विक्रम चरित (उज्जैन सम्राट् विक्रमादित्य - पराक्रम, न्याय एवं ३२ पुतलियों की कथा सटीक)

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to her calculating mistress, as we must no doubt call her,
and expressed her willingness to receive the king. The
actress became quite enraptured at the turn affairs had
taken, and lavished her praise profusely on the princess, who
was now little better than—in fact was, her slave.
“ The king spent the day, as usual, in the affairs of his
state, and at night he set out with a choice retinue for the
house of the actress, picturing to himself how much he
would enjoy the society and person of the dazzling object of
his sudden affection. He had not, however, gone many
steps, when he heard the unwelcome chirping of the bird
Pingla, which boded disappointment. That was a supersti-
tious time, and the king himself was not exempt from a
belief in such omens. He was therefore much annoyed
at this opposition, and, instead of proceeding onwards,
returned to the palace to consult his astrologers. He called
one of the best among them, and acquainted him with the
private mission on which he had been bent, and the sign he
had received. The astrologer's reply was to the effect that
in a person of his rank and position so flagrant an act of
injustice and crime as he contemplated would not be per-
mitted. The king, on hearing this, put off the visit until
the following night, and retired to rest in great dudgeon.
“ The actress in the mean while had prepared everything,
fully expecting that the king would honor her with a visit
that night, but she was doomed to be disappointed. She
kept looking out of the windows of her dwelling continually,
and thus remained until the night was far advanced, when,
finding that there was no longer any likelihood of the king's
appearance, she thought he had perhaps only declared his
intention with a view to make fun of her, at which she was
greatly grieved. She at length retired for the night, not to
sleep, however, for she was too much agitated in her mind,
but to devise means to bring about her wishes. As soon as
the morning dawned she was up and dressed, ready to
proceed to the palace, to ascertain if possible the cause of the
disappointment she had experienced the previous night. On
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