Elihu Jan's story, or, the private life of an eastern queen / by William Knighton.

  • William Knighton
Date:
1865
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Elihu Jan's story, or, the private life of an eastern queen / by William Knighton. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    queen’s presence, my cousin and I, the queen spoke kindly to us, and sent for sweetmeats. But I could not eat, I was too busy gazing around ; all was new and beautiful to me ; I thought, surely this is Peristan (the country of the Peris), and these are surely Peris, not mortals. But I was told to eat, and I did so, and found the sweetmeats so delicious, that I soon forgot everything else. We were asked whether we were Sheeahs or Soonnies, and the queen was sorry to hear that we were Soonnies. To me, ignorant as 1 was, the difference was a small matter ; but my cousin was better instructed, and told me afterwards I must always continue to be a Soonny in heart, whatever they taught me. I was well fed, and my duties were light, so that I did not dislike living in the palace ; but it was not so with my cousin—she was refractory, and was often punished. A year passed away. I cannot remember much of that far-off time. Good living and light work made me fat and well-looking. My father and his brothers had got money enough to pay their debts, and came to
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