eyes without giving any sign of understanding what they were asking her。 She wore a diagonally striped dress that had been dyed black； worn by use； and a pair of scaly patent leather boots。 Her hair was held behind her ears with bows of black ribbon。 She wore a scapular with the images worn away by sweat； and on her right wrist the fang of a carnivorous animal mounted on a backing of copper as an amulet against the evil eye。 Her greenish skin； her stomach； round and tense as a drum。 revealed poor health and hunger that were older than she was； but when they gave her something to eat she kept the plate on her knees without tasting anything。 They even began to think that she was a deaf…mute until the Indians asked her in their language if she wanted some water and she moved her eyes as if she recognized them and said yes with her head。
They kept her； because there was nothing else they could do。 They decided to call her Rebeca； which according to the letter was her mother’s name； because Aureliano had the patience to read to her the names of all the saints and he did not get a reaction from any one of them。 Since there was no cemetery in Macondo at that time； for no one had died up till then； they kept the bag of bones to wait for a worthy place of burial； and for a long time it got in the way everywhere and would be found where least expected； always with its clucking of a broody hen。 A long time passed before Rebeca became incorporated into the life of the family。 She would sit in her small rocker sucking her finger in the most remote corner of the house。 Nothing attracted her attention except the music of the clocks； which she would look for every half hour with her frightened eyes as if she hoped to find it someplace in the air。 They could not get her to eat for several days。 No one understood why she had not died of hunger until the Indians； who were aware of everything； for they went ceaselessly about the house on their stealthy feet； discovered that Rebeca only liked to eat the damp earth of the courtyard and the cake of whitewash that she picked of the walls with her nails。 It was obvious that her parents； or whoever had raised her； had scolded her for that habit because she did it secretively and with a feeling of guilt； trying to put away supplies so that she could eat when no one was looking。 From then on they put her under an implacable watch。 They threw cow gall onto the courtyard and； rubbed hot chili on the walls； thinking they could defeat her pernicious vice with those methods； but she showed such signs of astuteness and ingenuity to find some earth that ？rsula found herself forced to use more drastic methods。 She put some orange juice and rhubarb into a pan that she left in the dew all night and she gave her the dose the following day on an empty stomach。 Although no one had told her that it was the specific remedy for the vice of eating earth； she thought that any bitter substance in an empty stomach would have to make the liver react。 Rebeca was so rebellious and strong in spite of her frailness that they had to tie her up like a calf to make her swallow the medicine； and they could barely keep back her kicks or bear up under the strange hieroglyphics that she alternated with her bites and spitting； and that； according to what the scandalized Indians said； were the vilest obscenities that one could ever imagine in their language。 When ？rsula discovered that； she added whipping to the treatment。 It was never established whether it was the rhubarb or the beatings that had effect； or both of them together； but the truth was that in a few weeks Rebeca began to show signs of recovery。 She took part in the games of Arcadio and Amaranta； who treated her like an older sister； and she ate heartily； using the utensils properly。 It was soon revealed that she spoke Spanish with as much fluency as the Indian language； that she had a remarkable ability for manual work； and that she could sing the waltz of the clocks with some very funny words that she herself had invented。 It did not take long for them to consider her another member of the family。 She was more affectionate to ？rsula than any of her own children had been； and she called Arcadio； and Amaranta brother and sister； Aureliano uncle； and Jos？Arcadio Buendía grandpa。 So that she finally deserved； as much as the others； the name of Rebeca Buendía； the only one that she ever had and that she bore with dignity until her death。
One night about the time that Rebeca was cured of the vice of eating earth and was brought to sleep in the other children’s room； the Indian woman； who slept with them awoke by chance and heard a strange； intermittent sound in the corner。 She got up in alarm； thinking that an animal had e into the room； and then she saw Rebeca in the rocker； sucking her finger and with her eyes lighted up in the darkness like those of a cat。 Terrified； exhausted by her fate； Visitación recognized in those eyes the symptoms of the sickness whose threat had obliged her and her brother to exile themselves forever from an age…old kingdom where they had been prince and princess。 It was the insomnia plague。
Cataure； the Indian； was gone from the house by morning。 His sister stayed because her fatalistic heart told her that the lethal sickness would follow her； no matter what； to the farthest corner of the earth。 No one understood Visitación’s alarm。 “If we don’t ever sleep again； so much the better；？Jos？Arcadio Buendía said in good humor。 “That way we can get more out of life。？But the Indian woman explained that the most fearsome part of the sickness of insomnia was not the impossibility of sleeping； for the body did not feel any fatigue at all； but its inexorable evolution toward a more critical manifestation： a loss of memory。 She meant that when the sick person became used to his state of vigil； the recollection of his childhood began to be erased from his memory； then the name and notion of things； and finally the identity of people and even the awareness of his own being； until he sank into a kind of idiocy that had no past。 Jos？Arcadio Buendía； dying with laughter； thought that it was just a question of one of the many illnesses invented by the Indians？superstitions。 But ？rsula； just to be safe； took the precaution of isolating Rebeca from the other children。
After several weeks； when Visitación’s terror seemed to have died down； Jos？Arcadio Buendía found himself rolling over in bed； unable to fall asleep。 ？rsula； who had also awakened； asked him what was wrong； and he answered： “I’m thinking about Prudencio Aguilar again。？They did not sleep a minute； but the following day they felt so rested that they forgot about the bad night。 Aureliano mented with surprise at lunchtime that he felt very well in spite of the fact that he had spent the whole night in the laboratory gilding a brooch that he planned to give to ？rsula for her birthday。 They did not bee alarmed until the third day； when no one felt sleepy at bedtime and they realized that they had gone more than fifty hours without sleeping。
“The children are awake too；？the Indian said with her fatalistic conviction。 “Once it gets into a house no one can escape the plague。？
They had indeed contracted the illness of insomnia。 ？rsula； who had learned from her mother the medicinal value of plants； prepared and made them all drink a brew of monkshood； but they could not get to sleep and spent the whole day dreaming on their feet。 In that state of hallucinated lucidity； not only did they see the images of their own dreams； but some saw the images dreamed by others。 It was as if the house were full of visitors。 Sitting in her rocker in a corner of the kitchen； Rebeca dreamed that a man who looked very much like her； dressed in white linen and with his shirt collar closed by a gold button； was bringing her a bouquet of roses。 He was acpanied by a woman with delicate hands who took out one rose and put it in the child’s hair。 ？rsula understood that the man and woman were Rebeca’s parents； but even though she made a great effort to recognize them； she confirmed her certainty that she had never seen them。 In the meantime； through an oversight that Jos？Arcadio Buendía never forgave him