" The king did as
the goddess had foretold. He handed half his provinces and half his
treasuries to Wonderways, and built him a palace of which the roof
was exactly on the same level as that of his own palace.
When Queen Patmadhavrani heard what had happened, she sent for
Wonderways and asked him how to worship Mahalaxmi. And he told
her all that he had seen the serpent-maidens of Patala do, and
he also told her on the eighth day of the month of Ashwin [10] to
tie on her wrist a thread with sixteen strands in it, and to wear
it continually for the rest of the month. When the 8th of Ashwin
came, Queen Patmadhavrani dutifully tied round her wrist a thread of
sixteen strands, and resolved to wear it every day for the rest of the
month. But a day or two later the king came to Queen Patmadhavrani's
apartments and began to play saripat [11] with her. As they played
he noticed the thread on her wrist and asked what it was. She told
him how Wonderways had instructed her to tie it on. But the king got
very angry and roared out, "I have in my palace garlands and twine,
bracelets, and hobbling-ropes.
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