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252 DAYS IN THE SUN
whims, according to the pro and contra of his own ego.
“I don’t like his face; he shall pay so and so much
for these goods!” is a statement often heard. Though
a transaction may often depend on whether a certain
face is sympathetic or not, the transaction will finally
in each case be decided by the adversary’s repartee.
The Spaniard assigns to an animal whatever qualities
are claimed for it by the loquacious gypsies. For in
this lovely country great round words have the value of
gold, and the strongest evidence is the most fluent.
The gypsy has less conscience and more persuasive
power than a horse-dealer in West Jutland. He
ambles about with a superior calm, his hands in his
pockets; stopping at one place, he sells one of his ani-
mals to the middlemen; then he takes a leisurely walk
over the square, to inquire about prices.
To judge from his derisive laughter, you would
think the peasants were making shameless demands on
him. One of them asks ten duros (about ten dollars)
for a good little donkey; there stands the handsomest
Andalusian colt for not much more than forty dollars.
Poor lean beasts can be bought for very low prices.
A group has formed about the spot where several
gypsies are engaged in wearing down a peasant’s re-
sistance. The gypsies stand about idly, with long
whips in their hands; here and there one of them has
his cattle-shears sticking in the back of his sash. After
having said every vile thing possible concerning the
animal to be purchased, the purchaser makes an offer
and tries at the same time to worm a duro into the
peasant’s hand under any possible pretext. This is
the handsel, and if the gypsy succeeds in making the
peasant take it in his hand, the deal is made. But the
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