nd 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 himself for； the candy animals made in the house were still being sold in the town。 Children and adults sucked with delight on the delicious little green roosters of insomnia； the exquisite pink fish of insomnia； and the tender yellow ponies of insomnia； so that dawn on Monday found the whole town awake。 No one was alarmed at first。 On the contrary； they were happy at not sleeping because there was so much to do in Macondo in those days that there was barely enough time。 They worked so hard that soon they had nothing else to do and they could be found at three o’clock in the morning with their arms crossed； counting the notes in the waltz of the clock。 Those who wanted to sleep； not from fatigue but because of the nostalgia for dreams； tried all kinds of methods of exhausting themselves。 They would gather together to converse endlessly； to tell over and over for hours on end the same jokes； to plicate to the limits of exasperation the story about the capon； which was an endless game in which the narrator asked if they wanted him to tell them the story about the capon； and when they answered yes； the narrator would say that he had not asked them to say yes； but whether they wanted him to tell them the story about the capon； and when they answered no； the narrator told them that he had not asked them to say no； but whether they wanted him to tell them the story about the capon； and when they remained silent the narrator told them that he had not asked them to remain silent but whether they wanted him to tell them the story about the capon； and no one could leave because the narrator would say that he had not asked them to leave but whether they wanted him to tell them the story about the capon； and so on and on in a vicious circle that lasted entire nights。
When Jos？Arcadio Buendía realized that the plague had invaded the town； he gathered together the heads of families to explain to them what he knew about the sickness of insomnia； and they agreed on methods to prevent the scourge from spreading to other towns in the swamp。 That was why they took the bells off the goats； bells that the Arabs had sped them for macaws； and put them at the entrance to town at the disposal of those who would not listen to the advice and entreaties of the sentinels and insisted on visiting the town。 All strangers who passed through the streets of Macondo at that time had to ring their bells so that the sick people would know that they were healthy。 They were not allowed to eat or drink anything during their stay； for there was no doubt but that the illness was transmitted by mouth； and all food and drink had been contaminated by insomnia。 In that way they kept the plague restricted to the perimeter of the town。 So effective was the quarantine that the day came when the emergency situation was accepted as a natural thing and life was organized in such a way that work picked up its rhythm again and no one worried any more about the useless habit of sleeping。
It was Aureliano who conceived the formula that was to protect them against loss of memory for several months。 He discovered it by chance。 An expert insomniac； having been one of the first； he had learned the art of silverwork to perfection。 One day he was looking for the small anvil that he used for laminating metals and he could not remember its name。 His father told him： “Stake。？Aureliano wrote the name on a piece of paper that he pasted to the base of the small anvil： stake。 In that way he was sure of not forgetting it in the future。 It did not occur to him that this was the first manifestation of a loss of memory； because the object had a difficult name to remember。 But a few days later be； discovered that he had trouble remembering almost every object in the laboratory。 Then he marked them with their respective names so that all he had to do was read the inscription in order to identify them。 When his father told him about his alarm at having forgotten even the most impressive happenings of his childhood； Aureliano explained his method to him； and Jos？Arcadio Buendía put it into practice all through the house and later on imposed it on the whole village。 With an inked brush he marked everything with its name： table； chair； clock； door； wall； bed； pan。 He went to the corral and marked the animals and plants： cow； goat； pig； hen； cassava； caladium； banana。 Little by little； studying the infinite possibilities of a loss of memory； he realized that the day might e when things would be recognized by their inscriptions but that no one would remember their use。 Then he was more explicit。 The sign that he hung on the neck of the cow was an exemplary proof of the way in which the inhabitants of Macondo were prepared to fight against loss of memory： This is the cow。 She must be milked every morning so that she will produce milk； and the milk must be boiled in order to be mixed with coffee to make coffee and milk。 Thus they went on living in a reality that was slipping away； momentarily captured by words； but which