AN OLD MEXICAN CUSTOM.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 47, 25 February 1937, Page 26

AN OLD MEXICAN CUSTOM.

(By HAROLD H. HINDMARSH.)

dias, senor."—l looked |j round and saw a grey-bearded old Mexican slowly lowering himself into a seat beside me with the a ill of a stick. His eye* smiled at me. His beard was thick. l<>"g and flowing, and covered nearly the whole of his chest. ''The heat." he said, a little out of breath and wiping the perspiration from his wrinkled fate, "is rather oppressive, senor. But Ido not complain. In another hour the sun will have set, and then it will be cold enough for —for nnvthinjr." He shuddered a little in anticipation. "You are travelling for pleasure, senor?" lie inquired after a while. "No. not exactly." "Ah: I understand. You sight-see as you go; you observe. Well, there is "much to be seen—and learnt —in Mexico, senor. A wonderful place. Old ruins—old. old customs.' , "The ruins?" he said, and shook his head slowly. "Little is known about them, eeiior. And as to the customs, their origin for the greater part cannot be traced. "But—there is one old, old custom, senor, which is peculiar to these parts. It is the custom of shaving." "Of shaving?" I said. "Yes, senor. You must have noticed, as you entered this province, that beards grew suddenly scarcer. That is not a mere fashion. It is the survival of a custom, which originated in the most tragic circumstances long ago. Listen, senor.

"Away somewhere in those hills," he pointed to a purple ridge, over which the afternoon sun was hanging like a golden ball, "are the ruins of a palace. once inhabited by a king named Ohoeanturas, who ruled this country with a diabolical regard for detail.

"Bv the time he had attained the aare of 43 or so almost the only choice that remained to his male subjects was whether they would go bearded or cleanshaven.

"But, you understand, as this ferocious tyrant himself shaved three times a day, most men deemed it prudent to do likewise.

"Well, one day, when the royal barber was shaving the king's throat, the poor fellow's nerves got the better of him, and he made a slight incision.

"Immediately he was condemned to death. His "head was slowly crushed between two stones, and his living heart was torn out and thrown to the dogs.

"The fear of being assassinated by a barber gripped the cowardly heart of this tyrant. So not only did he resolve to let his own beard grow from that day. but he issued a decree that, thenceforth, under pain of death, no man in the kingdom was to shave or be shaven. "Very well. Some two or three years later, when the king's beard was reaching down to his waist, a serious—an extremely serious and altogether unforeseen situation arose.

"It was so serious that the first councillor in the land resolved to risk his life by bringing the matter to the king's notice. " 'Sire,' said he. upon his knees, after a lengthy prologue, adorned with epithets, 'the nation is in danger of extermination. Unless something is done at once, your Majesty or your Majesty's successor will have no subjects to rule over at all. " 'You are a widower. Take, therefore, unto yourself a noble wife. And when the women see that the noblest ■ lady in the land does not scorn to acknowledge a bearded man as her lord, they will all quickly follow suit, being creatures of fashion. , "Ohoeanturas considered the advice with bent brows, and at length found it good. Accordingly, he summoned the noblest unmarried lady in the land to his palace, and, taking her consent for •ranted, proceeded with the marririEre ceremony. When the question —'Wilt thou have this man for thy wedded lord?'—was put. the lady answered: " 'Yee.' And then added, in a clear voice, "Provided that he consents to shave. , • • • • • "Senor, the wrath of the king made everything in the palace quake—except the lady. He strode at once to the judgment seat.' and immediately passed sentence of death, which was immediately carried out. Then, every day for weeks, a lady, a prospective spouse, appeared at the palace hy command of the king; and every day witnessed her execution. One and all they refused to marry Ohoeanturas. so long as he wore a beard. "At last one was found, who gave her unconditional consent—a beautiful lady from one of the noblest families in the kingdom —and the marriage was celebrated by order of the king with fea«tings and with bonfires throughout the land.

"Never were there rejoicings amongst the men (for you may be sure the women did not assists, and never such bonfires. It is said that the streets of evety village, ran with the beautiful wine which you are now drinking, senor "Tndeed, the men were still under its influence, when the news spread from one end of the land to the other that the king was dead! . . . Dead! . . . The couriers, galloping through towns and villages, shouted that he had been murdered! . . . Murdered! . . . "But no one for a time knew certainly how he had met his death. And everywhere the women waited eager-eyed, and the men stood bearded and silent in little groups. "At last the truth came out. On his wedding night the lady whom Ohoeanturas had married, had strangled him— with his beard. Yes. The tyrant, who dared not stretch his neck to a barber leet hie throat should be cut, was in the end strangled with his own beard!

"And the day after, senor—for such is the fear of example—there wae not a man to be found throughout the whole countrv with a hair on his chin.

"And so," he concluded, "this old, old custom of shaving has persisted ever since, senor. . . Indeed, that is the reason why I always go clean-shaven myself.*

"A most interesting etory," 1 remarked. "But with regard to your concluding , remark, allow me to state emphatically that you have one of the most magnificent beards I have ever seen in my life." "Madre dios" he exclaimed, with a start and a sly glance towards his chest, and a little smile. "So I have. Pardon me, senor, for forgetting that I am no ,longer. young.

r "Infirmity—the infirmity of old age— Wβ compelled me to refrain from shav'ing. I now wear a beard to keep me warm."

(SHORT STORY.)

The old man rubbed his hands together. '"Vee, senor. You see, it is so seldom —I may say, senor, so very seldom—that —" * * • » Then I saw what he was driving at, and apologised for my negligence. "Allow me to otler you a bottle of wine," I said. "All! a thousand thanks, senor— Feidinando!" he called. And Feidinando brought in a bottle of wine so quickly th«it he must have had it ready. My suspicion* grew. 1 studied the old man again. '•You old rascal." I said. "That story of yours was just flapdoodle after all. a dodge to win a drink." And. as he set down his glass he sucked in the last drops still clinging to the hairs alxiut his mouth, and witli laughter twinkling in his eyes, murmured: "Yes. An old —old—custom, senor!"