ix years old in March。 He was silent and withdrawn。 He had wept in his mother’s womb and had been born with his eyes open。 As they were cutting the umbilical cord； he moved his head from side to side； taking in the things in the room and examining the faces of the people with a fearless curiosity。 Then； indifferent to those who came close to look at him； he kept his attention concentrated on the palm roof； which looked as if it were about to collapse under the tremendous pressure of the rain。 ？rsula did not remember the intensity of that look again until one day when little Aureliano； at the age of three； went into the kitchen at the moment she was taking a pot of boiling soup from the stove and putting it on the table。 The child； Perplexed； said from the doorway； “It’s going to spill。？The pot was firmly placed in the center of the table； but just as soon as the child made his announcement； it began an unmistakable movement toward the edge； as if impelled by some inner dynamism； and it fell and broke on the floor。 ？rsula； alarmed； told her husband about the episode； but he interpreted it as a natural phenomenon。 That was the way he always was alien to the existence of his sons； partly because he considered childhood as a period of mental insufficiency； and partly because he was always too absorbed in his fantastic speculations。
But since the afternoon when he called the children in to help him unpack the things in the laboratory； he gave them his best hours。 In the small separate room； where the walls were gradually being covered by strange maps and fabulous drawings； he taught them to read and write and do sums； and he spoke to them about the wonders of the world； not only where his learning had extended； but forcing the limits of his imagination to extremes。 It was in that way that the boys ended up learning that in the southern extremes of Africa there were men so intelligent and peaceful that their only pastime was to sit and think； and that it was possible to cross the Aegean Sea on foot by jumping from island to island all the way to the port of Salonika。 Those hallucinating sessions remained printed on the memories of the boys in such a way that many years later； a second before the regular army officer gave the firing squad the mand to fire； Colonel Aureliano Buendía saw once more that warm March afternoon on which his father had interrupted the lesson in physics and stood fascinated； with his hand in the air and his eyes motionless； listening to the distant pipes； drums； and jingles of the gypsies； who were ing to the village once more； announcing the latest and most startling discovery of the sages of Memphis。
They were new gypsies； young men and women who knew only their own language； handsome specimens with oily skins and intelligent hands； whose dances and music sowed a panic of uproarious joy through the streets； with parrots painted all colors reciting Italian arias； and a hen who laid a hundred golden eggs to the sound of a tambourine； and a trained monkey who read minds； and the multi…use machine that could be used at the same time to sew on buttons and reduce fevers； and the apparatus to make a person forget his bad memories； and a poultice to lose time； and a thousand more inventions so ingenious and unusual that Jos？Arcadio Buendía must have wanted to invent a memory machine so that he could remember them all。 In an instant they transformed the village。 The inhabitants of Macondo found themselves lost is their own streets； confused by the crowded fair。
Holding a child by each hand so as not to lose them in the tumult； bumping into acrobats with gold…capped teeth and jugglers with six arms； suffocated by the mingled breath of manure and sandals that the crowd exhaled； Jos？Arcadio Buendía went about everywhere like a madman； looking for Melquíades so that he could reveal to him the infinite secrets of that fabulous nightmare。 He asked several gypsies； who did not understand his language。 Finally he reached the place where Melquíades used to set up his tent and he found a taciturn Armenian who in Spanish was hawking a syrup to make oneself invisible。 He had drunk down a glass of the amber substance in one gulp as Jos？Arcadio Buendía elbowed his way through the absorbed group that was witnessing the spectacle； and was able to ask his question。 The gypsy wrapped him in the frightful climate of his look before he turned into a puddle of pestilential and smoking pitch over which the echo of his reply still floated： “Melquíades is dead。？Upset by the news； Jos？Arcadio Buendía stood motionless； trying to rise above his affliction； until the group dispersed； called away by other artifices； and the puddle of the taciturn Armenian evaporated pletely。 Other gypsies confirmed later on that Melquíades had in fact succumbed to the fever on the beach at Singapore and that his body had been thrown into the deepest part of the Java Sea。 The children had no interest in the news。 They insisted that their father take them to see the overwhelming novelty of the sages of Memphis that was being advertised at the entrance of a tent that； according to what was said； had belonged to King Solomon。 They insisted so much that Jos？Arcadio Buendía paid the thirty reales and led them into the center of the tent； where there was a giant with a hairy torso and a shaved head； with a copper ring in his nose and a heavy iron chain on his ankle； watching over a pirate chest。 When it was opened by the giant； the chest gave off a glacial exhalation。 Inside there was only an enormous； transparent block with infinite internal needles in which the light of the sunset was broken up into colored stars。 Disconcerted； knowing that the children were waiting for an immediate explanation； Jos？Arcadio Buendía ventured a murmur：
“It’s the largest diamond in the world。？
“No；？the gypsy countered。 “It’s ice。？
Jos？Arcadio Buendía； without understanding； stretched out his hand toward the cake； but the giant moved it away。 “Five reales more to touch it；？he said。 Jos？Arcadio Buendía paid them and put his hand on the ice and held it there for several minutes as his heart filled with fear and jubilation at the contact with mystery。 Without knowing what to say； he paid ten reales more so that his sons could have that prodigious experience。 Little Jos？Arcadio refused to touch it。 Aureliano； on the other hand； took a step forward and put his hand on it； withdrawing it immediately。 “It’s boiling；？he exclaimed； startled。 But his father paid no attention to him。 Intoxicated by the evidence of the miracle； he forgot at that moment about the frustration of his delirious undertakings and Melquíades？body； abandoned to the appetite of the squids。 He paid another five reales and with his hand on the cake； as if giving testimony on the holy scriptures； he exclaimed：
“This is the great invention of our time。？
Chapter 2
WHEN THE PIRATE Sir Francis Drake attacked Riohacha in the sixteenth century； ？rsula Iguarán’s great…great…grandmother became so frightened with the ringing of alarm bells and the firing of cannons that she lost control of her nerves and sat down on a lighted stove。 The burns changed her into a useless wife for the rest of her days。 She could only sit on one side； cushioned by pillows； and something strange must have happened to her way of walking； for she never walked again in public。 She gave up all kinds of social activity； obsessed with the notion that her body gave off a singed odor。 Dawn would find her in the courtyard； for she did not dare fall asleep lest she dream of the English and their ferocious attack dogs as they came through the windows of her bedroom to submit her to shameful tortures with their red…hot irons。 Her husband； an Aragonese merchant by whom she had two children； spent half the value of his store on medicines and pastimes in an attempt to alleviate her terror。 Finally he sold the business and took the family to live far from the sea in a settlement of peaceful Indians located in the foothills； where he built his wife a bedroom without windows so that the pirates of her dream would have no way to get in。
In that hidden village there was a native…born tobacco planter who had lived there for some time； Don Jos？Arcadio Buendía； with whom ？rsula’s great…great…grandfather established a partnership that was so lucrative that within a few years they made a fortune。 Several centuries later the great…great…grandson of the native…born planter married the great…great…granddaughter of the Aragonese。 Therefore； every time that ？rsula became exercised over her husband’s mad ideas； she would leap back over three hundred years of fate and curse the day that Sir Francis Drake had attacked Riohacha。 It was simply a way。 of giving herself some relief； because actually they were joined till death by a bond that was more solid that love： a mon prick of conscience。 They were cousins。 They had grown up together in the old village that both of their ancestors； with their work and their good habits； had transformed into one of the finest towns in the province。 Although their marriage was predicted from the time they had e into the world； when they expressed their desire to be married their own relatives tried to stop it。 They were afraid that those two healthy products of two races that had interbred over the centuries would suffer the shame of breeding iguanas。 There had already been a horrible precedent。 An aunt of ？rsula’s； married to an uncle of Jos？Arcadio Buendía； had a son who went through life wearing loose； baggy trousers and who bled to death after having lived forty…two years in the purest state of virginity； for he had been born and had grown up with a cartilaginous tail in the shape of a corkscrew and with a small tuft of hair on the tip。 A pig’s tail that was never allowed to be seen by any woman and that cost him his life when a butcher friend did him the favor of chopping it off with his cleaver。 Jos？Arcadio Buendía； with the whimsy of his nineteen years； resolved the problem with a single phrase： “I don’t care if I have piglets as long as they can talk。？So they were married amidst a festival of fireworks and a brass band that went on for three days。 They would have been happy from then on if ？r