ly fecundity except through the use of black magic。 “Save something now；？？rsula would tell her wild great…grandson。 “This luck is not going to last all your life。？But Aureliano Segundo paid no attention to her。 The more he opened champagne to soak his friends； the more wildly his animals gave birth and the more he was convinced that his lucky star was not a matter of his conduct but an influence of Petra Cotes； his concubine； whose love had the virtue of exasperating nature。 So convinced was he that this was the origin of his fortune that he never kept Petra Cotes far away from his breeding grounds and even when he married and had children he continued living with her with the consent of Fernanda。 Solid； monumental like his grandfathers； but with a joie de vivre and an irresistible good humor that they did not have； Aureliano Segundo scarcely had time to look after his animals。 All he had to do was to take Petra Cores to his breeding grounds and have her ride across his land in order to have every animal marked with his brand succumb to the irremediable plague of proliferation。
Like all the good things that occurred in his long life； that tremendous fortune had its origins in chance。 Until the end of the wars Petra Cotes continued to support herself with the returns from her raffles and Aureliano Segundo was able to sack ？rsula’s savings from time to time。 They were a frivolous couple； with no other worries except going to bed every night； even on forbidden days； and frolicking there until dawn。 “That woman has been your ruination；？？rsula would shout at her great…grandson when she saw him ing into the house like a sleepwalker。 “She’s got you so bewitched that one of these days I’m going to see you twisting around with colic and with a toad in your belly。？Jos？Arcadio Segundo； who took a long time to discover that he had been supplanted； was unable to understand his brother’s passion。 He remembered Petra Cotes as an ordinary woman； rather lazy in bed； and pletely lacking in any resources for lovemaking。 Deaf to ？rsula’s clamor and the teasing of his brother； Aureliano Segundo only thought at that time of finding a trade that would allow him to maintain a house for Petra Cotes； and to die with her； on top of her and underneath her； during a night of feverish license。 When Colonel Aureliano Buendía opened up his workshop again； seduced at last by the peaceful charms of old age； Aureliano Segundo thought that it would be good business to devote himself to the manufacture of little gold fishes。 He spent many hours in the hot room watching how the hard sheets of metal； worked by the colonel with the inconceivable patience of disillusionment； were slowly being converted into golden scales。 The work seemed so laborious to him and the thought of Petra Cotes was so persistent and pressing that after three weeks he disappeared from the workshop。 It was during that time that it occurred to Petra Cotes to raffle off rabbits。 They reproduced and grew up so fast that there was barely time to sell the tickets for the raffle。 At first Aureliano Segundo did not notice the alarming proportions of the proliferation。 But one night； when nobody in town wanted to hear about the rabbit raffle any more； he heard a noise by the courtyard door。 “Don’t get worried；？Petra； Cotes said。 “It’s only the rabbits。？They could not sleep； tormented by the uproar of the animals。 At dawn Aureliano Segundo opened the door and saw the courtyard paved with rabbits； blue in the glow of dawn。 Petra Cotes； dying with laughter； could not resist the temptation of teasing him。
“Those are the ones who were born last night；？she aid。
“Oh my God！？he said。 “Why don’t you raffle off cows？？
A few days later； in an attempt to clean out her courtyard； Petra Cotes exchanged the rabbits for a cow； who two months later gave birth to triplets。 That was how things began。 Overnight Aureliano Segundo be。 came the owner of land and livestock and he barely had time to enlarge his overflowing barns and pigpens。 It was a delirious prosperity that even made him laugh； and he could not help doing crazy things to release his good humor。 “Cease； cows； life is short；？he would shout。 ？rsula wondered what entanglements he had got into； whether he might be stealing； whether he had bee a rustler； and every time she saw him uncorking champagne just for the pleasure of pouring the foam over his head； she would shout at him and scold him for the waste。 It annoyed him so much that one day when he awoke in a merry mood； Aureliano Segundo appeared with a chest full of money； a can of paste； and a brush； and singing at the top of his lungs the old songs of Francisco the Man； he papered the house inside and out and from top to bottom； with one…peso banknotes。 The old mansion； painted white since the time they had brought the pianola； took on the strange look of a mosque。 In the midst of the excitement of the family the scandalization of ？rsula； the joy of the people cramming the street to watch that apotheosis of squandering。 Aureliano Segundo finished by papering the house from the front to the kitchen； including bathrooms and bedrooms； and threw the leftover bills into the courtyard。
“Now；？he said in a final way； “I hope that nobody in this house ever talks to me about money again。？
That was what happened。 ？rsula had the bills taken down； stuck to great cakes of whitewash； and the house was painted white again。 “Dear Lord；？she begged； “make us poor again the way we were when we founded this town so that you will not collect for this squandering in the other life。？Her prayers were answered in reverse。 One of the workmen removing the bills bumped into an enormous plaster statue of Saint Joseph that someone had left in the house during the last years of the war and the hollow figure broke to pieces on the floor。 It had been stuffed with gold coins。 No one could remember who had brought that life…sized saint。 “Three men brought it；？Amaranta explained。 “They asked us to keep it until the rains were over and I told them to put it there in the corner where nobody would bump into it； and there they put it； very carefully； and there it’s been ever since because they never came back for it。？Later on； ？rsula had put candles on it and had prostrated herself before it； not suspecting that instead of a saint she was adoring almost four bundled pounds of gold。 The tardy evidence of her involuntary paganism made her even more upset。 She spat on the spectacular pile of coins； put them in three canvas sacks； and buried them in a secret place； hoping that sooner or later the three unknown men would e to reclaim them。 Much later； during the difficult years of her decrepitude； ？rsula would intervene in the conversations of the many travelers who came by the house at that time and ask them if they had left a plaster Saint Joseph there during the war to be taken care of until the rains passed。
Things like that which gave ？rsula such consternation； were monplace in those days。 Macondo was swamped in a miraculous prosperity。 The adobe houses of the founders had been replaced by brick buildings with wooden blinds and cement floors which made the suffocating heat of two o’clock in the a