The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1874-09-18
THREE BEAUTIFUL PRINCEsSES

Granada, had found among the captives
in one of his forays into the territories
OF the Christians a damsel OF tran
soendent 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 a birth. 1Tohammed could have
wished they had been sons, but coGsoled'
himself with the idea that three
daughters at q birth were pretty well
for a man somewhat stricken in years,
and left-handad. As usual with all
MosIem monarchs, he summoned his
astrologers on this happy event. They
cast the nativitie5 of the three princess
es, and shook their heads.
Daughters, o king !" said the sages,
" are always precarious property but
those will most need your watchiulness
when they arrive at a manageable g
at that time gather them under your
wings. and trust them to 10 other
guardianship"
The threefoll 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
fidelity of the discreet Kadiga-for such
was the name of the duenna.
Acting upon the advice of his astrolo-
gists, 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
HpTa tho cd
surToundeS by all kinds of Injuries and
amusements. Years rolled on smoothly
and seTenely, 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 SalobreDa was
built, was a small watchtower, fitted up
as pavilion, with latticed windows to
admit the sea-breeze. Here the prin-
cssses-whCse names were Zlyda, 10
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 oar. As it drew near
they observed that it was filed 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 pris The fair
occupants of the tower peeped cautious
~ through the close iaIousies of the
lattice, which screened them from sight,
aud perceived among the prisoners three
Gy>oni5h Tiplf.r IraC1a6 fVhorT
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 breabhless interest. Cooped
up 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, it Is not to
be wondered at that the appearance of
three gallant cavaliers, In the pride of
youth and manly beauty, should pro-
duee in their unsophisticated bosoms
sensations closely bordering upon the
agreeable. I
Did ever nobler 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 we're lis slavesl"
"Bat notice that one in green - ex-
claimed Zorayda. What grace what
elegance what spirit !" -
The gentle Zorahayda said nothing !;
but she secretly gave preference to the
chevalier N green.
Weeks and months glided on, the fair
sisters thinking only of the captive cava-
liers, aud becoming daily more and
more under the influence of the fatal
passion which the memory of them
strengthened and confirmed. The pro-
gress of this dangerous and subtle dis
ease was not unpeTceived by the sharp
sighted Kadiga. The discreet old wo-
man became alarmed at theTmischief
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 Iohammed that his daughters
had arrived at the manageable age-the
critical period at which the astrologers
had warningly pointed.
As he sat one day on divan in one of
the cool halls of the Alhambra, a slave
arrived from the ortress OF FSaiobrena,
with a message from the wise Kadiga,
communicating him on the anniversary
of bis daughters birthday. Tho slave
at the same time presented a delicate
little basket, decorated with flowers,