The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-02-27


| it might return to it's mate. Happy bird,
that can fly in the wings of the morning
to the uttermost parts of the earth, where
hast thou been and what hast thou
seen?'
Then the dove told him: Il bring thee
tdings as reward for my liberty" II
told how, flying one day over a valley
near city, it beheld below fair garden
surrounding great palace. About the
garden and the palace was great wall
guarded by man soldiers and in the gar
den was a young princess in the very
sweetness sand bloom of her years She
was surrounded with many female atten-
dents, who ldecked her with garlands and
strove to sooth her Melancholy She was
fairer than all women but was prisoner
there, even as Ahmed was prisoner in
the tower, and for the same reason
The description of the princess was as
spark upon the combustible heart of
Ahmed. He wrote letter filled with all
the poetry and passion of his pent up
feelings and gave it to the dove. The
dove SCARED high in the air. circled
around once or twice, and then took an
undertaking direction. Day after day the
Prince watched for the return of his
messenger and was beginning to despair,
when one day the faithful bird came fiut-
tering in at the window and, falling at
his feet, expired. Some wanton archer had
pierced its breast with his arrow. AS. the
I Prhce-bent over the dying bird he saw
around its sneeHe a string of pearls, to
which was aattaci1ed small miniature.
1t represented a beautiful princess in the
very flower of her years. Ahmed was
enraptured.
It was doubtless the fair, girl of the
garden. But who was she and where did
she dwell? Unfortunately, the death OF
the dove left this in doubt and mystery
The Prince apostrophized the picture In
the tenderest terms and pressed it to his
lips. Il will fly from this tower" he
cried, ''and as a pilgrim of love will
wander the whole world over but l will
find thee" He now went to the owl, told
him the story of his love for the unknown
damse and promised him that, when he
came to the throne of his father he would
If the owl aided him. advance that wise
old bird to some lofty rank. Though a
philosopher and above the ordinary wants
of life, the owl. like other philosophers,
was not above ambitions and agreed to
help the young man in his little love az
fair, Many another high placed states
| man has risen to power by like methods.
| The owl advised the Prince to repair to
Seville, where, III tower, dwelt wise
raven many centuries old, soothsayer
Ahmeds guide to the abode of the raven,
and that very night the Prince, collecting
his jewels and concealing them about his
person as travelling funds, lowered him
self by his scarf from a balcony of the
| tower. clambeled over the wall eluded
the guards and set off with the owl as the
| Pilgrim OF Love. He Travelled only at
night to suit the convenience of the owl,
and by day the two reposed themselves
in caves and ruins, for the owl knew ev-
cry secret place of that sort in that Sec
ton Of Spain. At last, one glorious morn
ing, they saw before them the wonderous
city of Seville, and, rising above the
houses as a palm tree towers over the
shrubs of the desert the stately tower
| of tine Giralda-the famous Moorish struc-
ture which,. for so many centuries, has
been the envy of architects and the de-
| light of all lovers Of the beautiful.
| 1t was in this tower, in a chamber at
the top. to which he assembled by wind
ing stairway, that the Prince found the
! venerable and cabalistic raven of which
the owl had told him. The raven greeted
his visitor with croak and when he
| found that he could talk ''bird talk" said;
80, suppose you come to have your
fortune told? Well, let me see your palm
and read the lines of destiny"
Nay" replied Ahmed Il am but a
Pilgrim of Love and seek but to find the
object of my pilgrimage
The raven leerd upon the young man
with single eye which age and accident
had left him and replied: "And can you
be at any loss for an object in amorous
Andalusia? Above all in Seville, where
the wanton, black-eyed damsels dance the
4 zanbra under every orange grover" The
4 Prince blushed and felt inexpressiblS
Y SHOCKED to hear an old bird with one root
Fin the grave discourse thus loosely.
Believe m Z; ~ ne sSsfsls tTAveiys see3
1 no such end t. my njlgrlTnaGe ..ss. 4
And then he told the Wise and wicked