"That is the gipsy king," said her mother. "You know the gipsies live all huddled together there, below the Alhambra, and they have a chief whom they call king. They are a lazy set, doing little but thieving and telling fortunes. They live in little burrows, like rabbits, set into the hillsides, and there are pigs, goats, and dogs all living together with the people." "That girl with the king is very pretty," said Fernando, "with her black hair and eyes, and her bright skirts, and the pomegranate flower behind her ear." "The pomegranate is the flower of Granada, you know," said his mother, "and it does look pretty in her dark hair. Hear her call her dogs! Gipsy dogs are all named Melampo, Cubilon, or Lubina, after the shepherd dogs who followed the shepherds, and saw our Lord at Bethlehem. Ah, Juanita, '_Jesus, Maria y Josef!_' You must not sneeze! Drive faster, Diego, and Dolores, wrap the baby in that Palencian blanket, so soft and warm. The nights grow cool quickly at this time of year." "Why do we always say '_Jesus, Maria y Josef!_' when people sneeze?" asked Fernando. "It has been the custom so long that people have almost forgotten why it is done," replied his mother; "but I remember my grandmother saying once that her mother told her the reason. Years and years ago, in 1580, there was in all Andalusia a terrible plague called the _mosquillo_. People sneezed once, and lo! they had the plague, and little could save them, though some few recovered. So it grew to be the custom, when one sneezed, for those who heard him to look pityingly upon him and say, '_Dios le ayude_,'[4] or call upon the holy names to help him, saying, '_Jesus, Maria y Josef._'"[5] "See that ragged beggar, mamma," said Juanita. "May we not give him something?" as a little boy came hopping along beside the carriage, crying, lustily: "_Una limosna por el amor de Dios,[6] señora!_" "I have no _centimos_,"[7] said the señora, "and it is not wise to give more to a beggar, but you can always give politeness, _niña_, and when you have no money say, '_Perdone me, usted_,'[8] or, '_Por el amor de Dios,_'[9] and thus you will not give offence to God's poor." FOOTNOTES: [4] "God help him." [5] "Jesus, Mary, and Joseph." [6] "An alms for the love of God." [7] Coppers. [8] "Pardon me, your Grace." [9] "For the love of God." CHAPTER VI. THE HOLIDAYS