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

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rently determined not to proceed with her story without the
express command of the princess, and curiosity being at its
height among the attendants and slaves there assembled,
they ventured to address the princess. "May it please
you, good lady, to direct the Shaloonky to gratify our
eagerness to hear her story. It will, we feel assured, afford
us no small amount of pleasure and amusement, as we
doubt not it will be an excellent one,—as good as, if not
better than the one the parrot amused us with a while ago."
The princess was still silent, but the Veytal, by the peculiar
powers of which he was possessed, influenced her mind, when
she laughed involuntarily and bade the Shaloonky commence
her narrative. Whereupon, after having noticed that the
princess both laughed and spoke at the same time, she began
as follows :—
"In the city of Kawnty there lived a king named Kashei-
shwer, and his queen Shoodhamutty, with an only child
called Soomunt. According to the usual course of events,
after a long and peaceful reign, this king expired, full of
years and honour. Shortly after this sad occurrence, one
of the neighbouring princes, who had long had an eye upon
the kingdom of the deceased monarch, invaded it with a
powerful army. The queen fled with her infant, who was
but ten years old, without casting a thought behind.
Weighed down with grief for the loss of her husband, she
could ill take the active measures that were needed on such
an occasion : she left all in the hands of her subordinates.
She feared lest the fortunes of war should place her and
the heir to the throne in the hands of their enemy, who
might be induced to remove her dear child by some foul
means, thus to put an end to all future contentions. She
had not proceeded far when news reached her of the success
of the invasion, and she thanked heaven that she with her
child had escaped the unscrupulous enemy. Her patience
was sorely tried by the hardships and privations she had to
endure during her journey. Without any fixed placed to