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第27章 The Stubbook（第1页）

第27章TheStub-book

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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."