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

276 court and delivered this message to the king, who was greatly amazed at the youth's audacity, and so were all his courtiers. They consulted for awhile, and then despatched a palanquin and some officers, in order to show him some little attention, with an urgent request for his immediate attendance. On reaching Shalivahan's abode, the officers represented to him that the king was anxious to see him, and begged therefore that he would lose no time in preparing himself to accom- pany them. "I wonder," said Shalivahan, "why the king should be so desirous of seeing me!—I do not feel disposed to believe all you say. Be good enough, however, to tell him that I can have no business with him,—that is, if he has sent you to me, as you maintain. If there is anything on which he wishes to consult me, let him come here, and I shall be glad to be of service to him." Not being authorised to use compulsion, they returned to court and acquainted the king with what Shalivahan had said. The king could not but admire the daring boldness of the youth, and thought he must be possessed of rare qualifications. At length he directed some of his court furniture to be carried to Shalivahan's dwelling, that he might hold his court there, and then ordered his retinue to be got ready, after which he set out with his officials and the three brothers, accompanied by a large number of the most respectable citizens. Curiosity had no little share in this proceeding on the part of the king: he was naturally desirous of seeing and hearing the knotty point gone into and finally decided. It was therefore without any show of displeasure that the king adjourned his court to Shalivahan's dwelling. Arrived there, the king sent for the young arbitrator, and received him with one of his patronising smiles. Shalivahan drew near to the king, and, after respectfully saluting him, thus addressed him:—"My lord, you need not have put your- self to the trouble of assembling your court here, if, as I suppose, you have come to hear my decision in the case of the three brothers. Why did not your majesty send them to me?—I should have been able, I think, to decide the