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There is a city called Ujjayinî, and the king's name is Vikramâditya. His queen was Kâmalînâ. She was a lady of very noble family, and was the king's favourite wife. One day the king was dining, with her and he gave her some roast fish. She looked at them and said: " Sir ! I cannot bear to look at these men, much less to touch them ! " On these words the fish burst into a loud laugh, so loud that it was heard by all the people in the town. The king could not understand this, so he asked the astrologers, who were acquainted with the language of birds, what the fish meant by their laughter. None of them could tell him; so he sent for his private chaplain, who was the head of the Brâhmans in the town, and said: "If you don't tell me what those fish meant by laughing at what the queen said, I shall send you and all the Brâhmans into exile." The chaplain, on hearing this, was a good deal upset, and asking for a few days' grace, went home. He was quite sure that he and the rest of the reverend gentlemen would have to go, for it seemed impossible to find any answer to the question. His daughter observed his depressed condition and said: " Father ! what's the matter? Why do