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BRAHMADATTACAKRICARITA
327
current of the Ganga, with food, drink, et cetera for the caravans on the road. He made an underground tunnel for four miles up to the combustible house with trustworthy men won by gifts, honors and favors.
Now Dhanu informed Puspacula about this incident by a secret letter, water for the tree of friendship. When Puspacula knew about it, he wisely sent a slave-girl in his daughter's place, like a hen-crane in place of a hansi. She entered the city, the sky blazing with her ornaments and gems, watched by the people with the idea that she was Puspacula's daughter, as if with the idea that brass was gold. The sky being filled with sounding musical instruments and deafening songs, Culani joyfully married her to Brahman's son. Culani dismissed all the people at evening and sent the prince with her daughter-in-law to the combustible house. The other attendants were dismissed; and the prince with his bride and with Varadhanu, who was like his own shadow, went there. Half the night passed, Brahmadatta being kept awake by the minister's son with conversation. Whence is sleep of great men?
Then a fire blazed in the bed-chamber, as if set by men with their heads bent, instructed by Culani to yell "fire." Then a cloud of smoke filled heaven and earth in all directions like a stream of ill-fame from the evil deeds of Culani and Dirgha. The fire of seven tongues became one with a crore of tongues with masses of flames, as if ravenous to devour the whole. Questioned by Brahmadatta, What is this," the minister's son told him briefly about Culani's evil conduct. "In order to drag you from this place like a figure from an elephant's trunk, my father had a tunnel made here which leads to the dipensary. After making it visible immediately by a kick on it, now enter its door like a yogi the entrance to a chasm." After striking the hollow ground, like a hollow drum, with his heel, he went through the tunnel with his friend, like a thread through the hole in a jewel.
At the end of the tunnel, the king's and the minister's
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