The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1874-09-18
THREE BEAUTIFUL PRINCESsES

Early in his reign, Mohammed, Of
Granada, had fouIa among the captives
in one of his forayB into the re ,ritor e.
of the Christians a Caml ell of trar
scendent beauty. The fair captive, aud
the old duenua who had been taken with
her, were consigned to the royal harem,
and in due time the former made the
Moorish sovereign Called the left
handed king) the proud end happy
father of three lovely daughters, all
born at a birth. Mohammed could have
wished they had been sons, but consoled
himself with the idea that three
daughters at birth were pretty " ell
for a man somewhat stricken In years,
and left-handed. IS usual VIII ali
Moslem monarchs, he summoned his
astrologeSs on this happy event. They
cast the nativities of the three prir cess
es, and shook their heads.
Daughters, o king I" said the sages,
IS are always precarious property; but
those viii most need your watchfulues
when they arrive at a manageable e /;
wings, and trust them to 10 other
guardianship.
The threefol1 birth was the last mat
rimonial trophy of the monarch his
queen died soon after, bequeathing his
infant daughters to his love. and to the
was the name OF the duenna.
Acting upon the advice of his astrolo-
eists, the cautious monarch sent his
daughters under the care of the Kadiga
to be reared in the castle Of Salobrena.
This was a sumptuous palace surround
ed by strong Notifications and situated
On the summit Of hill which overlooks
the blue waters of the Mediterranean
sea. Here the princesses remained,
eurrounde5 by all kinds of luxUries and
amusements. Years rolled on smoothly
and sereQely, the discreet Kadiga watch
ing her pAcious charge with unremit-
ting care. At a corner OF the garden
which clothed the side of the hill on
which the royal castle of Salobrena was
built, was a small watchtower, fitted up
as a pavilion, with latticed windows to
admit the sea-breeZe. Here the prin-
cesses-whose names were -Zayda, 70
rayda, Zorahayda used to pass the
sultry hours of midday, taking their
siesta. or noontide slumber. Here, as
the sisters were one day inhaling the
healthful breezes waited over the azure
bosom of the Mediterranean, their at
tention was attracted by galley which
came coasting along with measured
strokes of the oaA As it drew near
they observed that it was filled with
armed men. The galley anchored at
the foot of the tower in which they sat,
and a number of Moorish soldiers
landed on the narrow beach, conducting
several Christian 2risoners. The fair
occupants of the toner peeped cautious
" through the close jalousies of the
lattice, which screened them from sight,
and perceived among the prisoners three
Spanish cavaliers, richly dressed. They
were in the flower of youth, and of noble
presence; and the lofty manner in which
they carried themselves, though loaded
with cE inns, and surrounded with ene-
mics, bespoke the grandeur OF then
| souls. The princesses breathed with IN
tense and breathless interest. Cooped
up as they had been in this castle among
female attendants, seeing nothing of tie
male sex bat black slaves, or the rude
fishermen of the sea-coast, it is not TIC
be wondered at that the appearance oil
three gallant cavaliers, in the pride Of
youth and manly beauty, should pro.
duce in their unsophisticated oosoms
sensations closely bordering upon the
agreeable.
q Did ever nob'er being tread the
earth than that cavalier IN crimson p
cried Zayda, the eldest of the sisters.
''See how proudly he bears himself, as
though all around him were his slavesl
"But notice that one in green !" ex
claimed 20 ayda. Sc What grace what
elegance what spirit y
The gentle Zorahayda said nothing
but she secretly gave preference to the
chevalier IN green.
Weeks and months glided on, the fail
sisters thinking only of the captive cava
Tiers, and becoming daily more an6
more under the influence of the fatal
passion which the memory of then
/ strengthened and confirmed. The pro
gress of this dangerous and subtle dis
ease was not unperceived by the sharp
sighted Kadiga. The discreet old wo
man became alarmed at the mischie
/ which she had not the power to counter
| act or remove, and resolved to rid her
self of her responsible charge by init
mating to MohamnMl that his daughter
| had arrived at the Manageable age-tht
critical period at which the astrologerl
had warningly pointed.
As he sat one day on divan in one o
the cool halls of the Alhambra, slav,
arrived from the iTtress of Salobrena
with message FROM the wise Kadiga
congratulating him on the anniversar,
of his daughters birthday. The SLAVE
at the same time presented a delicat'
little basket, decorated with flowers
within which, on couch of vine and is
leaves, lay a peach, an apricot, and
nectariDe, with their bloom and dow
and dewy sweetness upon them, and al
in the early stage of tempting ripeness
! The monarch was versed In the orienta
language of fruit and flowers, and read
lily OWNED the meaning of the emblem
attic offering.
'',Fhe critical period has arrived,
said he; g I must gather them unde
my wing, And trust no other guardian
ship"
SO saying, he ordered that tower Q
the Alhambra should be prepared fo
their reception, and departed at th
head of his guards for the fortress {
Salobrena, to conduct them home