flattery succeeded and the king kindly called him away from the others for a chat. The conversation was opened by the king, who said that during the previous night he had dreamed that a son was born to him, and another to the kotál.[1] To this, the latter, with a thousand apologies and with folded hands, begged permission to say that he had had a different dream, that a daughter was born to him, his master being blessed with a son. Contradiction was unbearable to the autocrat; and in a rage he ordered his companion to break off a leaf from the banyan tree standing by, and bring it to him, so that he might put down in writing what he had to say concerning the matter under discussion between them. The leaf was brought, and the king wrote on it: "If, kotál, you have a son, and I a daughter, I will marry them to each other; but if the reverse happens, I will have you beheaded. Again, if each of us gets a male child, I will give half my kingdom to your son." Of course the kotal could not but accept the conditions.
In due time the queen and the kotál's wife gave birth, the former to a girl of unusual beauty, and the latter to a male child. Time helped the growth of each, and the two children were, when five years old, sent to the same pathshala.[2] Pushpamala, the king's daughter, sat on the throne, while the kotál's son sat below. In their studies they made rapid progress, especially in reading and writing, in which they showed great proficiency. One day the pen in the hand of the princess accidently dropped to the ground, and the kotál's son eagerly picked it up and gave it back to its owner. The same thing happened seven days in succession. But when on the eighth day the pen of the princess again fell to the ground, the kotál's hopeful did not take it up, and on being asked the reason, said that he would never more serve Pushpamala in any way, unless she exchanged garlands with him. The princess was thunderstruck, and when the pathshala broke up, she returned home in an angry frame of mind.
