s[)i]-[=o].

[14] Mes'keet.

[Illustration]

V

JUDAS ISCARIOT DAY

[Illustration]

V

JUDAS ISCARIOT DAY

I

One day, later in spring, in the week just before Easter, Dona Teresa
got ahead of the red rooster. It happened in this way. Early in the
morning, when everything was still as dark as a pocket, and not a single
rooster in the neighborhood had yet thought of crowing, Dona Teresa woke
up and lighted a candle. Then see went over to the Twins' mat and held
up her candle so she could look at them. They were both sound asleep.

"Wake up, my lambs," said Dona Teresa. But her lambs didn't wake up.
Dona Teresa shook them gently. "Wake up, dormice! Don't you know this is
Judas Iscariot Day, and you are all going to town? Come, we are going in
Pedro's boat, and he has to start early."

Tita began to rub her eyes, and Tonio was sitting up with both of his
wide open the moment Dona Teresa said the word "boat." They bounced out
in a minute, and they even washed without being told, and they used
soap, too!

Pancho was roused by the noise they made. He got up at once and went to
attend to the donkey and to Pinto. When he opened the door the gleam of
Dona Teresa's candle woke the red rooster. He began to crow, and then
all the other roosters crowed, and almost right away candles were
glimmering in every hut in the village and every one was up and getting
ready to start to town.

Everybody was going. Some were going on horseback and some on donkeys;
more were walking, and as it was many miles from the hacienda to the
town it was necessary to start very early.

The quickest way to go was by boat, but, of course, not every one could
go that way because there were not enough boats. Pedro's boat went back
and forth every day between the hacienda and the town, carrying wood
and all kinds of supplies. He was a friend of Pancho's and that was how
they were so fortunate as to be invited to go with him.

Dona Teresa got breakfast very quickly, and while they were eating it
they heard a voice calling, "Here, buy your Judases--at six and twelve
cents--your Judases."

"There comes the Judas-seller. Run, children, run," cried Dona Teresa.
"You may each have twelve cents and you may buy two little ones or one
big one, as you like."

The Judas-seller had a long branch cut from a tree, with little twigs
growing out of it. On each twig hung a "Judas." They were small dolls,
with sticky pink-painted f