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that since the young boy had grown up only in the hermitage in the forest, and seen no woman so far, he was talking like that. So she should not get upset. Valkalaci rin had not seen horses before. He mistook the horses that were pulling the cart for deer and asked the cartman whether deer pulled carts. The cartman replied that they were used only for that purpose and there was nothing wrong in it. Then the cartman gave to the young boy some sweets and the boy said that he had received such sweets and some other fruits from some young visitors who looked like sages, when he was at the hermitage. As they proceeded on their journey, they were attacked by robbers but the cartman was strong enough to repel the attack. He also wounded the robber, who felt greatly pleased with the cartman's bravery and asked him to take away all the treasure that he had so far collected. It was accordingly put in the cart and the journey proceeded. When they reached Potanapura, the cartman asked Valkalacirin to get off and find his own way to the hermitage but he was kind enough to give him some money.
Valkalacirin did not exactly know where his father's hermitage was. He wandered up and down, felt tired and entered a house where he wanted to spend the night. A courtesan lived there. Valkalaci rin addressed her as 'Tāta' and asked whether he could be lodged there for the night. He would even pay for it. The courtesan said he was welcome in the house. She called for a barber and inspite of Valkalacirin's protests she got him shaved. He was given a clean bath and his bark garments were removed and he was nicely dressed and also decorated with ornaments. To all the protests and objections of Valkalacirin, the only reply was every visitor was given the same type of treatment. On this Valkalacirin kept quiet and submitted himself to whatever she did. The courtesan had planned to marry him to her daughter and accordingly the group of women she had collected started singing wedding songs.
King Prasannacandra learnt from the courtesans that his brother Valkalacirin, had disappeared in the woods and they were quite unable to locate him anywhere, moreover they were themselves afraid of the old ascetic that appeared on the scene. So they felt the wisest course would be to come back to report to the king. Prasannacandra was worried that young Valkalacirin did
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