A Harem Story

In the harem of the East, where the sun cast long shadows upon the palace courtyard, two twin sisters, Pharosheba and Patmosheba, reclined upon silk cushions. Their laughter mingled with the song of distant birds, as the scent of blooming jasmine filled the air.

“My sister,” began Patmosheba, her eyes alight with curiosity, “who do you think the king will delight to honor in the chiefest place among women?”

Pharosheba’s gaze drifted to the ornate palanquin that had arrived earlier, empty and draped in mystery. “Only the fairest, wisest, and noblest of women in all of Ashkenaz,” she replied, her voice tinged with wonder.

There was such a woman in the kingdom of Ashkenaz, a radiant maiden whose name and origins were a closely guarded secret.

The king, enamored by the tales of her beauty and virtue, sought to learn her name and win her heart. He first offered a single blue lotus to pin in her hair, to complement her sapphire eyes. But the maiden, whose heart was unyielding and name unknown, gently refused.

Undeterred, the king presented two peacocks, their feathers meant to veil her modesty. Yet, the maiden remained untouched by such gifts.

Three funny monkeys to amuse her, four prancing horses, five prowling tigers, and even six white elephants followed, but none could sway her resolve.

The king, growing desperate, devised elaborate gifts and grand gestures, each more extravagant than the last. His counselors observed his efforts with growing skepticism.

One evening, the king's most trusted counselor approached him with a question, “Think you that the queen's love can be bought with treasures such as these, or even her name revealed?”

The king, upon hearing these words, realized that true love and trust could not be bought or coerced. It required more profound acts of the heart.

As the king pondered this, the maiden's thoughts turned to a humble yet wise man, whose love for her was pure and unwavering. She decided to flee the palace and the king's opulence, to be with the one who cherished her soul rather than her beauty.