A TURKISH LEGEND.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XL, Issue 9195, 24 September 1891, Page 4

A TURKISH LEGEND.

On a rock opposite Scutari, facing the entrance to the Botphoxus, stands a towuwliich is often, without "reason, called ',' .the Tower of Leander." TheTurkß call it " the Tower of the Virgin." In it, according to a Turkish ' legend, was confined the lovely daughter of Mohammed Sultan, MeharSchegid by name, of whom it had been predicted by a mysterious gipsy that she would die by the bite of a serpent. MeharSohegid'a reputation for beauty Bpread until it readied the ears of the Prince. of Persia, who came to Constantinople determined by some means to gain admission to the tower. He contrived, by bribing her attendants, to get conveyed to her a bouquet Of symbolical flowers expressing to her, in c language Bhe perfectly understood.the passion; with which she had inspiredtim. But like Cleopatra's baskeVof fruit, Mehar-Schegid's bunch of flowers concealed an asp. BJehar-Schegid was stung. Her servants, rememberingr the gipsy's prophecy) uttered ,loud cries of ■ distress, and, throwing open the doors of the tower, rushed out, frantioally exolniming that all was lost. Then the Prince of Persia rushed in, seized: Merfar-Sehegid in hwarmi, and. suoked the wound in her shoulder until he'had'extraofed'from it all the j venom- left there by the asp. The Sultan, hßfherifheheard of the young man's noble- and devoted conduct, declared that he should be his son-ill law ; and the Prince. of^ers^a,' made MeharSchegid his wife, arid' lived with h«r . v«y happily for a. great number of years, and, bad •many children. " ' . ; ; i