The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1874-09-24
THREE BEAUTIFUL PRINCEsSEs.

Early in his reign Mohammed. of
Granada, had found among the captives
IN one of his forays into the territories
OF the Christians a damsel of tran
scendent beauty. The fair captive, and
the old duenna 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 and happy
father of three lovely daughters, all
born at birth. Mohammed could have
wished they had been sons, but consoled
himself with the idea that three
daughters at a birth were pretty well
for man somewhat stricken in years,
and left-handed. AS usual with ali
Moslem monarchs, he summoned his
astrologers on this happy event. They
cast the nativities of the three princess
es, and shook their heads.
Daughters, o king I" said the sages,
are always precarious property; but
those will most need your watchfulness
when they ar i've at a marriageable o
at that time gather them under your
wings, and trust them to 10 other
guardianship"
The threefol birth was the last mat
rimonial trophy of the monarch his
queen died soon after, bequeathiug his
infant daughters to his love, and TO the
fidelity of the discreet Kadiga-for such
was the name of tho duenna.
Acting upon the advice of his astrolo-
gists, the cautions monarch sent his
daughters under the care of the Kadiga
TO be reared in the castle of Salobrena.
This was sumptuous palace surround
ed by strong Notifications and situated
on the summit OF n hill which overlooks
l.
sea. Here the princesses remained,
euTounde5 by all kinds of luxuries and
amusements. Years rolled on smoothly
and serenely, the discreet Kadiga watch
ing her precious charge with unremit
ting care. At 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 pavilion, with latticed windows to
admit the sea-breeze. Here the prin-
cesses-whose names were Zayda, 10
rayda, ZOrahayda fused to pass the
sultry hours of midday, takiOg their
siesta, or noontide slumber. Here, as
the sisters we're 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 oar. As it drew near
thoy observed that it was filed with
armed men. The galley anchored at
the foot of the tower in which they sat,
and n number of Moorish soldiers
landed on the narrow beach, conducting
several Christian pris soners. The fair
occupants of the tower peeped cautious
" through the close ialousies of the
lattice, which screened them from sight,
and perceived amor & the prisoners three
Spanish cavalier,, 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 chains, and surrounded with enc
mics, bespoke the grandeur of their
souls. The princesses breathed with IN
tense and breathless interest. Cooped
mp as they had been in this castle among
female attendants, seeing nothing OF the
male sex but black slaves, or the rude
fishermen of the sea-coast, 1t ls not TO
be wondered at that the appearance OF
three gallant cavaliers, in the pride of
youth and manly beauty, should pro-
duce in their unsophisticated bosoms
sensations closely bordering upon the
agreeable.
did ever nobler being tread the
earth than that cavalier in crimson ?
cried Zayda, the eldest of the sisters.
though ali around him were his slaves!
"But notice that one in green J. ex-
claimed Zorayda. "What grace what
elegance ! what spirit -
The gentle Zorahayda salc nothing
but she secretly gave preference to the
chevalier in green.
Weeks and months glided on, the fair
sisters thinking only of the captive caVa-
liers, and becoming daily more anu
more under the influence of the fatal
passion which the memory OF them
strengtheued and confirmed. The pro-
gress of this dangerous and subtle dls-
case was not unperceived by the sharp !
sighted Kadiga. The discreet OLD Wo-
man became alarmed ut the mischief !
which she had not the power to counter !
act or remove, aud resolved TO rid her !
self of her responsible charge by lntl' !
mating TO Mohammed that his daughters
had arrived at the marrigeable age-the |
critical period at which the astroiogers |
had warningly pointed.
As he sat one day on divan in one OF |
the cool halls of the Alhambra, slave |
arrived from the ortress of Salobrena, |
with a message from the wise kadlga, |
conoratulating him on the anniversary |
OF his daughters birthday. The slave |
ut the same time presented a delicate /
little basket, decorated with flowers, |
within which, on a couch Of vine and tg !
leaves, lay peach, an apricot, and a |
nectaripe, with their bloom and down |
and dewy sweetness upon them, and all |
ia the early stage Of tempting ripeness;
The monarch was versed in the oriental
language of fruit and flowers, and read
iIv OWNED the meaning of the emblem
attic offering. .,
"The critical period has arrived,
said he; "I must gather them under
my wing, and trust no other guardian
ship"
So saying, he ordered that tower OF
the ALEXANDRA should be prepared for
their reception, and departed at the
head of his guards for the fortress of
Salnhrena- To cOnduct them home in