34 TADUMAWATI. [68-69 CANTO V. THE PARROT. 68. While dear Padmāvati sported thus, the parrot descried a cat within the palace.! Said he to himself, 'Let me haste away while I have still feathers on my body; ' so with his bare life he fied till he saw trees of the forest. He fled with his bare life to the forest tract, where the birds met him, and showed him great honour. They all brought and laid (food) before the branch (on which he sat); for, so long as (God) prepareth food for man, it never faileth. He ate the food and his soul was pleased, and all the sorrow which had been his he forgot. O God, great is thy protecting power, Thou who givest food to every living creature. Even the insect amongst the stones Thou hast not forgotten; and where Thou hast remem- brance, there Thou givest food. The sorrow of separation lasteth but so long as the belly is not filled. Then is it all forgotten and becometh but a memory: yea (the meetings of former years) are become like a meeting in a dream. 69. The house-keeper came to Padmāvati (at the lake), and told her that a cat had entered into the house. The parrot which would give answers when asked hath flown away, and the empty cage no longer speaketh. When the Princess heard this her soul did dry up. 'Twas as though night fell, and the day had set. An eclipse had seized the effulgence of the moon, and the 1 Here one or two printed editions insert a long account of the reason for the parrot's flight. He sees a maidservant stealing Padmavati's flowers, and remonstrates with her. The maidservant in a fury, plucks him, thrusts him into a pot, and throws him down a well, from which he escapes by the aid of a friendly fig tree. The whole is written by a bad imitator of the real author, and is plainly not original. % Regarding the meaning of bana-dhakha, see page 4, note 5. 8 Wild birds usnally attack and kill tame ones; but, such was Hira-mani's virtue that they came forward to receive him and showed him honour. ties, wherever a man may go will he find that God has placed food ready for him there.
