Kâlai sôttai tallâde, Kannil Kandadai sollâde, Râjanukku payandu nada."
"Morning meal do thou never spurn, Nor say thou what thine eyes discern, But serve thy king for fame to earn."
Thus it was that Pâpabhîru began his visits to the king, nor did he ever reject an invitation to dinner, though it might come at a very inconvenient time.
Now on a certain êkâdasi [84] morning, Pâpabhîru went to the king to pay his respects as usual, with the lime and the benediction, but found that he had gone to his pûjâ and so followed him there. On seeing the Brâhmin, the king's face glowed with pleasure, and he said:--
"My most revered god on earth, [85] I thought that some ill must have befallen you, when I missed you in the council-hall this morning; but praised be Paramêsvara for having sent you to me, though it is a little late. I never do my pûjâ without placing my scimitar by the side of the god, but last night I left it in my queen's room. It is under the pillow of the couch on which I usually sleep. Until you came I could find no suitable person to fetch it for me, and so I have waited for you. Would you kindly take the trouble to fetch it for me?"
The poor Brâhmin was only too glad of the opportunity thus presented to him of serving his king, and so he ran to the harem and into the room where the king usually slept. The queen was a very wicked woman and always having secret meetings with courtiers of her husband, so when Pâpabhîru returned he surprised the queen and one of her lovers walking in the garden, he went through, however, to the king's room, and lifting up the king's pillow felt for the scimitar, and went away. True however, to his father's words, "Nor say thou what thine eyes discern," he never opened his lips and went his way with a heavy heart.
The queen and her wicked suitor were greatly alarmed.
"That rogue of an old Brâhmin has seen us and may report to the king at the first opportunity," faltered the minister.
But the queen, as bold in words as in sin, said; "I will have him murdered before the sun rises. Wait you here. I shall inform the king of what is to be done and report the result to you, and then you may go home."
So saying, she went and stood before her royal husband who was at his worship. Patnîpriya rose up and asked her the reason of her sudden appearance.
