e to
the rishi. The rishi accepted the homage and lectured him at great
length. At last he ordered the king to prostrate himself before the
queen. The king obeyed, and the rishi handed Patmadhavrani back to
his care and blessed both her and her husband. The king put her in
his chariot and took her to Atpat. Outside the town the king stopped
his chariot and sent for Queen Chimadevrani Chimadevrani bathed
and anointed herself, and put on all her silk clothes, her shawls,
her embroideries, and her jewels. In front of her she placed all the
horn-blowers of Atpat. And as she went to meet the king they blew their
very loudest on their horns. The king was amazed when he heard the
noise, and roared out, "Who is coming with such pomp and splendour? Is
it the serpent-maidens of Patala or is it the wood-nymphs who live
in the heart of the forest?" The sepoys said, "O King, it is neither
the serpent-maidens of Patala nor is it the wood-nymphs who live in
the heart of the forest. It is Queen Chimadevrani, who is coming to
meet you as you ordered." The king turned to Patmadhavrani and said,
"If you had come in this guise to meet me, instead of coming like a mad
woman, you would never have suffered as you did." Queen Patmadhavrani
said nothing, but sat still in the chariot, and the king lifted Queen
Chimadevrani into the chariot, and all three entered the city. And as
they entered, the horn-blowers blew so loud that every one was quite
deafened. And the king lived from that time forth in perfect happiness
with both his wives. And because of his happiness, he ruled so well
that his subjects thought that King Ramchandra of Ayodhya had come
back to rule over them.

CHAPTER VIII

The Island Palace

Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there lived a
Brahman. He had a disciple who used every day to go to the village pond
and bathe and worship the god Shiva. On the way he had to walk through
the sandy island in the dry bed of the river. And, as he went home
across the island, he used to hear a voice cry, "Shall I come? Shall I
come? Shall I come?"; but when he looked round he could see no one. The
Brahman's disciple at last got so frightened that he withered up until
he became as dry and as thin as a bone. At last the Brahman said,
"You have no wish to eat or drink; yet you are so thin. What is the
reason?" The boy replied, "I neither wish to eat, nor want to eat,
nor crave to eat. But I am frightened out of my wits.