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THE ENCHANTED PARROT
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righteousness — the mad, the careless, the drunkard, the feeble, the wrathful, the glutton, the hasty, the coward, the covetous, the lustful."

"Pray grant Prabhâvatî pardon for her short- comings; indeed they were not her fault, but the fault of her evil companions. For it is said — " ' The virtuous fall into evil ways through contact with the depraved.

Even Bhishma stole a cow under the influence of Daryodhana.

The king's daughter was led astray by a Vidyâdhara: but, though her fault was plain, she was forgiven by her father.' "

The Parrot then told Madana the following story —

" There is a mountain called Malaya, and on the top of it is Manohara, a city of the Gandharvas. In it lived a certain Madana, a Gandharva, and he had a wife whose name was Ratnâvalî. Their daughter was Madanamanjari. She was extremely beautiful and fascinating and every one who saw her absolutely lost his senses, whether god or hero. It was quite impossible to find a husband for her sufficiently good-looking. It so happened one day that a certain Nârada came by; when he saw her he was so fascinated by her charms that he went off his head. After a time, however, Narada, who was