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

269 pregnant without the knowledge of a husband. This so exasperated the king that he summoned her father to his court, and in a threatening manner bade him declare the truth regarding his daughter's vile conduct, as he must be fully aware of the strictness of the laws enacted against such offenders. The brahmin was thrown into much agita- tion, and finding it would be of no avail to conceal the truth, represented to the king what he had learned from his daughter, and that he himself had witnessed the transforma- tion in her shape on returning from the river. He begged his majesty to extend his royal clemency to him, as he was innocent, and knew nothing more of the affair than what he had already mentioned. King Somekaunt and his officers would not believe a word of what the brahmin said, but told him that they suspected him of being privy to the whole affair, and sentenced him to be banished from the city without loss of time. The poor brahmin, his heart torn with grief and anguish on account of the disgrace brought on him by his daughter's misconduct, which was now aggravated by insult and unmerited punishment, returned to his dwelling, and having packed up his goods and house- hold materials, departed with his daughter from the city. He took up his residence outside the fort walls, with some potters, and spent his time in his usual occupation. At the completion of nine months, Soometra was safely delivered of a handsome male child, to the great joy of herself and likewise of her father. On the twelfth day they gave him the name of Shalivahan. As the child grew up, he had no one of his own class to associate with, so was compelled to choose his companions from among the potters in the neighbourhood. His sole amusement during his leisure hours was to form images and puppets of the clay procured from his companions, and to place them in a row like an army, with a sword in the hand of each and shields on their backs. The officers were represented on the backs of horses, and they carried an additional weapon of defence in the shape of a long spear. Besides the foot soldiers and