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The Faithful Parrot Couple 151 stored youth. She fell into the trap: first he secured his cloth and staff; then, by giving her the ass-making flower to smell, turned her into a she-ass.18 The courtezans over whom the bawd presided, raised a disturbance before King Amarasena, who laughed when he heard their story. He sent policemen, ministers, and vassals to apprehend Varasena, but he beat them off with his magic staff. Thereupon he went himself, out of curiosity to see what was up. As soon as Amarasena saw his brother he embraced him, and ultimately made him crown-prince (yuvarājan) (242). At the request of the king, Varasena gave the bawd the second flower to smell, thus restoring her to her natural form. In due time the brothers were reunited with their father; their stepmother was forgiven, because her act had been instrumental in procuring the boys' kingdom; the trusty Caņda was rewarded. A Muni explained their happy fate. Amarasena's gift to the Sādhu, in his previous birth, but more especially Varasena's offering of flowers, out of his pittance of 25 kapardakas, had had the effect of procuring their brilliant success. The Muni promised them happiness in subsequent births, and ultimate salvation. They lived happily and piously, and finally reached the world of Brahma (7-264).
The faithful parrot couple, and the son who fell in love
with his own mother 19 The discourse turns to the second form of pūjā, namely, with unhusked grain, which is illustrated by story: In the city of Crīpura, in the neighborhood of a
10 Ass-making flower occurs also in Râuhiņeya Carita, and in Kingscote, Tales of the Sun, p. 106. Cf. the additional note 9, on p. 188.
19 Essentially the same story, in Kathakoça, pp. 42 ff.
