THE BIRD WHO CLEANS THE WORLD AND...

THE BIRD WHO CLEANS THE WORLD AND OTHER MAYAN FABLES by Victor Montejo, translated from the Jakaltek-Mayan by Walter Kaufman (Curbstone Press: $13.95; 120 pp., illustrated). A Guatemalan of Mayan descent, Montejo transcribed the tales he heard as a child in an effort to preserve them. “Who Cuts the Trees Cuts His Own Life” reflects the reverence the Maya held for the land that nurtured them; “The Tail of the Dog” suggests the risks of talking too much. The fables involving animals the Spanish introduced to the Americas (horses, oxen, mules) are obviously of more recent origin, but all the stories offer a satisfying blend of humor and wisdom. This engaging anthology provides adults and children with rare insights into one of the cultures that make up the tapestry of contemporary Southern California.