One afternoon he decided on the sacrifice. He pointed to the ripest of his beloved pumpkins, which had cost him so much effort, and said the terrible words, "Tomorrow I will cut these forty and take them to the Cadiz market. Happy is the man who will eat them!" And he walked back to the house with slow steps, and spent the night with the agony of a father who is going to marry off his daughter on the following day. "My poor dear pumpkins!" He sighed again and again, unable to fall asleep. But then he thought, "What else can I do but sell them? I cultivated them for that purpose. At least I will receive fifteen duros for them."