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

37

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

40

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

45

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

49 upon her, and plans for her future conduct. We will leave her for the present, and return to Koobjuck, the sentinel, whom we left reigning in the place of his king and the rightful owner of the throne. This man exercised all the authority with which his new position had invested him, with the iron hand of a despot. His subjects were becoming discontented and insubordinate, under the accumulation of the evils that had been heaped upon them by the new monarch. They began even to doubt the identity of the person now ruling with their old and revered monarch Vickramadetea; and, as we said before, the belief in transmigration being common in the city, they were in a manner convinced that the new monarch be- fore them was but an usurper, who by some unknown and unaccountable means had contrived to assume the body of Vickram. Nevertheless, they submitted to his oppressive measures. The original gifts and grants in lands and villages bestowed by Vickram were revoked and taken back, as crown property, and from those who were allowed to retain them, which in some few cases happened, he demanded a moiety of the whole produce; from those who were in the receipt of annual nemnooks* and pensions, he deducted a third; many of the officers' salaries were reduced to the smallest possible pittance; and his subjects were otherwise subjected to great and glaring injustice, and were consequently one and all much distressed. It happened that about this time a brahmin named Somedut arrived at Koobjuck's court, to receive his annual gifts. He was a sage, a learned man, and an ornament to his calling and society. Koobjuck enquired of his ministers who this brahmin was. They replied, "Can your majesty be ignorant of one who has for a long time enjoyed your majesty's warmest friendship? He has been in the habit of coming here regularly every year to receive his customary allowances. His reputation for wisdom and learning is well known to your majesty, as well as to all your subjects."

• Stipends. H

50 “ Well, then,” said the king, “ pay him a quarter of his gift ; there is no necessity for giving him more : do as I bid you.” The brahmin was astounded at this unusual proceeding, and very injudiciously made the following remark :—“ I cannot think you act as becomes your exalted position. Vickramadetea always entertained me at his court with every demonstration of respect and pleasure, and not unfrequently sent me back loaded with presents in addition to the regular allotment ; indeed he was in all respects a most humane, just, and discerning prince. You are placed in authority over this kingdom, and, to acquit yourself well of the trust, should prove a father to the people you rule. From what I now observe, and other circum- stances that have come under my notice, you are unworthy of your dignity. I feel assured that God will sooner or later visit you with his severe judgment, on account of the course you now pursue, and the outrages and cruel barbarities you are inflicting upon your subjects.” Koobjuck, highly indignant at the daring of the brahmin, directed an officer in attendance to take him immediately from his sight, and to turn him out of the city with ignominy. “ Tell him,” said he, “ to go in search of his mighty Vickramadetea, as he calls him, and if he succeeds in finding this imaginary person, he may perhaps meet with satisfac- tion.” “ Have a little patience,” said the brahmin, “ I will endeavour to find him, and bring him here, depend upon it. It would be in vain that my mother carried me for nine months in her womb, if I fail in this. Allow me to remind you that the Indra and Bhusmasoor were not overlooked by Almighty God, but were punished for their barbarity.” Saying this, and before the officer who had been ordered to remove him could put his orders into execution, the brahmin bounded past him, and was on his way to look for the rightful king, as he had said. He travelled from one city to another, through unknown and unexplored wilds, over hills and dales, and into every place where he thought there was any likelihood of meeting with or hearing of the

51 monarch he was in search of. Neither heat nor cold, hunger or thirst, could damp the ardour with which he prosecuted his pursuit. He anxiously enquired of those he met with in his wanderings whether they could supply him with any information regarding the person he sought, or knew where he could be found or heard of. His food during this long tour consisted of the wild fruits of the earth. At night he sought repose under a tree, or in the shelter of a rock, if he happened to be near one; or, if by chance he was overtaken by the clouds of night near some habitable locality, he found refuge in a temple or dhurumshala* from the inclemencies of the night wind and sometimes of the pelting rain. He never remained in one place longer than was necessary to recruit his failing strength, and that never beyond the hours of night : he was up again in the morning, and on his search for the lost king. He had journeyed in this manner for some time, when he came to a limpid lake, and a temple dedicated to Shiva; into this he went, and thus addressed the idol before him :—" Oh, lord Shiva! be propitious to the undertaking in which I am now engaged, and assist me in speedily obtaining a sight of my lost friend." He then prostrated himself, and having remained so for some time, seated himself on a sopat† ; whilst there, engaged in revolving the past and concerting plans for his future movements, he perceived a young and handsome prince, very interesting in appearance, and richly attired, performing his religious duties. When he had finished his devotions, the brahmin approached him, and addressed him in the following terms :—" Pray, on what account, if I may be permitted to ask, are you engaged in these austerities and pious practices, so uncommon in one of your youth and apparent condition?" The prince replied, "Your question only gives me pain : of what avail is it that I should disclose my grief, which is gnawing my heart's core, to you? Can * A caravanserai. † A branch of the verandah.

52 you bring me relief?" Somedut replied, 'that as yet he did not know whether or not he could afford the prince any relief, " but," said he, " if you will deign to acquaint me with the cause, it may not be out of my power to devise some measures by which the wishes of your heart may be accomplished. I must inform you that I do not request your confidence from any motives of curiosity, .but only because you seem troubled and ill at ease. The hand of death is apparently on you, and unless some speedy remedy be applied to check the tyrant in his course, I fear lest you may succumb. Pray, therefore, unbosom yourself to me. I may possibly possess the means of alleviating your sorrow, if not of removing its cause." 'The prince then enquired of the brahmin who he was, whence he had come, and where he was travelling to. The brahmin having satisfied the prince on these several points, the latter began as follows :— " About two yojuns* from where we now stand, there is a subterranean dwelling, with a gate leading to it, wherein dwells with her father a princess named Pudmavuntty; it is a stately palace which they inhabit. He who is to win the hand of this princess, who is transcendantly beautiful, must consent to a condition, one of the most difficult and hazardous that can well be imagined. It is this : a vessel, filled with oil and other inflammatory liquids in a boiling state, is placed on a furnace, and the man, whoever he is, must bathe himself in it by the aid of a sinkat† suspended over the same. If he effects this without injury to himself, the princess will accept him for her future lord and master. She is without exception the most beautiful woman the world ever produced. I have several times attempted to go through the ordeal, but have not had sufficient courage to proceed with it. On each occasion of my failure I have returned to this place, and in silence poured out the inward workings of my heart before the shrine of the god to whom * A measure of length, equal to four coss, or eight English miles. † A sling, the string or loop of which is attached to either end of a pole or yoke, to receive the burden.

53

this temple is dedicated, as you found me a short time ago. Twelve long years have rolled over my head since I first saw the princess. I reside in the city of Chundragerry; my father is named Chundrasain, a powerful king, who still reigns in that kingdom. My name is Duntsain. I love this princess too much to hope for any peace of mind while we remain apart from each other. I came down here to make another essay of my courage; but the arduous condition attached to the winning of the princess has quite wearied me. Still my passion for her is daily gaining strength, and I cannot restrain it. Death would indeed be pre- ferable to remaining in this dreadful state of agitation and suspense.” During this narration, the prince became much affected, and appeared pressed down by the weight of his grief. The brahmin, however, assured him that if he would have a little patience and moderate his grief, he would in a few days put him in a way to become possessed of the object of his affection; and, after adding some further words of consolation, he withdrew. The brahmin, having left the prince, seated himself in the shade of the nearest tree, and racked his brains, not how to bring about the wishes of the unfortunate prince he had just returned from, but how to gain some information of his sovereign, the good and beloved Vickramadetea. The sun having run his course, was now fast giving place to the shades of evening, and the refreshed traveller once more was afoot, and wending his onward course. A few hours’ smart walking brought him to the city of Sendoornuggry. As he approached it he walked in the direction of a temple erected in the outskirts of the town, with a beautiful lake beside it. It was the same temple and lake, as our readers will have surmised, in which the parrot sought refuge after his narrow escape from death at the hands of the inhuman cook of the famed actress. The traveller entered the temple, and paid his devotions to the goddess Kallika, and then returned to the inviting shade of the clump of trees on the borders of

54 the lake. It so happened that the tree under which he sat was the one most loved by the parrot. The brahmin, after having adjusted his clothes, which had been disarranged by his recent travelling, raised his voice and prayed loudly. “Oh, supreme ruler of the universe!” said he, “do not permit me to go back empty-handed from my travels. I solicit no other favor than that you will be pleased to grant me an interview with my old patron and just king Vickra- madetea. The world does not often produco such a rare and virtuous prince: he is rich in every good quality.” Before the brahmin took up his position under the tree, the unfor- tunate parrot, who was perched up aloft, had observed him approaching. He now said to the brahmin, “My good sir, you seem to have come a long distance, and you are greatly fatigued, no doubt, by walking in this hot season of the year. Pray be seated. Please inform me respecting your destination, whom you seek, and your reasons for under- taking so long a journey.” The traveller was extremely pleased at the consideration and sympathising manner in which he was addressed. He suspected something, but could not well define even to himself what that suspicion was. He said to the parrot, however, “Oh, excellent parrot! too truly am I fatigued, both in body and mind; but I feel much relieved of my anxiety at beholding you and hearing you speak. If you are not what you seem to be, pray tell me. I suspect you to be the king of whom I am in search. If so, hasten your return to the city of Oujein. I entreat you, lose no time; and make me acquainted with the circumstances attending your metamorphosis. If you will afford me no comfort in this respect, I shall certainly die of grief.” “By what means,” said the parrot, “would you know again the king? Perhaps he is not in human shape.” “Why not?” said the traveller; “he is a most excellent personage, and I can point him out by virtue of his wisdom, exquisite beauty, and other rare qualities. I am sanguine I shall soon meet him. I see marvellous signs that forebode it. My hand is quivering, my right eye twitching, and the bird

55 Pingla* frequently perches near me. From these signs I am led to believe that it will not be long ere my desire to behold Vickramadetea be accomplished.” Having listened to all that the traveller had said, the parrot, at one bound, approached him, and declared himself to be Vickramadetea. He then related how he had become a parrot, his proceedings while in the possession of the Bahooroopee, in what manner he had been bought by Dushwant, the barbarous attempt of Kamsaina, the actress, against his life, how she became deprived of her riches through his instrumentality, and all the hardships he had endured. He dwelt largely on each of the circumstances attendant upon his adventures. -Lastly, thanking the brahmin for his sincerity and gratitude towards him, which were exemplified by the trouble he had taken to seek him at so great a distance from Oujein,—passing over mountains, through wastes unknown, and foreign cities, where he must have encountered a variety of dangers, disappointments, and delays, and all the hardships and privations attendant upon such a journey,—the bird assured the brahmin that he would at all times and ever after remember, with deep gratitude and profound sentiments of love and esteem, the sacrifices and inconveniences he had been put to for his sake. “My dear Vickramadetea,” said the brahmin, “I have certainly endured much for you, but the wish of my heart being realised, they are no longer thought of, still less dwelt upon. I now feel a most delightful sensation of pleasure that is undefinable. I am, now that I have found you, supremely happy.” And he held the parrot to his bosom, and loaded him with kisses and fond embraces. He made the parrot acquainted with the treatment he had received from the infamous Koobjuck, when he presented himself at court for his yearly allowance; nor did he forget to relate the case of the unfortunate prince whom he had found at his devotions, and practising austerities and severities upon his person, at the temple, and

• A sort of crane, the appearance of which is said to be a good omen.

56 the assurance he had given him that he would exert all his powers to secure for him the desire of his heart—the hand- some princess. Vickramadetea's nobleness prompted him to attend to the wants of others, ere he proceeded with anything for himself; so he expressed to the brahmin his willingness to proceed to the place where the young prince of whom he spoke was to be met with, and promised that he would assist in the endeavour to obtain the hand of the princess for the anxious and devoted lover. The parrot and the brahmin passed the night together under the same tree, and in the morning, Somedut placed him on his shoulder and retraced his steps towards the temporary abode of prince Duntsain. The prince saw the brahmin with the parrot approaching, and awaited them with anxiety depicted on his countenance. When they came near to him he saluted Somedut, and addressed him thus :—" My dear Somedut, since your departure I have been placed in a worse position than that in which you found me on your first visit. My passion is killing me gradually, my patience is fast wearing out, my courage fails me more than ever, and I am the most wretched of human creatures." The brahmin replied, " Look here, this bird is the king Vickramadetea, and he will be the means of procuring you your wishes," and he placed the bird on the prince's hand, who prostrated himself in all respect before it. The prince was pleased, and a gleam of joy shot through his withered heart. He likewise made his obeisance, entreating both the king and Somedut not to suffer him any longer to remain a prey to the anguish he had borne for twelve long years and more, but to take pity upon him, and to fulfil the promise they had vouchsafed to make him in their kindness of heart as early as possible. The parrot told his friend Somedut that he wished him to learn the charm of changing his natural shape and appearance, as it was necessary they should mutually exchange their conditions : in this way he said he would be able to bring about speedily the prince's desire. Somedut consented at once, and commenced to learn the mysterious