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and his wife a serving-maid. Oesterley refers also to the beginning of Donatus' life of Virgil, and to Heraclius Von Otte, also to the parallels quoted above from Liebrecht. The brother, who was so fastidious about beds, may be compared with a princess in Andersen's Tale of "The Princess on a pea," Gesammelte Märchen, Part III, 8, 62, (Leipzig, 1847). This is identical with a tale found in Cavallius' Schwedische Volkssagen und Märchen, German version, Vienna, 1848, p. 222, which resembles No. 182 in the older editions of Grimm's Kindermärchen. (Andersen's story is clearly the same as Thorpe's referred to above. ) Nearly akin is Diocletian's test in the Seven Wise Masters. His masters put an ash-leaf under the bed; and he remarks, " Either the floor has risen, or thereof sunk." (Oesterley, p. 215.) In the version in Simrock's Deutsche Volks-bücher, Vol. XII, p. 122, it is an ivy-leaf. See also Ellia's Metrical Romances, p. 412.


CHAPTER LXXXIII.


(Vetála 9.)

So king Trivikramasena again went to the aśoka-tree, and taking the Vetála down from it, placed him on his shoulder, and set out. Then the Vetála said to him; " King, this wandering about in a cemetery at night is inconsistent with your kingly rank. Do you not see that this place of the dead*[1] is full of ghosts, and terrible at night, and full of darkness as of the smoke of funeral pyres. Alas ! what tenacity you display in this undertaking you have engaged in, to please that mendicant ! So listen to this question from me which will render your journey more agreeable."

Story of Anangarati and her four suitors.:— There is in Avanti a city built by gods at the beginning of the world, which is limitless as the body of Śiva, and renowned for enjoyment and prosperity, even as his body is adorned with the snake's hood and ashes. †[2] It was called Padmávatí in the Krita Yuga, Bhogavatí in the Tretá Yuga, Hiranyavatí in the Dvápara Yuga, and Ujjayiní in the Kali Yuga. And in it there lived an excellent king, named Víradeva, and he had a queen named Padmarati. The king went with her to the bank of the Mandákiní, and propitiated Śiva with austerities, in order to obtain a son. And after he had remained a long time engaged in austerities, he performed the ceremonies of bathing and praying, and then he heard this voice from heaven, uttered by Śiva, who was pleased with him, " King, there shall be born to thee a brave son to be the head of thy family, and a daughter, who with her matchless beauty shall put to shame the nymphs

  1. * Literally " grove of ancestors," i. e., cemetery.
  2. † Here we have one of the puns in which our author delights.