Page:Katha sarit sagara, vol2.djvu/396

 And Dŗidhabuddhi, when he saw that fair maid, said to the prince, " She must be whom you suppose her to be, otherwise how could her ornaments, though made of forest flowers, thus resemble a necklace, a zone, a string of bells, and the other ornaments usually worn? Moreover, this beauty and delicacy are not produced in a forest; so you may be certain that she is some heavenly nymph, or some princess, not the daughter of a hermit. Let us rise up and stand here* a moment to find out." When Dŗidhabuddhi had said this, they both of them stood there concealed by a tree. And in the meanwhile those hermit maidens, having gathered their flowers, went down into that river with that lovely girl to bathe. And while they were amusing themselves by splashing about in it, it happened that an alligator came and seized that lovely girl. When those maidens saw that, they were bewildered, and they cried out in their sorrow, " Help, help, ye woodland deities ! For here is Mandáravatí, while bathing in the river, suddenly and unexpectedly seized by an alligator, and perishing." When Sundarasena heard that, he thought to himself, " Can this really be that beloved of mine?" and rushing forward he quickly killed that alligator with his dagger. And when she fell from the monster's mouth, as it were from the mouth of death, he carried her up on the bank, and comforted her. And she, for her part, having got over her fear, and seeing that he was a charming person, said to herself, " Who is this great-hearted one that my good fortune has brought here to save my life? Wonderful to say, he bears a close resemblance to that lover of mine whom I saw in a picture, the high-born son of the king of Alaká. Can he possibly be that very man? But out on my evil thought ! Heaven forefend ! May such a man never be an exile from his native land ! So it is not fitting for me now to remain in the society of a strange man. Accordingly, I will leave this place: may prosperity be the lot of this great-souled one !" After going through these reflections, Mandáravatí said to those companions of hers, " First take a respectful leave of this noble gentleman, and then come with me; we will now depart."

When prince Sundarasena, whose doubts were before unsatisfied, heard this, he conceived great confidence from merely hearing his own name, and be questioned one of her companions, saying to her," " Auspicious one, whose daughter and of what condition is this friend of yours? Tell me, for I feel a great desire to know." When he questioned the hermit maiden in these words, she said to him, " This is the princess Mandáravatí, the daughter of king Mandáradeva, the sovereign of Hansadvípa. She was being conducted to the city of Alaká to be married to prince Sundarasena, when her ship was wrecked in the sea, and the waves flung her up upon