Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1895-09-14
HIS MANY WIVES.

HIS MANY WIVES.
There were 865 of them! One for every
day in the year.
Nevertheless Barak was not a sultan.
He was hageb--that is, upper chamberlain
at the court of the Sultan Mohammed
He had come to the country as ambassador
of the great Monaghan kingdom, and the
widow of the late sultan, yet young and
pretty, had given him the management OF
her household, her son Mohammed being
still q child.
Barak's administration was good. The
army owed to him, among other reforms,
the raising Of the pay of the soldiers from
three to four aspers. The number three,
the hageb claimed, was holy, because there
were three prophets.
One day the grand vizier, Darfur Ali,
visited the upright hageb, and while the
two drank coffee the guest began:
"Truly, Barak Hageb, 1t Is folly un.
worthy Of you to keep so many wives. If
1t was with us as the Franks, the custom
to give wives, you might then be as rich
as King Sapor, but here you must not only
buy your wife, but must pay cash for her.
Now you have squandered great deal OF
gold for this purpose, and when your
money is spent, what have your For the
cost of one wife you could keep 100 SOL
diers."
Barak stroked his beard. "No doubt,
but hundred soldiers would not give me
as much pleasure as one pretty wife. F."
To this Ali inwardly agreed. "But the
number"
some should pick as many flowers as he
can from the worlds garden" returned
Barak.
"True enough, you have blond and
brunette, white and black, blue eyed and
gray eyed women, yellow Chinese and
brown Malay-yes, and even those women
that color their hair red and their teeth
black. Now, I think that one Of each sort
should be enough. BY Allah! You have SO
many that you cannot remember either
their names or their special good qualities. F"
Don't you believe it, said the hageb.
II will show you. First, then, there Is
Jedibah, who can prophesy-we need her
to tell the fate of the nation; then Half
tenn the medium, who calls up the spirits
Of the dead; Nourmahal, who understands
the language of the birds better than do
yours; Alpaide tells stories that would put
a sultan to sleep; Mahadevi and Assainte
are famous for pas de deux; the great
thing about Mangora is that she makes
sultan's bread that is exquisite; Sandabad
concocts a wonderful sherbet after which
you wash your beard with regret; Of Bia-
Hia, my Chinese better half, will only
say that she translates the expressions of
cockscombs, which makes cock fighting
much more amusing; the Indian, kacka,
subdues wild animals and even bitches
lions to her carriage; Roxana Is star
reader and can foretell to you the day OF
your death; Ayesha understands the Gull
ture of flowers; Kaika is ugly, but she
rubs the rheumatism out Of my joints; my
Tartar, Yarko, is an admirable equestrienne
and teaches my other wives to ride, while
the learned Abuzaide writes my letters
from dictation; Josa reads to me from the
Koran; Rachel sings psalms and Is accom-
panied by Kadagival and Samuza, for one
must have trio; yakima is rope dancer,
while Zibella throws knife SO skillfully
that she can split hair at 10 PAGES; Bo-
rassa knows all about the healing art; Ali
ben embroiders in gold; Aliciel arranges
my turban most becomingly; Bagdad
Chatum interprets dreams; Mavola plays
the harp, Zebia the tam tam and Kia the
tambourine, and altogether they make
heavenly music; Zul'-
"Good, good" interrupted the grand
vizier. He had kept count, first on his
fingers, and when these gave out on his
toes. When the number exceeded 80, he
grew alarmed. He feared his friend would
keep on all night.
IT have heard enough; you need every
one Of them-each has evidently her ia.
nous side. Take care lest some day you
discover an Infamous one"
Whether the grand vizier was right or
not the following story will show.
The sultan of Kermau, Sidi Achmed,
hearing Mohammed's people were discon-
tented decided to liberate them from their
oppression. To alleviate the sufferings Of
their neighbors has always been labor OF
love to oriental rulers.
Sidi Achmed commanded an Immense
army. Some Persian historians say he had
10. 600 soldiers; others insist that he had
100, 900. The truth probably lay some.
where between the two. Certain 1t is that
he had 800 cavalrymen.
Before declaring war he raised the pay
Of the troops from to aspers. This nat.
urally caused universal enthusiasm.
Sidi Achmed was at the head Of the
army, himself and his horse loaded with
precious stones. The sight Of them caused
a glow Of righteous pride in every bare