THE DANCE OF THE COBRA
The Place was the Harem.
The Time was the Morning.
And the Occasion was the Toilet.
The wives and the women of the Maharajah were being made beautiful for the pleasure of their lord and master.
Their bodies were bathed in the pool.
And anointed with oils.
And burnished with buffers.
With infinite care and patience, blue veins were traced on their limbs, and red tips were painted on their breasts.
Their raven locks were scented, and their dusky cheeks were tinted.