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

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advanced before his majesty and the council, that last night Dushwant appeared before you in a dream, and injured your person?" "Yes," rejoined the dancing-girl, with much impudence, "he positively did." "Very well, then," said the parrot, "you may take by way of compensation the cash reflected in the glass, but do not dare to meddle with the cash itself. The punishment will be of a like kind with the injury alleged to have been inflicted : you dreamed the injury done, and in like manner is the punishment reflected. Justice is satisfied, and so must you be." At these words the disappointed girl trembled violently, with a sensation of mingled rage and conscious humiliation; dis- appointed avarice no doubt contributed to the effect pro- duced. To be baulked when about to receive the reward (as she thought but a while ago) of her well-concerted and well-directed plan, was too much,—to grasp now only the shadow, while the substance which she had fully and confi- dently calculated upon, had fled. There she stood, the picture of despair and disappointment, eyeing alternately the heap of gold and, as she thought, her inveterate enemy the parrot, who had been the cause of so much mischief. At length the parrot broke the silence by saying to the girl, "As you cannot reach the money through the glass, no more could Dushwant have injured you in your dream. Begone, slut! and do not dare to present yourself again before the king." She was then ignominiously expelled, and all retired, well satisfied with the turn the affair had taken. The merchant directed his man to take the money he had brought, and returned home, accompanied by his now more than ever esteemed friend the parrot, extremely happy at the termination of so unpleasant an affair; while the king and his courtiers were lost in amazement at the extraordinary ingenuity and presence of mind of the handsome and clever little bird. The reputation of our feathery acquaintance spread with such rapidity after the decision he had made in the above case, as to become known throughout the length and breadth