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

29 in the field, if on no other account than the establishment of a temporary truce. The fox, after pondering for awhile, and seeing the ingratitude of the alligator, was resolved to inflict on him some sort of punishment. He said, "How is it possible for me to give my judgment on this dispute, unless you point out the spot where your first meeting took place, and the position of the alligator?" The alligator undertook to show the place, on condition that the fox would promise to make the traveller bring him again into the water immediately he had done so, as he had business of importance to attend to at his own habitation. This was agreed to. The traveller accordingly took up the alligator a second time, and brought him to land, where, instead of entering into a discussion of the case, he, at a sign from the fox, left the alligator to shift for himself, and he and the fox went on their way. Here the Bahooroopee, addressing himself to the parrot, said, "You are now bidding me to act towards you in the same manner as the monstrous alligator treated the travel- ler." The parrot desired him not to think so, and said that the Bahooroopee would, on the contrary, show his gratitude and receive the parrot's thanks, by yielding to his wishes and selling him. The Bahooroopee could not now resist this direct appeal to his heart. He felt he should be dis- pleasing the parrot were he any longer to hold out against his wishes. Accordingly, in obedience to his patron's instruction and importunity, though at the same time he was greatly averse to part with him, with a heavy heart he took up the bird, and proceeded with him to the town of Sendoornuggry, in search of a purchaser. He walked with the bird in his hand, exposed to view, from one street to another, and from shop to shop, for a long time. At last a wealthy merchant named Dushwant, having observed the man and the handsome parrot, beckoned to him, and entered into a negotiation for the purchase. On asking the price, the Bahooroopee told him that he would part with the

30 bird for nothing less than its weight in gold, and under a promise from its future master that he would obey implicitly its directions. The merchant laughed at the latter part of the Bahooroopee's terms; he, however, agreed to the price and paid the gold. After the bird had changed hands, it only remained for the Bahooroopee to take his leave; and the parting was one that both remembered during the whole remainder of their lives. It was an affecting sight to wit- ness the manly and unfeigned grief of the Bahooroopee, who was indebted to so great an extent to the feathery crea- ture before him for all he possessed, and he wept loud and long. At last, with the mutual exchange of the most en- dearing expressions of feeling and sympathy, and with hopes of again meeting, they parted from each other. Dushwant, the merchant who now owned the parrot, was a very wealthy and pious individual, endowed with many good qualities, but withal mean in the extreme. He put the parrot into a good cage, however, and sent him home by his servant to his wife. On reaching home, the merchant's wife asked the servant where he had got the bird from, and he replied, that his master had just purchased him for her diversion. "This parrot, you must understand, good mistress, is remarkably clever, possessing as much sense and knowledge as any human being." The mistress was quite elated at the idea of possessing a bird of such extraordinary parts, and of so much beauty in appearance. She directed one of the slaves to place the cage on a chowrung* of a large size, where the cat could not reach it. The merchant's wife was a lady who could boast of a fair share of beauty, gentle in her manners, and very prudent. She was dressed in the simplest and most ordinary attire, which did not become her, and was quite unsuited to the gracefulness of her demeanour and the unpretending but yet radiant cast of her beauty. She was not treated by her husband as she deserved to be, but yet she was a most vir- tuous woman and a faithful wife. She was allowed but * A square stool.

31 little or no control in domestic concerns—not from any want of the necessary qualifications, but from the evil nature of her husband, notwithstanding his piety. These little explanations are necessary, to prepare the reader for what follows. After the parrot had been placed on the chowrung allotted to him, the mistress ordered one of her slaves to give some grain to the miller, to be ground for the use of the bird. Observing the grain to be of the most ordinary kind, and consisting of several different descriptions, the parrot asked his mistress if that was what they used daily for their own food. “Yes,” said she, “though we have all we can wish for in this house, and that too in abun- dance, the parsimonious nature of my husband deprives me of all control in the arrangement of his domestic concerns, and to act otherwise than I do at present would bring down upon me his ire.” The parrot judged from this that she was leading an unhappy life, so he said to his mistress, “Take my advice, and go you now and order the prepara- tion of everything good to-day to eat, after which put on your best and richest clothes, and adorn yourself with all the jewels you possess. Fear not; I will answer for you. Should your husband display any symptoms of anger I will appease him, and bring about such a change in his habits and life that he will never behave towards you as he has hitherto done.” This induced the mistress to do as she was bid. Having acted up to the instructions of the parrot so far, she came to him, and asked for further counsel. “Let your husband,” said he, “be sent for to take his meal a little earlier than is his wont.” A servant was sent forth in- stantly. The merchant was somewhat surprised to receive a call to his meal so unusually early; he, however, returned home. He was still more surprised and even enraged at the profuseness and richness of the repast that was prepared for him, and at the gaudiness with which his wife was decked out. After performing his ablutions, the merchant sat down to his meal, casting no friendly glance from time to time at his wife, and at the ornaments on her person; these

32 glances betrayed a concentrated rage, mingled with grasp- ing niggardliness ; so furious was he that he could not give utterance to a single word. Thus, while he was occupied between eating his meal and stifling his passion, the thought occurred to him, that as the parrot he had recently purchased was a very knowing and extraordinary bird, his wife might probably have been put up to all he then wit- nessed by him ; he determined, however, to see how long she would carry it on. She kept it up, at the instigation of the parrot, for a whole month. The husband seeing the deter- mination with which his wife followed up her recent whim, thought it advisable not to come to an open rupture, but in his heart he secretly blamed her, though he had not the courage to tell her so. One day the parrot, finding Dush- want in a remarkably good humour, addressed him in a very soothing and winning tone, and asked him whether, since his arrival among them, he had become prosperous in his trade, or met with any reverses. The parrot desired the merchant to examine his books and accounts, and to satisfy him on this head, and the merchant ordered his head moonim* to ascertain this. The moonim reported that the whole concern had increased four-fold since the bird's arri- val. The merchant believed his good luck to have been brought by the parrot, for during the long period that he had been conducting his business, no such results, or any- thing like them, had ever taken place till now. . It is not in the power of language to describe the sensation of grate- ful emotion that rose in the merchant's bosom, as this con- viction flashed through his mind. He thanked the bird in terms as commendable as they were sincere and deep-felt. From that moment he was resolved upon living a new life —one of liberality and charity. He portioned out a certain amount to be set apart for daily distribution to the poor. With this change came others, and his house was soon one of the best regulated in that city, and he was esteemed by all for his benevolence and uniform good conduct. * An accountant or book-keeper.

33 In the same city with Dushwant resided a dancing-girl, named Kamsaina, who, having become acquainted with the high reputation which the merchant had attained for pro- fuseness and generosity, resolved upon calling daily at his house to amuse him with her singing. One day it occurred to her that she had dreamed over-night of Dushwant having injured her chastity. Under this impression she proceeded to the palace of the king, laid a formal complaint against the merchant, and demanded justice. The king, upon the girl's declaration, decided that Dushwant should pay the custom- ary fine for such offences—1,25,000 rupees. After the decision had been recorded, Dushwant was sent for to ap- pear before the king and his council, there to be subjected to interrogatories before the public assembly. As he was ignorant of the cause which procured him the honor of the king's summons, and being, as our readers will have per- ceived, innocent of any guilt, he was naturally enough thrown into a maze of perplexity ; and his astonishment may be better imagined than described, when the king made known to him the accusation that had been brought against him. By dint of cross-questioning and much labour he made the girl acknowledge, though not in direct terms, that her charge was founded on a mere dream, which had become so deeply rooted in her mind as to appear a reality. Having gained this advantage over his opponent, the mer- chant addressed the king in the following words :—" This being only, as your majesty has seen, a charge founded on a dream, or coined to extort money from me, I do not see that I am liable to the fine your majesty has been pleased to inflict upon me ; and I trust you will see the impropriety of enforcing it in a case, like the present, of an imaginary wrong said to have been done." The girl on this became so exasperated as to indulge in the most abusive epithets and unbecoming language towards Dushwant, notwithstand- ing that she was in the presence of the king and his whole court. This so affected poor Dushwant, that he agreed to pay the fine, and thus put a stop to the volley of abusive F o

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words that was directed against him; at the same time pro- claiming his innocence with a loud voice, and protesting against the whole proceeding as being illegal and informal, as well as unjust and tyrannical. He then sent for his cashier, and ordered the amount to be brought into court. While, however, Dushwant was in the act of making over the money, it occurred to him that he had not consulted once, throughout the whole of this proceeding, his invaluable and bosom friend, the parrot; he thought that by repre- senting the injustice of the case to him, the good sense and intelligence which the bird displayed on every occasion of emergency might perchance enable him to devise some means to extricate him from the dilemma in which he found himself placed; so he solicited the king to allow him time to send for the parrot, before paying down the money. Having obtained the king's consent to this step, a messen- ger was immediately despatched, and the bird brought into the presence of the king and the assembled courtiers. He was placed in an elevated position, and made acquainted with all the details of the occurrence. The parrot seemed much surprised at the revelations made to him, and still more so at the daring act of injustice on the part of the king, of whom he enquired, and of his councillors, how they could possibly be so blind as not to see through the guile of the girl, and the unworthy motives which led her into such an act. He begged the king to countermand the order for the fine, and then, in an address fraught with much politeness and good sense, entreated that his majesty would not permit himself to be thus hood- winked by a mercenary woman. So saying, the parrot desired that a large looking-glass, of which there were many in the palace, might be brought to him; when the domestic came forward with the glass, the parrot ordered the amount of the fine levied by the king to be placed in front of it, which having been done, he spoke in this wise, addressing himself in the first instance to the com- plainant in the case:—"Is it true, then, as you have

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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

36 of that populous town; and while all admired and praised him, there was one who conceived against him the deadliest hatred imaginable, and that person was the discomfited actress or dancing-girl against whom he had given his deci- sion. Nothing short of the life of the parrot would satisfy her. Many were the designs she revolved in her mind to effect this purpose, till at last, an opportunity offering itself, she hit upon the following plan. It came to her knowledge that Dushwant's wife was in bed sick, and she thought this a fine chance to seek a reconciliation with Dushwant, and then, by her wiles and deception, to gain a mastery over him; this object once attained, every facility, she thought, would be afforded her for executing her foul work. Accord- ingly, one night, she decked herself out in her best clothes, so as to set off her charms and symmetry of shape to the best advantage, and went into Dushwant's house. She entered his apartment by a secret door that was known to her, and noiselessly approached the bed on which Dushwant lay alone, and sat beside him. The unsuspecting Dush- want was fast asleep, and had been so for some time, as the night was far advanced when this temptress set out from her dwelling. Seated beside Dushwant, she began to bestow on him the softest caresses, and to call on him by the most endearing and loving epithets. Dushwant here- upon suddenly awoke, and was astonished to find a female form near him of such exquisite beauty, which the rays of the lamp that fell upon her displayed to great advantage, the mellowness of the light, added to the sombre shade of the room, rendering her smiling countenance and richly- jewelled bust like those of a houri, come to keep watch over the sleeping merchant in his now lonely bed-chamber. She appeared, indeed, the height of female perfection, and the softness of her manners and the ingratiating tone of her speech might have gone far towards overcoming a person of firmer principle than poor Dushwant. His first words were expressive of surprise at the visionary being, as he thought, before him. "Am I awake or asleep?" said he. After

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gazing at her for awhile, and feeling his resolution of having nothing to do with a strange woman fast failing him, he drew the bed-clothes over his face, and composed him- self to sleep, as if to shut out the temptress from his view. But she proceeded to address him, lavishing on him at the same time the most fond and melting caresses. “My dear sir,” said she, “this is not a dream, as you imagine, but a reality. The humblest of your slaves, and the most devoted of your servants, is here to offer her love at your feet.” The merchant rose in much anger at this announce- ment, and asked her how she dared clandestinely to enter his apartment at that unseasonable hour. “I have some slight notion of the reason,” said he; “it is the hope of securing the money you were prevented from extorting from me at the court the other day that has brought you hither, and you have some new design for effecting your purpose. I set no value upon a few gold pieces; but leave me,—leave me, I tell you, and never more approach me.” “I am in possession of much wealth,” replied she, “through your bene- volence and kind-heartedness. I no longer wish for more. Another and far more devouring passion has brought me here at the dead of the night;—I am dying of love for you! —it is fast consuming me,—and unless you give me proofs of its being reciprocated, alas! I feel I must inevitably perish, either by my own hands or with the fire within me. Say,” and she threw herself on her knees, “may I hope that you will deign to pity me—to ease my poor heart of the pain which is now fast rending it in pieces? Oh, speak to me!—let me hear at least a few words of conso- lation ere you doom me to death and to perdition!” and she burst into tears. A woman in tears is a moving and dangerous spectacle, which few can withstand; when to this were added the position of this designing creature and the beauty of her person—her eyes glistening with every demonstration of love, and her bosom heaving in a whirl- wind of passion, assumed though it was—we can well con- ceive the peculiar workings of the heart in one whose weak-

38 ness prompted him to concede at once to the lovely creature before him all she sued for; whilst a dread of the world, of his own household, of his wife in particular, bade him put an end to the meeting, and turn the frantic woman from his presence and the privacy of his room: Thus placed, need we wonder that a man of such weak parts as Dushwant was, should feel his scruples gradually fade away one after the other, until he was left wholly under the influence of a pretty and attractive woman, bathed in tears, and supplicating for his love in pathetic and forcible expressions? To cut the matter short, he was completely overwhelmed by her blandishments, and he fell into her embraces. Having spent the remainder of the night together, as the rays of the morn pierced through the flimsy curtains, Dushwant roused the partner of his guilt from the deep sleep in which she was plunged, and entreated her to be gone, lest the inmates of the house should suspect the occurrence of the preceding night, and thus render him not only the butt of all his friends, but, that which he most dreaded, the object of the just reproaches of an enraged wife. The actress slowly opened her eyes, and finding the merchant in just such a strait as she wished him to be in, asked for some token of their sojourn together; but she said that she did not wish for it then and there,—she only wanted him to pledge his word of honor that he would satisfy her on that head when she made the requisition; she said she was not sufficiently collected then to mention what it was to be, but would think over it, and name it on a future occasion. The merchant, anxious to rid himself of her presence, took the desired oath, and she went away chuckling inwardly at the success she had met with. She now repaired to her house in all haste, and having bathed and changed her apparel, returned not long after to Dushwant's house, to claim the fulfilment of the promise he had made to her that morning. She said, “Sir, may I request you will be pleased to ratify the promise you so generously made to me last night? I have called expressly

39 for the purpose." The daring effrontery of the woman utterly confounded and disgusted the merchant. He kept his temper nevertheless, as he knew he was now in the power of this unprincipled creature, so he asked her to name what she wanted' and to go her way, and never more to cross his threshold. With a smile of derision, and in tones of cutting sarcasm, she replied that her greatest ambition was to become the possessor of the parrot, owned by the merchant, who had but a short time ago exposed her to the ridicule of the whole court, and a very large audience besides. This request afflicted the merchant extremely, as the nature of his oath left him no way of escape from the obligation he had so unwisely entered into. Conscious of his error, he bitterly lamented the circum- stances which had led him into it. 'Alas!' thought he, 'how injudiciously have I not behaved!—not only shall I now be deprived of my best and wisest counsellor, but oh! horror!—must I also endanger his life?' for he well knew the object of the woman in desiring so anxiously to become possessed of the bird. 'Ah me! what incalculable injury have I brought on myself!—can no means be devised whereby to preserve my beloved bird?' He tried to remon- strate with the actress, but she was inexorable. In this wretched state of mind he approached the tiny parrot, ensconced in his pretty cage in a corner of the house, and revealed to him the sad dilemma in which he was placed, and which he said was all the more to be deplored as it originated in his own inexcusable imprudence. "I am certainly undone, as well as Dushruth and Rookmangud, who ensnared themselves by their promise," said he, "and have brought this dire misfortune on you." He spoke with such vehemence, and was so truly affected, that he fell down beside the parrot's cage in an agony of grief. When he came to himself, the parrot, pitying his distress, told him to deliver him up to the woman without hesitation, and rather let him (the parrot) run the risk of losing his life than that the merchant should violate his oath. "An

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oath," said the parrot, "is sacred, and must therefore be preserved inviolate. Do not break your promise on any account. You no doubt recollect the account given of the promises made by Shriyal and Chakravati—how faithfully they observed them, even to the very death. Listen to me," continued the parrot to Dushwant, "I will give you a brief account of king Myrodhwaj, who had commenced a certain sacrifice, when Kristna and Arjoon, assuming the guise of brahmins—the former that of a Gooru, and the latter as his disciple,—appeared before him. Myrodhwaj, seeing them, received them with great respect, and besought them with much entreaty to make known to him their wants. Kristna said, 'I, with my son and pupil, were passing through the wood, when a tiger pounced upon my son and seized him. Seeing him in this awful position; I besought the tiger with streaming eyes not to injure my son; I said that he was an only child, the prop of my old age. The fierce animal replied, that he had been without a morsel of food for eight days successively, and that he would release my son only on one condition,—that I should, in lieu of my son, supply him with the flesh of another living person. He awaits my return, with my son in his possession as a hostage for the due fulfilment of the promise I was com- pelled under the circumstances to give him. On my way I heard that you were about to perform a sacrifice, and this induced me to wait on you, and to seek your aid in releasing my son from the tiger, and restore me to my wonted ease.' The king hereupon ordered one of his attendants to get some flesh to appease the hunger of the ferocious denizen of the forest. The brahmin, hearing this mandate, cried out to the king, that the tiger would accept of nothing else than the flesh of a living being. There was a pause, and the minister, who was present, suggested to the monarch that one out of the many malefactors that were impri- soned might be offered as food for the tiger. The brahmin again raised his voice, and said that the tiger had some knowledge of the sacrifice the king was about to perform,

41 and expressed a desire to partake of the king's flesh, and said that his majesty would not hesitate to offer himself up to save a fellow-being, and he a brahmin's son. 'I regret very much,' said the wily brahmin, 'that it should be so, but consider, your majesty, this is an only son of mine, the sole object of my affection, and the support of my declining years. My life must inevitably end with his, if your majesty will not deign to stretch forth a helping hand in this my greatest hour of need.' The king paused awhile, as if in deep thought, and considering that if he declined compliance with the brahmin's request he would lose an opportunity of evincing his virtue of self-sacrifice, for which he was far and deservedly famed, consented to immolate himself for the brahmin's son. He ordered a saw to be brought, and with his own hand he courageously set about sawing himself asunder. When he had cleaved his head in two, and had reached to his gullet, Kristna assumed his usual form, and appeared before him in all the bright- ness and dazzling splendour of an ethereal being, and, with an approving smile, and with fondness depicted in every lineament of his face, embraced the king. The severed head became instantly healed, and, with many blessings upon the head of this valorous and high-minded monarch, Kristna disappeared. In like manner," continued the parrot, "should you preserve your promise intact, and deliver me up." The merchant could not possibly reconcile himself to the idea of parting with his favorite companion, but under the circumstances he had no alternative. So, after much time spent in bewailing his misfortune, and with tears and sighs, he made a desperate effort, and consigned the bird to his future mistress—murderess would become her better. No sooner did she receive the bird than she exultingly held the cage up to her face, and took a long and revengeful look at the author of her greatest humiliation, as she thought ; and she smiled with great satisfaction as she pondered on the revenge she had it now in her power to take upon this helpless creature. The parrot knew well that all this boded G

42 no good to him, and he employed his mind in endeavouring to invent some scheme by which to thwart the woman's unrelenting purpose. When she passed out of the presence of the merchant, she spoke to the parrot, and said, “You cannot now escape from my hands. Do you recollect how shamefully you exposed me some time ago before the king and his council? We shall soon see if you will now assume the air and tone with which you addressed me on that occasion.” Having reached her dwelling, she called for her cook, and ordered her to kill the bird and have him well dressed for her meal, against her return from her accustomed visit to the king's palace. Saying this, and transferring the poor parrot to the tender care of the matron, she went away on her visit. The cruel cook, who took after her mistress, plucked off the bird's feathers by way of prelude to what was to follow, and left him in that state on the ground while she went into the kitchen to procure a knife with which to cut off his head. The cook did not readily find the knife, and while engaged in searching for it the (to all appearance) unfledged bird looked about him for some means of escape, and happening fortunately just then to think of the spirit Veytal, he offered up a prayer to him, and conjured him up before him from the dark regions he inhabited. In the twinkling of an eye he attended the summons, and, at the request of the parrot, enabled him to fly with the rapidity of lightning, and to disappear in a drain far from the dwelling of the inhuman actress and her still more merciless wretch of a cook. Shortly after this occurrence the latter returned from the kitchen, brandishing a large knife and seeking her victim, but he was gone, to her great alarm and discomfiture. And what was worse, she had no time to go to the bazar to purchase another bird in lieu of the one she had lost by her carelessness, as she expected every moment her mistress would return. She, however, contrived to get one from a neighbour, though of a different species, prepared the dish, and had it ready for her mistress, who returned shortly after. The meal was imme-

43 diately ordered to be placed on the board, and the actress sat down to it with much glee. The first dish that was served up was the one containing the supposed parrot, which she ate with much gusto and appetite, chewing every bone with great vehemence, under the impression that they were those of her bitterest enemy,—the one who had brought so much ridicule upon her; and every time this conviction flashed across her mind she renewed her attack on the savoury dish, flavoured more pungently by her own spirit of hatred and revenge, little thinking that the object of her attack was far beyond her reach, and was perhaps even then exulting at the trick he had played upon her, and of which as yet the cook was alone cognisant. We will leave the actress, however, to her meal, and return to the parrot. He did not stop in his flight, which he had been enabled to accomplish by the aid of Veytal, until he had reached a haven of security. He thanked God for his mercy, and for recalling to his mind the existence of Veytal at that critical moment, whereby alone he had been enabled to effect his escape from the perilous situation in which he had so recently been placed. His denuded feathers had been restored, and he reflected with gratification on the distance he had placed between himself and the cruel wretch who would have deprived him of his life. The place where he had taken refuge was a temple, dedicated to the goddess Kallika, a renowned and sacred place, the scenery around which was most enchantingly beautiful. It was situated out of the town, and a large smooth lake was hard by, which reflected in a thousand fanciful shapes the clustering trees of every size and description that grew on its banks, loaded with the fruits of autumn.

44 CHAPTER IV. The dancing-girl comes to the temple to perform her devotions—The parrot (in the character of the goddess) addresses her, promising to gratify her with anything she may desire—He then ridicules and disgraces her, under the pretext of imposing ceremonies necessary for the realisation of her wishes—Koobjuck the sentinel, who per- sonated King Vickram, becomes tyrannical, and oppresses his subjects —A brahmin threatens him with the vengeance of heaven, and sets out in search of King Vickram—He arrives at a temple dedicated to Shiva, where he meets a young prince named Duntsain, who relates his sorrows—The brahmin proceeds towards the city of Sendoornuggry, and halts at the temple of the goddess Kallika—The parrot overhears the brahmin's lamentations and prayers, and converses with him—He owns himself to be Vickram, and sets out for Oujein, with the brahmin—On the way they meet Prince Duntsain at the temple of Shiva, and engage in an attempt to gain the Princess Pudmavutty as his wife—The princess imposes a difficult task upon King Vickram, who has assumed the form of a brahmin, and the brahmin that of a parrot—He calls upon Veytal, who appears, and promises to assist him. IN the verdant grove briefly sketched in the conclusion of the last chapter, roamed the parrot after regaining his liberty in so miraculous a manner. The first night was spent on the boughs of one of the trees. On the morrow, he directed his attention to the exploration of the beauties and natural attractions the locality presented. The trees were loaded with delicious fruit, tempting to the eye and inviting to the palate. Here, then, might have been seen the little parrot, luxuriating among the vegetation, and enjoying all that nature in her mildest and most refreshing form presented to the view, flying from tree to tree, tasting of one fruit and then of another, and thus, by turns, of all the variety that could there be found. In this peaceful occupation he was startled by the sudden appearance of his dire enemy the actress, and her slave, the tool of her follies and crimes. They both emerged from under the clump of trees abutting

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on the main road, and were proceeding apparently into the temple for the purpose of paying their vows and adoration to the goddess there. He watched them entering, and a sudden thought of revenging the injury offered to his person, and his intended murder, crossed his mind; so he preceded them by a speedy flight, and sat behind the idol representing the goddess, watching them as they came in, though he himself could not be seen. It was customary for the actress to pay her daily devotions at the shrine of Kallika. After performing her ablutions, she approached the idol and bowed before it; after remaining in that posture for some time, she stood up in a reverential attitude, clasped her hands toge- ther as if in supplication, and, with her eyes fixed on the image, spoke as follows:—"Oh, goddess! may this my invocation have its due effect. I adore thee! may this my prayer be heard. Have mercy upon me! Pardon my manifold sins, and preserve me from all future evils!" She had scarcely ended when a voice issued forth, appa- rently from the idol, saying, "Kamsaina, I am much pleased with your devotion, and with the subject of your prayer: ask of me what you may think will be of use to you." — "I have all that I can wish for, through your kind aid and beneficence; but I sincerely hope that the god Indra* will send for me from the heavens, for my singing and dancing." "You will most assuredly derive much benefit in the court of Indra; but in the first place," replied the pretended goddess,—for our readers will no doubt have perceived that it was the parrot who was speaking, from the position he had taken up but a short time before,—"in the first place, there are one or two things to be most strictly observed. Tomorrow morning, before the sun rises, you must give in my name all your wealth, whatever you may be possessed of, in charity, after which come immedi- ately and meet me in this place; bring with you a barber, purify yourself, shave your head, put ashes on your body, and expose your naked person to my view: do not appear

• The chief of the angels, and god of the sky.

in company with any one, and let all this be accomplished . by the middle of the day. The vemon* will then descend from heaven, with instruments sounding to welcome your arrival at the gates of Paradise, and the assembly of Indra will bear you company. Return quickly home, and perform all I have directed you to do." Upon hearing these consoling words, and the promise of being taken up to heaven, she retraced her steps with hope and great joy, after having prostrated herself a second time before the idol, and poured out a flood of enraptured thoughts, and expressions of her willingness to act as she had been bidden. On her arrival home she set about distributing her riches, which consisted of money, jewels, horses, cattle, and all the other paraphernalia of a prosperous household. She gave all these to the beggars and brahmins who had crowded round her residence when her resolution to give all she possessed in charity had become known, and she was quite elated with the idea that in return for all this sacrifice she was to be translated to heaven. Those who profited by the benevo- lence of the woman were one and all loud in their praise of her person and her proficiency in singing, which had enabled her to amass together so large a fortune as was then displayed to their wondering eyes. She was quite gratified at what she heard, and frequently said, by way of replying to these encomiums, "If I merely bestow a small portion of my wealth or goods in alms, I shall receive double for it from Indra, when I shall have the opportunity, which I am in a fair way of securing, of delighting him with my songs," little dreaming, poor deluded being, that the parrot had even then commenced his revenge for what she had done and had meditated doing. After having parted with all she possessed, and the day also having drawn to a close, she retired for the night, and prepared by sound and refreshing sleep for the fatigues of the morrow. In the morning she rose betimes, and, securing the attendance of a barber, as she had been directed the previous day, set out to the temple,

• A celestial self-moving car.

47 her slave accompanying them. At the temple she directed the barber to shave off her hair. He could not restrain his laughter on hearing this strange bidding, and hesitated to obey ; but being pressed by her, and fearing her rage, he set about quietly removing this ornament of womanly beauty. At the same time the poor barber feared that this might be a whim of the moment on the part of the dame, and that when it passed away he might be called upon to account for the extraordinary deed ; so he proceeded to acquit himself of the task with considerable hesitation. Be- fore the barber placed his hand upon her clustering tresses, she repeatedly desired him to make no one acquainted with what he was then about to do : it was an affair of as much secrecy, she said, as it was of great moment and urgency. After having her head completely shaved, she undressed herself, and delivered her clothes to the slave, directing her to return with them in the evening. She then performed her ablutions, bathed in the lake, threw ashes on her body, and thus, in a complete state of nudity, prostrated herself before the idol, and addressed herself to deep and solemn meditation. She thought that she was about to receive the reward of all the sacrifices and indignities to her person she had borne for the last few days. She remained in that attitude for some time, inwardly addressing herself to the goddess, beseeching that all her failings and crimes might be forgiven, and that she might, according to the promise vouchsafed to her the previous evening, be received into the heavens.. As the sun began to reach its meridian, the heat grew oppressive in the temple ; and the deluded being, pros- trated in all humility before the shrine of Kallika, found it would be intolerable so to remain much longer. She changed her posture, and happening at the same time to look up to the sky through one of the openings for light in the temple, she beheld the parrot perched on a tree oppo- site, and exulting as it were over her misfortune: She immediately recognised the bird, and seemed quite abashed as well as surprised at seeing him alive, after she had, as

48 she thought, made a meal of him. She remained with her gaze rivetted on the parrot, who addressed her from his lofty seat—lofty in more senses than one. “ Wretch !” said he, “ you made great attempts to deprive me of my poor life for the imaginary wrong I had done you, but in what have they resulted?—in heaping infamy and ridicule on yourself. You were haughty and proud, and in your pride despised me. You persuaded yourself that Indra would send for you to hear you sing, as you are thought by men to be a great proficient in that art; but such easy and happy con- ditions are not to be attained by you, or such as you. Now, deprived of your wealth, your revenge ungratified, with shame and humiliation, you must retire. Go, then, and never more appear in public; for the person who behaves arrogantly deserves an equal infamy.” It was now evening, and the confidential slave of the disappointed actress was anxiously awaiting the return of her mistress, who, with mingled emotions of rage and shame, hastily clothed herself, wrapping her now bald head in a piece of black cloth, and went home, swearing vengeance against the little bird, and deploring the loss of her immense wealth and property, which she had so inconsiderately, as she now thought, divided amongst the beggars of the city. In such a state of mind, and having fasted all the day, she was naturally enough quite fatigued and hungry when she reached her dwelling; she immediately repaired to her now deserted and desolate room, to take her supper, after which, as she could not bring herself to attend to anything further, she retired early to bed, filled with deep and bitter anguish at the sudden and unexpected change in her fortune. Before retiring she left a message with her slave that if the usual invitation should arrive for her to attend at the king’s palace, to return for answer that she was indisposed, and could not therefore present herself before his majesty. As may well be imagined, the actress spent a restless night, what with the contest within her between inveterate hatred of the parrot, grief for the severe loss that his trick had entailed