God our Lord decreed that, in order to conquer their obstinate resistance, it should happen one day that this same father, Fray Rodrigo, on passing through a thicket consecrated to their devils (where, as their rites said, it was sacrilege to cut or touch any branch—­besides the great fear that they had conceived that if anyone should have the audacity to do so, or to take the least thing, he would surely die immediately), saw a tree covered with a certain fruit which they call pahos, [36] that resemble the excellent plums that we know in Europa.  As it was so ripe and mellow, he ordered them to climb the tree and get some of the fruit.  Those accompanying him refused roundly, but he insisted on his desire.  They finally explained, and said that they would do it under no consideration; for, beyond all doubt, those who dared to offend the respect for that place would die very suddenly.  Upon hearing that, the father was inflamed with zeal for the honor and worship of the true God whom he was preaching.  Asking them whether all trees around about had that quality of inflicting death on him who touched them, accidentally or designedly, they answered “Yes.”  Then elevating his voice, he gave them a fervent discourse against the delusion under which they were laboring; and concluded by intimating to them that he himself would get and eat the fruit, as well as cut down the trees, so that they might see that one would not die, and so that they might thereby be freed from the error and blindness of their ancestors.  The Indians were very sorrowful because father Fray Rodrigo had decided to eat of the fruit, and they accordingly begged him earnestly and humbly not to do it.  But the good religious, arming himself with prayer and with the sign of the cross, and repeating that antiphony, Ecce crucem Domini:  fugite partes adversae.  Vicit leo de tribu Juda, [37] began to break the branches and to climb the tree, where he gathered a great quantity of the fruit.  He ate not a little of it before them all, in detestation of their wicked superstitions and ill-founded fears.  The Indians looked at his face, expecting every moment to see him a dead man.  But they immediately recognized the truth of what he told them.  He charged them not to tell anyone what they had seen him do there.  On arriving at the village, he divided the rest of the fruit that he brought, and kept for that purpose, among the other chiefs and influential persons, who ate it with gusto, esteeming it as a present from that father.  The next day, after assembling them (much to their pleasure), he execrated their ignorance in a long sermon, and told them the secret of the fruit.  Thereupon, all of them, convinced and surprised, not one of them being wanting, followed him axes in hand, and felled that thicket, casting contempt on the devil; and many infidels ended by submitting to the knowledge of the truth.