第27章TheStub-book
PedrodeAlar
OldBuscabeata'sbattheperiodofwhichIamgoihereasonwasthathewassixtyyearsold，fortyofentieceofgroundonthebanksoftheRiverCostilla。Thatyearhehadcultivatedonhisfarmaouspumpkins，andthesepumpkinshadattainedanecolorbothi，whichshowedthatitwashofJuaskneweaperfectlybyitsform，itsstateofripeshefortywhichwerefattestaincolour。Hespentallhisdaysgazienderly，andsadlyexg，"Soonweshallhavetopart!"
&ernoonhedethesacrifitedtotheripestofhisbelovedpumpkins，whisomucheffort，andsaidtheterriblewords，"TomorrowIwillcutthesefortyaotheCadizmarket。Happyisthemanwhoilleatthem!"Andhewalkedbacktothehousewithsloewiththeagonyofafatherwhoisgoingtomarryoffhisdaughteronthefollowingday。"Mypoordearpumpkins!"hesighedagainandagaiofallasleep。Butthe，"WhatelseIdobutsellthem?Icultivatedthemforthatpurpose。AtleastIwillreceivefifteendurosforthem。"
Imagiremeasto，furyaiohefolltothefarm，hediscoveredthathehadbeenrthenightofhisfortypumpkiimeIwillmerelysaythathewasfilledwithtragidthatherepeatedagainandagaierriblewords，"Oh，ifIcatchyou，ifIcatchyou!"
Theoreflect，dhedecidedthathisbelovedpumpkinsotbeinRota，hisnativevillage。Itwouldbeimpossibletoputthemoherebecausetheywnized。Besides，pumpkichedaverylowpricethere。
"TheyareinCadiz!"Hedecidedaftermuchthought。"Thatrascal，therobber，robbedmelastnightateno'descapedwiththematmidnightinthecargoboat。IwilltaketheboatthisverymfordIwillbeverymuchsurprisedifIdonotcatchtherobberahedaughtersofmylabour。"Sosayiremaiweheseofthedisasterasifgthemissingpumpkinsterriblepuherobber，untilitwaseighto'dheleftiio。
Itwasalmostreadytosail。ItleavesforCadizeverymatnineo'clpasseasthecargoboatleaveseverynightatmidnightgfruitaables。
ThatmathalfpastteaspausedinfroablestallintheCadizmarket-pladsaidtoaboredpoliwhowasstandingby。"Thosearemypumpkiman!"Aedtothemert。
"Arrestme!"exclaimedthemert，surprisedandfurious。"Thosepumpkinsaremithem。。。"
"You'llbeabletotellthattothejudge，"answeredBuscabeatas。
"Ios;t。"
"Youwill。"
"You'rearascal。"
"You'reathief。"
"Youshouldspeakwithmorepoliteness。Menshouldnottalktoeachotherinthisfashion，"thepolisaidwithextremecalm，hittihemi。Meanwhileacrowdhadcolleditwasnotlohereappearedthepolispectorofthepublicmarket，theioroffood。
Thepolitoldthisgreatmaneio。
"Fromwhomdidyoubuythesepumpkins?"theioraskedimportantly。
"FromFulano，theoldmanfromRota，"themertreplied。
"Thatwouldbetheman!"criedBuscabeatas。"That'sthefellowIsuspected!Hisfarmispoor，aproduceslittle，hebeginstorobhisneighbours。"
"Butifweadmitthatyouwererobbedlastnightoffortypumpkins，"saidtheior，"horovethattheseandnoothers，areyours?"
"Why?"repliedBuscabeatas。"Beowthemaswellasyouknhters，ifyouhaveany，don'tyouseethatIhaveraisedthem?Lookhere!Thisoneiscalled'theroundone'，thatoneis'thefatfelloos;，thisoneis'theredone'，thatis'Manuela'becausesheresemblesmyyouer。"Andthepooroldmaocrybitterly。
"Allthisisverygood，"aheior。"Butthelawdoesisfiedwiththefactynizeyourpumpkins。Itishatauthorityshouldbecedthatthethiedandthatyoushouldidentifyitroofs。Senores，youneedn'tsmile。Iamalawyer。"
"Well，youwillsoohatthepumpkins;andyouwillseethemwithoutmovingfromthisplace。"
Buscabeatas'swordsastoors，buthedroppedonthegroundapackagewhichhehadbeenginhishadownandcalmlybegasinthehandkerchiefwhichwasroundthepackage。
"Whatishegoi?"everybodyaskedwithastohesametimeanothercuriousspectatorjoihedseeiexclaimed，"Iamgladyouarehere，Fulano!Thismansaysthatthesepumpkins，whielastolen。Youexplain。。。"
Theurnedyellowaoescape。Butherevented，andinadditioestedthatheshouldremain。"Igrewthesepumpkinsonmyfarm，"hesaid，"andnooneprovethetrary。"
"Nowyouwillsee，"saidBuscabeatas，openingthehateredonthegroundaquantityofpumpkinstalks，stillgreehen，sittingoahlaughter，hesaid，"Gentlemen，haveyoueverpaidtaxes?Ifso，haveyouseenthatgreenbookwhichthetax-collectorcarries?Receiptsareit，aubbywhibeprovedtisfalseornot。"
"Whatyaboutisthestub-book，"saidtheiravely。
"ThatiswhatIamgwithme;itisthestub-bookofmygardehestalksthatwereattapkiheywerestolenfromme。Andifyoudonotbelieveme，lookatthem。Thisstalkbelohispumpkin。Nobodydoubtit。Thisotherone，asyoueasilysee，belohisohisone，whichiswider，mustbelongtothisotheroly!Andthisohato;
&hesewords，hefittedastalktothehinthepumpkiludwithastohespectatorssawthatthestalkexactlyfittedtheshapeofthehole。Thentheyall，ingthepolidtheiorhimself，bentdownlowaoassistBuscabeatasinthisstrangeproof，allsayingwithchildishpleasure，"Yes，yes!Itislyso!Thisonebelongshere!Doyousee?"
Theoldfarmer'seyesfilledpihepoliselvesreadytotaketherobberofftoprison。
ItisuosaythatthispleasurewasgrahatFulanowasobligedtoreturthefifteenduroshehadreceived。
Buscabeatasreturawithdeepsatisfa，buthekeptsayingontheway，"Howbeautifultheylookedi-place!Ishouldhavebroughtbauela，sothatImighteathertonightaheseeds。"