Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-09-20
THE BRIDE OF ABEN ABED.
An Echo CT Moorish Romance Still Haunt
Ing Seville,

Aben Ated, the Moorish king Of Granada.
who succeeded his father, Al Motadhid the
Cruel, in 1909, lives in the history OF Spain
as one of its most romantic figures. Poetry
was his pastime; poets were his favorites and
his ministers His misfortunes, his Danish
ment and dee'h still touch chord of sym
patty In the breasts of all to whom his check
cred career is known The most romantic
episode in it, a story historically true, is his
meeting with his future queen
One evening the king was wandering with
Ben-AIrar, the poet, and his chief favorite,
along the bank of the Granddaughter, near the
place where the Silver tower then stood, and
where the Paseo with its handsome quays
now affords the favorite promenade TO mod
ern Sevillians 4 gentle breeze was playing
on the surface of the river, rufling it into a
multitude of wavelets that sparkled in the
evening sun.
The wind and sun upon the stream
Like FURNISHED mail have made it CLEAN,
the prince exclaimed. improvising the first
part of couplet, which he challenged his
friend 10 complete. Ben-Amar hesitated,
and before he had time to answer, one OF the
Moorish girls who had come down to draw
water and STOOD beside them with her full
pitcher balanced On her head responded 10
the challenge:
And were the frost 10 lend his aid,
What smith had stronger mail ere mades
Such readiness in improvising was certain
In itself to impress the prince, but when he
turned to the authoress OF the couplet and
found her looks as attractive as her wit, he
fell passionacely in love and ordered her
to be conveyed forthwith TO the alcazar.
Thither he himself FASTENED, eager TO learn
her name and circumstances. She was called
Itamld, she told him, and was the slave OF
Romiac, the ruleteer. Nothing bafIled by
her low origin, Aben-Abed determined TO
buy her liberty and make her his queen.
This strange union did not turn out unhap-
PLY. tamid's constant gayety and love of
music and poetry were well fitted to make her
royal husband happy; while her devoted at
tachment to him in his days OF misfortune
shows that her nature was not without Its
noble side. But her caprices were endless,
and the kings indulgence of them was the
source of constant scandal TO the more seri
GUS Of his oourtiers.
Numerous stories of these have come down
to US, and if not all true they are probably
ct least characteristic. One win suffice as a
Specimen. The king and queen were in Corr
dova one February, when there occurred
what is still a rare phenomenon in Spain-a
shower of snow. The queen stood in a win
dow in the palace watching the snow flakes
fall thick and heavy, till the whole ground
was covered with a mantle of dazzling white.
After gazing for some time at scene to her
az once so novel and so beautiful, she burst into
tears The ling was at her side in a moment,
tenderly asking the cause of her grief Thou
dost not love me as | love thee" she an
swered, ''else hadst thou taken me to some
Of those far OFF lands where they tell me the
earth often dons this mantle of spotleSs
snow" The king kissed away her tears and
assured her that she should have snow in the
palace to her hearts content; and sending
over the whole country side he collected the
white blossoms of the almond trees, then in
full bloom, and made bis slaves shower them
down like snow over the gardens Of the pal
ace.-Macnlillan's Magazine.