[p 85]
V
JUDAS ISCARIOT DAY
I
One day, later in spring, in the week just before Easter, Doña Teresa got ahead of the red rooster. It happened in this way. Early in the morning, when everything was still as dark as a pocket, and not a single rooster in the neighborhood had yet thought of crowing, Doña Teresa woke up and lighted a candle. Then see went over to the Twins’ mat and held up her candle so she could look at them. They were both sound asleep.
“Wake up, my lambs,” said Doña Teresa. But her lambs didn’t wake up. Doña Teresa shook them gently. “Wake up, dormice! Don’t you know this is Judas Iscariot Day, and you are all going to town? Come, we are going in Pedro’s boat, and he has to start early.”
[p 86]
Tita began to rub her eyes, and Tonio was sitting up with both of his wide open the moment Doña Teresa said the word “boat.” They bounced out in a minute, and they even washed without being told, and they used soap, too!
Pancho was roused by the noise they made. He got up at once and went to attend to the donkey and to Pinto. When he opened the door the gleam of Doña Teresa’s candle woke the red rooster. He began to crow, and then all the other roosters crowed, and almost right away candles were glimmering in every hut in the village and every one was up and getting ready to start to town.
Everybody was going. Some were going on horseback and some on donkeys; more were walking, and as it was many miles from the hacienda to the town it was necessary to start very early.
The quickest way to go was by boat, but, of course, not every one could go that way because there were not enough boats. Pedro’s boat went back and forth every day [p 87] between the hacienda and the town, carrying wood and all kinds of supplies. He was a friend of Pancho’s and that was how they were so fortunate as to be invited to go with him.
Doña Teresa got breakfast very quickly, and while they were eating it they heard a voice calling, “Here, buy your Judases—at six and twelve cents—your Judases.”
“There comes the Judas-seller. Run, children, run,” cried Doña Teresa. “You may each have twelve cents and you may buy two little ones or one big one, as you like.”