy water?'
Eyes" answered the boy, and then be
said to the serpent: "Shut your eyes
and open your mouth. and / will give
you d meal you will long remember"
The serpent did as he was bid. Pan
temit, taking great round stone from
his bag, threw it down the creatures
throat. The old woman began to scoid,
and as soon as the serpent recovered
from his surprise he made spring for
Pantemit with his mouth open. But
the boy, jumping aside, threw another
cobble stone down the serpent's mouth,
and SO they had it all around the tree,
the serpent trying to get at Pantemit
and Pentemit, every time the creature
opened his mouth. throwing cobble
stone into It,
Stop stopr' cried the old woman.
"'Xou will spoil my serpent's digestion
forever. Go away and leave US alone.
Take all the water you want"
* rs it bargaing'' asked the boy, and
the serpent, who had enough Of it by
this time, cried out that it was, and
that If the people OF Mani would keep
out Of the cavern they might draw all
the water they wanted from the well |
But if they ever intruded on the place
where the big tree grew on the banks
Of the river they would have to give
up child.
The Governor was SO glad that he
made Pantemit a noble and gave him d |
large estate Pantemit's palace is the