IN A PERSIAN MARKET

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 36, 12 February 1938, Page 20

IN A PERSIAN MARKET

(Written for the Ring by "

CILVER'. . . a'rippling sea of silver sand . . . the desert. The moon gazed down on a sleeping world so silent and mysterious, so calm and peaceful. As far as the eye could see lay sand. Twinkling stars studded the velvet blue above. Slowly, the far east paled into grey, a soft dove grey, then the red fingers of Dawn stretched across the sky as if plucking the stars from their cradles. ■ , , In the distance came the rumbling of a desert caravan as it approached the stirring city of El Pasha, on the outskirts of the desert. The rumbling became louder, then with a triumphant roar the caravan passed through the opened gates into the streets of the awakened city. Everywhere could be seen veiled women and men in billowing robes preparing for the day's marketing. Gaily-coloured flags and capes fluttered in the breeze as the people came to buy and to sell. As the sun rose higher in the heavens the market became a scene of activity and a medley of strange babbling noises as the buyer argued with the sellers about the prices to be paid for their purchases. Above the dm. rose the beggars' cries of "Backsheesh," crying and begging for a small sum to buy food and clothing. Some rich people passed and threw pennies in their plates. Others gave them a push with their feet. Then through the gates of the palace came a procession of gorgeouslycoloured drapes which proved to be a litter borne by veiled slaves. Reclining on her elbow was the most beautiful princess whom all the people loved and respected. Her exquisite olive skin was set off by blue sequined robes. A pair of sparkling black eyes gazed at the world over her yashmak. As the slaves walked on amongst the crowd the people bowed to the lovely princess, who acknowledged them with smiles. When the Royal procession reached the jugglers' pitch the princess stopped to throw them some money. Weird music was played by three small dusky boys, while their elders juggled platters and brightly-coloured balls in a dizzy circle, never faltering or missing. When the performers stopped for a rest the princess clapped her hands and the litter was moved on to the snake-charmer. The man and his assistant saw the princess approaching and waited until she was comfortably settled on the ground before he placed the reed pipe between his lips. At a smile from the j princess he began to play, softly at first, a wailing tune on his pipe. A basket was set in front of him with a large hole in the centre. Slowly out of the hole came a snake's head, swaying gently to the music.

Gradually the piper played louder and faster, and the snake writhed and twisted in time to the music. Another piper joined the first, sitting cross-legged on the coloured carpet, while a dark-eyed girl, tall and beauti-

'Tippetty Toes,"^ls, Brooklyn.)

ful, clad in a long, tight, shimmering dress, walked slowly towards the snakes. She bent lower until her brown arms were held over the basket, and the snake twined round her arms, then round her neck, and, lastly, like a fur over a woman's shoulder, the treacherous creature twined round her body. The crowd was breathless with suspense until the girl again bent over the basket and the snake coiled itself into the interior.

The show was over. Money poured into the charmer's outstretched palm. The princess was carried off, back to the huge marble palace, which looked almost fairy-like in the midday sun. The huge dome, which was encrusted with jewels, sparkled and glittered ift >CZ>Oo<^>oo<=i=s<K><C3>O3<C^>Oo<Z>Co<2 "Hulloa, folks! Mickey Mouse speaking."

different hues, as the* sun's rays caught them. The afternoon brought more busy marketers, and children danced merrily along, while their older sisters walked more sedately, their face; hidden by their newly-acquired veils. Night drew on and the marketers packed up their wares and trudged off home, happy and tired. The beggars greedily counted, their money and pocketed it, chuckling to themselves as they turned in to their beds, some luxurious, some very poor indeed. The caravan roared through the streets of El Pasha and finally into the desert. The rumbling grew fainter as it disappeared in a cloud of sand and eventually silence. The streets soon became deserted as the stars began to twinkle in the velvet blue above once more. Slowly, majestically, the moon rose and cast her silver radiance on a sleeping world, on a rippling sea of silver sand; the world so. silent and mysterious, so calm and peaceful, s& silver.