It is Queen Chimadevrani, who is coming to
meet you as you ordered." The king turned to Patmadhavrani and said,
"If you had come in this guise to meet me, instead of coming like a mad
woman, you would never have suffered as you did." Queen Patmadhavrani
said nothing, but sat still in the chariot, and the king lifted Queen
Chimadevrani into the chariot, and all three entered the city. And as
they entered, the horn-blowers blew so loud that every one was quite
deafened. And the king lived from that time forth in perfect happiness
with both his wives. And because of his happiness, he ruled so well
that his subjects thought that King Ramchandra of Ayodhya had come
back to rule over them.
CHAPTER VIII
The Island Palace
Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there lived a
Brahman. He had a disciple who used every day to go to the village pond
and bathe and worship the god Shiva. On the way he had to walk through
the sandy island in the dry bed of the river. And, as he went home
across the island, he used to hear a voice cry, "Shall I come? Shall I
come? Shall I come?"; but when he looked round he could see no one.
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