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10 care of this parrot, and treat it as though it were your own son; I think very likely your grief will be alleviated by its knowledge and wisdom." So Haridatta took the parrot and handed it over to his son, who put it into a golden cage and kept it in his sleeping-chamber. One day the parrot was in a reflective mood and said—

"My son! tears shed from your father's eyes for your wickedness bedew the ground. These evil courses will ruin you, as they ruined Devasarma."

"And pray who was Devasarma?" replied Madana. The parrot said—

"There is a city called Panchapura, and in it lived a Brahman called Satyasarma. His wife was Dharmaiala, and his son Devasarma. Devasarma was so intent on the pursuit of sacred wisdom, that he forgot all about the duty he owed to his parents, and started for a distant country, where he performed penances on the banks of the Bhagirathi. One day when he was on his pilgrimage, it so happened that a crane flying overhead dropped some excrement on him. The ascetic looked up with eyes of fury, and the unfortunate bird immediately fell to earth scorched to ashes at his glance.

"Devasarma continued his journey, and presently reached the house of a Brahman. The