विक्रम चरित (उज्जैन सम्राट् विक्रमादित्य - पराक्रम, न्याय एवं ३२ पुतलियों की कथा सटीक)

93 seated himself beside the handsome attendant, and thus began : ‘ Be so kind as to relate to me your history—who you are, and your reasons for lodging in the house of this disreputable person. Are you a princess ? Tell me, I beseech you !’ She sighed, and for a time was bathed in tears. When she had regained her speech, she addressed the king as follows :—‘ Oh, king ! I will now lay my unfor- tunate case before you. I am the daughter of a certain king, and married the Prince Soorsain, son of King Bhu- drasain, of the city of Bhadravutty. My husband one day, being engaged in the pleasure of the chase in an adjoining wood; became thirsty, and went to a certain lake in order to quench his thirst : while engaged in drawing the water with his hands, the water deities took hold of him by the hand and carried him to their abode, and he is now with them. While deploring the loss of my husband, I happened to overhear a prediction by the famous astrologer Dhanoo, whereupon I was on the point of cursing those who with- held my husband from me, or who had slain him, not knowing at the time his exact fate, or what had become of him. On this the deities suddenly made their appearance in my apartment, and desired me to stop my malediction, saying they would restore my husband to me for that night, under the strict injunction, in support of which they extracted an oath from me, that I should send him back to them the next morning. In the morning they appeared and took him away in their train.’ She then related the particulars of the treatment she had received from her father-in-law, how she came into that city and became an attendant on the actress, together with every subsequent occurrence. Comparing this tale with what he had heard from the cow on his way, the king was fully convinced that the person before him was no other than his mother. He became so affected at this that he mingled his tears with those shed by the unfortunate princess. The king turned to the actress, who was present all the time, and who stood as one rooted to the spot, and inquired, ‘ Do you know