CHAPTER V
IN OLD GRANADA
(A LEGEND OF THE CASTANETS)
Catalina was the many-times-great-granddaughter of Lira, the plumplittle girl of ancient Cadiz. And to Catalina now belonged the magiccastanets.
The Moors had taken Spain away from the savage Visigoths and had builtwonderful cities, palaces, and fortresses. One of these palaces was themagnificent Alhambra, set high upon a hill above the city of Granada.
It was here that Catalina danced before Boabdil (b[=o]'aeb-d[=e]l'),Arab ruler of the great Alhambra. And to the romantic young girl thisbeautiful "Red Castle" spelled fairy-land.
GENERALIFE GARDENS, ALHAMBRA]
She loved its sheltered courts, its walls of brightly colored tiles, itspatios of cypress trees and tinkling fountains. She loved the statelyarches, the graceful columns, and she also loved a handsome young Moornamed Hamet. He was a soldier in Boabdil's army.
But while Catalina lived in a dream of happiness, all was not so perfectwith the Moorish ruler, Boabdil. The Christian monarchs, Ferdinand andIsabella, had reconquered the kingdom of Granada.
One night after Catalina had danced in one of the great halls, she metHamet in the Court of the Myrtles. The moon shone down upon a crystalclear pool, and birds flew about the court like fluttering ghosts.
The two young people lowered their voices as they spoke. Hamet toldCatalina of desperate battles in which the Moors were being overthrownby the Christians. He seemed much disturbed.
Finally he said, "Let us go where none can hear us. I have somethingstrange and terrible to tell you."
He led her out upon a balcony where they stood looking down upon thecity of Granada. Its little white, square fairy cubicles seemed to belit up with stars that fell down from the sky.
"It has been said," began Hamet in a low tone, "that the courtastrologer predicted the downfall of the kingdom under the reign ofBoabdil!"
Catalina shrank back. What if her Hamet were to be taken away from her?This was all she could think of, and the thought tortured her. She didnot consider the fate of her people. She considered only herself andwhat she would do, were Hamet to leave her.
A short time later, Granada did indeed fall before the Christian rulers.And upon that fateful day when the palace was seized, Hamet was obligedto ride away from Granada with Boabdil, his leader.
Outside of the city, the vanquished Boabdil handed the keys of Granadato King Ferdinand. Then he and his followers rode off into the hills.The story goes that as they reached a certain hill, Boabdil stopped togaze down upon his beloved "Red Castle," which he would never see again.And the Moor wept.
His mother chided him, saying, "You do well to weep like a woman forwhat you failed to defend like a man."
The hill upon which this happened is still known as "The Last Sigh ofthe Moor."
But to go back to Catalina at the palace. Left alone without Hamet, shedid not sigh, nor did she weep. Oh, but she did storm and rage and stampher feet.
BOABDIL SURRENDERING TO FERDINAND]
Catalina's temper was well known in the palace. When a servant came tosummon her to dance before the new rulers, his knees shook with fright.
"Fair d-dancer," he began, "w-will you c-come--?"
"I will not!" screamed Catalina, and threw her shoe at him.
Then the miserable girl sank down upon her couch and fell into a fit ofweeping.
At twilight, Catalina stood upon that same balcony where Hamet had toldher what the court astrologer had predicted. All had come true, and theconquest of Granada marked the end of Moorish power in Spain.
To Catalina came the voice of the town be-low. The Sierra NevadaMountains raised their snowy tips, and the smell of little donkeysmingled with mountain perfumes.
GRANADA]
One star shone, Moor-like, in the deep blue heaven. There was a fringeof orange light where the sun had just gone to bed, leaving his rosynight robe hanging on the sky.
But Catalina saw none of this beauty. Her eyes and her heart were blindwith unreasonable rage. Fleeing from the balcony, she ran into theMyrtle Court.
Raising her pale little face to the fast-darkening sky, she cried, "Ishall never, never, never dance again!"
With that, she threw her castanets into the deep pool in the center ofthe court. They sank quickly to the bottom, down, down in a blackcircle. The magic castanets!
Not until several days later, when Catalina's temper had cooled, did shesuddenly remember the old verse which her grandmother had taught her:
"_Castanets, with magic spell, Never lose or give or sell; If you do, then grief and strife Will follow you through all your life._"
What had she done? How could she have thrown away the magic castanets?
Quickly Catalina returned to the Myrtle Court. A palace attendantpromised to search the pool for her. But when he did, the castanets werenowhere to be found.
The story goes that not until Catalina became a very old lady did sherecover the castanets. And then nobody rightly knows how it came about.
But what we do know is that never again did Catalina see her sweetheart.For a year after he had left her, Hamet was killed in the wars.
If Catalina had not lost her temper, she would not have lost the magiccastanets. And if she had not lost the magic castanets--well, would herstory, perhaps, have been different?
The Little Spanish Dancer Page 6