some of their caves have been discovered and the walls are covered with
bright drawings of the animals these people hunted--bison, deer, wild
horses and wild boars.

[Illustration]

After the Iberians, came the Celts, Greeks, Phoenicians, Carthaginians
and Romans. From Rome, Spain took her language, her system of laws, and
her church. There were once more than 80 Roman cities in Spain, with
roads and bridges and walls which were built so well that they are still
used by Spanish people today. In the city of Segovia, the Romans built
an aqueduct to bring drinking water into the town from the nearby
mountains, and this aqueduct still brings water to the people of
Segovia.

The Romans liked Spain so much they stayed 500 years, but finally
barbaric tribes from central Europe drove them out. A short time later,
these tribes were conquered by Moors from North Africa. The Moors
brought many new ways to the Spanish people. They spoke the Arabic
language, and worshiped Mohammed instead of Christ, in churches called
mosques. They taught the Spanish people algebra and the science of
astronomy; they introduced a new kind of poetry, music and dancing. They
brought many new kinds of trees and flowers to Spain, like the date
palm, the orange and the pomegranate, and taught the people how to grow
them with an irrigation system which is still in use today. Many little
Spanish boys learn how to run it, so that they can help their fathers
and mothers.

The Moors built many mosques and palaces in Spain which are still in
use, and they look like buildings from Arabian fairy tales. These
Moorish buildings have their rooms built around open courtyards, called
patios, where orange and lemon trees and many bright flowers grow, and
fountains splash in the sunshine. The rooms have many pillars to
support the ceiling, and all the pillars and arches and ceilings are
beautifully carved. The Moors could carve hard stone so that it looks
like delicate lace, and this is what gives their buildings such a
fairy-tale look.

[Illustration]

The Spanish Christians, however, didn't like the Moors, and during all
of the 800 years the Moors ruled Spain, the Christians were fighting to
drive them out. Finally, Queen Isabella and her husband, King Ferdinand,
led their Christian army to victory against the last Moorish stronghold,
Granada. Because of this victory, Queen Isabella didn't have to worry
about fighting for a while, and she was able to help Col