In Mayab experiencing a mysterious bird that always walks alone and lives among the ruins. It is the owl or tunkuluchú, who shakes the Maya with his singing, because everyone knows that announces the death.
Some say it does for evil, others because the tunkuluchú enjoy the walk through the cemeteries on dark nights, hence the taste for death, and there are those who think that many years ago, a Mayan witch, the dying, He became the owl.
There is also a legend that tells of a distant era when tunkuluchú was considered the wisest of the kingdom of birds. Therefore, the birds would look if they needed advice and all admired his serious and prudent behavior.
One day the tunkuluchú received a letter, in which he was invited to a party that would take place in the palace of the kingdom of birds. Although he did not like the celebrations, this time he decided to attend because he could not refuse a royal invitation. So, he came to the party dressed in his best suit; the guests were much astonished to see him, because it was the first time the tunkuluchú went to a meeting like this.
Immediately, he was given the most important place in the table and offered the most delicious dishes, accompanied by balché, Mayan liquor. But tunkuluchú was not used to balché and just drank a few drinks, got drunk. The same thing with the other guests, who turned the party into pure outrageous whistles and laughter occurred.
Among the funniest was the chom, who decorated his bald head with flowers and laughed every time someone bumped. Instead, the chachalaca, it was always very noisy, was silent. Each bird wanted to be the most grace and accidentally, tunkuluchú beat the other. He was so drunk that he gave for telling jokes while dancing and turned in one of his legs, regardless falling all the time.
That they were, as she passed around a Mayan known to be really annoying. Hearing the commotion that made the birds, he got to the party willing to disturb the present. And of course I had the opportunity to do so, especially after he also got drunk with balché.
Maya began to laugh at each bird, but soon caught his eye the tunkuluchú. Without much thought, he ran after him to pull his feathers while Dizzy Bird ran and slipped each time. Then the man pulled a thorn from a branch and sought to tunkuluchú; when he found it, he stung the legs. Although the bird up again and again, all I did was believed that birds that had to dance and laugh at him as could be.
It was not until Maya slept for drunkenness that stopped bothering him. The party was over and the birds returned to their nests still dizzy; They cackled, remembering some ridicule that made tremendous tunkuluchú. The poor bird felt anger and shame at the same time, because nobody respected him after that day.
He decided to avenge the cruelty of the Mayan. He spent whole days in search of the worst punishment; So was his anger, he thought that all men should pay for the offense he had suffered. Thus, in itself he sought some quality that allowed him to get even and opted to use his nose. He was then to the cemetery every night until he learned to recognize the smell of death; that was what he needed for his revenge.
Since then, the proposed tunkuluchú announce the Maya as it approaches its final hour. Thus, it stands near the places smell someone will die soon and often sings. So they say that when the tunkuluchú sings, the man dies. And he could not choose best revenge, then she shakes her singing fear the listener.