Charles Augustus Kincaid

“ And as he spoke he cast a spell over the king, so that he could not bend the bow. Then King Dala saw that it was useless to strive against Vamadeva. "O Vamadeva," he said, "you have overcome me. May your years be many."
Vamadeva pitied King Dala as he had pitied his brother and he said, "Touch your Queen Senajata with your arrow and you will be forgiven your sin." King Dala obeyed the rishi's words. Senajata then said, "O Vamadeva, forgive my husband the king and teach him to grow in wisdom." "Fair queen," said Vamadeva, "you have saved the house of Ikshwaku by your words. ”

“ The king gave his royal word. His charioteer led the Vami horses from Vamadeva's stable and yoked them to King Sala's chariot. They bounded after the deer as swiftly as thought, and in but a little time the king had overtaken it and killed it with an arrow. Then a wicked thought entered his mind because of the curse of Ayusha the frog king. "These Vami horses," King Sala said to his charioteer, "are too good for a Brahman. They are fit only for the royal stables." Thus breaking his royal word, he caused the Vami horses to be kept in the king's stalls at Ayodhya. ”

“ The sage Vamadeva marvelled that King Sala did not send back the Vami horses. Then he thought, "The king is young and is loth to part with them. He will in time remember his promise and will send them back to my hermitage." The sage waited a month in vain. Then he sent his pupil Atreya, who humbly asked King Sala to restore his Vami horses to Vamadeva. But King Sala scornfully answered Atreya, "Good Sir, what need has Vamadeva of Vami horses? A Brahman needs no horses like these that are swifter than the wind. They rightly belong to a Kshatriya king. ”

“ The king entered a palanquin with his bride and its porters carried them back to the city of Ayodhya. When King Parikshit reached the palace, such was his love for the beautiful forest maiden that he shut himself with her inside his own private rooms and would not receive any of his ministers or his officers of state. The chief minister, fearing for the safety of the kingdom, made secret enquiries of the women who waited on the new queen and asked them what kind of a woman she was. "O minister," said the palace women, "we do not ourselves know what sort of a woman she is. ”

“ Flinging aside his garments, he plunged into the pool and, when he had refreshed himself, bathed his horse also in the water. Then picketing the horse on the bank and throwing a bundle of lotus stalks in front of it, he lay down by its side and was soon fast asleep. ”

“ In beauty no maiden equals her. But she has exacted a strange promise from our lord, namely, that he should never allow her to look at water on the ground. Beyond this we know nothing." The chief minister went home. Next morning he gathered labourers together, and made a beautiful pleasure garden not far from the city. In it he planted noble trees
KING PARIKSHIT AND THE FROG KING'S DAUGHTER
and mango orchards and row after row of flower beds. ”