Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1903-09-29

lin and in a library in one of the Ital-
ian cites,
This story, which resembles the ordi-
nary oriental tales, represents an
Abyssinan princess of surprising
/ beauty 10 have been the victim OF
! great calamity. BarbarOus enemies Of
! ner country required each year the
oerson of fair young girl from the
j royal family for the harem Of the king
This tribute was paid year after year
without protest The conditions re-
! ouired that the victim should be abso-
lutely perfect in person, and the men,
bers of the royal family Of Ethiopia
who reached the age of eighteen on
the date nearest to that upon which
the tribute was to be paid. The Prin-
cess Marqurda, the most beautiful Of
all the fair daughters of Ethiopia, was
to be sacrificed, but few weeks be-
fore the time of her surrender ma
gician changed her feet to resemble
those of an ass. While this deformity
made her acceptance impossible, it
was the cause of war in which the
Ethiopians triumphed over their en-
emies and were able to make treaty
under which the tribute need no
longer be paid. =
This incident caused Marqurda to be
hailed savior of her country, and she
| was afterward proclaimed queen
There were many suitors for her hand
Although her deformity was the saliva
ton of her country and the means OF
her elevation to the throne, it was
nevertheless the source of great NOR
tification to her and the priests, sor-
cerers and surgeons of the country
could do nothing for her Almost in
credible stories of the learning and
wisdom of Solomon, King of Israel,
having spread over the earth, Queen
Marqurda determined to go to him
in hopes that he could suggest some
remedy.
In order that he should not know
her rank, she disguised herself as a
pilgrim and secretly made the journey
to Jerusalem, attended only by one
of her ministers, who was a relative
and faithful friend. But Solomon
was not deceived. In her intelligence
and bearing he promptly detected the
manners and culture of high rank.
She was compelled to confess her
secret and take the great king into
her confidence. 1t was we'll she did,
for he Immediately called his sur
geons, who cured her deformity and
gave her a new pair of legs and feet
like those worn by other women. Then
comes the love story. Although at
that very moment there were several
hundred Of the most beautiful women
in the world in his harem Offering him
their attractions Solomon declared
that there was no one on earth to
compare with the Queen of Ethiopia.
J
his religion and became mis- wife, as
have already described.
If we accept the theory of the in
spiration of the Bible on the accuracy
of the historical narratives it con-
tains, we are compelled to reject this
romantic story for chapter nine of
the Second Book of Chronicles tells
us that when the Queen of Sheba
heard Of the fame of Solomon she
questions at Jerusalem with very
great company, and Solomon told her
all her questions, and there was moth
ing hid from Solomon which he told
her not and king Solomon gave to
the Queen Of Sheba all her desire
whatsoever she asked, beside that
which she had brought unto the king.
SO she turned and went away to her
own md, she and her servants" But
oSlo SolHS SHe Sdlu W lle Mig. IL
was true report which | heard in
my own land ofthine acts and of thy
WISDOM Howbeit, | believed not their
word until came and mine eyes had
seen: and behold the one-half of the
greatness of thy wisdom was not told
me: for thou exceeded the fame that
l heard"
These are broad expressions and
leave plenty Of room for other details,
which may be supplied by the imagin-
alton or the traditions Of Abyssinia.
No event in all the thousands of the