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The porter of the hotel did this for us to-day, as our Spanish has not reached perfection yet. All the streets are labeled subida, which means, "go up this street," or bajado, "down this street." If, by chance, you want to go to 27 subida and you amble on to 29, it takes you hours to go bajado and get back to subida again, going round in a cercle vicieux.
He was so small that we did not believe he could carry the burden, but he made no sort of trouble about it, trotting along most happily. We had been told that the road was pura subida pure ascent and so we found it. We were soon in the tropical forest of the Chinantla, and the land of the Mixes, with begonias, tree-ferns, bromelias, and orchids.
'My husband lies dead at home, and he has spent all our money, and sold everything, and I have nothing left to bury him with, sobbed the wife. Then Subida took up a purse containing two hundred gold pieces, and said: 'Your husband served us long and faithfully. You must see that he has a fine funeral. The wife took the money, and, kissing the feet of the Sultana, she joyfully hastened home.
Oh, if they only knew, how angry they would be! As Abu Nowas had foreseen, the Sultan went, in the evening after his business was over, to pay his usual visit to the Sultana. 'Poor Abu Nowas is dead! said Subida when he entered the room. 'It is not Abu Nowas, but his wife who is dead, answered the Sultan. 'No; really you are quite wrong.
'Yes, noble Sultan; it is the wife, replied the porter. 'He only says that to please you, cried Subida in a rage; and calling to her chamberlain, she ordered him to go at once to the dwelling of Abu Nowas and see which of the two was dead. 'And be sure you tell the truth about it, added she, 'or it will be the worse for you.
She came to tell me herself only a couple of hours ago, replied Subida, 'and as he had spent all their money, I gave her something to bury him with. 'You must be dreaming, exclaimed the Sultan.
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