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JAINA STORIES do so till the recovery of the parrot. Throughout the day, he continued his scarch, and reached a city in the cvening. As he was about to enter the city, he was prevented from doing so by a parrot, who said that it did so for his own good. This made Ratnasar very inquisitive, and as there was no prohibition or taboo on the account being given, the parrot gave the following account:
"Here, in this city, there reigned a king bamed Purandara, under whose administration, people were happy, except for one thing, which made their life miserable. This was the depredation by a thief who regularly visited the city at night. He turned many rich men into paupers. Efforts were made to catch him but without success One day, the king himself headed the hunt and pursued the thief as he was escaping with a bundle of treasures. When the thief saw that he could not escape, he slipped into a nearby monastery. Inside, there lay a monk who was fast asleep. He dropped the bundle near him and, empty-handed, he escaped without gencrating any suspicion When the king reached the monastery, he found the monk with the stolen treasures and arrested him. The monk was tried and ordered for execution. After he was executed, he became a yaksa. To take revenge, he not only killed the king, but turned the whole city into a desert, and he still haunts it. It is for this, sir, I prevented you from entering into the city.
A greatful Ratnasar said,
“Dear bird ! Thank you for the information But you take it from me that I am not afraid of the devil and he can do me no harm. Rather, you will see, I shall bend him before me."
So saying, he entered into the city. He freely moved through it, and was charmed at its wealth and affluence, piles of grains and the palace, and he passed through all the chambers of the palace At the seventh floor, he saw a fine couch, and, tired as he was, he lay on it and was soon asleep.
The yaksa returned at night and became furious to find a man lying on his couch He was surprised too. Diverse thoughts came to him 'A place where people do not even
