Chapter 3

           Emancipatedforthemomentatleastfromthetormentoffantasy,JoséArcadioBuendíainashorttimesetupasystemoforderandworkwhichallowedforonlyonebitoflicense:thefreeingofthebirds,which,sincethetimeofthefounding,hadmadetimemerrywiththeirflutes,andinstallingintheirplacemusicalclocksineveryhouse.Theywerewondrousclocksmadeofcarvedwood,whichtheArabshadtradedformacawsandwhichJoséArcadioBuendíahadsynchronizedwithsuchprecisionthateveryhalfhourthetowngrewmerrywiththeprogressivechordsofthesamesonguntilitreachedtheclimaxofanoontimethatwasasexactandunanimousasacompletewaltz.ItwasalsoJoséArcadioBuendíawhodecidedduringthoseyearsthattheyshouldplantalmondtreesinsteadofacaciasonthestreets,andwhodiscovered,withouteverrevealingit,awaytomakethemliveforever.Manyyearslater,whenMacondowasafieldofwoodenhouseswithzincroofs,thebrokenanddustyalmondtreesstillstoodontheoldeststreets,althoughnooneknewwhohadplantedthem.Whilehisfatherwasputtingthetowninorderandhismotherwasincreasingtheirwealthwithhermarvelousbusinessofcandiedlittleroostersandfish,whichleftthehousetwiceadaystrungalongsticksofbalsawood,Aurelianospentinterminablehoursintheabandonedlaboratory,learningtheartofsilverworkbyhisownexperimentation.