longest. They fought hard to keep it, and when they finally surrendered
it to Ferdinand and Isabella in 1492 they wept bitterly, for it seemed
to them they had lost a Paradise. The great fortress-palace of the Moors
in Granada is called the Alhambra, which means "red castle." About a
hundred years ago an American author, Washington Irving, went to live in
the Alhambra. He found the romantic castle very much as the Moors had
left it, except for the dust which hadn't been removed in 400 years. He
walked through the echoing corridors and into the moonlit courtyards
with their silent fountains. He talked with dozens of old Spanish and
gypsy storytellers to learn all he could about the Alhambra. He even
claimed he could see the ghosts of the sultans who had once lived there.
Then he wrote a book, _Tales of the Alhambra_, which we can still read
and enjoy. Because of his book, the Alhambra was cleaned and restored to
all its former beauty.

Today the carved white and golden stonework of this castle shines with
the splendor of long ago. One of its most interesting courtyards is
called the Court of the Lions. Twelve very old stone lions, each with a
different expression on his face, stand in a circle in the center,
supporting the curved bowl of a fountain on their backs. Out of each
lion's mouth trickles a little stream of water, helping to cool the air.
Everyone who visits the Alhambra loves these funny old lions and goes
away with a picture of them.

[Illustration]

The Moorish sultans entertained their guests and held big parties in
courtyards like this one. But they lived with their families and
servants in another part of the Alhambra, with gardens and a sparkling
pool where the royal ladies bathed. Looking out through certain of the
arching, carved windows, the sultans could see the snow-covered Sierra
Nevada Mountains. The Sierra Nevada peaks have snow the year round, even
in the hottest summers. When the Moors lived in the Alhambra,
swift-running slaves would bring snow from the mountains to make sherbet
for the sultans and their guests in hot weather.

From other windows in the Alhambra the sultans could see Sacro
Monte--the Holy Mountain--where gypsies still live today in whitewashed
caves. Many centuries ago the gypsies didn't have homes, but wandered
throughout the world. When some of them came to Granada, they fell in
love with the city and decided to stay. Now there are thousands of them
living in Andalusia,