The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1895-01-11
A SPANISH WITCH.
Some Singular Adventures Of the King Of
Spain.

once upon Il time, Il long time ago.
there was a king of Spain who had
many adventures, and this is one of
them. which came about in the fol-
lowing manner:
In the kingdom were many Moors
who had come over into Spain from
Africa and conquered half the coun-
try and set up Moorish sultan over
their half and tried to get the whole
OF it into their power. All this had
happened in the days of the young
kings father, so that when the young
king came to the throne he resolved
to fight the Moors and drive them
away, and to this end he raised an
army ard prepared for war. Now. in
the town of Salamanca was a wicked
old witch. and when she heard the
king was about to go to war she
winked one eye at her black cat and
the black cat winked one eye at her.
and she got her staff and cloak and
SAID to her, cat, whose name was
Beelzebub: 'sss - r,f--
"Come on, Bcelzebub, let's 60 to
Madrid and see what We Shall see"
And the black cat laughed and she
laughed, and they both set out.
When she came to the city Of Mad.
rid it was full of the sound of men
and horses, and the hammers of ar
morers making shields and swords.
but the witch noticed none Of these
she went straight to the palace and
said to page:
II must speak to the king
"Oh, you must speak to the king
must you?" said the saucy page
"Well, let me tell you. old lady, that
the king is not over fond of witches
the age of his great-grandmothcr
If you were pretty girl, then, per
haps-"
II must speak to the king" inter
rupted the witch. turning her fiery
red eyes on the page; and the blaci
cat arcled his back and stared hare
with his green eyes, and the sauc'
page ran away and told the king, wht
said: "She may have some news
bring her here'
"Oh king" said the old witch, bow
ing low, Il am more than a hundred
years old, and all my life | have beer
weaving cloth aud studying magic
and have learned how to make sill
which will turn aside the sharpes
sword and blunt the keeLcst lance. |
Is of more use than the heaviest ar
NOR in battle, but so strange is thi
magical silk that only brave men Cal
use 1t, To towards 1t looks NOR
transparent than gauze, yet wheI
they wear 1t, it's heavier than lead
while upon the limbs of brave maj
its weight is no more than cobwel
while it looks as heavy as Steel"
"An excellent thing to wear in bat
tie with the Moors,n said the king
"IIavc you brought me 4 suit of it :?
"Alas /! majesty" said the hypocrit
ical old witch, II am poor woman
bring you only my knowledge. L
weave such stuff requires pound 0
fine gold and ten pounds Of silk fo
every yard, and where should fin
all that in Salamanca ?"
"Hcre Y said the king to his senes
chal, give this woman loom and al
the material she requires, and let he
weave me a suit of this magic silk
And, hark We, old dame, let it b
ready in five days, for on the eighth
ride to fight the Moors."
So the old witch and Beelzebub ha
a fine room in the palace and the bes
Of good living, and besides the loon
they brought her two hundred pound
of raw silk and twenty pounds OF I'm
gold.
Now, on the fourth day the kin
said to the seneschal: go and Sc
how the magic silk progresses" An
when the seneschal came to tn
witch's door the old woman cried;
"Ah, l am glad the king has sent
brave man, for so nne is this silk tina
a coward cannot see IL at all, but yo,
; my lord, will observe all the delicat
patterns and the beautiful sheen ,