Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1853-10-04
THE FOUNDING OF BUCHAREST.
AN EASTERN LEGEND

An EASlERN LE6END.
Once upon time there lived in one of
the seaport towns of Bulgaria, an Arme-
nian merchant, celebrated for his riches
In lands, houses, brilliant stuffs and pre-
clOus stones-but more celebrated still
for the possession of beautiful daughter,
whose name was Guzla, known among
the youths and maidcns as the Star of
the East. Her fame, from very early
age, spread throughout the whole coun-
try, and she had more suitors for her
hand than Penelope of old. 1t is said even
that Moslem prince offered to abjure his
religion for her sake; but, as she is sup
posed to have lived before the time Of
Mahommed, we may question the truth
of this tradition. Her father, Boukor,
often talked Of marrying her to some no.
bic person of whom he could approve,
and was delighted to count up the num-
Der of times he had been able to refuse
what the world called advantageous Of
fers: but as refusal succeeded refusal, the
public began to think that he had no mind
to settle her after all. However, Guzla
at length determined to chose for herself,
and one night, when the wind blew and
the dogs howled as ifthere were spirits in
the air, she and young SEVERN fled away
into the storm.
Boukor grieved for his loss with the
bitterness of aged grief, and turning on
himself, heaped reproaches on his own
head for his seltishness. Why had he
not detected earlier what was passing in
the mind of his gentle spirited daughter
Why had he not understood the reason
that had palcd her check and made her
eyes downcast ! Why had he not guessed
her thoughts oflove, and won from her
confession by kind words These ques-
tons came too late, but he determined to
do what he should have done at first
namely, endeavor to overtake the young
fugitive, and bring her back to her nest.
The difficulty was to know i'll what direc-
tion she had fed. No neighbor could give
him any information.
The old man was waiting, perhaps for
a revelation, when the neighing of a colt
from the stable came to his ear. kebir
was complaining of the absence Of it's dam
Zorah. The truth was now manifest
Guzla had taken her father favorite mare
to bear her on her love, Journey. She was
most probably by this time far away:
''but by St. Pacomo," so swore the old
gentleman, lit would have been wiser for
her and her lover not to have separated
two parents from two cbildren-the de-
serted infant shall aid the vengeance of
the deserted father" The vengeance
Yes, old Boukor was making terrible VOWS
in his own mind, and revelled in antici-
pated slaughter.
Boukor called his clerk, committed to
him the management of his affairs, filled
his purse with money, and mounted a
good horse, not inferior to the stolen
Zarah. This done, he gave orders to
drive the colt out of the stables. What
he expected came to pass. Kebir, after
frisking about little, began to snuff the
air, paw the ground, and then, with flash
ing eyes, and cars thrown back, away he
went towards the north. Boukor was
after him in a moment, and though at first
left far behind, soon gained ground and
came up to the colt, which still continued
his pursuit.
In this way they travelled five long
days, during which they halted OCCASION
ally beneath the shadow of trees, on the
green grass, to rest and sleep. The colt
took the management of these halts, and
if its tired master prolonged them over
much, reminded him of his duty by an
anxious neigh. At length the poor little
animals strength began to fail. Instead
of galloping or trotting, it crept slowly
along, pausing every now and then to
look wistfully from the blue horizon to
the face of the aged Boukor. On the
sixth day it could scarcely move, and at
last it lay down to die. The merchant
mourned over it and picking punches OF
] grass endeaYored to make it MUNICH them