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

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intelligence of him, but nothing likely to succeed occurred
to her ; it was with a heavy heart, therefore, that she set
out on her journey on the morrow. About noon she reached
a large city, the king of which, as she heard, had lately died
and left no successor,—neither son, brother, cousin, or any
other relative. The minister, after the last sad rites had
been paid to the deceased monarch, summoned a council
to elect a person to fill the throne. The several councillors
and nobles made many propositions and suggestions, but
at length the minister spoke as follows :—' I have heard it
declared by a most learned hermit, that it is affirmed in the
divine law that a selection in such cases as this should be
thus made : a female elephant, richly adorned, with a
chaplet or string of flowers on her trunk, should be let loose
in the city, and on whoever she may place this, chaplet of
flowers, that same person should be proclaimed king.' This
was highly approved of, seconded, and carried by acclama-
tion. A female elephant was immediately procured, and,
having been completely decorated for the occasion, and
the chaplet placed on her trunk, she was allowed to roam
at large about the city. At the same time a number of
musicians were engaged, who by their performances gave
effect to the proceeding; the troops also marched out in
warlike array, and paraded on each side of the elephant,
which continued to roam about until sunset, without
deigning to bestow the chaplet on any of those assembled on
the plain, who, one and all, from the prince to the peasant,
were clad in their holiday apparel. That day passed, as
we have said, without the selection being made; and all the
people retired for the night. The next day the ceremony
was repeated, but with the same result, and the like on the
third day; but on the fourth, the elephant was seen to
proceed towards the outskirts of the town, where she
encountered the Princess Malattee making towards the city
gate, and, going up to her, unhesitatingly put the chaplet
around her neck, and then, lifting her gently from off her
horse, placed her on her own back. The elephant now