The Stub Book
-Pedro Antonio
‘The Stub Book’ was written by the famous Spanish writer/novelist Pedro Antonio.
The story is about hardworking farmer Uncle Buscabeatas of Rota, at the bay Cadiz. The people of Rota were very famous for tomato and pumpkin growing since the land of Rota was covered with sand and not favorable for supplement growing.
Sixty years old Uncle has been involved in farming for 40 years and is growing fattest and yellowish pumpkins this year with great love and care. He has been caring for those pumpkins as they are his son. He knows the shape, size, and color of each and every pumpkin. He has even named those forty pumpkins. He was expecting to earn 15 Duros (old Spanish currency) from them and was thinking to spend those on her daughter’s marriage.
One day he decided to sell those pumpkins in the market of Cadiz, 38 kilometers away from Rota. But he suddenly found that there were no pumpkins in the garden. He guessed the robber might have gone to the same market to sell those pumpkins. So he reached out there in an hour boat.
Suddenly, his eye falls on a vendor where his pumpkins were kept. Uncle Buscabeatas accused vendor of robbing his pumpkins and gathered a crowd around. He even called the inspector to catch him. However, the vendor denied the claim and said that he bought those pumpkins from another gardener, Uncle Fulano.
Seeing the crowd around the vendor, Uncle Fulano, who was in the same market, came to spy. He tried to escape after knowing the fierce situation but couldn’t. Inspector asked Uncle Buscabeatas to prove if those pumpkins belong to him. Uncle Buscabeatas took out all the stub book from the sack and fitted every stem to the respective pumpkins perfectly. The crowd got astonished and delighted with strange proof. After that, all the crowd started to help him, and finally, thief Uncle Fulano was compelled to pay 15 Duros to Uncle Buscabeatas.
As people say “Karma pays back”, your deed defines your personality and your happiness. So, the story suggests everyone work hard and live with their own success.
