skilful rider, a good archer and swordsman.
There is scarcely anything that a young man should know, with which he
is not familiar; and, with all this, he is free from conceit,
good-tempered, gentle, and kind; in short, he seems to me almost
perfect, and more fit to marry a princess than the daughter of such a
man as I am. When I have seen my child happily married to him, I shall
not trouble them with my society, but withdraw from the world, and
end my days in a hermitage. I have now come to take back my daughter,
with the most humble and heartfelt gratitude for the gracious
protection which you have so kindly afforded her." With these words he
bowed himself to the ground in humble obeisance.

On hearing this the king was greatly perplexed, and obliged to admit
that the girl had been drowned while bathing, and that her body had
not been found.

Then the old man began to tear his hair, beat his breast, and show
signs of the most extravagant grief, calling on the king to restore
his dear daughter, and reproaching him with having caused her death.
In vain did the king make him large offers of compensation; he refused
them all, declaring it to be his firm intention to put himself to
death at the gate of the palace, and so cause the sin to fall on the
king's head.[9]

He, despairing of finding any other way of appeasing the old man,
after some consideration and consultation with his ministers, said to
him: "You have told me that your intended son-in-law is a young man of
rare abilities, and more fit to be the husband of a princess than of
your daughter, and his appearance is very prepossessing; I offer him
then my daughter in the place of yours. Will this satisfy you?" Then
at last the old man professed to be contented; I was treated with much
honour, in due time became the husband of the princess, and reached
the summit of my wishes.

After a time, an army was sent by my father-in-law to the assistance
of the King of Anga, and, thinking of the possibility of meeting you
here, I solicited and obtained the command of it, and my hopes have
been fulfilled, since I have now the great pleasure of seeing you.

Having heard this story, the prince remarked: "You have done no deeds
of blood, but have gained your ends by gentleness and ingenuity. This
is the way approved of by the wise." Then turning to Mitragupta, he
said "It is now your turn," and he immediately began his story thus:--

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